Posted by Jerry, Kansas City on December 4, 2008:

I have purchased 6 Dell computers over the past 3 years. While I've had problems in the past, Dell technical support was previously able to resolve those issues, albeit with some pain involved. However, my recent experience has been substantially worse. The laptop freezes during or right after booting up. The hard drive has been replaced and the operating system has been reloaded twice. After spending an enormous amount of time on the phone with technical support, which can produce all sorts of horror stories hearing about their inability to track information, the problem is still unresolved. I'm on hold trying to reach another Dell technician, but no one seems to have any authority to do anything to resolve the issue. The technicians read from a script trying to reassure me that they can resolve the problem, but they can't. When they can't, they lack the authority to replace it.

Posted by Patricia Jackson, Ms on December 4, 2008:

I don't think I will deal with Dell anymore myself. For years I have purchased Dell products. November 2007 purchased my new XPS system, received $100 gift card from Dell. In May 2008, ordered my son a laptop for graduation (college bound), it was a hassle dealing with Dell, and got the laptop, and it would freeze up, my son called Tech support and they have him taking it apart. HELLO, we just got the laptop, it should not have problems. This went on for a few days...called Dell, they give me the run around, I tell them I want it replaced, the lady I am dealing with, says she will be out of the office for a few days, but she will contact me when she is back. Then I am told that my time has expired for returning it, HELLO, I called as soon as I got the laptop, the lady was the one out of the office and kept wasting my time...mind you, we had the laptop less than 2 weeks, they went by the order date which was back in May. Anyway, finally got it replaced.

Okay, I still have this $100 gift card, Wish I had of already used it, but forgot. Ordered my son a printer (another hassle with Dell, but ordered it anyway, zip code was incorrect) and I had to pick it up from UPS, but hey, got the invoice and bill (but not the printer.
Then I am thinking, gotta use that $100 gift card, would love a laptop...WRONG!!! Searched for Deals on Dell, find one comparable to what I want...specs. Went online to order, get a discount for employee, get a discount for sale item and discount for using my preferred dell card.

Only problem is, I have it all set online, it will not take both my gift card and my DP card..so I have to call DELL, BIG MISTAKE. Talked to Greg, he said no way was I getting the EPP discount, and also the DP discount..I said yes I am, I have it all on my screen, he said we don't have that deal currently. I said Yes you do, and I was directed to purchase this because of this deal. He asked for my print screens, I sent it, well he has computer screen problems, gives me his supervisors email address, I send to her. (mind you I have been on the phone for about 45 minutes now).

All this time I have this laptop in my dell acct online, with all my specs and discounts.
After being put on hold all this time, they ask me to back out of the screen and go back into it, I did (stupid me), and the discount for using my dell card went away...Yep, they took it away, even though I had proof. Greg said he would upgrade this or that for all my trouble, then comes back on the phone, says well he could not do this but would upgrade the video card.

By this time I have been on the phone for over an hour and half. He gives me the specs, said that is what I can do for you to make up for your time and not getting the discount for using my dell preferred card. Well my office has closed about 30 minutes earlier, and I had to get out of the building or be locked in for the night.

I get home, I have an email confirmation for my order (all along I am thinking I was screwed by dell, but heck, got a few add ons, but was not that big of a deal).
I noticed on my dell confirmation, that my zip code was entered wrong by the dell rep...they had to key in my order, because when they had me to back out of the screen, I lost my information (except my print screens I had done)...so the shipping zip was wrong. Emailed Greg, he said out of his control to call this other number. So I call, the guy says they will need to cancel that order, and place it again, I said okay, he said shipping date changed, order number changed also.

So here I am 3 weeks later, waiting on my new laptop that I have gone through all this headache for??? it's not here, I call dell, no record of my order...but they can surely order me another one, oh wait, they found my order, but it was cancelled...who cancelled it, oh they don't know, but it was cancelled the day I ordered it. Yes I said by Dell but it was reordered, because Dell entered the ZIP wrong. Well the order was cancelled again after that for some odd reason.

Well I am pissed by now, I emailed Greg at Dell the guy that originally placed my order, and ultimately screwed me out of my discounts.. he has not returned my call or email, I called his associate, she took my information, said Greg is on the phone with customer, but he will contact me. Yea right. She said she could send me to a Sales Rep and they could find me a deal close to what I ordered before.

