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Dell and AT&T Customer Service keep getting goofier...
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Posted by: holee

So I place an order for a PC for my mom's shop via Dell.

The order gets placed Dec 2. I check Dell's site every day from that point on. The site indicates the machine is in pre-production, meaning it hasn't been built or tested yet. For the entire week it's listed as pre-production. The website says it'll be delivered Dec 18.

I call up Dell customer service. One operator says it's already being built. Another says it won't be built for another week.

Then I check the site yesterday, suddenly the system was magically built and sent, skipping the entire build process. But it gets better. I indicated 2nd day shipping. The computer's delivery date was listed as today, but it had arrived at the local FedEx office two days ago. As a result they *HELD* it at the location almost two full days so they could deliver it "on time."

Go figgure. :)

And as for AT&T, I sent them an email regarding a slight snafu. I misread the disclaimer on a promo I signed up for, and I allowed a gift certificate to expire. So I asked them if they'd be willing to re-issue it.

The response:

I can only enroll once a year for a promo (I know THAT. I wasn't asking to re-enroll. I just wanted to know if they could re-issue. But no is acceptable, until....)

"You are a valued customer and we appreciate your business. Please do not reply to this e-mail. "

:)

I laughed so hard after reading that. Heh. It almost made up for my carelessness.

Posted by: cnshough

I had a little problem with Dell in the last few days as well. You see, my CDRW drive died on me. I called in hoping to find out it was something simple in the BIOS that I was overlooking that would get it running again. Nothing. So the guy says he'll ship me a replacement. "Great!" I thought. I asked the guy if there was any charge, and he said no. The drive arrives the next day. I hook the new one up, and it acts just like my old one did. DEAD. So I did some searching and found the cure for my problems on Microsoft's support site. So yesterday, I got an invoice for the drive saying that if the replacement drive wasn't returned within 15 days, then I had to pay for the new drive. I told them I had already thrown away the old drive because nothing was said about shipping it back to Dell!!!! So after talking to 3 different people, all who told me I HAD to pay for the drive, some nice lady said she credited my account. We'll find out soon enough, I reckon. How wrong was it that I lied and said I threw the old drive away when I really didn't? ;) It wasn't the principle that I had to pay, it's the fact that the tech support rep told me there would be no charge and didn't mention anything about shipping the old one back.

Posted by: smoke eater

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
How wrong was it that I lied and said I threw the old drive away when I really didn't? ;) It wasn't the principle that I had to pay, it's the fact that the tech support rep told me there would be no charge and didn't mention anything about shipping the old one back.

I think we need to start a thread to see if that is stealing.

-Mike

Posted by: macquariumguy

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
How wrong was it that I lied and said I threw the old drive away when I really didn't? ;) It wasn't the principle that I had to pay, it's the fact that the tech support rep told me there would be no charge and didn't mention anything about shipping the old one back.

So this is how you reward them for being nice enough to send you an advance exchange? If enough people do that, you'll all be sending the dead drive in before your replacement gets shipped out.

Posted by: jgickler

So let me get this right. One person is complaining about the tracking for a laptop, eventhough the laptop was delivered earlier then promised, and another person is complaining because Dell actually expected them to send in the "defective" drive, which he decided to keep, eventhough he later determined the orginal is not defective. I guess some people are never happy. :confused:

Posted by: dgh

quote:
Originally posted by holee
But it gets better. I indicated 2nd day shipping. The computer's delivery date was listed as today, but it had arrived at the local FedEx office two days ago. As a result they *HELD* it at the location almost two full days so they could deliver it "on time."

Go figgure. :)

Yep - Fed Ex wants to make sure you don't get their best service if you didn't pay for it. My local distribution points receive UPS and Fed Ex packages early on a regular basis and UPS always delivers, but Fed Ex always holds em.

