DELL are damaging my credit file, please help!

lalaland_4

I made an order with DELL on their website for a PC.

I decided to pay by finance and was told that I would get an answer to my application in 48 hours. A week later I received an email stating that I had been accepted and that I should call or email them to confirm my order as they'd lost my order details.

I sent an email as I'd been at work all day and it was nearly 1am in the morning.

I got an out of office reply to my email, so I left it until the date specified. After a couple more days of waiting I didn't get any reply so I replied again asking for a reply and also used their complaint page to ask what was going on.

Today I received a call telling me that my order was cancelled and that if I wanted to order from DELL I had to have another credit check. I explained that I did not want another credit check as they'd already done one check on me which I passed and to do another would lower my credit score for the next six months with other companies I may apply to.

After many phone calls and some emails it turns out that the rep in the credit team had put me down as cancelling my order via email. While on the phone to a manager I sent a log of my emails to him and proved I had done no such thing, which he admitted he could see. He at this point wasn't sure why the rep had said I'd cancelled and said he would speak to the credit team about my order but doubted that they could progress without another credit check, despite me passing the first one and it being recorded on my credit file.

I am in a situation now where I cannot order the PC I want without having a second credit search which will mean the number of credit searches on my record will increase, lowering my credit score. I don't want to do this, especially as it was DELL's error in the first place that put me in this situation.

They have carried out one credit check and can still see that I passed but because their system has 'locked' my file they cannot progress the order without me starting again.

Can I report this or complain to any organisation in the UK? They are affecting my personal data and credit worthyness with their negligence and I am not happy.

I want to continue the order but don't see why I should suffer a further check for their error.

Is what they are doing legal? Do I have any comeback? Can I report this?

Help?

jonesMUFCforever

Do you want a Dell PC on credit or not?
If you do then you will have to play ball!
You can always pay by another means if this is not suitable.

How many credit applications are you likely to make in the next 6 months?One more credit application is unlikely to mess up your credit files unless you are applying for things willy nilly.
Chill out a bit is the best advise I can give you.
If you are unhappy with Dell go somewhere else.

Bossyboots

This has been posted on another forum and a member has pointed out that it may be beneficial to have the duplicate credit check as it may lead other potential lenders to think he is a good risk if one company have accepted two finance applications in a short period of time.

I wondered whether buying on the credit card and paying it off quickly might be cheaper or as cheap than using Dell's finance anyway.

lalaland_4

That's part of the problem, if I go elsewhere now to get one they will credit check me and see that I have an application with Dell but no new account. This will now look as if I've been rejected and could hamper my application. It will also mean 1 more credit check on my file.

I do want this DELL PC yes, but I want them to take responsibility for their mistake and resolve the problem. They've not apologised once for this mess and a couple of them have been quite short with me.

All I want is to buy this computer on finance. I was approved and then someone in their credit team made the mistake and cancelled my purchase. They tried to cover up and it's causing all sorts of problems, why can't someone take the responsibility for their mistake and let me, the customer, carry on with purchasing an item from them!

Mikeyorks

lalaland wrote:

I do want this DELL PC yes, but I want them to take responsibility for their mistake and resolve the problem. They've not apologised once for this mess and a couple of them have been quite short with me.

You're being naive, I'm afraid. Dell make reliable hardware - but their Customer Service is absolutely dreadful. When things go wrong they are singularly useless.

You are wasting your time attempting to get any admission of failure. Resubmit your order and pay / finance outside of Dell. Or buy elsewhere. Attempting to right a wrong, with this Company, is a waste of your time.

lalaland_4

I am beginning to think you are right, but they promised me a call back at 11.30am tomorrow, so I will see what they have to say then and make a decision here.

The offer with Dell is good, but I may well move to another manufacturer or store if they mess me about any more. I don't want to have to re-apply for finance, I've done it once and they messed up, not me. If they can't be honest with me I won't deal with them.

Debt_Free_Chick

If you only have one credit check on your file another one is not going to make any difference. Anyway, they fall off your file after a while (can't remember if it's 3 or 6 months).

maforduk

Why don't you put a notice of correction on your credit file, explaining the situation.

M_Thomson

I think the original poster is being a bit OTT! One extra credit search will not do you any harm unless you have applied for a lot of credit recently.

DJ_Tazzz

Lalaland,

After having personal difficulties with Dell my self, I can only suggest write them a letter stating your problem directly to their regional offices in Ireland Bray I think it is or their local office below. Say to them, that yes, you will accept a second credit check on the bases that they remove the first one. It is them that are able to correct the entry on the file. Even the credit file agencies will tell you to contact the company directly.

Here is an address for Dell:
DELL CORPORATION LIMITED
MILBANKE HOUSE
WESTERN ROAD
BRACKNELL
BERKSHIRE RG12 1RD

It is fruitless trying to get them into admission, believe me I have tried. It would be better just to state your problem, say that they are entitled to do the second check but while doing so must remove the first one. Don't try and get them to admit anything. It would seem logical that they would see the first entry and take note of your letter explaining what had happened. Just remember to provide as much detail as possible but to include what deal you were interested in/ the date you attempted the transaction etc.

I would agree with other posters on this thread but I also know Dell are useless particularly their Customer Services Department. There is little point in getting on the attack as it is more constructive to state your concerns and suggest ways for them to correct them. After all, most of the customer service reps are students or the likes so won’t both to spend to much time trying to sort out the problem as they have to follow procedures for everything.

missile

Waste of time contacting DELL with a complaint. I did not even get a reply to mine. Slightly different situation, I have bought several PC from them, but when I tried to buy a PC delivered to Spain, as I am non-resident they would not accept my order!

I just re-registered under my wife's name - crazy or what?