FRUSTRATED with Dell !!!!

[d96j97]

We have a Dell desktop that only has a couple months left under our 4 year warranty. We recently had the entire system crash. After hours upon hours of doing what the technical service center told me to do...they finally sent a technician to our home. He replaced the mother board and the memory. NO LUCK!!! We had to call Dell back again and they sent a hard drive and the Dell technician again. He installed the hard drive but then realized that they had not sent the Vista CD. Again...another visit from the technician and no computer. I have a project due Monday morning that I can not do! I'm so disgusted right now! I just got off the phone with them and I asked "Ed" what I am supposed to do now. He says...we're sending a Vista CD and when you install it everything should be okay. Are you kidding me???? I have no idea how to reinstall windows. What about all my other programs that I paid for such as Quicken, Photoshop, etc. that were on my previous hard drive. If that doesn't work...according to "Ed", then he will have to put me in contact with his supervisor and they will talk to me then. For goodness sakes....either fix it or replace it!!!

 

[cglaura]

We have a Dell desktop that only has a couple months left under our 4 year warranty. We recently had the entire system crash. After hours upon hours of doing what the technical service center told me to do...they finally sent a technician to our home. He replaced the mother board and the memory. NO LUCK!!! We had to call Dell back again and they sent a hard drive and the Dell technician again. He installed the hard drive but then realized that they had not sent the Vista CD. Again...another visit from the technician and no computer. I have a project due Monday morning that I can not do! I'm so disgusted right now! I just got off the phone with them and I asked "Ed" what I am supposed to do now. He says...we're sending a Vista CD and when you install it everything should be okay. Are you kidding me???? I have no idea how to reinstall windows. What about all my other programs that I paid for such as Quicken, Photoshop, etc. that were on my previous hard drive. If that doesn't work...according to "Ed", then he will have to put me in contact with his supervisor and they will talk to me then. For goodness sakes....either fix it or replace it!!!

Wow, that stinks. I think it might be the luck of the draw with the tech for your area. DD's laptop crashed 8 months in...I called and a tech was here 2 days later, about 45 minutes, new motherboard and battery and good to go. No charge.

I know it won't help with your project for Monday, but wonder if you can call and request another tech?

For the other programs on the other hard drive. Do you have the cd's or did they come pre-installed? If pre-installed, get back on the phone with Dell to get them again. If you downloaded them from Quicken, etc, they should be able to look up your info to download again.

Was your system just not booting up? I had a system that I'd hit the power and it would start but then shut right down. Or it would turn off during high demand. Turned out my power supply was shot. Just in case getting a new hard drive doesn't work either...

Did you have your data backed up?

 

[d96j97]

I do have the original disc for Quicken, but a friend let me borrow her Photoshop CD and use her other license #. I've already used the Microsoft Office CDs on three different computers. Am I going to be able to use it again since it is the same computer???? As far as the data...I have most documents on an external hard drive and quicken is backed up on a disc. However, there are some things that I didn't have a back up for and I'm afraid they're just GONE!! Yikes, sure wish I was better at these computer issues!

 

[cglaura]

I do have the original disc for Quicken, but a friend let me borrow her Photoshop CD and use her other license #. I've already used the Microsoft Office CDs on three different computers. Am I going to be able to use it again since it is the same computer???? As far as the data...I have most documents on an external hard drive and quicken is backed up on a disc. However, there are some things that I didn't have a back up for and I'm afraid they're just GONE!! Yikes, sure wish I was better at these computer issues!

You will be able to use the office again since the one on your dead hard drive, is well, dead also! If you ever tried to use that again is where you'd have an issue, because your new one is now the 3rd license. I've been recycling our office suite from old to new for awhile. Depending on how it is, you might have to call support to get assistance, I've never had to do that though, just install and register and all is fine again.

Can you get the friend's Photoshop cd again? If so, then you are ok there.

You can probably take your old hard drive to a data recovery place if you need to. I'm not sure how much they cost though.

As far as installing windows, it will guide you through it, but it will take a long time to get all the updates done. You know all those windows updates you've done through the years? Well now you get to do them all at once. I think when I reformatted my laptop it took almost 2 days to completely update. I guess this would depend on what cd dell sends to though. Mine was what came with the laptop.

If you are uncertain of it, call Dell and make them send a tech out to install. I'd definitely be back on the phone with them though. You paid good money for this warranty, they better make things right. Good luck!

 

[Forevryoung]

If you have any further issues, double check that the correct mother board was replaced.

My final Dell issue (the one that prompted me to despise Dell) was they sent the technician the WRONG mother board and the technician KNOWINGLY put in the wrong mother board ("it might work"). The wrong mother board FRIED my computer (the only thing that wasn't "fried" was my video card).

I was able to convince Dell to replace the entire desktop over replacing each component individually. The ordeal took 40+ hours on the phone (I was a college student).

I wouldn't tell my worst enemy to purchase a Dell.
Good Luck

 

[Mom2Ben02]

We had bought a laptop a little over a year ago, and the message pops up to replace the battery. So, we call Dell...after all, we bought the BEST warranty. Turns out the battery is NOT covered, and it is a one year warranty on it. We were 1 week past, and they wanted $180 for a new one!! Luckily, we found a seller on ebay that had them for $45.

 

[msmayor]

No hardware warranty ever covers your data or software. I'm sure its buried in your warranty paperwork (I had a Dell warranty and recall it being there) that tells you when a hard drive is replaced they are not responsible to restore the operating system or recover any data/programs from it. You have to perform backups and make sure you have the discs necessary to recover your system.

Honestly, its not difficult to re-install Windows. I've actually done it three or four times. Get on a working computer connected to the internet and Dell's resource pages have (or at least had when I had my Dell) very specific step-by-step instructions on performing a re-installation.

