Dell - beware of the warranty terms (failed hard drive)

Doc_N

Got a problem with a Dell desktop - failed hard drive just 7 months after purchase.

Paid for a full 3 year "ProSupport for End Users and Next Business Day On-Site Service" warranty so expected no problems getting a new drive fitted.

Theoretically, there isn't. But in practice there is, because Dell insist on taking away the failed drive - complete with a mass of personal information which would keep the identity fraudsters going for months! The only alternative (apart from doing the job myself) seems to be to pay Dell around £150 for a new 750GB drive.

So the warranty's effectively worthless unless you're prepared to trust Dell and everyone in the chain below them (including the country where the drive will end up for reconditioning) with all your personal information - the sort of stuff you'd shred if it came through the post!

Has anyone managed to persuade Dell to take a more reasonable line, or am I really stuck with a £150 repair bill just to get a working PC with Windows 7 and all the Dell drivers back?

JasX

Doc_N wrote: »

because Dell insist on taking away the failed drive

which you'll certainly find is as per the Ts and Cs of the service you bought and I'd be very suprised if any other company operated any differently.

you ALWAYS need to return failed hardware for warranty replacements.

John_Gray

On the Dell business range of PCs, e.g. Optiplex, there's an option which allows you to keep the failing hard disk should a replacement be needed. It is £15 for 3 years, on the one I just configured.

There is also a Data Recovery option, £40 for 3 years, and a Certified Data Destruction service, £20 for 3 years.

All easy ways to make money!

spakkker

hard drives ,assumed sata -
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159612 - £41.40 +del, 750gb

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/177466 - £45 +del , 1TB

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=26576&tid=frooct -£52.35 del. 1.5TB

Doc_N

spakkker wrote: »

hard drives ,assumed sata -
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159612 - £41.40 +del, 750gb

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/177466 - £45 +del , 1TB

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=26576&tid=frooct -£52.35 del. 1.5TB

I suppose this is the answer to the Big Dell Ripoff. But how easy for someone with 10 thumbs like me to install, and then get Windows 7 onto it plus all the drivers?

Preumably the Windows 7 reinstallation DVD that came with the PC will put Windows onto a new drive? And presumably all the drivers are on the Dell website?

bertboy60

Dell Hardisks are renowned for poor quality and failure. I now alway make sure I buy a Dell with RAID whcih makes sure your PC keeps running even if one disk fails.

System

bertboy60 wrote: »

Dell Hardisks are renowned for poor quality and failure.

Interesting statement. I have 5 Dells and between them they have WD, Samsung and Hitachi drives in them (all original). So which make (Dell don't manufacture hard drives) is supposed to be the poor quality. Dell use whatever is the cheapest make at the time and will even change the make of HD part way through a batch.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Doc_N wrote: »

Preumably the Windows 7 reinstallation DVD that came with the PC will put Windows onto a new drive? And presumably all the drivers are on the Dell website?

I got a Windows DVD and a drivers DVD with my sons Studio Laptop.
All the drivers are also available from the Dell website.

!!!!!! wrote: »

So which make (Dell don't manufacture hard drives) is supposed to be the poor quality. Dell use whatever is the cheapest make at the time and will even change the make of HD part way through a batch.

It was a Western Digital that failed on his at around 15 months.

DatabaseError

with spakker on this, just bite the bullet and buy a new drive. Dell should have supplied all the DVDs you need to get back up and running, hopefully.Changing the drive should take less than 10 minutes for someone that's all thumbs, and 5 minutes for someone who knows which way round a screwdriver goes - really, really easy
If you have the 7 installation disk, just stick that in the dvd drive and boot the PC, when the option pops up to change boot device change it to DVD and follow the prompts (if no option then set the device in BIOS..probably not required so not going there . All drivers should be installed by 7, it'll even pop online and update them once installed.
You will lose whatever "extras" dell provided, trials of AV + msoffice etc.. (unless the dvd is a 'recovery dvd' rather than vanilla windows 7), also all your data will be gone, but you already know that

HO87

Before you get rid of it, how failed is "failed"?

Doc_N

Phantom_Flan_Flinger wrote: »

I got a Windows DVD and a drivers DVD with my sons Studio Laptop.
All the drivers are also available from the Dell website.

It was a Western Digital that failed on his at around 15 months.

DatabaseError wrote: »

with spakker on this, just bite the bullet and buy a new drive. Dell should have supplied all the DVDs you need to get back up and running, hopefully.Changing the drive should take less than 10 minutes for someone that's all thumbs, and 5 minutes for someone who knows which way round a screwdriver goes - really, really easy
If you have the 7 installation disk, just stick that in the dvd drive and boot the PC, when the option pops up to change boot device change it to DVD and follow the prompts (if no option then set the device in BIOS..probably not required so not going there . All drivers should be installed by 7, it'll even pop online and update them once installed.
You will lose whatever "extras" dell provided, trials of AV + msoffice etc.. (unless the dvd is a 'recovery dvd' rather than vanilla windows 7), also all your data will be gone, but you already know that

HO87 wrote: »

Before you get rid of it, how failed is "failed"?

Mine's also a WD, for what it's worth. It's failed, in that it comes up with a Dell error code and won't load Windows.

The disk is decribed as a "Windows 7 reinstallation DVD". It's not exactly vanilla Windows 7, but it came with the PC and I'm guessing it will work normally.

Slight problem is that if I do it myself, there's a chance it might not cure the problem, and it will probably also invalidate the remaining 2.5 years of my onsite Dell warranty.