HELLO, IT WAS ALL DELLS FAULT...if anything dell should be kissing my butt.
All I want now, is to get credit for my gift card...take it off my credit card, and let me stop dealing with dell all together, and try using another source for my computer needs...
I am so tired of dell crap...and it's their fault, not mine.

Posted by rori, new york on December 5, 2008:

Welcome to my Dell Hell...Studio laptop owners take notice!

Back in August I purchased 3 brand new Studio desktops for each of my 3 children, two of which were going off to college in the fall.

Within 2 days of receiving the 3 laptops, my one daughter began to have problems. The touchpad went out. Within the next hour, the mouse became very slow. Soon the keypad slowed down to an almost hault. At that moment she called Dell tech support. She spent 9 hours on the phone with tech support. They convinced her she had gotten some ferocious virus from the internet which had chewed through her hard drive and she was step by step instructed to clear the whole hard drive. Then she had to reinstall all the drivers, windows etc. back onto her brand new computer. The tech never told her how long it would take. When all was said and done the computer still had the same problem. I took the computer back to Staples where I had purchased it. They were uphalled at what she had been instructed to do and offered to send her a new computer.

At that point I was not angry. Well, I was upset with what Dell Tech had her waste 9 hours of her unpaid time. However, I understand that we just got a bad computer and that can happen!

Two days later, my other daughter began to experience the same problems with her Studio. I decided to call Dell tech support and give them another chance. After about 2 hours of attempted repairs to the computer, the tech decided the computer needed to have the whole hard drive cleared. Well I was not about to go down that road again so I returned to Staples who gave me a brand new studio.

Dell was supposedly informed of my issues and was to call me. I'm still waiting since August. Well I guess I figured I was unlucky to receive by a fluke 2 bad computers!

All was fine until November 30. My daughter, now off at college, who had had the first bad conpter and received a brand new one, began to have the same problems with her present computer. This time she was in a panic because on her semester finals begin next week and she has several papers due that are on the computer.

I immediately called Staples at 8 AM Monday morning and they said they would take care of it. Staples was in contact with Dell and reassured me the problem would be fixed by noon. I gave them a noon deadline because at the worst I could drive 3 hours to my daughters school and bring her one of our laptops from home.

Needless to say my daughter was not contacted until 3 pm by Dell Tech support. By four pm the tech had managed to freeze up her computer totally! At this point she is told she will need to mail her computer back to Dell. And due to an error in their system, it will take 10 days just to get her the box to mail the computer back to Dell. They suggested that she use the school's library to do her work in the meantime. Those Dell people need to haul their a**** to the library and learn how to make better computers!

So called my Staples, b****** them out for having me wait until 4 pm to fix the problem. At this point I wanted another computer, not a Dell, waiting for me at the Staples near my daughter's University. I drove 4 hours in a snow storm, to her school and got her a brand new replacement HP laptop to use. So far so good. Still waiting to hear from Dell.

All I know is that 3 bad computer in a row is not a fluke. THey made a bad product and don't want to recall it.

I replaced one bad Dell so far. My goal is now to get rid of the other 2 I have before they go out and leave my college daughters high and dry without a computer. I have lost all faith in Dell.

My "issue" was escalated according to Dell. They were to email me a copy of my complaint, (One of many since August) I have had no email from them yet! They must have computer issues with their Dells too!

Posted by Paul Ratliff on December 5, 2008:

Doing a search for Michael Dell's email and I came across this site. I said to myself "self, let me say my 2 cents worth as well. If anything it will allow me to vent." Purchased a Brand new XPS 420 with all the belss and whistle. The machine came in at 7:30 (CSD). I could not wait to play with my new machine. Then karma happened. I turned on the machine answered the questions up front I got to the start page and then I relized that it is 10:00pm. I get up everymorning at 4:40 am for work to pay for my BRAND NEW DELL COMPUTER. As soon as I came home from work my BRAND NEW DELL XPS 420 was humming so loud that I thought someone was cleaning my house with a vaccum. I followed the poper procedure and called the 1-800-number. Of course I could barely understand them. So to give you a time line. In less than 24 hours my BRAND NEW COMPUTER was broke. The outsourced tech support said to me what can you expect from a electronic device it's electronic. Completly threw me off my game. Trying to explain that there was no post beep codes, the monitor is not receiving any signal threw the video card was a nightmare. Thinking this isn't 2 months or even 6 months it is again less than 24hrs I was going to be treated like I was Dell himself. How wrong I was. The outsourced lady wanted to sell me a warranty plan for a year so I could bypass talking to India. I find this alarming becuase of the fact they moved those jobs out of America so they could save on paying a American to do the job. Here is the flip side of the coin. Give Dell even more money and we will have you talk to a American. That way you do not have to wait 10 to 15 minutes to get technical support. After 45 minutes of explaining my problem she still didn't get the message. GIVE ME A NEW COMPUTER. I broke down and spent the $149.00 for a year of support just so I can get off the phone and get my problem resolved.

