.

[Maleficent13]

So, to sum up, we should just expect to receive crappy service on occasion and it is up to us to deal with it, and even try to prevent it in the future. Onus on the consumer. I can understand such a viewpoint. I will have to think about whether I agree with it.

 

[bicker]

So, to sum up, we should just expect to receive crappy service on occasion and it is up to us to deal with it, and even try to prevent it in the future.

Certainly when we make our purchasing decisions principally on price. That's why I specifically stated "every single vendor selling at that price-point" earlier. At different price-points, customers can expect different levels of service. Indeed, there are ways of getting better service: Pay more. You can even get great service from Dell -- by paying Dell more for service. It is unreasonable to expect to get the same level of service as someone paying significantly more (to the same or another vendor).

Onus on the consumer.

I believe the technical terms is caveat emptor. Know what you're buying, and at a measly $400 for a desktop computer, you're not buying much.

 

[Nancy]

I love my Dell and while their tech support is sometimes a pain, wait until you have to deal with HP's. I have an HP (second HP we bought and second that was bad and had problems right away) sitting in my family room that after 6 months stopped working. After weeks of dealing with everyone and everything they finally said to ship it back to them and they would look it over for a fee. Nope, it is still under warranty. Fought and fought with them. Sent it back to them and they found the hard drive to be defective (corrupt is the wording) they replaced the hardrive. 2 weeks later, same problems, call again but now they won't even talk to us, we get hung up on over and over again. Tech guy at DH's work fixed it but about all it's good for is playing games on it. I will not use it for anything else. Very expensive computer sits unused in my family room and no more HP products for us.

Now my Dells are great (we have a desktop and a laptop), my laptop just had the hardrive crash big time. Within 4 days (2 of those were Saturday and Sunday) I had the tech guy at my house installing a new hardrive and also a new keyboard cause 1 or 2 keys were broken. No arguing, no questions asked. Can't understand them half the time, but in the 3 years that I have had Dell in my house I like them better than HP.

Now we just bought a Toshiba laptop, I'm waiting to see how that goes, the kids love it.

My e-machines desktop just died after 4 years (and that was a measly 300.00 black friday buy. Best money I ever spent and for the price we paid it lasted way longer than my HP products ever did), can't be fixed so we are in the market for another desktop. Don't know what we are getting but it won't be an HP brand

 

[Tuffcookie]

Barb, I don't know about Dell but I do have an HP and I won't buy another one!

It crashed on me about a year ago. Luckily, I only lost a few picture files because I had saved everything on cds. However, when I bought my HP it did not come with installation disks for the programs that came with the computer. Why don't they automatically include these with the computer? It doesn't cost them that much more.

TC

 

[LtlTee]

I believe the technical terms is caveat emptor. Know what you're buying, and at a measly $400 for a desktop computer, you're not buying much.

I agree with this to a certain extent, and all things being relative, $400 is not a lot to spend on a computer.
However, I do believe I have a right as a consumer, no matter how little spent, to expect a product to do what it is supposed to do and the company back that product.

I believe onus is definitely on the consumer. That being said, I will not give Dell a second chance. They blew it the first time with me. My time and money are too valuable to me for chance buying from them again.

 

[wallyb]

I’m telling you guys - check Consumer Reports
Apple gets tops In - consumer satisfaction, least repairs, best service,
and on and on. Go Mac.

 

[bicker]

However, I do believe I have a right as a consumer, no matter how little spent, to expect a product to do what it is supposed to do and the company back that product.

Out of the box, the product should work. Once you start loading your own software onto it, putting it through wear-and-tear, environmental stress, etc., then it really becomes a matter of How much support and service did you pay for? Why should every customer be forced to pay extra because a few customers want superior service and support? They shouldn't be forced to. So computer manfacturers have listened to the market and provide offerings that meet the market's demands for low prices. Folks who want better support and service can pay extra for it, and folks who are willing to take the risks onto themselves can pay less.

They blew it the first time with me. My time and money are too valuable to me for chance buying from them again.

Is your time and money so worthless that you're willing to expend them on arguably inferior suppliers than Dell, just because you had a bad experience with Dell? That was really my original point: Why change to a different vendor if you have no legitimate reason to believe that that vendor will be better, especially since when something goes wrong you'll just have to learn that new vendor's systems and procedures?

