Never EVER trust DELL

[Shearergol 0]

Bought a PC from Dell about a year ago (an XPS gen 3 system). However, it developed a fault mid-december (think it's the motherboard). Now, I've got a 3 year, Next Business Day Onsite warranty on this machine, so I thought it would be no problem.

 

Logged a call on the 15th December, got a response saying I would get a response within 24 hours. Anyway, didn't hear anything for a week, so emailed them again. Nothing. Another email, finally I get a response from some guy in Technical Support asking me to run a test which I'd already told them I'd run. So I replied, informing him of this. This was on the 4th January

 

Since then I've heard nothing. Decided that I would check online about the status of the call. Enter the service tag, comes back with the message "no service calls are currently logged against this service tag". So I tried to log it again. Hmm, no automated response this time.

 

Tried ringing their technical support - can never get though.

 

Tried positng a message on their offficial support forums - got a response from a DELL engineer saying he would look into it. Not heard anything back. The boards are now down.

 

So I contacted DELL complaints (can only email, no phone number listed). Heard nothing back from them in the last 3 days.

 

So basically I've got a machine which is completely unusable unless I buy a new motherboard for it. What the fuck is the warranty for in the first place then? They should have sent an engineer around to replace it before christmas, yet I'm still waiting for any form of contact other than the one email I received, which was of no help.

 

Don't buy one. Cheap, nice offers, machine runs quite nicely, but if you ever get a problem they'll never support it. Best thing is, I've got 200 machines to replace at work, and Dell were one of the options. Gonna contact sales and get a price for them, go through the motions of purchasing, and then explain to them why we're not going to pay in the end

 

Fucking wankers, the lot of them.

[themags 0]

DELL seem very hit and miss for home pc's, i've not had too many problems with my sister that i got awhile go. Yet me mate got one the the week and every time he shuts down he gets a nice blue screen crash

 

DELLs advice has been to run the recovery disk, should he need to do this after less than a week

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 4063]

Email. Ewan.Taylor@dell.co.uk.

 

Tell him you're a NUFC supporting friend of Simon Brown.

 

If you get no response try Craig.Kelly@dell.co.uk Tell him that you know Simon Brown but no need to mention NUFC.

[Shearergol 0]

Email. Ewan.Taylor@dell.co.uk.

 

Tell him you're a NUFC supporting friend of Simon Brown.

 

If you get no response try Craig.Kelly@dell.co.uk Tell him that you know Simon Brown but no need to mention NUFC.

78521[/snapback]

 

 

Cheers mate. I'll let you know if I get a reply

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Yes, and never smile at a Crocodile my nana once told me.

 

If it makes you feel any better, despite me telling her not to, last year my cousin bought a Tiny Computer. Awhooops....

[Renton 22380]

I thought theses computer-nerdy geek types would build their own computer tbh.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

And take over the world?

[Shearergol 0]

I thought theses computer-nerdy geek types would build their own computer tbh.

78537[/snapback]

 

 

I couldn't be arsed to be honest. After working with PC's all day every day, I've got no interest in working on them in my own time.

 

I'm a rare breed in IT that I don't actually like technology

[Shearergol 0]

Email. Ewan.Taylor@dell.co.uk.

 

Tell him you're a NUFC supporting friend of Simon Brown.

 

If you get no response try Craig.Kelly@dell.co.uk Tell him that you know Simon Brown but no need to mention NUFC.

78521[/snapback]

 

 

Cheers mate. I'll let you know if I get a reply

78531[/snapback]

 

Ewan Talyor email bounced back with an unknown address. Trying the 2nd one now.

[Craig 6700]

I thought theses computer-nerdy geek types would build their own computer tbh.

78537[/snapback]

 

All car mechanics build their own cars rather than buy them ready built, don't they?

 

Pure and simply, I could not be arsed to build my own machine, the only point I can see in people doing that is if they want a machine for a specific use (i.e. gaming).

 

Purely for having a machine for general use, I don't see the benefit...

[Shearergol 0]

Email. Ewan.Taylor@dell.co.uk.

 

Tell him you're a NUFC supporting friend of Simon Brown.

 

If you get no response try Craig.Kelly@dell.co.uk Tell him that you know Simon Brown but no need to mention NUFC.

78521[/snapback]

 

 

Neither address works mate. Cheers anyway

[Renton 22380]

I thought theses computer-nerdy geek types would build their own computer tbh.

78537[/snapback]

 

All car mechanics build their own cars rather than buy them ready built, don't they?

 

Pure and simply, I could not be arsed to build my own machine, the only point I can see in people doing that is if they want a machine for a specific use (i.e. gaming).

 

Purely for having a machine for general use, I don't see the benefit...