Then you just re-install your other programs.

Its really a good idea to learn it. It can save you a ton of money you might spend paying someone else to do it.

 

[msmayor]

You can probably take your old hard drive to a data recovery place if you need to. I'm not sure how much they cost though.

My experience with Dell warranty services (or any warranty services) is that you do not get to keep any hardware or parts they replace. They keep the old hard drive.

 

[Alexander]

We've had 2 Dell destops and both of them crashed and burned after 2 years. However, we also have a Dell laptop that we've had forever and it still runs amazing. It is slow, and doesn't have wi-fi becase there was no wi-fi when we bought it (yes, it is that old).

We currently have an HP desktop, an HP laptop, and an HP mini. DS has a Toshiba, and all are running just fine. I don't know if I would go back to a Dell desktop after the other two just up and died without a bit of warning. One even started smoking when we turned it on!

 

[cglaura]

We've had 2 Dell destops and both of them crashed and burned after 2 years. However, we also have a Dell laptop that we've had forever and it still runs amazing. It is slow, and doesn't have wi-fi becase there was no wi-fi when we bought it (yes, it is that old).

We currently have an HP desktop, an HP laptop, and an HP mini. DS has a Toshiba, and all are running just fine. I don't know if I would go back to a Dell desktop after the other two just up and died without a bit of warning. One even started smoking when we turned it on!

Do you open your desktops to blow out the dust every so often? That smoking sounds like something got gunked up and overheated. Doesn't do any good with the dead Dell, just fyi to protect what you currently have...

I clean mine once a month, but I have cats and open windows alot. It would depend on your house environment on how often you need to do it. The cpu especially. If that grill gets gunked up so the fan can't cool it properly then it will eventually overheat and fail.

My experience with Dell warranty services (or any warranty services) is that you do not get to keep any hardware or parts they replace. They keep the old hard drive.

Ah, that makes sense. The tech took our parts but I didn't think about hd too. Guess another call to Dell might be in order to see if anything can be recovered.


OP: any luck re-installing or further word from Dell?

 

[pixiedustmomma]

Sorry you are having trouble.

I tell everyone NEVER buy dell. In three laptops, bought in three different states, and three different years all the hard drives crashed. Then I had them jerking me around telling me they fixed it just for it to crash again. It took me moving in with my husband (before we were married) and him looking at my computer to tell me the hard drive was actually ruined and could not be fixed. I had to get a new hard drive and lost everything on my computer. My father had the same problem.

So I won't ever buy from Dell again. They have good prices but the product stinks! I would rather pay more money for something I know will work for longer then a year.

You need to push them to replace the whole computer and then save up money for an HP.

 

[Leajess99]

Reinstalling Windows is quite easy.

As for the rest of your software, did Dell not give you the disks when you got your computer?? Other wise they are not responsible for your software. Call back and ask that they replace your computer. They may or may not do it but by this point it does not hurt to ask. You should also be able to extend your warranty now to cover the life of the computer (do this PRIOR to them replacing it).

I have a laptop that was dropped (had accident protection on it) and after they attempted to fix it (it did work but still had some issues with not identifying the battery or the cord) they decided to replace it. The recommendation by the Customer service rep was to extend the warranty prior to the replacement otherwise the replacement warranty extension would cost more.

I have had nothing but good experiences with Dell and would highly recommend them.

ETA: I had my original laptop for 3 years before it was dropped.

 

[DianeV]

We havent had any problems with Dell either altho we dont bother with their warranties

FYI a friend had another brand computer and had to pay just for them to give her any information over the phone and then tell her what she needed to fix (buy)

I dont think any companies warranties dept are that great for computers

 

[NMW]

After several problems over the years I have officialy given up talking to cust service over the phone...so frustrating. A couple years ago I just started using the Geek Squad at Best Buy for everything. Yes, I pay for it, but the service is incredible...and very stress-free.

 

[LilyWDW]

Knowing what I know about Dell... good luck OP. I have more then one friend work for Dell (and in different areas) and all I can say is that I will NEVER buy a Dell computer.

 

[hffmnheidi]

I have had mostly okay response with my Dell computer and their customer service people.

I bought mine in Feb. 2010 and by the end of July-the hard drive crashed on a Tuesday morning and called immediately.

Tech support was here on Wednesday and 'replaced' the motherboard and video card with no luck-the tech actually called in to Dell while in our house and they informed me they were sending me a whole new computer because mine couldn't be fixed.

I had the new computer by Friday of that same week and I was happy with their quick response to handle things.

However, when I got on the phone to confirm the address info, the customer service tech told me he was sending me the new laptop when my original wasn't a laptop. He tried to convince me I wanted the laptop instead of a desktop unit-I had to argue with him for ten minutes that I didn't want a laptop...I had a colostomy bag as well as open wounds that were healing and couldn't hold a laptop on my lap so it wouldn't have done me any good to have a laptop for 'convience' as the customer service guy told me. I had to finally tell him if he didn't send me my desktop unit like my original, I would take the whole thing back to Wal-mart and get my money back and then make a complaint with his boss and buy a different computer brand. I got my desktop though and persistence pays off.

 

[anna08]

Had similiar experiences with 2 Dell computers in the distant past that were so aggravating. Switched to a Mac and have never been happier (no need for ctrl-alt-del again!!) Really, Dell's customer service is horrid. My mom (a die-hard PC lover) had trouble with a Dell laptop just a few months old and only got a reasonable response when she sent certified letters to the president, CEO and head of customer service about her experience. She probably just got them by google search so you might try that route. Good luck!

Oh, and I was so frustrated with Microsoft that I refused to load their Office for Mac program for a couple years, but Word, Excel, etc do work fine on my Mac.