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Warning to AARP members - if you are buying a new computer be careful if you choose Dell

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Warning to AARP members - if you are buying a new computer be careful if you choose Dell

I hope this isn't inappropriate but I wanted to share with you my experience with Dell this past year.  My discussion is lengthy so I will give a nutshell idea of my problem and if you are interested you can read the rest.

 

In a nutshell I purchased a new Dell computer in February 2022.  The computer was defective.  Dell tried once to fix the computer but the attempt was not successful.  When my year's warranty was up Dell closed my ongoing case.  As a result Dell has my money and I have a malfunctioning Dell computer and Dell refuses to do anything more.  They won't let me reopen the case because my warranty has expired.  My only option now is to file a lawsuit.  I wanted to warn you because if Dell did this to me they might do it to you. 

 

Now the legthy nuts and bolts of what happened 

 

A little over a year ago in February, 2022 I purchased a Dell XPS 8940 computer.  It didn’t work properly.  It typically took 4-5 minutes to recognize the monitor.  One time it took over 45 minutes to bring up the monitor.  Most computers will recognize the monitor and be ready to use in 20-30 seconds.  Dell Technical Support staff did some diagnostics over the telephone and then told me to ship the computer back to them, which I did.  They replaced the motherboard and shipped it back to me.  It still didn’t work properly.  To be fair, it is usable if you don’t mind spending anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes waiting for it to bring up the monitor.

 

The Technical Staff was going to try a second time to repair it but the Advanced Resolutions team took over.  They were totally worthless.   Since my computer could not be repaired I requested a refund or a replacement equal  to or slightly better than the one I purchased.   I was told by the AR team no refund, no replacement, no exceptions, Dell policy.  They did nothing for about a month and then they offered me a refurbished computer.  I said I bought a new computer not a refurbished computer.  Then about a month later they offered me a new computer which I would have accepted but the computer came with no warranty.  After fighting with the piece of Dell junk I now have there was absolutely no way I would accept a computer with no warranty.  The AR team always was trying to trade me something worth less than what I paid for the computer.   It was like they had me over the proverbial barrel and planned to cheat me.  But nor they made exceptions on three occasions to “Dell’s no exception policy”.  It’s ok for them to make exceptions when it works to their benefit. 

 

More time passed.  My wife and I are both seniors (76 and 79 years) and both dealing with severe medical conditions.   My wife is fighting two cancers and I have a bad heart, am recovering from a stroke, and have a severe case of Willis Ekbom Syndrome, commonly known as Restless Legs Syndrome.  I get from 1-2 hours of sleep a night but have gone for up to 5 nights with no sleep.  The AR team offered me a refund.  I was dealing with Rajesh Mani with the AR team.  I told him I had to take a break to deal with our medical situation and clear my head of everything that was ongoing.  He agreed to the break.  He said “For now we will be archiving the case, you may get back to us in future. Alternatively, you can also contact Technical Support Team at 1-800-624-9896 as they remain your primary point of contact for technical issues.” Mr. Mani lied to me.  He closed the case shortly after we agreed to a short break.  The warranty on my computer had expired by this time but when he closed the case the expired warranty prevents me from getting my computer repaired.  Mr. Mani obviously knew that and looked at this as an opportunity to close the case at no cost to Dell.  So Dell has my money and I have the same malfunctioning computer that Dell sent to me. 

 

Mr. Mani fails to recognize there is a difference between Dell policies and the law.  He may have followed Dell policy but I don’t think it is legal to sell a malfunctioning computer as a new computer and then not repair or replace the computer or refund the money.  Mani/Dell are cheating customers by doing this and that is probably fraud.  I doubt that I am the only one cheated by Mr. Mani.

 

Dell has listed my computer with 4 different cases numbers in less than a year but the computer is still malfunctioning.  How can a company that makes computers not be able to repair one of their computers?  Maybe Dell is kicking the can down the road until the warranty expires and then they don’t have to do the repair work.  They might be committing fraud and it would not be with just me.