78546[/snapback]

 

Same answer as Shearergol then?

 

I see your point mind. PCs for general use (i.e. web surfing, word processing etc) are dirt cheap now anyway, aren't they? May as well pick up one from Tescos.

[Craig 6700]

Most people who work in IT would answer the same tbh.

[Mags 1]

Think that attitude/opinion could relate easily to most people in their chosen profession.

[Gemmill 47003]

Craig, are you sure the reason you didn't build your own machine is because outside of the already-prepared step-by-step instructions that you provide when people tell you they have a particular error number, you are utterly useless. That seems to be the case with most IT departments.

[themags 0]

you tried rebooting Gemmill?

[MrBass 2811]

Most people who work in IT would answer the same tbh.

78551[/snapback]

 

I concur.

[Shearergol 0]

Finally got through to someone, who informed me that the original call was closed and marked as complete.

 

That was nice of them.

 

Decided that I'm gonna try that approach at work for the next couple of weeks and see how long I last

[MrBass 2811]

Craig, are you sure the reason you didn't build your own machine is because outside of the already-prepared step-by-step instructions that you provide when people tell you they have a particular error number, you are utterly useless.  That seems to be the case with most IT departments.

78640[/snapback]

 

I.T. staff are never useless but with all the shite we have to put up with day after day from mind numbingly stupid end users, we just don't give a shit anymore!

[Shearergol 0]

Craig, are you sure the reason you didn't build your own machine is because outside of the already-prepared step-by-step instructions that you provide when people tell you they have a particular error number, you are utterly useless.  That seems to be the case with most IT departments.

78640[/snapback]

 

I.T. staff are never useless but with all the shite we have to put up with day after day from mind numbingly stupid end users, we just don't give a shit anymore!

78655[/snapback]

 

 

[Gemmill 47003]

Craig, are you sure the reason you didn't build your own machine is because outside of the already-prepared step-by-step instructions that you provide when people tell you they have a particular error number, you are utterly useless.  That seems to be the case with most IT departments.

78640[/snapback]

 

I.T. staff are never useless but with all the shite we have to put up with day after day from mind numbingly stupid end users, we just don't give a shit anymore!

78655[/snapback]

 

That's right, blame the users for your incompetence.....

[themags 0]

agree like, users do cos the vast majority of problems

 

needing help with things like changing a printer cartridges, thick gets

[Gemmill 47003]

agree like, users do cos the vast majority of problems

 

needing help with things like changing a printer cartridges, thick gets

78678[/snapback]

 

It's not because we can't do it, it's just we like to keep the IT monkeys busy.

[MrBass 2811]

"I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop"

Customer: "OK"

Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No"

Tech Support: "OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No"

Tech Support: "OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?". Customer: "Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'"

 

Tech Support: "OK. In the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?"

Customer: "Wow. How can you see my screen from there?"

 

Caller: "I deleted a file from my PC last week and I have just realised that I need it. If I turn my system clock back two weeks will I have my file back again?"

 

There's always one. This has got to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "Termination without Cause".

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee. (Now I know why they record these conversations!):

 

Operator: "Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"

Caller: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

Operator: "What sort of trouble?"

Caller: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

Operator: "Went away?"

Caller: "They disappeared."

Operator: "Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

Caller: "Nothing."

Operator: "Nothing?"

Caller: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

Operator: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"

Caller: "How do I tell?"

Operator: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"

Caller: "What's a sea-prompt?"

Operator: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"

Caller: "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."

Operator: "Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

Caller: "What's a monitor?"

Operator: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's switched on?"

Caller: "I don't know."

Operator: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

Caller: "Yes, I think so."

Operator: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall. Caller: "Yes, it is."

Operator: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

Caller: "No."

Operator: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

Caller: "Okay, here it is."

Operator: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

Caller: "I can't reach."

Operator: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

Caller: "No."

Operator: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

Caller: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."

Operator: "Dark?"

Caller: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

Operator: "Well, turn on the office light then."

Caller: "I can't."

Operator: "No? Why not?"

Caller: "Because there's a power failure."

Operator: "A power……………………………… A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

Caller: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."

Operator: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

Caller: "Really? Is it that bad?"

Operator: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Caller: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

Operator: "Tell them you're too f*cking stupid to own a computer."

[Craig 6700]

Craig, are you sure the reason you didn't build your own machine is because outside of the already-prepared step-by-step instructions that you provide when people tell you they have a particular error number, you are utterly useless.  That seems to be the case with most IT departments.

78640[/snapback]

 

Personally I can't fucking stand those error messages - I prefer to communicate in plain English.

 

I know some people who do work by saying this like "i've got the 43525 error code" but that means fuck all to me!