To Whom it May Concern:

I came across your web site while looking for more information regarding problems with Dell computer. I do not know it you have a consumer investigation department but as a consumer I feel that it is important to warn other consumers of the problems I have had with Dell Computer Corporation. Please take the time to read this unbelievable account of my experiences with Dell.

Rather than rewriting a new letter I am pasting the letter I am sending to Dell's Customer Service in Austin, The Better Business Bureau in Austin, Dell's Board of Directors and every major computer company I can find. Dell is a travesty and someone needs to know how bad they really are. It is my opinion that my computer should have been replaced when I had my first problem (within 30 days of purchase).

I am sending you this letter because someone at Dell needs to know how horrible it is for a customer to deal with problems at Dell. My life with my computer has been hell. I hope to God I never own another Dell or hear the name Dell when my computer is replaced. This story is unbelievable; you should take the time to read it. You may also want to note on the back page of this letter who I have mailed copies of my complaint to.

I am writing in regards to the customer/technical department. My life with my Dell has been hell. It would seem bad for one of these things to happen just once to a customer but to have many of them to me is unbelievable.

I purchased my Dell Inspirion 8200 in May of 2002. Within 30 days of receiving my computer had a problem. I received the error message: PRIMARY HARD DISK NOT FOUND. FIXED OPTICAL DRIVE NOT FOUND. NO BOOTABLE DEVICES. STRIKE F1 OT RETRY TO BEBOOT, F2 FOR THE SET UP UTILITY.

Little did I know that this error message was to be the beginning of a nightmare. This was the start of spending hundreds of hours on the phone with Dell (mostly on hold), Dell having me back-up my system, reformatting and reinstalling a clean copy of the operating system and many other procedures that only worked for a small amount of time.

Dell has had me perform many procedures for the above error. The first time I was told to take the laptop apart and put it back together (June 2002), another time I was also told to change the Bios date and then change it back, once we ran diagnostics and finally I was to reformat the hard drive (this I had to do over and over). When that didn't work I was to send the laptop back to Dell for repair. A new system board was put in and it was returned to me.

The computer seemed okay (as it did each other time we fixed it) until March when it started having the same error message. This day I was to spend 8 hours on the phone with Dell, most of those hours being on hold. I pleaded my case with tears to the technical specialist. It wasn't fair to pay over $3300.00 for a computer and have it not work within 30 days. He thought I needed a hard drive but had to have it approved since my laptop was over 30 days old. He transferred me back to customer care and I pleaded my case, after going back and forth a few times with tech/customer care the hard drive was approved. Customer Care asked me to hold a few moments for a Stephen to come on the phone and take my information to get a new hard drive. I waited over 30 minutes and then received a message saying, "Please call back all circuits are busy". I couldn't believe this was happening.

When I called back, there was no history or place for the tech to see I had been on the phone for hours and a hard drive had been approved. I had to start all over with my case. This tech asked me if I had reformatted my hard drive since the new system board had been put in. I had reformatted twice before but not since the new system board was put in. Reformatting takes over 13 hours with back-up, reformatting, reinstalling the operating system, reinstalling programs, updating the programs online, reinstalling back-up and all of the other items needed. I did not want to do this and was upset that I had been approved for the hard drive and now I was un-approved. I can't tell you how emotional I was. It had been a long day with Dell. With each call I begged to speak to someone who was in charge. But after many pleas to many persons I realized that it must be part of Dell's policy to never, ever let the customer know a manager exists or to give out the number. Finally I gave up.

The next day I reformatted the hard drive and the computer worked for a few months like it always had and then in June the same thing happened. This time a new tech decided we should do some diagnostics. I mentioned a pattern to these errors and he decided we should test the fans and that maybe the laptop was overheating and all of the above items that were done to restore the system were unnecessary. The system would simply boot up when it cooled off. He said the fan test failed but later I noticed the fans coming on.

He told me I would need to return the Dell but since the warranty was expired I would have to pay for the repair. I didn't think this was fair because this computer had this problem from the beginning and Dell had a long case history to prove it. He said he was sorry and felt he should put together a whole case and plead it for me so I wouldn't have to pay for the repair. He said he would call me back on July 1st. He wanted to reassure me that he would work on this and call me so he gave me his name (Stephen) and his badge number (xxxxx), my case number (xxxxx).

He never called back. I thought he would because he was kind and sympatric to my problem.

Yesterday (August 3rd) I called Dell again with the same problem. I am so sick of the problem I can hardly repeat it. I talked with tech and was transferred to Customer Care. Customer Care told I was not under warranty but I could call and extend my warranty the next day and the problem would be covered. I still thought my laptop should be fixed at no expense but at least this was something. I asked her specifically if she was sure I could obtain an extension after the other expired and she said yes.

Today, the person in the warranty department said she would like to shoot people in customer care for telling customers that could extend their warranties after expiration because it's not true. I expected this.

Next I called technical service to have my computer fixed at my expense. Unfortunately I can't afford to throw a $3300.00 computer in the trash. It was then I found my hero at Dell. This person took the time to read all of the case numbers and saw that they were all related to the original problem that occurred within 30 days of receiving my new Dell. He apologized and actually understood my emotional desperation from my previous treatment.

He then asked me if I had received my new hard drive that was to have been sent in February. I told him I had not and was this related to the hard drive I had approved and disapproved in March. He said no, that it was approved when my system board was replaced. Apparently the technician that replaced my system board had written that if there were anymore problems related to this issue that a hard drive was to be sent. My new hero spoke with his technical supervisor and had received approval to send me my new hard drive at no expense. I asked about the fans and he said my problem was the hard drive all the time. I want to believe this will fix my problem with my laptop once and for all but it's hard to have faith.

My hero's name is Tom. My case number with Tom is xxxxx. Tom said that he will follow-up on my case and that if I have any problems I can e-mail him at x@xxxx.com God bless Tom!

I don't think I will ever buy another Dell. I had purchased two for my home. The first one I purchased in 1998 and it has never had any problems. The second has been nothing but problems. I had purchased eight Dells for the company I work for and the last time I needed service was in 2001. The service was exceptional and I thought maybe business customers are treated better than home users because they mean more money. After researching online customer problems I see that Dell has just gone down hill in the last few years and my problem with Dell is not unique. I also would not recommend Dell to my worst enemy knowing how bad your customer service is. Whenever I hear an ad on television for Dell I have to change the channel so I don't get that sick feeling in knowing it's a lie hearing them say they have award winning customer service. Maybe once upon a time they did but now if they gave them an award it would be for the worst. Dell needs more people like Tom.

Full name, address and telephone number supplied. Case numbers, email address and other details removed.

cc:
Michael S. Dell, Dell Board of Directors
Samuel A. Nunn, Jr., Dell Board of Directors
Morton L. Topfer, Dell Board of Directors
Alex J. Mandl, Dell Board of Directors
Michael A. Miles, Dell Board of Directors
Judy C. Lewent, Dell Board of Directors
Thomas W. Luce III, Dell Board of Directors
Klaus S. Luft, Dell Board of Directors
Donald J. Carty, Dell Board of Directors
William H. Gray III, Dell Board of Directors
Michael H. Jordon, Dell Board of Directors

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