I’ve written to Dell Headquarters about 3 times.  No matter how I address the envelope Dell staff automatically sends it back to Mr. Mani because that is his department so I gain nothing.  I’m sure if Dell/Mani is doing this to me he likely has done it to others as well. 

 

 In a nutshell, Dell sold me a new computer that didn’t work.  Although I’ve tried for over a year to get it repaired, replaced, or given a refund I have been unsuccessful.  Dell has my $649.99 and I have a piece of Dell junk.  I strongly suggest if you are in the market for a new computer to avoid Dell.  If you really want a Dell buy it through a store because if you have a problem with the computer the store mostly has to deal with Dell.  If you buy the computer through Dell’s direct marketing you have no recourse.  It’s you against Dell  That’s the situation I’m in.  As it stands I will have to file a lawsuit against Dell just to get my computer repaired.

 

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@longtimealaskan , I glanced at all the posts here and too "lazy" to read them all but wanted to say I hope you get your "issue" resolved. My LAST "laptop" was a Dell, the Motherboard got fried = had my computer guy dispose of it. NO more laptops or computers for me. Android is all I need in Retirement. Good Luck  😎

 

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Here's another update on my long running problem with Dell not honoring their warranty.  The Alaska Attorney General's office wrote to Dell several months ago.  Dell never responded.  The Attorney General's office wrote to Dell again on December 7 giving Dell 14 days to respond.  I received a response from manager Rajesh Mani today.  Mani is the manager of the Advanced Resolutions Team, the place, in my opinion, where complaints die without any consideration of what is right or wrong, what is legal or not legal.  Mani noted that my warranty had expired.  Surprise, surprise since Mani was the manager who cancelled my open case that kept my warranty viable requiring Dell to repair my computer under the terms of the warranty.  Also he is the one that ignored the 5 or 6 emails promising me they would repair my computer under the terms of the warranty if I chose not to accept one of the offers they made.  Several of those emails were from Mani himself, so if you can see why I consider him nothing but a liar.  There's an old saying that in my opinion fits Rajesh Mani: "If his lips are moving, he's lying."

 

In today's email he promised me he would do the best that he could but since the warranty had expired I would have to pay Dell to repair my computer.  Can Mani really be that stupid to think I would pay Dell anything to get my computer repaired, the same computer that he voided my warranty on?  I would happily take a sledge hammer to the computer first before I would pay Dell a dime to repair it.  I seriously doubt Mani could repair anything and have it work right.  Anyhow, This from Mr. Mani  "I truly regret the inconvenience or frustration this matter may have caused. Am scared, Customer has all the potential to escalate further however, the stance and resolution will remain the same now and in future."  If I am reading this correctly this pathetic excuse of a manager seems to think Dell can choose not to repair my computer even if Dell loses in court.  (One thing I never accused Mani of ; I never accused him of being bright.)   But I had no idea that Dell was so powerful they could tell a judge where he/she could stick their verdict in the event the judge ruled against Dell.  Mani is the guy Dell put in charge of dealing with customers that unfortunately received non-working/defective merchandise when they purchased a Dell product, but mostly from what I can tell he is in charge of cheating customers (my opinion) and he is very, very good at that job.  For all you potential buyers of Dell products, consider what you might run into if you have a problem with you merchandise.  You might get to experience first hand the wit and wisdom of Rajesh Mani.  If you do you will likely lose because he apparently has Dell's backing to deal with cases as he sees appropriate. And that includes illegally closing a case that kept my warranty alive and Dell responsible for repairing the computer. Mani seems to get his kicks out of cheating customers, again, my opinion.  And Dell apparently likes the way he does his job also since they keep passing these cases along to him.  This is true, Dell does pass these things to Mani for him to dispose of.  I say "dispose of" because in my opinion Mani probably has no equal to closing cases.  The fact that he closes them illegally doesn't appear to bother Dell since they apparently continue to pass him cases and he apparently continues to dispose of those cases in one manner or another.  The best way to avoid the Rajesh Manis of the world is to not buy a Dell product.  And if you feel you have to have a Dell do not, under any circumstances, buy it through one of Dell's direct sale offers.  I would completely give up having a computer if Dell was my only choice.  I strongly recommend potential Dell buyers look at Dell the same way I do.  Dell is not the company they used to be and their product is more along the lines of junk now, in my case defective junk that was defective when they shipped it.  I have tried for almost 2 years to get Dell to fix my piece of Dell junk to the point I plan to take them to court.  I plan to take them to court in spite of Rajesh Mani's claim that Dell will do nothing in spite of the lawsuit.  The two things I noticed about Mani, 1. he thinks Dell is the supreme entity and Dell policy will supersede a court verdict against Dell and 2. Mani isn't very bright, all my humble opinion. In case Mani sics Dell on me (Mani would not go to court because he thinks Dell is more powerful than the court) all of this is my humble opinion.  Like Mani, I'm scared.  I'm afraid Dell may want their piece of defective junk back, but I doubt it.  They apparently sold it as defective junk and were unable to repair it. when they tried.  That Dell is incapable of repairing their own computers should tell potential Dell buyers something, like stay as far away from Dell as possible.