Now onto the tech side. I called in gave the tech my information, he pulled everything up, saw that I haven't had my computer under 24hrs and he said to me " I am going to transfer you to CUSTOMER CARE it should be called "Customer Hell"

CUSTOMER CARE said that there will be a 15% re-stocking fee if I cancel the order. I have to tell you my friends it took every ounce of me to stay calm. (My daughter was in the room). If anything it showed my daughter not to buy a Dell computer. -BTW- I was talking to someone out of the United States again. So I went threw the same spill again which now is the 3rd time I get hung up on. I call back and got humg up again. So I called the number that I payed $149.00 dollars for and a American answered the phone told him the problem and said I hope I am being recoreded for training purposes. (you can't make this stuff up). Here is the cause. Bad video card is what they said. Will see. Since it is a bad video card could you imagine if they sold listening cards too. If both cards went bad they could neither hear or see you so who would care

I have a Uncle that is a IT purchaser that buy's millions of dollars a year of Dell Computer. He will bring this up at his next team meeting of all the problems everyone is having. When I say everyone I sent him a link to this web site to distribute at the agency so all his purchasers can see and hear what they are going to get into if you buy a DELL.

Posted by Rob DeFreese on December 6, 2008:

I purchased a Dell Studio 17 back in August after nightmares in actually getting the order entered which finally took place 9/15/08 the order was canceled and re-entered and that was done approx 5 times moving my ship date further and further out. Mind you I purchased this laptop via my companies computer program. So I finally get the laptop 10/7/08 only to spend the next 5 days updating and setup up the system as just about every program required an update of sorts. Now here is where it all goes to hell.

By the fifth day the speakers are back, Dell Datasafe will not work, lojac will not work, there were 2 hard drive errors, the media key barely worked etc. So I contact Dell support and they want to send someone out to fix it. Not an option with me as it is brand new and has not even been used yet other than updates. So after sending a half a day with tech support and being on the phone with them until 2:43am when I had to be up for work at 5:00am they decided to ship a return label and an a exchange. Great...NOT what took place after that was the exchange was entered 9/24/08 and not disclosed to me that the return label was part of the exchange I did not receive either until 10/7/08 which Dell pushed me beyond the 21 days which is not even mention in the policy under our corporate link.

This was after orders being canceled and re-enter and never contacting me to let me know or give me the option to cancel out my order and go elsewhere I now receive my second laptop only to find that has just about the same defects as the first and more. I contacted Dell 12/2/08 and proceded in Dell Hell. I was on the phone for over an hour being dumped into voicemail system not even someone voicemail box and being blidly tranferred from Rep to Rep Dept to Dept at one point I was placed on hold for over 30 minutes before anyone got back to me. I would hear hold music for a while and hear some touch tones as if someone was trying to transfer me again and follow by a few seconds of silence and that back to hold music.

This pattern repeated itself a few times during my 30 plus minutes of hold. Out of an hours or so phone call I spent anywhere from 4-6 minutes on hold not including the 30 plus whooper only to be told when I requested a supervisor that he was in a meeting and would call me back in 25 hours which I advised not acceptable and wanted a call by the end of the day being they caused me to miss a meeting which I told the third rep I did not have that much time due to my appt but they did not care and off I went to dept and on hold. When I adivse the rep of wanted a call by the end of the is became patronizing and more unhelpful. While the day ended no call 24 hours went by no call. So Dell manged to added more days beyond the 21 days..not my fault nor was the delays from day one!

