Intel & Dell: A match made in heaven...
Published: December 18, 2001
Poor customer support is nothing new to gamers when it comes to getting help with titles they have bought at their local software store or online. Most of the time a game won't run at all or will be so bug ridden as to be unplayable; and the only recourse the purchaser has is to wait for a long string of patches. Game publishers contend that the end-user can only return the software to the place of purchase, but many retailers simply refuse to accept software returns for a refund. This is an inconvenient "Catch-22" situation for the purchaser since they cannot return the bug ridden game and are out an average of $50 for an entertainment product they cannot enjoy.
Gamers have come to expect this of the industry, to the point where many start looking for patches before a new title even hits store shelves. Expecting a product to be in working order upon purchase is not an unreasonable request, but gamers have become accustomed to the conditions companies have imposed upon the entire gaming community.
As a gamer, I thought I had seen all of these poor tactics used before, but I was very wrong on that assumption. Read what happened when I was dancing with the Dell.
A few weeks ago, I purchased a new Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop system in order to provide better coverage when on assignment. My decision to buy through Dell came from the company's excellent reputation for customer service and quality products. As a consumer and a gamer, that was my first mistake - trusting reputation over end-user experience.
My Inspiron system lasted no more than a month before it suffered its first major breakdown: lockups apparently caused by a bad GeForce 2 Go video card. Utilizing my three year extended warranty, I called up Dell tech support - this after trying to reach a representative through their support website for a week as Dell points customers to their site before they should try to speak with a real person on the phone. Having to spend 45 minutes on hold trying to reach a support representative, I started to understand why.
The Dell tech support agent listened to my dilemma and decided that my system would need to be sent in for further diagnostics and repair. This troubled me, as I would need the laptop by December 5th to cover the CPL World Championship Event. Dell instilled me with confidence, however, promising same day overnight pickup and delivery in no more than three business days - providing me with two days to spare before leaving. True to their word, the system was picked up and returned on December 3rd. Dell reported on the return invoice that they had replaced the system board, updated the BIOS and that I had a bad hard drive. Unfortunately their repair center didn't have any replacement hard drives, so I had to call tech support again to obtain one; 40 minutes on hold later, Dell informed me that they were sending a new drive to me overnight, leaving me with one day to spare before leaving.
Again, Dell came through and delivered a refurbished hard drive the next day. Eagerly I swapped it out and powered up my newly repaired Inspiron for the first time in a week. There was just one problem - the system was still suffering from the same problem as before (Dell did not replace the video card even though it was stated in my support file to do so). Rather perturbed, but unphased, I called Dell tech support and after another 30 minutes on hold arranged for the system to be picked up for service once more. In order to have the Inspiron back in time for the CPL event, I requested that Dell ship it to my hotel in Dallas; Dell agreed and informed me to expect it on Thursday.
However, Thursday came and went, and no laptop had been delivered. I called up Dell tech support to receive a status update on my system; after another 20 minutes on hold, I was told that my laptop was repaired and would be delivered on Friday. Friday marched through and no laptop was delivered. Once again, I called Dell support to be told that my laptop was not yet repaired and that they could not give me an estimate on when it would be returned. Figuring that it wouldn't be on Sunday (for obvious reasons), I asked that the laptop be shipped to my home address and was assured that it would be.
Realizing that Dell's "superior" tech support was not working, I decided to call the company again on Sunday morning to confirm that the system would, in fact, be delivered to my home. My instincts proved correct as the Dell representative informed me that no shipping change had been noted. At this point, I told the support representative that I was not pleased with getting the runaround on my system's status. Kindly, she informed me of their repair center's current tests and progress on my system, adding additional details that I provided concerning the nature of the problem (after all, they hadn't found it the last time and the system was locking up every few seconds). With some of my faith restored, I finished my event coverage and returned home.
On Tuesday, December 11th, my laptop was returned and this time the video card had been replaced. Since Dell informed me on my last call that they had let the system run continuously for several days to find the cause of the lockups, I was confident that the problem was finally resolved. Then I powered on my system….
I was stunned, to my extreme dismay the lockup problem remained! I promptly placed another call to Dell about the situation, and was informed that the company would not refund my money since I had owned the unit for more than 30 days, but that they would replace the system. Becoming more perturbed at this point, I waited another 10 minutes on hold, only then to be told that Dell would not replace my laptop.
To say that I was extremely upset is an understatement. Not only would Dell not replace my system or provide me with a refund, the company refused to let me speak to a superior about the situation, informing me that the local manager had made his final decision. When I asked to speak to the local manager's superior, I was informed that this was confidential information and not given out to customers.
The support representative fell silent on the line, apologizing for the raw deal I was receiving, but that there was nothing more he could do and if I needed anything else. This signaled to me that Dell was going to leave me with a non-operational laptop - out nearly $2000.
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