 

Whatever you do, don't buy Dell products or you might be very sorry.

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Another interesting tidbit about Dell! It turns out Dell was taken to court back in 2009 for some of the same things I am complaining about. There was a multi state investigation of Dell's practices and a settlement was reached.  Here is the press release from the  Alaska Attorney General's office:

PRESS RELEASE

Attorney General Colberg Announces Settlement with Dell and Dell Financial Services

January 12, 2009

(Anchorage, Alaska) Attorney General Talis Colberg announced a settlement with Dell Inc. and Dell Financial Services to addresses the company's practices related to financing promotions, technical support and repair policies and rebate offers. The settlement will also provide restitution for consumers harmed by these practices.

 

Under the agreement, Texas-based Dell Inc., and its subsidiary, Dell Financial Services, LLC, admit no wrongdoing but agree to pay $25,000 in restitution to eligible Alaskan consumers who file claims by April 12, 2009.

 

Similar agreements were reached by 30 other states as part of a multistate investigation led by Washington and Connecticut. The investigation followed consumer complaints in many states about practices by Dell. Some consumers reported applying for what Dell advertised as zero-interest financing but they were later charged higher interest rates. Others had trouble obtaining warranty service on their Dell computers. Many said they never received promised rebates.

 

It's not yet known how many consumers in Alaska or nationwide may be entitled to refunds under the settlements. Alaskan consumers may apply for refunds if they 1) made a Dell purchase between April 1, 2005 and January 12, 2009, 2) incurred financial loss related to the practices addressed in the agreement, and 3) file a claim with the Attorney General's Office within the 90-day period. The amount of money issued to individual consumers will depend on the number of claims and the total amount claimed.

 

Alaskans who believe they are eligible for a refund should request a claim form from the Attorney General's Office by calling 269-5200, or outside of Anchorage, 1-888-576-2529, or by sending an email to consumerprotection@alaska.gov.

 

The agreement also addresses the business practices identified by the states as consumer protection violations. The company agreed to clearly inform applicants for Dell credit accounts that they are applying for a revolving open credit account (that is, an account that works like a credit card), that minimum monthly payments are required, that penalties apply for late payments or for other reasons, and whether subsequent purchases using the account will be subject to the same financing terms. Dell must notify consumers that approval of the account does not guarantee that the consumer will also qualify for conditional financing promotions (such as zero-percent interest for 90 days). For promotional credit offers, Dell will disclose in advertisements that the majority of consumers who apply won't quality for the best annual percentage rate (APR), and will disclose the range of initial APRs that consumers are likely to receive. Dell will inform consumers of their right to cancel orders made with the Dell credit account within three days after receiving the written terms and conditions for the account.

 

Regarding warranties and services, Dell must fulfill its warranty obligations within 30 days from the date of notification or receipt of a defective product.  The company must disclose whether consumers must first go through phone-based troubleshooting before Dell will provide on-site repair or warranty-related service.