I advised the last rep the reason of wanting a callback sooner as I would be return to work on that Thursday and don't you know they waited until Thursday to call knowing I would not be home. I received such a run around in trying to get a return label sent so I could return the second laptop as at this I am not willing to work with Dell and waste more time. I advised I wanted a full refund as well, which I was told sorry past 21 day. I have made mention that the cause for going beyond the 21 days is Dells fault not mine. I had the original laptop packed up and ready to as well as the second defective one. The second arrived 12/1/08 so from Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov to Dec to order a laptop, receiev a laptop and return a laptop has taken almost three months to do and now they advised me I can send back the second one which is defective as long as I pay to ship it back and pay a 15% restocking fee.

There is no way in hell I am paying a time dime for something they did to me. If anyone has any ideas or can help I would appreciate it. I have already file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs and I have reviewed the case file on Dell violating FTC policy which in my case they did the same by not advising of the delay and/or asking my consent to delay shipping or to cancel and receieve a prompt refund which violated FTC 16 C.F.R. 435.1(b)(3) and 435.1(b)(1) and FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1). I went from being a customer to a victim due to Dell and their poor support, customer service and game play at the customers expense!

Posted by Kate, MN on December 6, 2008:

Two suggestions to anyone with Dell issues: One, try online messaging support. It allows you to do other things while the tech is messing with your computer via the remote system. They also now e-mail you with all the information about your service call, and allow you to reply to the e-mail so that you can get help from the same person, who already knows the situation, if there are further issues.

Second suggestion, if it gets bad enough, start throwing around the magic words: Better Business Bureau. Ask to speak to a supervisor and use the words again. Be prepared to back up your threat: that is, be sure that you know the people, names (if applicable), number of times and specific dates, as well as any unfulfilled promises (i.e. someone was supposed to call). The BBB website asks for this information, as well as your requested resolution (i.e. computer fixed, goll-darn-it!) and will contact the company on your behalf. If the company does not attempt to resolve the issue, or is deemed to have made a poor attempt, the BBB notates this on their own website. I was once contacted by a company 15 months after my initial complaint and was given approximately $70 in free product (initial complaint was $15 of incorrect order).

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I find it unlikely that Dell employees will be intimidated by the mention of an antiquated and toothless private bureaucratic organization like the BBB when they're not afraid of customers complaining to their states' attorneys general, but have at it. -rc

Posted by Brooke, Hawaii on December 9, 2008:

In addition to requesting that this computer have the slim and light LED screen, I also was adamant about the lightweight AC adapter. The new unit I received had the heavyweight 90W AC adapter. I have to lug this computer around in grad school and the one you sent me weighs in at a whopping 5.5 lbs compared to the 4.5 lbs of the first one.

On and on it goes and I haven't even gotten into the years of headaches and hours on hold. That's just a glimpse of my personal DELL HELL story. DON'T BUY A DELL UNLESS YOU REALLY LIKE INCOMPETENCE!!! NEVER AGAIN.

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Just to be clear regarding your use of "you", we are decidedly NOT Dell Computer Inc., which is evident by looking at the domain you're on, and the title of this site. -rc

Posted by Thornwell, South Carolina on December 9, 2008:

My mother, who was diagnosed with Vascular Demensia in January of this year, was determined to speed up my 5 year old Dell desk top computer. I tried to explain to her that there was no real way to speed it up, but she was seceretly determined to do whatever it took to make that computer FAST. Eventually she got a hold of Dell customer service and bought two 256MB memory modules which she tried rather successfully to hide from me. (if anyone has, or has had, a loved one suffering from Demensia, then you know this story line all too well) I eventually discovered her purchase in September. I called Dell Customer Service to request a return authorization for the two packs of memory. The rep was very polite in explaining to me that since "...the purchase had exceeded Dell's 21 day return policy..." he was unable to authorize the return. I tried to be very calm in re-explaining to him my mothers condition, to which he responded in thick Indian accent "...I understand your situation, sir, but it is Dell's policy not to accept returns after 21 days..." I pressed further to speak with his supervisor and was told that the supervisor would tell me the same thing he had already told me twice before. I still asked, politely, to speak with his Supervisor. He then got nasty in his tone, repeated Dell's return policy and hung up. I called back and spoke with someone else who apologized for what had happened, but, again repeated Dell's return policy and stating there was nothing he could do.

