# Do Not Buy From Dell's Web Site
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [November 4, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229 "2009-11-04T00:26:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/81 "2009-11-08T00:28:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Oh, and by the way, all, Alienware is now Dell. And their service sucks (it’s very FRIENDLY, but wholly ineffective it’s essentially people being nice while they give you the runaround) and their products are overpriced by a factor of at least forty percent.
This is something of a trend in “service” these days: people being extremely nice and friendly, while also making absolutely clear that they have no intention of helping you in any way whatsoever. It’s almost more infuriating than rude or dismissive customer service.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/82 "2009-11-09T01:05:13Z")
Any computer manufacturer can have a lemon. I had 2 Dell Inspiron laptop lemons in the last 5 years. What matters is how they respond when that happens. Let’s just say that I have never had worse customer service than Dell’s.
For my next laptop purchases, I bought HPs through Costco only because of Costco’s free extended 2nd-year warranty and their free “Costco Concierge” technical support. I’ve needed to use the Concierge service several times, probably because I bought refurbs, and it has been superb. They deal with the manufacturer while you’re on the phone, stay with it until it’s handled correctly, and call you to follow up a few days later. As I’ve posted before, it’s possible that HP would have given me instant, flawless service if I hadn’t had the big guns on the phone with me, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I plan on buying computers through Costco forevermore. You can buy Dells through the Costco website if that’s the computer you want, but with Costco’s warranty.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/83 "2009-11-27T21:24:37Z")
Here’s an update of what happened.
I did in fact call customer service back when, and after being put on hold for about 30 minutes each time, I hung up. Re-read the fine print, and decided that I’d just take my lumps and wait for the laptop, which was to be delivered November 30th.
Last week, I got a call from Dell, trying to upsell me on an internet connection package. I told them no thanks. I checked the order that night to see if they had added anything, and they hadn’t. Delivery date still scheduled for Nov. 30.
Yesterday, my daughter was getting quite excited about her new laptop, so I checked the web site to see if the order had been shipped. Instead, I found that the order had been **canceled**. I never canceled it, so I called customer service again, went through another 30 minute hold, and finally talked to a Customer Service Rep. This is how the conversation went:
Dell: “I’m sorry sir, but your order was canceled due to an internal configuration error in our software. Quite a few orders were accidentally canceled in this way.”
Me: “Oh, that’s a relief. So you’ll just undo this and ship it out as planned?”
Dell: “I’m sorry sir, the order has been canceled.”
Me: “But you must have built the machine, right? It was supposed to be delivered here Monday, so it must have been put together already. Can’t you just open the order and ship it?”
Dell: “I’m sorry sir. All you can do is place a new order. As a service for you, after 3-5 days, we can attempt to put a rush on it, but I cannot guarantee a completion date.”
Me: “Can I at least get the same price I ordered it at? It’s gone up $150 since I placed the order.”
Dell: “I’m sorry sir, it will be a new order at current pricing.”
Me: “Thanks, but no thanks. That’s the last computer I’ll attempt to purchase from your company. Thanks for your time.”
So that’s it. Dell screwed me again. Checking the web, it appears that this is a fairly common occurrence. Dell reserves the right to cancel an order any time up to the point where they ship it. And they do it for all kinds of reasons.
In my opinion, given the rules and restrictions they put on purchasers of their products, you’d have to be crazy to order a Dell laptop through their web site. It’s a complete crap shoot.
Now I have to go out and find my daughter a laptop.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/84 "2009-11-27T21:28:42Z")
Wow, that’s fucked up.
Are there any statues that might support your efforts to get a computer at the original price? After all, this seems to me like a contract of sorts, in which, by accepting your order, Dell agrees to provide you with the product at the agreed-upon price.
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/85 "2009-11-27T22:12:39Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Wow, that’s fucked up.
>
> Are there any statues that might support your efforts to get a computer at the original price? After all, this seems to me like a contract of sorts, in which, by accepting your order, Dell agrees to provide you with the product at the agreed-upon price.
If not, I’m seeing an interesting business model… Heck, I don’t even have to ship ANY computers, EVER! I’ll just slide in a 10% “cancellation fee” in the fine print, without mentioning it’s payable when _I_ cancel the order!
muahahahahahah!
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/86 "2009-11-27T22:13:30Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Are there any statues…
:smack:
That should, of course, read “statutes.”
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/87 "2009-11-27T22:45:55Z")
I don’t know. I’m in Canada. From what I read of other people’s comments, until they charge your credit card, they don’t owe you anything, and can do whatever they like.