 

Dell must provide rebate documentation at the time the product is delivered or the service is provided, and it must mail rebates within the advertised time frame, or within 30 days if no date is specified.

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For what it's worth @longtimealaskan  I'm still reading your updates, and still rootin' for you.

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A bit late to this party but here's how "Limited Warranties" work in the USA.  If you report a warranty issue during the warranty period and the issue isn't resolved by the time the warranty expires, the warranty is extended, for that issue, until the issue is resolved.

 

How you enforce that law is a different issue.  You may be able to take them to small claims court or, as others have suggested, the local TV station (perhaps not the most effective route for a company that isn't local) or state attorney general's office.  

 

Now, warranty replacement with a "refurbished" computer is a very common approach and may, indeed be legal.  Your rejection of this option may influence your options.

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Thank you for your comments.  I reported the warranty issue within 2 days after I received the computer.  Dell shipped the computer back to the Dell Technical Support Staff and they replaced the mother board.  That did not solve the problem.  The Advanced Resolutions Team took over the case and didn't do much of anything to resolve the case.  They did offer me a refurbished gaming computer.  I said no for 3 reasons1. I have heard little good about buying a refurbished computer but that was from a very limited database - 2 individuals that bought refurbished computers and had problems with them; 2. I would have no warranty on the refurbished computer.  What warranty that was left on my existing computer (about 2 weeks at that time) would transfer over to the refurbished computer and I would have no warranty after that; Dell could have sent me something that would die in a few weeks and I would have had no recourse.3.  I did not buy a gaming computer.  I did not want or need a gaming computer. 

 

I took my case to the Attorney General's office, Consumer Protection Division and they contacted Dell on my behalf.  I found out the Consumer Protection Division is a paper tiger.  They will send the complaint to the company but they will not issue a legal opinion nor will they take the case to court. Dell apparently figured out the AK Consumer Protection Division is a paper tiger and couldn't hurt them so Dell did not bother to respond.  The Consumer Protection Division returned my paperwork and told me how to get an attorney if I wanted to follow through with a lawsuit.  I'm long retired and not flush with money but I plan to talk to an attorney and sue Dell if the attorney thinks I have a case.  I'm not an attorney but here are the points where I think Dell would lose in a court of law: 1. At the time the warranty on my computer expired I had an open case for Dell to fix/resolve the problem I was having with my computer.  Rather than repair or replace my computer the manager of the Advanced Resolutions Team closed my open case requiring Dell to repair the computer.  With the warranty expired Dell now wants me to pay them to repair my computer.  I can't imagine the ART manager was legal in canceling my open case. 2.  I have no fewer than 7 emails from that Dell manager or his staff stating if I did not choose one of the options they offered that they would repair my computer under the terms of the warranty.  The last "repair under the terms of the warranty" email was just a few days before the manager closed my case.  And I'm reasonably sure the warranty doesn't say "wait until the warranty on the computer expires and then close the case."  but that's what the manager did.

 

I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me that a manager willfully closing an outstanding case to get rid of it and ignoring all of the emails stating they would repair the computer under the terms of the warranty will create a very difficult thing to get around in a court of law.  Personally I think Dell will fold like a cheap suit if a lawsuit is filed because I can't see any legal way to ignore the manager closing an unresolved open case and all of the emails stating Dell will repair the computer under the terms of the warranty.  Your thoughts and opinions are very welcome.

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If they did it to you, they did it to others @longtimealaskan .  I hope your attorney also looks in to the possibility of a Class Action.

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Thank you Eric.  I haven't selected an attorney yet but I'm looking for one.  I tried the bar lawyer referral service but none of the consumer law attorneys in Anchorage signed up with the referral service so I have to find a lawyer myself.  I recently reported that the Attorney General's office wrote a letter to Dell about my complaint but Dell didn't respond.  I thought that was all the AG's office would do but I got a second letter from the AG's office yesterday.  The AG didn't like that Dell did not respond to the first letter so the AG sent a second letter giving Dell 14 days to respond about my complaint.  It will be interesting to see what Dell does now.  Dell keeps digging their hole a little deeper with everything they do.  As a retiree I have better things to do with my money but I decided I will take them to court if that's what it takes to resolve this. I want to show Dell they are not above the law, that they can't always cheat people, ignore them, and get away with it.