 

[cardaway]

In many cases Dell (and every other computer seller) is who you have to call, but rarely is the issue every directly a result of anything they did wrong.

If something came loose or was not hooked up, it's directly Dell's fault. If the hard drive goes bad, yes you have to call Dell, but Dell purchased that hard drive just as you purchased the computer. It's possible Dell did somehting they shouldn't have with the hard drive, but it's also possible it's really something that went wrong with the hard drive supplier.

Not saying it's isn't Dell's responsibility as the seller, but I think people should be realistic on what's really going wrong on complicated pieces of equipment like computers.

And most of the bargain computers make the same margins for Dell because the put in lesser quality components. You get what you pay for.

 

[LtlTee]

Out of the box, the product should work. Once you start loading your own software onto it, putting it through wear-and-tear, environmental stress, etc., then it really becomes a matter of How much support and service did you pay for? Why should every customer be forced to pay extra because a few customers want superior service and support? They shouldn't be forced to. So computer manfacturers have listened to the market and provide offerings that meet the market's demands for low prices. Folks who want better support and service can pay extra for it, and folks who are willing to take the risks onto themselves can pay less.

Is your time and money so worthless that you're willing to expend them on arguably inferior suppliers than Dell, just because you had a bad experience with Dell? That was really my original point: Why change to a different vendor if you have no legitimate reason to believe that that vendor will be better, especially since when something goes wrong you'll just have to learn that new vendor's systems and procedures?

I do see your point -- and I do take partial blame here. Dell was running a special (free monitor upgrade) and I bit. My previous computer was a Gateway and I had absolutely no problems. I went with Dell because of the special (and also on the recommendation of my husband's IT guy at work). I know that Dell won't fold without my computer purchase, but I kind of think that is the problem here -- acceptance of crappy service and/or product to see if they get it right the next time.


And every customer is not forced to pay extra because a few customers want superior service and support. If you don't like the product and the terms, go elsewhere.

 

[LtlTee]

In many cases Dell (and every other computer seller) is who you have to call, but rarely is the issue every directly a result of anything they did wrong.

If something came loose or was not hooked up, it's directly Dell's fault. If the hard drive goes bad, yes you have to call Dell, but Dell purchased that hard drive just as you purchased the computer. It's possible Dell did somehting they shouldn't have with the hard drive, but it's also possible it's really something that went wrong with the hard drive supplier.

Not saying it's isn't Dell's responsibility as the seller, but I think people should be realistic on what's really going wrong on complicated pieces of equipment like computers.

And most of the bargain computers make the same margins for Dell because the put in lesser quality components. You get what you pay for.

In my case, it was an error in the preloaded software that caused my problems four days out. Because I didn't purchase a software warranty, they wanted to charge me to talk to the tech dept. to fix it. We argued that point, and a supervisor said that this one time they would make an exception and help us fix it no charge. My husband found out the next day, when explaining all this to the IT guy at work, that this a common problem with Dell and there is a website (not run by Dell) on which you can research certain problems and find out how to fix them. We checked it, and the issue we had along with the solution was right there. I say if it's posted on a website somewhere, this has happened to a few people.
That's my issue with Dell.

 

[suzannen]

My DH is very computer tech savy but one day he was having trouble running a program on his Dell (which was about 1 year old). Called Tech Support, who told him, no problem, he just needed to buy a certain special memory chip for $50 and when it was received, to call and they would talk him through how to install it and make it work. He bought the chip, called Dell, and they began to talk him through the installation. It suddenly fried and destroyed the whole computer while he was still on the phone. The tech on the phone refused to acknowledge any responsibility as did the tech who had originally recommended this fix. My husband talked to manager after manager with no help. They would not even refund the $50 chip nor even deduct $50 from the cost of buying a new computer. They were so incredibly rude and non-helpful. Needless, to say, the new computer we had to rush out and buy was not a Dell and never will be again.

 

[mickeysgal]

Out of the box, the product should work. Once you start loading your own software onto it, putting it through wear-and-tear, environmental stress, etc., then it really becomes a matter of How much support and service did you pay for?

Its the simple things that should work correctly - no matter what price point. When my Dell goes into hybernate mode, I can't get it to turn back on. Know what I have to do? Take the battery out and put it back it. And yes, its not some rinky-dink "special". I spent over $2000 for this model. And they STILL can't tell me WHY it was/is happening.