So here’s a good business model - sell a laptop to a customer. Take 30 days to build it. Of course, you just build it on the 30th day. In the meantime, if the parts and raw materials go down in price, gravy! If they go up in price, you just cancel the order. What a way to boost your margins…
I’m not saying Dell does this intentionally. I can see legitimate reasons why an order might be canceled - say, a part you requested is no longer available. But the customer should be notified and Dell should take steps to make amends for the hassle and delay. An error like this should cost THEM, not me. If I were running the company and this screwup happened, I’d be sending E-mails to everyone affected, offering my sincere apologies and a $100 gift certificate for the trouble. Or something like that. These guys didn’t even bother to notify me. If I hadn’t checked the web site, I’d be sitting home from work on Monday waiting for a laptop to be delivered.
They may well be within their legal rights, but that doesn’t mean I have to buy anything from them ever again.
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### Author:  [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/88 "2009-11-27T22:58:33Z")
While the Thinkpads are no longer owned by IBM they are still awesome machines. Check out their website. The prices are probably higher than Dell, but they have much better quality. Outside of Apple I really think they are the best laptop maker out there.
Sorry you had such issues. But, maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Maybe you can find a good deal on “Cyber Monday”
It really is a shame about the downfall of Dell’s laptop division. In the late 90s they were up there with Apple and IBM as the gold standard. They innovated and offered long lasting quality.
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### Author:  [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/89 "2009-11-27T23:21:33Z")
> [@pricciar](#):
>
> While the Thinkpads are no longer owned by IBM they are still awesome machines. Check out their website. The prices are probably higher than Dell, but they have much better quality. Outside of Apple I really think they are the best laptop maker out there.
>
> Sorry you had such issues. But, maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Maybe you can find a good deal on “Cyber Monday”
>
> It really is a shame about the downfall of Dell’s laptop division. In the late 90s they were up there with Apple and IBM as the gold standard. They innovated and offered long lasting quality.
That’s funny, I just grabbed a T400 from Lenovo’s outlet shop at the 1/2 the price of a new unit. It’s a refurb, but I haven’t had any problems with their refurbs before, I’m replacing a T43, which itself was a refurb; but it looked and behaved like new. I expect this new purchase to be the same.
I agree they are not what they once were, but they are still way ahead of other guys.
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### Author:  [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/90 "2009-11-27T23:38:05Z")
On Dell printer ink: My information may be out of date, but as of about three years ago, most of the Dell inkjets were just rebranded Lexmark machines. I no longer have access to the information, but the ink cartridges differed only in color of the plastic, brand, and part number.
At the time I was hired to work on a refilling system, so yes, the cartridges can be refilled.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/91 "2009-11-28T01:07:50Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> I’m not particularly mechanically inclined, but I’ve built several PCs including one very recently for my mother. Cost-wise, the end result is usually that I could buy a (superficially) similar Dell PC for about the same price or slightly less, but doing it myself meant that I could pick and choose quality components with the best user reviews, instead of whatever discount parts Dell uses. IMO the greatest advantage in a pre-built PC is the inclusion of the OS software, which I had to purchase separately.
Unfortunately for the unwary and/or the less than savvy PC buyer, the box store computers that come with preloaded OS’s also come with a shitload of pre-loaded crapware, too.
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### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/92 "2009-11-28T04:23:28Z")
Dude, you’re getting [del]a Dell[/del] it up the ass!
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/93 "2009-11-28T04:40:53Z")
> [@Fantome](#):
>
> Your first link was to Circuit City. Are you saying if you bought a PC from CC, you’re screwed? I don’t think that’s true. They sold PCs from Gateway, HP, etc. You still have a warranty with the manufacturer. Maybe if you bought an extended warranty with the store you got screwed (I’m just speculating) but I’m pretty sure you could have opted for an extended warranty with the manufacturer or bought directly from the manufacturers’ website.
As a point of information Circuit City warranties were supported by a third party who is still in business, and they are still good. Not that I mourn Circuit City - my daughter’s ex-bf worked there, and he told us to go elsewhere. He’s a smart guy, but he got promoted to manager very rapidly when they laid off everyone with experience.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/94 "2009-11-28T04:46:01Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> It’s worth pointing out that the hard drive failure is not directly Dell’s fault. Although the drives are branded Dell, they are actually made by one of the big hard drive manufacturers. OK, I know the buck stops with them as the retailer, but the quality is dependent on the manufacturer, and there’s isn’t a huge difference between the big names. So, the hard drive in any computer retailer’s models is equally likely to suffer from a failure.
