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Bought a nice Dell Vostro for my college-attending daughter this summer. More than once this semester she had to go through Dell service, ultimately getting a Dell authorized contractor to her college residence/apartment building. There was an issue with the charger - wasn't recharging battery.

Well it's at it again! And it is the last week of classes with two weeks of finals ahead.

Sooooo, anyone of you New Yorkers know a reasonably priced and competant computer diagnostics/repair guy who makes "house" calls?? (upper west side). She has full extended warranty coverage and even damge coverage, but I would PAY just so she can avoid dealing with those bozos at Dell again.



This isn't the only issue with this Vosto since she has been back to college this semester. Let me say it here as clearly and succinctly as possible - DELL CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS!! Like getting lost in the black hole od Calcutta. Literally. One additional time they convinced her she had a software problem, took control of the computer remotely, didn't fix the problem she had, and managed to load a friggin' virus in the process.

OR if you are a major techie - he's the deal - the battery just won't charge. If the charger cord slips out of the back of the laptop, it immediately shuts down and all unsaved stuff is lost. does this sound like something I can resolve by just overnighting a new battery AND a new charger/power cord?


I will never, ever, ever buy Dell again. Poor kid, term papers due this week, more coming up, and finals to boot and she has to deal with this on a $1,200 6 month old laptop.

Did I mention I dislike Dell????

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SHARKMAN

Wish i could send you to someone...bought my little girl a Dell LT for college, with the 4 year warranty, and her school had on site Dell service. I think it made 3 trips in 3 years (I am sure some of the issues were self induced...she is in CS and did things like have two OS on the same machine, and who know what else) Senior year she replaced teh "craptop" with a Mac Air. (on her own nickel!) Happy ever since!

Sorry to hear that Tom but I can confirm that I, too, had only negative experience with Dell. After over two hours on the phone with more people that I would like to remember, they managed to send me the wrong part (prepaid of course ) and they wouldn't even try to make an exchange.

So, no more Dell for me. Wish you luck for Summer though, she should be stressed.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Thanks but Summer was ... Well ....not my daughter.

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SHARKMAN

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

If it's unplugged and the laptop switches off immediatley then it's an issue with the battery charging (obviously) so by simply replacing the battery the issue should be resolved. If this does not resolve the issue then it's a problem with the internal mechanism of the laptop sending the charge to the battery. But first things first I would just get the battery replaced and take it from there.

What Alex said.

I have had some interaction with Dell Tech support, but I ususlly tell them that I am from IT background so cut the BS.

I can relate to your experiance. It takes lots of patiance to work with those guys.

The question is: why bother with a brand that is not capable of supporting its products? Patience is something the After Sales people should have, not the customer.

Although I find it very loyal to support an American, or rather Texan, company (especially for Tom who's Texas-based), I think loyalty has its limits.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Dell is from Texas?? Didn't know that. Ijust like their laptops.

Problem is this same thing happened in October and ultimately, after hours with the "remote" tech guys, they sent an on-site tech out and he replaced the charger AND the mother board. My daughter says it's the same problem this time and I spent hours talking to ddifferent guys this morning trying to sidestep a wasted day for her, which she can't afford to waste right now, and get the tech right out to her dorm. Nothing I said would make them budge from their "A then B then C" mentality, even though it is evidently a repaet of the problem from before.

Bottom line - I like the product but will never buy from them again if this is how they handle customer service, especially under a pricey extended and expanded warranty/support plan. Plus the best their people can do on a charger is 5 days before shippping. Are you s###ing me????? It's too late then.

If it was my laptop, who cares? But a kid in the middle of the last week of classes and midterms? They just don't care.

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SHARKMAN

Yep, 6th largest company in Texas, second largest non-oil company after AT&T, largest company in Austin.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Its standard practice for most tech support issues with many companies for them to follow through whole procedure despite what might be a very evident cause of the problem. As I said I would just replace the battery with an aftermarket one just to rule out that. The problem doesn't sound like an issue with the charger as it's clearly supplying power to the device without any issues and the motherboard wouldn't cause this kind of problem either. So want you want to do is get the battery replaced not the charger.

Hopefully you are right because an extended life battery will be delivered Friday.

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SHARKMAN

Hahaha. That's freakin' awesome!!

So I ordered a new battery to be delivered next business day first thing this morning and now Dell sends me an email with a delivery by 12/13 date. I call the Punjab Pundits and they tell me the notes say "next business day" but they can't promise it will be, but it should be, but maybe not until the 13th, but it says Friday, but maybe not, and yes I paid for next business day, but next business day might not mean Friday, and though the recorded info says is was shipped today they can't confirm that or provide a tracking number, but it probably hasn't shipped, but maybe it has, but in any event a "case manager" will call me BY FRIDAY.

So I ask, "Explain to me why every other business in the world can send me a tracking number or tell me a tracking number or tell me if the product has shipped but you can't tell me a thing?" The response? "Well sir that is why a case manager will call you by Friday."







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9e3dTOJi0o

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SHARKMAN

Did you speak to Peggy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8L2cI8brzQ

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-RJ