Requesting Help from Michael Dell

While I read and reread your letter, I came to a few sentences that
didn't make much sense to me. You initially said the computer fried
itself while turned off. Then you said it now runs hot even with the
battery out and the power supply in. If it fried itself, how would it
continue to run at all?

My laptop had a problem of shutting down at times. I found it was
when I set it on a soft surface. It wasn't able to get air
circulation for cooling. You may find that buying one of these $20
cooling stations solve the problem. They have one or two fans on a
base you set your laptop on. When plugged into the laptop, it makes
the entire thing run cooler.

I hope this helps. I wouldn't send the computer back just yet. If
they haven't approved the return they may accept it but then not know
what to do with it. They could lose it in the handling and then you
wouldn't have a refund or the computer.

.

I have a Dell XPS laptop, I'm using it right now. I have had nothing
but problems since I got this computer. I've had it for 18 months and
have been through three, yes three keyboards and a motherboard.

The keys are cheaply put on and for some reason just pop off on their
own and become loose after a lot of use. I'm a college student so go
figure, it gets used a lot.

Dell tech support is non existent so I wish you good luck trying to
find someone to listen to you and help you. Because I do believe they
should give you a new laptop.

Good luck in your fight with them, trust me you will need it.

Buy a ThinkPad (formerly IBM) now Lenovo. I've writing this on a
ThinkPad A20m, a lowly Pentium III, still going strong 6 years later.
Still has it's original battery, which still lasts over 2 hours and
doesn't set your house, car, or desk on fire. I did upgrade the RAM a
couple years back and reformat and install XP Pro (shipped with
Crap98).

You get what you pay for. Dell doesn't care about consumers, their
goal is to sell to big business accounts and government/enterprise
users. The Inspiron and Dimension product lines are absolute garbage.
Cheap plastic, assembled too fast to meet ridiculous production
demands. Michael Dell is a pigman who only cares about his fellow
Republican pork barrel buddies, and that isn't you.

Toshiba also builds a decent notebook. I'd stick with the Thinkpads, I
am not the only one I know with an oldie like this still going strong
and in good shape (no cracks, missing pieces, etc) after all the years
of daily use.

You get what you pay for.

I guess I'm in the minority here. I've had several computers from four
differnt manucaturers and never once had a problem with Dell that
couldn't be resolved, including a defective fan replacement. I'm not a
"power user" by any means, but everytime I've had any kind of warranty
issue, I had no problems with their tech support nor speaking to their
representatives.
I recently blogged about an experience with an outsourced customer
service department for another company. While it was a somewhat
harrowing experience, I was able to get my point across and get my
problem resolved.
I don't understand why you were refused service if it's under
warranty? It's not stated in your letter. I do recall a dell rep
responding to issues here on PFB. They are one of a few to take a
proactive approach.. some are listed below:

http://www.planetfeedback.com/index.php?level2=blog_viewpost&topic_id=
300707

http://www.planetfeedback.com/index.php?level2=blog_viewpost&topic_id=
300192

http://www.planetfeedback.com/index.php?level2=blog_viewpost&topic_id=
300020

I'm hoping they see this and respond to your problem as well and I
wish you luck.

I've hated this company ever since the song "Farmer In The Dell" came
out.

Wow, reading all the comments of everyone hating dell is mirroring my
sons words, like when he echos constantly to me how much he too, hates
Dell. Guess it's not just a kid talking! lol

I HATE HATE HATE DELL. That company should be out of business. Every
computer I've ever bought from them died within a year, tops. I will
NEVER buy a dell again and I've strongly advised all my family and
friends never to purchase anything from that atrocious company.

...calling you Miss April isn't right. I'd be rather annoyed if
someone called me Mr. Jeffrey.

You response sounds perfectly appropriate to me. In fact, I think you
handled it masterfully. I'd hope that more people would take the way
you phrased this. It's not racist.

I despise Dell. However, I don't see why they should give you a full
refund for a computer you have had for more than a month.

The normal procedure would be call for tech support. Then you say "I
can fry an egg on my computer." Then they say "Here is a call ticket.
Send it back and we will look at it. We could give a flying frick
about your software, but the hardware we support (for a limited
time)."

I have a question about this statement: "Heat has compromised its
computational capacity." Have you run benchmark tests on the machine,
and compared them to a baseline? If you are a computentionally
intensive user, I suppose that you have.

So you told use Kenya in Panama insisted you keep the computer. Does
this mean Kenya refused to service it? I find that hard to believe.

There is definitely something missing here. A machine purchased on
June 6 is still without warranty. I cannot imagine Dell not fixing or
replacing.

What I can see, I guess, is them refusing to give you a full refund
without repairing/replacing it.

What did Kenya say was the reason for refusing to honor the warranty?

If what you say about the laptop overheating is true and Dell wont
acknowledge it then you need to let your attorney general know. Other
people might be having the same problem and the battery or laptop
might need to be recalled.

C.G.,
I assume you spoke with tech support.
When you got the answer you did not want did you escalate it to a
supervisor or are you just going on what the initial contact told
you?
BillR.

I'm confused. Why were you denied a refund? This is a VERY important
part that is missing from this letter.

Have they given a specific reason for not allowing you a
return/refund?