Not necessarily true. OEMs track quality from their suppliers rigorously, or should, and the better ones come down hard on those whose products cause problems in the field. Nothing is going to be perfect, but reliability issues don’t come from nowhere. If you push price over quality, your customers will soon know.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/95 "2009-11-28T04:49:57Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> Take order.
> Take payment from customer.
> Bank money
> Order parts. Never keep many in stock. The price list is created on a particular date. Later, when orders come in, the component price has usually fallen. OK, some items - like RAM - are volatile, and can rise, but it’s worth the risk 90% of the time. Price lists are frequently revised to reflect the falling prices and new configurations, and to keep you competitive.
> Pay supplier 30, 60, 90 days later.
> Earn interest on banked money.
> Earn profit on sale - increasing as component prices fall.
>
> If you can persuade your customer to accept early payment for later delivery - you’re quids in.
It is not quite as bad as you make it out to be. My source is a talk by a Dell system test guy (since laid off) who described their process. Though it may be true that they only order parts when they get orders, that does not mean the parts have to be shipped. Often the parts are in or near the Dell factory at the time of order, but are officially owned by the parts supplier until Dell orders them. This is now fairly standard JiT methodology where big companies can wring every penny possible out of their suppliers.
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/96 "2009-11-28T05:27:54Z")
> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> Dell customer service is terrible and since we are now googleable: Dell bad customer service, Dell bad, Dell horrible, naked.
I must protest.
My wife is disabled and her Dell notebook is very important to her. About 2 weeks ago her notebook fell off her lap and hit the floor. The LCD screen shattered.
I had purchased the $99 accidental damage warranty (envisioning a situation like this happening). I got on the Dell website and entered chat.
Within 10 minutes the CSR had arranged for a pre-paid box to be shipped to me FedEx overnight. I shipped the notebook back to them and they returned it in 4 business days. With a new battery and AC adapter that I didn’t even know was bad. No charge.
I have no complaints about Dell customer service. None whatsoever.
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### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/97 "2009-11-28T06:06:38Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Dell: “I’m sorry sir, but your order was canceled due to an internal configuration error in our software. Quite a few orders were accidentally canceled in this way.” …
>
> Dell: “I’m sorry sir. All you can do is place a new order. As a service for you, after 3-5 days, we can attempt to put a rush on it, but I cannot guarantee a completion date.”
At this point MfM would try to figure out whether this is a bait and switch operation and whether he should notify the FTC. After all, if laws are being broken, responsible citizens turn in the culprits. Can you you help me Dell? Should I call the FTC?
Then again, I might just say the heck with it and go elsewhere.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/98 "2009-11-28T06:43:03Z")
Yeah, at this point I don’t want to fight any battles. Just make note to not give them any of my money ever again and shop elsewhere.
I’ll have a look at the Thinkpads. Although they’re more of a business class machine (or they were when last I looked at them), and this is for a 12 year old daughter. I was going to get her a Dell Studio 15 with multimedia upgrades. The annoying thing is that the Dell machine really was ideal for her - especially the display. It had a 15.6" display, making the laptop relatively small, which is important to her. But the thing had astounding specs - true 1080p resolution and LED backlighting. I’d never seen resolution that high in a 16" display. Even Dell’s big box machines like the ones they sell through Costco only have 1366 X 768. It also had a backlit keyboard, which would be nice for her because she uses her laptop in dark rooms quite a bit. It’s hard to find equivalent machines elsewhere that aren’t huge.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/99 "2009-11-28T10:55:47Z")
Hmmm. Seems to me that Nashville has a big Dell factory. I’m really good at bitching. Let me know if I can help. Seriously. I long for a challenge.
Of course it’s possible they may make just the panel that goes on the side that says DELL. That E that falls sideways reminds me of another logo that has bad mojo. What am I thinking of?
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### Author:  [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-buy-from-dells-web-site/516229/100 "2009-11-28T13:21:14Z")
> [@Zoe](#):
>
> That E that falls sideways reminds me of another logo that has bad mojo. What am I thinking of?
Hmmm, could it be Enron?
I’m reminded that back in 1998, the creator of Law & Order, Dick Wolf, had such a protracted battle with Dell “customer service” that he started having characters (notably Anita Van Buren) on the show make snide references to bad service from a computer company in Texas, and named a serious villain (in a two-part crossover episode with “Homicide: Life on the Streets”) Wiliam Dell as a jab at the company. Seems like their problems go back a long way.
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