 

[Towncrier]

I've purchased 3 Dell systems from the delloutlet.com website and have been happy with all three. But thanks for the warning about returning the dud. I'll stay off the refurb website until that system clears. You didn't happen to write down the system serial number, did you?

I feel the same about Gateway (are they still in business???) customer support that you feel about Dell. And I know people who have had an eMachine for years without any problems and others whose computers were a problem from day one. I guess that computers are like cars. Some are gems and some are lemons.

Good luck with your HP. And remind your DH to save often when using any computer. Knowing him, I'm sure he'll appreciate the advice from me.

 

[bicker]

I know that Dell won't fold without my computer purchase, but I kind of think that is the problem here -- acceptance of crappy service and/or product to see if they get it right the next time.

I think it is more like accepting the level of service that is commensurate with the price paid, rather than the level of service we would like to think is included with our purchase. Clearly, if a vendor is "better" or "worse" then others, at the same price-point, given the objective data (i.e., data based on the experiences of great numbers of customers, not just one), customers should move "towards" or "away" from that vendor. However, given the objective data, Dell is actually among the best for x86 desktops and laptops, at that price-point. <shrug>

And every customer is not forced to pay extra because a few customers want superior service and support. If you don't like the product and the terms, go elsewhere.

Actually, what I said was that if "superior service and support" was includedin the base price,then every customer would be forced to pay extra because a few customers wanted it. As it is, Dell doesn't include that superior service and support, and so customers can choose whether to pay extra and get that superior service and support or not pay extra and do without that superior service and support.

 

[bicker]

Its the simple things that should work correctly - no matter what price point. When my Dell goes into hybernate mode, I can't get it to turn back on. Know what I have to do? Take the battery out and put it back it. And yes, its not some rinky-dink "special". I spent over $2000 for this model. And they STILL can't tell me WHY it was/is happening.

And hibernate works fine on my Dell, so there is no reason to think anyone could readily "tell ... WHY it was/is happening". Since it is related to hibernation, it is much more likely to be a Microsoft bug rather than anything Dell would be responsible for.

$2000 is pretty cheap for the type of equipment that Dell includes in $2000 desktops. When I talk about the price you pay I'm not talking about an absolute number. $400 isn't "cheap" and $2000 isn't "expensive". If we pay $2000 for the same specifications that others pay $400 for, then we have right to expect better service for our money. If, rather, the extra $1600 accounts for larger hard drive, better graphic adapters, monitors, peripherals, software, memory, etc., then it's still "cheap" and our expectation for service must be commensurate.

 

[mickeysgal]

My husband found out the next day, when explaining all this to the IT guy at work, that this a common problem with Dell and there is a website (not run by Dell) on which you can research certain problems and find out how to fix them. We checked it, and the issue we had along with the solution was right there.

Do you know the name of the website?

 

[cardaway]

Its the simple things that should work correctly - no matter what price point. When my Dell goes into hybernate mode, I can't get it to turn back on. Know what I have to do? Take the battery out and put it back it. And yes, its not some rinky-dink "special". I spent over $2000 for this model. And they STILL can't tell me WHY it was/is happening.

It sounds like a issue with the power supply. No way anybody can tell for sure without opening the computer.

 

[mickeysgal]

And hibernate works fine on my Dell, so there is no reason to think anyone could readily "tell ... WHY it was/is happening". Since it is related to hibernation, it is much more likely to be a Microsoft bug rather than anything Dell would be responsible for.

Why wouldn't I expect them to be responsible? I bought it from new from Dell. They need to make sure that what I bought is functioning 100%. If they can't fix it, then they should replace it. This is my expectation regardless of what I buy anywhere. Shrugging their shoulders isn't an acceptable answer, nor should hitting you up for an expensive upsell on a software warranty the automatic answer to selling defective merchandise. This gives them no accountability.

 

[imsorry]

I keep reading this as I Hate Deli and wondering what you have against pastrami

 

[mickeysgal]

It sounds like a issue with the power supply. No way anybody can tell for sure without opening the computer.

Thanks, Cardaway

Well thats more than the goofs at Dell were able to tell me. At least you have a theory.