Social Butterfly

@longtimealaskan 

I have a Dell XPS 8940 and that is what I am using now. I haven't had any problems with mine. I kept the monitor that I was using with my Dell XPS 8920. See image below.

 
 

DellMonior5132023.jpg

 

I haven't had any problems with my desktop computer. I use and run Support Assist once a week on all three of my Dell Computers. 

Have you checked with the Dell Community and checked to see what Monitor others are using with their XPS 8940?

I have had my XPS 8940 for over a year (17 Months).

 

I ran Support Assist this morning, May 14, 2023 and for my XPS8940 there were four updates available. Here is a link for Support Assist if you don't have it.

SupportAssist | Dell US

 

GodBlessUSA

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Thank you for your response.  Sorry I took so long.  I have a severe case of  Willis-Ekbom Syndrome, more commonly known as Restless Legs Syndrome.  I get about 2 hours of sleep a night and using a computer is not a leg friendly thing to do.

 

The XPS 8940 is my 4th Dell computer.  The other three worked fine which is why I continued to use Dell.  When I got my XPS 8940 I connected it to an ASUS PA248Q monitor.  The ASUS monitor is a fairly expensive monitor.  It had 4 different ports for monitors: HDMI, VGA, DVI, and DisplayPort.  The XPS 8940 had HDMI and DisplayPort.  I prefer using the HDMI port. 

 

I say the XPS doesn’t recognize the monitor.  What I should say is the computer is very slow to recognize the monitor because it takes far longer than normal for the computer to recognize the monitor.  Whereas most computers recognize the monitor in roughly 20-25 seconds it generally takes my XPS 8940 about 5 minutes to recognize the monitor.  Once it took almost 45 minutes.  Maybe I’m too fussy, but I’m 79 and I start counting the minutes  of life I’m losing because I’m waiting for a defective computer to work.  I would have tried Display Port but 1. HDMI is probably the most common port for monitors and my preferred choice; 2. I fully expected Dell to resolve the problem quickly; and 3. I didn’t have any cables for Display Port t that time.

 

Here’s another idiosyncrasy of the computer I discovered –Most of the monitors I’ve tried with the computer it takes about 4-5 minutes for the monitor to come up.  However, the computer does recognize some monitors within the 20-25 second timeframe.  I borrowed a friends LG monitor and the XPS recognized the monitor within 20-25 seconds.  It leaves me with a lot of questions but the bottom line is something is wrong with the computer because it should recognize any brand or model of monitor in a reasonable amount of time.

 

Dell’s Technical Support staff diagnosed the problem as a defective motherboard.  I shipped the computer back to them and they replaced the motherboard.  They undoubtedly connected the XPS to a Dell monitor to test it to see if replacing the motherboard fixed the problem.  The computer likely recognized the Dell monitor so they shipped the computer back to me thinking it was fixed.  I bought  new HP monitor and connected the XPS 8940 computer to my HP monitor and found the problem of the computer recognizing the monitor persisted.   I talked to HP about the problem, thinking the monitor might be the problem.  HP, unlike Dell, quickly dealt with the problem from their perspective.  HP promptly replaced my HP monitor with another new monitor and had me ship the first monitor back to them.  The XPS was slow in recognizing the second HP monitor as well.

 

More and More I think Dell pulled a Bait and Switch operation on me.  This computer was advertised as a new one and there was nothing in the description that said anything about it being a refurbished unit.  But after reading some of the comments here and other places I’m beginning to think Dell shipped me a refurbished computer.  I’ve sent 4 letters to Dell HQ since February requesting Dell repair or replace this computer.  Dell has not responded to any of the letters.  That also makes this whole thing look to me like Dell is hiding something.

