The Consumer Complaints Blog

I have a $3000+, 4.5 year old laptop (bought Aug/Sept 2007; XPS M1330-
model#PP25L).
The motherboard has been replaced 3 times, and needs to be replaced again.

When I purchased the unit, I did it over the phone. The sales rep
accidentally gave me a 3 year security system subscription instead of
a 3 year warranty. They issued me a refund for the security system
because rebuilding the unit would have meant delay. I asked for
confirmation about the warranty since I suspected she accidentally
gave me the security system in place of the warranty. She said, ‘yes
yes yes, that’s all there, don’t worry.’ When I got the invoice, I
checked and the 3 year warranty wasn’t there. She wouldn’t give me the
warranty, her supervisor wouldn’t give me the warranty. Customer
service FINALLY did, but I suspect because I was still within my
timeframe to return the whole unit if they didn’t.

Now for more problems. So I had an extended 3 year warranty. My
motherboard failed on the unit. The first motherboard replacement
occurred Aug-11-2008 (almost exactly a year from the date of
purchase). No problems – have the warranty. The next motherboard
replacement was Nov-2009, and I talked to a rep and got a name,
dispatch and case numbers. Still had the warranty, so no problems, but
I was concerned about what happens when my warranty expires – this is
obviously a faulty unit or model, who’s going to deal with it? This
rep told me on this occasion that if my warranty were to expire and
this happened again, that the motherboard would be replaced at no
charge because it was an ongoing issue with my unit. He specified that
other issues wouldn’t be covered, but motherboard issues would because
it was ongoing. So fast forward to now (Feb 2012). My warranty has
expired (as of Aug 2011), and now my motherboard needs to be replaced
again.

I talked to 7 people in two hours, each one trying to usher me to
warranty repairs (where they just tell you how much it’ll be to fix
the unit) against my wishes. One customer service rep blatantly
refused my request to talk to a supervisor, put me on hold for 5
minutes, then transferred me to warranty repairs against my request
anyway. The most helpful technical support rep told me she would be
upset too, but that there was nothing she could do even though a
customer service rep (with all information) had told me otherwise AND
that the issue was ONGOING/the unit was faulty. Not only that,
technical support also told me that there was no one with that
dispatch number, or name, and that the rep I talked to in 2009 gave me
wrong information, and that they would not honour the repair. They
denied the unit was faulty even though the motherboard needed
replacing at only a year old. Then they sent me to warranty repair,
where they told me they’d give me a discount of $400 (from $500), for
me to pay for a new motherboard for my unit. The unit is faulty, and
they gave me wrong information or simply lied, and will not honour
their product or their own customer
service. I told them they were out of their minds if they expected 1.
for me to pay to have my motherboard replaced AGAIN, only for it to
last about a year before needing yet another replacement and 2. for me
to spend another dime on anything Dell after I was guaranteed by THEIR
customer service that THIS EXACT THING would NOT happen to me. My $500
is much better spent on another brand of computer that will not have
this issue, or at the very least have superior customer service from a
brand that stands behind their product (and service, for that matter).

I am 27 years old, and will never so much as buy a mouse from Dell
ever again. Neither will I let family or friends (or anyone else for
that matter) purchase from them without hearing my story first.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.