01/10/2007 - DELL'S SUBSTANDARD VENDOR PRACTICES
Okay, I have long since given up on getting fair treatment from Dell, and have given up on Dell. Lately, this has just been more entertaining than anything else, and I'm happy to have cost Dell more in support resources than the cost of the upgrade I've been fighting for. Here's the latest from Dell, and my response.
In summary, Dell sold me a Windows XP license two weeks ago that I shouldn't have had to buy, as it's the second license for this one machine. I had to buy it because Dell dropped the ball many months ago. You'll read that later in this entry. The problem is this: no one is selling XP now without an upgrade voucher to Vista. But Dell is milking Microsoft's products for all they can get and, by my latest calculation, this transaction could end up costing me far more than amazon.com is selling Vista for. Now, Dell wants me to uninstall XP, return it (at my own expense) and then purchase the Vista upgrade. If they had included an upgrade voucher two weeks ago like Tiger Direct and other more reputable vendors do, all this could have been avoided.
Dear Mr. Coleman,
Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support.
I am a supervisor at Dell and have reviewed the case history. I can understand your concern and apologize for the trouble.
Mr. Coleman, Dell is offering the Windows Vista Upgrade to on systems purchased no earlier than October 26, 2006 and no later than March 15, 2007. Your Dimension XPS system was purchased on 02-01-06. Therefore, it is not eligible for the upgrade.
Regarding the Windows Media (FULL XP PRO) that you have purchased two weeks back, I would suggest you to contact the Customer Care department and return the media. You may contact our Customer Service department in regards to this issue at 1800-624-9897, or you can email them by going to the following link:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/en/emailcustomercare?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
Once the media is returned, you may order the Windows Vista Upgrade.
As per the records, the media shipped under DPS# 83271780 has been delivered to you. In case you need any further assistance, please feel free to write back. I am willing to be your point of contact until a satisfactory resolution to all your issues.
Dell values you as a customer and we are committed to provide best of support and Service at all times.
The case number for this interaction is 152742932.
Thank you for choosing Dell.
Thank you,
Pankaj
Dell Rep ID # D36477
Dell Technical Support
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Pankaj,
I'm sorry you do not see my outrage to be sold XP two weeks ago, and then have to pay additionally to return it, and pay additionally to upgrade to Vista, when if you had sent a Vista upgrade voucher in the first place like your competitors do, this all could have been avoided.
You may close this case. I have lost all confidence in Dell, and will closing my Dell Financial Services account within two months and moving all my business to HP, as I need to replace my Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop and an older desktop model. I've never had a problem with HP.
I have heartily recommended Dell to my friends and business associates through the years. Four of my friends have bought Dell home systems based on my recommendation. I will now actively un-recommend Dell as a vendor, and I have sent a letter to Microsoft complaining of Dell's vendor practices with regard to milking a now-obsolete product of theirs to your own gain, blinded to the fact that it is not your gain - you have lost.
Jim
Comments
OS cd's should always be included- you're paying for it. I don't understand when businesses selling pre-loaded computers ask you to pay to 'upgrade' to another OS, and then don't even give you the disk!
In my own conspiracy plot, these are loaded at the manufacturer's building by a machine, randomly generating a cdkey for every product installed on a system. They can't give you the os cd because it never existed! I digress..
On on of my friend's systems, they have sort of a different approach. Although he wasn't given a disk with his HP (xp) computer, the hard drive has a recovery partition with all of the original system files on it, and the recovery console pre-loaded for if anything happens to his os. He easily made a bootdisk out of this partition.
Even though you wrote this entry almost a year ago, if you read this I would like to hear about your progress phasing out the dell hardware, and how things are doing. Hope you are having a great year!
-Eric J
(P.S. Regarding your customer service 'experience' with Bob, I hate how companies connect you (lots of interference interference) to their customer service centers in like, some random place on the other side of the world.)
Posted by: Eric J | October 18, 2007 6:05 PM