I'm not talking about an expensive peice of hardware, but $160.00 worth of unopened memory. I am sure that my mother was told about the 21 day return policy in an accent she most likely struggled to understand. However, she could not recall that ever being said to her. I'm actually surprised she remembered the conversation at all!

I decided to call Dell Financial where, although easier to understand Texan, were not much help either. The intial suggestion was to keep calling back to Customer Service until the matter was resolved. I asked to speak to a supervisor where I was finally told that if I had the packing slip from the shippment, I could send back the memory and that eventually my mothers account would be credited. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not all that keen on depending upon a recieving clerk at a large DC to actully carry through with the return and crediting of an account.

I intend on sending my complaint along with a letter from my mother's Neurologist to someone in Round Rock, Texas (any suggestions?) in hopes of getting this resolved.

Posted by Mary, Iowa on December 12, 2008:

I've had "DELL HELL" all day today. On one of the news channells last night, they stated that if you called Dell for service/tech support and requested an English/that you can understand person it was going to cost a $12.95 charge. Wanting to know from the horses mouth so to speak I called Dell numerous times trying to get an answer to that info. Total run around from of course people with such a heavy dialect I could not hardly communicate with them. Asked repeatedly fo a supervisor, politely mind you but persistently. Asked for their name and # then immediately said they would find a supervisor who magically wasn't busy anymore.

Needless to say, put on hold for long long time, then transferred to a busy signal which hung up. I have no intention of ever purchasing another product from Dell.

Got a Corporate # from information in Austin, Texas. Surprise, just relayed back to the same old #'s, customer care (giggling at that joke) and same run around.

Mind you, I don't expect Dell how to run their business but if they are going to outsource to other countries, it should not be our problem that some of their CS & IT people are not proficient enough in their English that we can understand them. It's a joke and a bad one at that.

My husband just bought me a new Dell 19" flat screen moniter. I am looking for a laptop also. Dell? NOT!!!!

Incidently, never ever got my rebate when I purchased my unit, many years ago. Tried calling and emails. Gave up.

Posted by Sheila - Las Vegas on December 16, 2008:

Like so many who have come before, I am once again in Dell Hell. My year-old Dell PC crashed and burned, and I had to reinstall Windows. In the three weeks since then, my computer freezes when idle for more than an hour or so, requiring constant rebooting by hitting the Off button.

Apparently, paying for three years' on-site service is meaningless. Last night's two-hour phone marathon with the Indian tech rep - who I couldn't understand or even hear with the speaker phone on and the receiver to my ear - had him taking over my computer. During this session, I saw him actually Google one of the ancillary issues. But this cracker jack "tech" rep was looking at a search result that dealt with XP. My computer is running Vista! At the end of the session, it seemed as if the computer might have been fixed, but how could I tell, since it wasn't idling?

I left the computer on, went to bed, and awoke to the same frozen screensaver. Called Mumbai again. Asked for immediate escalation. Ha! First contact couldn't bother to read the notes, asked for the whole timeline to be repeated. I refused and again requested escalation. Sure, to the First-Line Supervisor. He couldn't read either, but he understood me shouting "Escalate." So on hold again for an interminable period of time to Mr. Second-Line Supervisor. I knew he must be, because he had an American name. He told me that they cannot route to the U.S., that I could not have a tech sent to my house, and finally, that I would hear from a Senior Supervisor, but it would take 48 hours. Forty-eight hours?????????????

I have been, until now, a loyal and exclusive Dell customer. And stockholder. I even bought a Dell flat-screen TV (and went through Dell Hell with that, too, until a burglary ended that problem). I don't like change. But I have learned to live without Toyota, without EBay, without Black & Decker, Bose and a number of other companies that I dealt with exclusively, but who do not value the customer who keeps them in business. Finally, I came to the realization that I do not have to be treated like dirt. If I pay good money for a product, I deserve to have the company stand behind that product, without me having to first endure torture, spend hours of my time, cajole, wheedle, beg, cry, and endlessly complain.

I will never buy another Dell computer. Like I've done with those other companies, I truly mean it.

Oh, was it Mary? who wrote about the $12.95 for a U.S. tech support call? No, Mary, it's Dell's soon-to-be new policy for all new computer owners. That will be $12.95 a month for the privilege of talking - and being able to understand - an American.