 

Thank you for suggesting Support Assist.  I downloaded Support Assist but haven’t worked my way through everything.  They started out with things to keep your computer running like new, one of which was removing malware but I didn’t see anything to click on to use it.  I will search for a user’s guide and try to find my way around on the site. Do they have a guide or manual?  I see Dell also uses Support Assist to sell their merchandise.  The very last thing I want is to buy another Dell product of any kind.

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@longtimealaskan 

You should start by running Support Assist. Open Support Assist and when it is opened click on Troubleshooting, then click on Home and Run all. See example image below. Click on, tap, or activate image to enlarge it. A second click on this, AARPEnlargeImage2023.jpg may be needed to fully enlarge the image.

 

SupportAssist.jpg

 

Monitors compatible with Dell XPS 8940. - Search (bing.com)

 

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@longtimealaskan 


Much as I hate refurbished computers xps8940’s, they seem to have known issue with recognizing monitors. Quick google search brought me that info, I merely hate all Dells , Hp , and long list of proprietary PC’s.

 

So how is your paperweight configured now?

 

Can you snap a picture with your smartphone? Of the back of computer and where the monitor is plugged in?

 

also give monitor model number? Are you using HDMI cable or a usb-c? And snap a picture of your monitor cables.

 

If you’re beyond warranty you have nothing to lose, fair warning , my brain is punchy at this point the joy of health issues😀, isn’t maturity grand. 

Froze

And yes, after long days/nights, I'd still like to swing these hunks of glass , plastic and silicon against the nearest wall Come on retirement!
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Sorry I’m slow in responding.  I have a severe case of Willis Ekbom Syndrome, aka Restless Legs Syndrome.  I can’t work on a computer for very long at a time. 

As a paperweight the XPS is a little bulky but works fine.  It isn’t too heavy but heavy enough to keep my papers all there and in the proper order.

 

You mentioned about it being a refurbished computer.  Tempest332 also thought it was a refurbished computer.  It was supposed to be a new computer I bought on one of Dell’s sales.  The description of the computer in the sale ad said nothing about it being a refurbished computer.  I am starting to believe Dell pulled a bait and switch on me and sold me a refurbished computer at a new computer price. 

 

You said “If you’re beyond warranty you have nothing to lose”.  I agree.  I have already lost it.  I bought this piece of Dell junk in February 2022.  It did not work properly from day 1.  It was extremely slow recognizing the monitor.  I contacted Dell immediately about the problem.  Over the course of the one year warranty Dell opened 4 different cases on this computer.  The most recent case was closed in March 2023, not because the problem was fixed but because my warranty expired and Dell, via Rajesh Mani, the manager of the Advanced Resolutions Team closed the case.  I was dealing with medical issues and I requested that we take a break on dealing with the computer.  Rajesh Mani agreed to the break and then closed the case without my knowledge.  Mani is a liar, a crook, and a low-life as far as I am concerned.  I can’t reopen the case because the warranty has expired.  I’ve written 4 letters to Dell HQ and Dell has not responded to any of the letters. Now that I have that off my chest, on to your comments and questions.

 

I am not using the computer so right now it is not configured in any way.  The monitor I bought for the computer is an HP M24f FHD monitor.  The HP monitor has an HDMI port and a VGA port for monitors but the XPS has an HDMI port and a DisplayPort for monitors.  That leaves HDMI as the only option for connecting the XPXS 8940 to the HP monitor.  The HP had good reviews and I thought it was reasonably priced but the Dell XPS 8940 takes about 5 minutes before it turns on the monitor.  I was telling cat0w that the computer was slow to recognize my ASUS PA248Q monitor so I bought the HP monitor and it is slow to recognize that monitor as well.  It will recognize an LG monitor within 25 seconds.  I tested the XPS 8940 on a friend’s LG monitor, so it does work properly with some monitors.  I shipped the computer back to the Dell Technical Support staff and they diagnosed the motherboard was the problem.  They replaced the motherboard and the problem recognizing the monitor still persists.  My guess is the tech staff tested the computer on a Dell monitor and it recognized the Dell monitor so they thought it was fixed.