Posted by: holee

quote:
Originally posted by jgickler
So let me get this right. One person is complaining about the tracking for a laptop, eventhough the laptop was delivered earlier then promised, and another person is complaining because Dell actually expected them to send in the "defective" drive, which he decided to keep, eventhough he later determined the orginal is not defective. I guess some people are never happy. :confused:

Hey, I'm glad the desktop got sent out earlier. But Dell customer service was useless for figuring out where it is and what's going on with it. This isn't for personal use, it's for a business. I'd figure that Dell would be a little more efficient about keeping the customer in the loop because there's other people and resources I need to pull in.

And frankly, the desktop really does me no good being there this whole week as I won't be there this week. So there was no point in requesting second day air, which I only got because customer service assured me that it wouldn't get there on time otherwise. I order through Dell not because they're good but because they're convenient. I just don't see how they get their reputation for excellence and efficiency.

Once again, I'm glad the desktop's there so I can get stuff rolling. I would have liked to have known when it left and what was going on though.

But mostly, I think it's goofy that FedEx won't deliver a package early and will let it sit for several days.

Posted by: wa2joc

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
How wrong was it that I lied ...

Is that like being a little bit pregnant?

Folks like you make the price of my replacement Dell higher.

Posted by: Frylock

I agree that Dell did screw up Holee's order... The whole idea of trackin your package isn't too worthwhile if they can't actually track it!

As for cnshough, that is just stealing. Everyone knows you're supposed to ship it back. There's a return ship statement in the box they send you with directions. Is it really worth a sub-$100 drive to screw over from Dell to force the rest of us to pay higher prices?

Posted by: king daddy

I had a Dell CD-RW drive die last week (I got in on the deal that niftyness alerted us to - thanks again!). I called Dell customer support at midnight Friday (it's great for having 24/7 support - no wait in the wee hours). The call took 5 minutes and I received my new drive yesterday. While it was not mentioned during the call, the packaging clearly directs you to return the defective drive. All in all, a great customer support experience.

Posted by: Frylock

The problem with screwing with tech support is that it ultimately screws you over! So many people screwed Gateway over on RMA devices that they made you run through 20 steps to RMA something unless you were a business or educational institution and had an IT department that would vouch the part was bad, and then you could use a code to bypass that mess. Boy, what a hassle that was!

Posted by: dslunceford

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
So the guy says he'll ship me a replacement. "Great!" I thought. I asked the guy if there was any charge, and he said no. The drive arrives the next day. <snip> How wrong was it that I lied and said I threw the old drive away when I really didn't? ;) It wasn't the principle that I had to pay, it's the fact that the tech support rep told me there would be no charge and didn't mention anything about shipping the old one back.

How did the rep lie? They didn't charge you and their policy is to send a prepaid mailer when they send the new part (I know because I had about 4 modems sent/switched). All you had to do was pack the old drive up and mail it back at their cost. Instead, you simply decided to STEAL the equipment and argue with them and lie to them for what? To eBay it? Really sounds like it was the "principle" :rolleyes:

Posted by: holee

I will say this in Dell's service. Their service is pretty consistent.

I had a drive go bad, and they next day aired me a replacement, with the pre-paid label for return postage.

Admittedly, it took about 10 minutes to get through, but they were prompt. The quality of their products is mediocre, but their repair service is all right (which seems to be replace replace replace).

A friend of mine's laptop got lost while being sent to her. Dell ended up just sending out a replacement laptop. I guess that's good and bad.

On the other hand, a friend of mine's laptop shorted out. It took Dell two weeks to replace that. They waited 3-4 days before they realized they didn't have the right parts. They ended up just swapping out his entire laptop eventually. But they never came on-site to diagnose the laptop, despite having paid for 24 hour on-site service .

Posted by: YamahaRick

cnshough's case was stealing. Thanks for hiking the price up on the Dells I have purchased and will purchase in the future.

Regarding holee's situation ... last time I checked, today's date is 11 December, or seven days before the date Dell promised to deliver your PC. Why bitch about great service? They bettered your expectations. Had today been the 25th, or seven days ~after~ the 18th, THEN I would complain about the lack of info on the Dell tracking site.

