A Dell Customer Service Dispute

When I owned a company anyone that threatened legal action like this was immediately fired as a customer.

A big company may be different though, as it's very easy for legitimate problems to be masked/enabled by the bureaucracy. When you're a small company you generally know all the details and we certainly erred on the side of the customer to an absurd degree.

Basically threatening legal action or abusing front-line support staff were the only ways to ensure you definitely did not get the outcome you wanted, and half the time the exact opposite.

The only appropriate time to discuss lawsuits is directly with opposing counsel (or executive management) prior to filing, or after you file.

I run both Dell and Mac systems in my office too and my Dells regularly outperform and outlast my Macs. Not only that, but Dell offers premium support and they actually come onsite. Apple would rather waste your time so they can make their store look busy, which is the same reason why they space their stores so far apart.

Furthermore, Apple engineers just about everything to polarize you against the vast, vast majority which run Windows and Android. They also have an severely anemic selection of hardware that they are always using to experiment on how to get most of your money without providing any value.

In short, I'm sharing this with you to underline how shitty Apple is to their customers in every area, including support.

While I agree getting support from Apple in-store can currently require multiple trips, hours waiting for an appointment and potentially $800 or more to replace a motherboard everything's stuck to, there are alternatives, including AppleCare, which allows for phone support from the US, a very easy escalation process to senior support and managers, and again with AppleCare, if urgent, you can get service from local authorised repair centres (not Apple Stores) where Apple foots the bill. Apple will even pay for an on-site visit if your computer is less portable, like an iMac. And AppleCare covers select accessories from Apple purchased for use with your Mac, but that's less relevant as Apple exits the networking and display business. Frankly that's my main concern about buying an LG display, will I get Apple-like support and repair?

I am the OP of the Facebook post. I just wanted to clarify some points:

1. The dept that I have dealt with is called the Advanced Resolution Group (ARG). No one from basic customer care or tech support or out-of-warranty-repairs has heard of them. So far, I know of only one person in ARG, Prawin K. He first told me that he had no manager. When I spoke to a supervisor from tech support, she told me that she will speak to Prawin's manager. When I pointed this out, and told him that he had lied, he said "You are assuming too many things. I did not lie because my manager does not take calls and I AM the HIGHEST point of contact". Since I had complained to BBB, he told me that no matter who I complained to, it will all circle back and I will end up dealing with him each time. Repeated to pleas to get my case tranferred have fallen on deaf ears.

2. The tech support initially (read, October) ran diagnostics on my laptop using remote access. They said that it seemed to be a software issue. After the laptop reached the depot, I was told that it is possible that someone spilled something on my laptop when I was not around, and so the damage is customer induced. I was asked to pay 450$ for the repairs (motherboard, keyboard, mousepad). I could not pay such money upfront (I paid only 800$ for the laptop) since I felt that it was a lot for repairing a 1 year old laptop. They sent me my laptop unrepaired.

3. After reasoning with them I was asked to pay $350 for the repairs. The out-of-warranty dept was frank enough to tell me that the replacement parts will be refurbished ones, but the seal will be broken by the techician in the depot.

4. After paying for the repairs, I was told that I will receive the shipping box within 1-2 business days (email proof). It took them 11 days. First due to delays because of the weekend, and then for some reason they wanted to verify my address to mail me an empty box.

5. After getting the laptop back, it still has the existing issues in addition to the old one (screen becomes white along the edges). The only way to get rid of it is it keep tilting the laptop. The way I look at it there are three possilbilties : the replacement parts are faulty, the laptop itself has issues that they are unwilling to accept, the technician screwed up and did not check my system before shipping it back, all of are Dell's mistakes.

6. I finally got fed up and asked for a refund. I gave them 4 options: Refund 1200$ so that I can take my business elsewhere Refund the out of warranty repair charge so that I can recover at least some money and rest peacefully Give me a replacement system of equivalent cost (i undestand the problem of depreciation of cost) Give me an extension on warranty on the replaced parts (it only has 90 day warranty). Since the parts failed in less than 2 hours, I find it impossible to believe that the next set will last as long. I do not want to end up going through this cycle after 3 months, again.

7. I have been told that this beyond the ability of the onsite engineer and the only way is to send the laptop to their depot again.

I ask this only because I'm generously curious, and not out of any malice: has this incident caused you to reconsider Dell products and perhaps look at other manufacturers who might have handled this better, like Lenovo or Apple?