 

It doesn’t make any sense to me that the computer works properly with some monitors but not with other monitors.  I took the photo of the back of the computer but I am not using the computer so there are no cables attached. I almost always use HDMI connections but will use VGA also.  There is one more wrinkle that might mean something: The XPX 8940 is slow to recognize the HP monitor when using HDMI cables.  I bought a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter so I could test if that would work.  It does.  I can plug the adapter into the DisplayPort on my XPS computer and plug the HDMI end of the adapter into an HDMI cable and then to the HDMI port on the monitor and it works.  It seems to me that something is wrong with the HDMI port on the XPS but isn’t that port part of the motherboard, isn’t it? And the motherboard was replaced once.

 

Is there any way to determine if this computer is refurbished?

 

How do I post the photo? I tried to upload it to my album.  It appeared to upload but I found no uploaded images.  It said they have to be approved first so maybe that’s what is going on.

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@longtimealaskan 

 

First check your original paperwork on the computer as delivered to you, if it doesn’t say used or refurbished it isn’t. Your price paid doesn’t suggest that it was other than “New”.
There was a law passed somewhere around the 90’s that made it a definite no-no to sell refurbished as new. 

Follow Cat’s diagnostic instructions, using Dell’s software, it’s software will say if your monitor is compatible or if you need to go thru  HP Monitor menu settings to make it compatible.Any chance you have access to a different HDMI cable you may just have a bad cable going between computer and monitor.

 

I had restless leg so, I’m aware of the joys.🤬 Take your time on answering questions, we’re predominantly retired folks here.

 

Pressing the “picture icon” that appears when typing your response, should allow you to post picture from smartphone or computer,,it’s to the right of html icon.

 

IMG_3862.png

Your image may be different I’m presently on iPhone. 

 

Froze

And yes, after long days/nights, I'd still like to swing these hunks of glass , plastic and silicon against the nearest wall Come on retirement!
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@longtimealaskan wrote:

How can a company that makes computers not be able to repair one of their computers? 

 

In a nutshell, Dell sold me a new computer that didn’t work. 

 


Your experience sounds terrible.

 

I have but one resolution for your dilemma.

 

I say this with all seriousness.

 

Only buy an APPLE computer from now on.

 

I have never had ANY ISSUES be it software, hardware, viruses, or malware.

 

Most operations are simple to understand unlike some of the software programs made for mainline company computer manufacturers like Dell.

 

Their customer service is U.S. based and are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and polite.

 

I am on my second APPLE, my first aged out.

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This appears to be a "Refurb" then?  I went through a very similar experience years back with Hewitt Packard, the video would cut out after reboot.   I was very dismayed with my purchase as the PC was sold to me with "Bloatware", the machine insisted I bought various "security" packages, otherwise my privacy would be compromised. (Gee, what happened to a simple home PC at this point?)  I tabled this machine for about 6 months (thus never noted the defect), in which it's 90 day warranty was expired.  Again, I put the machine in mothballs for another year or so.

 

I had found later via HP tech forums that there was a bad memory slot, appeared one of the gold fingers was severely deformed & twisted holding one of the memory cards. These Cards I found are integrated with the Video memory as well.

 

Fortunately, a support tech did provide me with information to bypass this slot, unfortunately I was only able to use 1/3 of the PC's memory capabilities. 

 

I was able to get about 4-5 years out of this machine until it developed additional issues, I managed to remove bloatware warnings, & never put the unit online, just used it for home book keeping, & AV editing.  

 

I paid about the same as what you paid for your nit (around $500), though lesson learned, I'd never pay that much for a refurb.  I was more used to generic "build yourself" machines, the Dell's & HP's are too proprietary.   I like a home desktop, as I integrate with AV equipment.  

but the stock answer I get, is "Dude... just go get a notebook or phone",  desktops are unfortunately becoming dinosaurs (Except gaming PC's for Millennial & Gen-Z Gamers of course)      

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Thank you for your reply.  The computer was supposed to be new, not refurbished.  I bought the computer on one of Dell's sales.  The regular prices was $749.99.  The thought had occurred to me that Dell could have sold me a refurbished unit.  Is there a way to determine whether a computer is new or refurbished?  Dell offered me a refurbished computer as a replacement for mine but I said no to that offer.