In my experiences with Dell, they have never missed a promised ship date, and have always seem to treat me well when dealing with troubleshooting and/or warranty issues. When you are shipped a replacement part (on the honor system!), they include specific instructions on returning the damaged part ... they even include a self-addressed, pre-paid shipping label for your use. All you have to do is call the carrier (Airborne, I believe) and have them pick up the package from your location. And that is when I request the part with no service call. They even offered to dispatch a tech to replace a faulty sound card. A great service for a non-technical PC user; something you don't find with many manufacturers.

Regarding FedEx's policy of "holding" packages ... no doubt all carriers have a building full of Analysts, trying to determine how to deliver all the packages in the most efficient manner. Guess what? That may mean leaving one or two behind, as long as the promised ship date will still be honored. Nothing wrong with operating a business in a manner to maximize profits.

Posted by: holee

quote:
Originally posted by YamahaRick

Regarding holee's situation ... last time I checked, today's date is 11 December, or seven days before the date Dell promised to deliver your PC. Why bitch about great service? They bettered your expectations. Had today been the 25th, or seven days ~after~ the 18th, THEN I would complain about the lack of info on the Dell tracking site.

It's par for the course in my dealings with Dell. I've either gotten things a week early or weeks late. Never on the time predicted. And despite my complaining about it, their shipping notification never works. (The one where you sign up to be notified when your package gets sent out). If Dell sends out 90% of my orders early, that's great. They don't.

I really don't see this as good service. I see it as inconsistent service. It's like if you go to McDonald's for lunch, but for some reason they give you a fillet mignon, or make a really great batch of fries. I'm not going to be overwhelmed and say "Wow, McDonald's makes GREAT food!" It'll be more like "McDonald's makes sub-par food, they made it all right today. What's stopping them from doing this all the time?"

Hey, if Dell's gonna ship stuff out early, that's GREAT. I like it. I just want them to tell me about it BEFOREHAND. I want a tracking number *BEFORE* the package arrives at my office, not after. This is the third shipment this month I found out about after it got to the distrbution office. In all three cases, I had to call Dell to get the tracking number. It wasn't available on their website nor did I get an e-mail about it.

Just like if Dell is gonna ship stuff out late, I want them to tell me that it's going to be late, instead of just dropping it off at the last minute.

Am I making sense? I'm not complaining because it got sent out early. I'm complaining because Dell has traditionally done a poor job of telling me my order status, where it is and when I can expect it.

Oh, and FedEx still isn't deliver the package as it turns out. I called and they're not sure why it's still at the distribution center. Maybe they're waiting til the 18th.

Posted by: cnshough

quote:
Originally posted by dslunceford
How did the rep lie? They didn't charge you and their policy is to send a prepaid mailer when they send the new part (I know because I had about 4 modems sent/switched). All you had to do was pack the old drive up and mail it back at their cost. Instead, you simply decided to STEAL the equipment and argue with them and lie to them for what? To eBay it? Really sounds like it was the "principle" :rolleyes:

If this had been the case, there would have been no problem. If I had a digital camera, I could take a pic of all that was sent with the drive. There was no prepaid mailer, and there was nothing in the packaging that said anything about sending the old one back. When I called them yesterday, they said I would have to pay for the shipping because I didn't receive any prepaid return packaging. I do not see where this is my responsibility. Had they paid for returning it, I would have been happy to send them the old out of date drive.

And dslunceford, I do not see anywhere in my original post that incenuated that the rep lied. That's just something you read into it I guess.

Posted by: jgickler

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
Had they paid for returning it, I would have been happy to send them the old out of date drive.

No, you should have sent back the new drive, because you figured out that the drive was not defective in the first place.

Posted by: Rcrew

Guess we didn't need a special thread to decide after all...

[justapixel's finger waging avatar] shame on you [/justapixel's finger waging avatar]

Posted by: holee

From my experience, returning a defective part to Dell is free. They include the labels and all that. If you checked the box they sent you the new drive in, it would have been in there. Then you just seal up that box, put the new label and either call up Airborn Express for pickup or drop it off at an office. Sometimes you only even need the shipping invoice.

