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.