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Bronze Conversationalist

I've become very leery of purchasing anything "Refurb" as in the mentioned experience with HP, this "defect" didn't always surface, it eventually became more common, the PC was probably defective from the factory, was sent back, a tech turned it on & it worked fine for 10 minutes, & was re-boxed as a refurb. 

 

I went through 5 Refurb "replacement" Dehumidifiers from LG in a 5 year period, the longest lasting just over 2 years, they did keep replacing them in the balance of my 5 year warranty, yet it appeared whoever was refurbishing these was incompetent. 

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Trusted Social Butterfly

Here in MA we have an Attorney General for such complaints but better than that is the local Channel which has a consumer advocacy person who will deal directly with a company and usually gets outstanding results..Do you have a local TV station that offers the same..If not call them to see if someone on their staff could be of assistance to you to get results...I wish you well I once had a Dell but didn't experience the problems that you have had...I can't see how a well known company would act like this because they want public exposure for good experiences not bad ones as it makes the public shy away from dealing with them..Hopefully if this gets resolved you will let us know about it..Good Luck!

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Regular Contributor

Thank you for your reply.  Going to the AG is a good idea.  I thought about it but I've heard they are very short handed on staff so I thought they might not do much with it.  On the other hand they certainly won't do anything with it if I don't file a case with them.  Thank you.

 

I live in Gloucester for about a year back in the 1970's before moving to Alaska.

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Trusted Social Butterfly

You know @longtimealaskan , @jonibee  has a really good suggestion here.  Your brief description paragraph could be your letter to the state A.G. with just a couple edits.

Dell's attitude may well change facing the prospect of a story about an Attorney General taking action on behalf of a citizen making the evening news.

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Regular Contributor

Thank you for your reply.  Yes, jonibee and you have made good points.  I will contact the AG and file a complaint.  I have written to the Dell corporate office 3 times.  The problem I'm having lies with the manager of the Advanced Resolutions Team that deal  with problems Technical Support staff can't fix.  After the tech support staff tried to fix the computer and failed the Advanced Resolutions Team took over the case.  I would have preferred to have let the tech staff try again.  The guy in ART always offered me something that was clearly less than  the value of the computer I bought (if said computer was actually working).  I had a clear picture that he would only settle the case if I accepted a refurbished computer or a computer without a warranty, something that was a "win" for him.  My letters to Dell's corporate office are always forwarded back to this guy who has already made his decision and is not going to change it.

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Trusted Social Butterfly

Sympathies for your troubles @longtimealaskan .  I am not given to Brand loyalty, but I can remember back in the 1990's when having a Dell was considered something special.  I'll admit I owned a couple along the way.  The second one was less reliable than the first one and had to be repaired twice.  That experience combined with that cheesy 'Dude You're Getting a Dell' ad campaign turned me off.  Long story short...now, when I want a new desktop for home, I build it myself...get twice nearly twice the system for the same price as a Dell...plus the satisfaction of have selected the components and assembled the system myself...if your into that.

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Bronze Conversationalist

My company in the '90's dealt mainly with Gateway, the PC's were OK, but the other hardware was sub-par.... mice, keyboards, monitors. 

 

Dell, & HP use many proprietary parts.  I had a couple of Power-Spec Machines (Micro-Centers House Brand), that were great & easy to work on, & all components replaceable off the shelf.  Recently looking at these, they are sometimes costlier now than a Dell or HP, so you can see how the quality has likely slipped.    

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Regular Contributor

Thanks again.  Building my own computer is not a viable option for me, unfortunately.

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Super Contributor

Where do you get the components?

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Trusted Social Butterfly

I've been doing it long enough to have seen multiple suppliers come and go @TomD857140  so I'm not inclined to name anybody lest it be misinterpreted as a recommendation or referral.  Suffice to say sources and tools are not hard to find both online and Brick-n-Mortar.  Some components can even be obtained directly from the brand's web site.

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