Posted by: avaloncourt

I had a problem with Dell at the top of the year. I ordered a laptop over the phone with an extended warranty. The salesperson never mentioned they have an accidental damage warranty. I was also watching the status of the order. About half way to completion I discover the accidental damage warranty on the website and call in to see if I could add it to the order. I was told I could only deal with the person who originally filed the order. They transfer me to his voicemail and I leave a message with the order number and that I'd like to add that to the order.

Three days later he calls me back and tells me he'll add it to the order. At this point the order status says it's going to the shipping department. Sounds good to me.

I check the next day and suddenly it's back on pre-order status with a delay of 2 weeks because parts not being available. I call 4 times and get 4 different explanations as to why it reads that way. I ask for a supervisor on two of the calls and the CSR refuses to transfer me.

I finally find someone who seems to know what's going on. As it turns out, if ANY changes are made to the order, even if it's a warranty, the order gets scrapped and they start all over. That is the ultimate in stupidity. The computer was built and ready for shipping and they start all over again building it because I added a damage warranty?!!!

For the next 10 days I get the runaround because the 802.11 card is out of stock and they don't know when it will be in. After a total of almost a month from the beginning of this fiasco I finally get it.

I wrote a letter of complaint to the executive offices and got a return call a month later. They had lots of excuses but no real reason why they would do that and that nobody in their Customer Service had any clue why that was happening AND they refused to transfer me to anyone who would know.

In the end they gave me $250 for the trouble but all I can say is to never ever make any changes to an order already placed.

Posted by: cnshough

quote:
Originally posted by holee
From my experience, returning a defective part to Dell is free. They include the labels and all that. If you checked the box they sent you the new drive in, it would have been in there. Then you just seal up that box, put the new label and either call up Airborn Express for pickup or drop it off at an office. Sometimes you only even need the shipping invoice.

See my post 3 spots up

Posted by: holee

quote:
Originally posted by avaloncourt

In the end they gave me $250 for the trouble but all I can say is to never ever make any changes to an order already placed.

Mine wasn't nearly as bad. About a day after I placed my order, I called to change my delivery from free to 2nd day air. Took me almost an hour. :) First operator says I need to call Small Business support.
I get transferred over, put on hold for 15 minutes then disconnected. I call back, this time I get the direct phone #. I talk to the operator who understand exactly what I want and assures me that Dell can change the shipping...... I just have to call Small Business Sales. Transfer to Small Business Sales, disconnected after 10 minutes. Call back. Etc. etc. Of course each operator also told me different information about where the desktop was in the build process (we don't know, it's being built, it won't be built until next week)

But finally it all worked out. :)

Now if I can just get FedEx to open up.....

Posted by: dslunceford

quote:
Originally posted by cnshough
If this had been the case, there would have been no problem. If I had a digital camera, I could take a pic of all that was sent with the drive. There was no prepaid mailer, and there was nothing in the packaging that said anything about sending the old one back. When I called them yesterday, they said I would have to pay for the shipping because I didn't receive any prepaid return packaging. I do not see where this is my responsibility. Had they paid for returning it, I would have been happy to send them the old out of date drive.

How could they tell you you'd have to pay for shipping? I thought you told them "I had already thrown away the old drive because nothing was said about shipping it back to Dell!!!!" per your original post?

And instead of arguing with 3 reps that you wouldn't pay for shipping the defective part back, you instead spend time convincing them you trashed the part?!

quote:

And dslunceford, I do not see anywhere in my original post that incenuated [sic] that the rep lied. That's just something you read into it I guess.

Your last sentence of the orig. post led me to think you believed they misrepresented the situation to you, ie. lied. After re-reading the post though, you're right, you only called yourself a liar, not Dell.

Posted by: cnshough

DS, this was before I ever said I threw the old one away. Sorry for the lack of clarification. This was when I was trying to figure out why I wasn't told originally that the old drive had to be returned, and why this invoice 7 days after the fact was the first I had heard of any reshipment.