Dell dead pixel policy

Daxx

My boyfriend ordered a PC from Dell last week. The monitor arrived yesterday (minus a power cable). We set it up using the power cable we already had and there is a few dead pixels right in the centre of the screen. I have spoke to Dell and their acceptable industry standard for a replacement is 6 or more dead pixels and won’t replace. Even though the they are in the centre of the screen and clustered together, which obviously affects the product quality.
Even though the PC was ordered together as one bundle and the desktop built to my specification can I decline the monitor under the distance selling act as this split for delivery and classed as a different parcel.

free4440273

the so-called dead pixel policy should not really be noticeable as such --esp. when bought new, out of the box ! I'd ask for a refund or a brand new monitor .

tibbyuk

Dell can be hit and miss on this issue. It really just takes getting through to a support person who cares.

If they are grouped you should have grounds for a new one. I would try calling again, and it's a bit dastardly but hint towards the fact that you have a small company and want to buy more dell products but this experience has left you doubting.

It's a bit cheeky, but really, they should replace the monitor from the off.

Esqui

If he ordered online, return it under the DSR.

thescouselander

Yeah, these dead pixel policys are rubbish IMO. My policy for dead pixels is a zero tolerance one - ie there should be no dead pixels. thats why I always order anything with a screen off the internet so I can return it through DSR.

In short, I'd return it.

fwor

This is misleading information from Dell. The "Industry Standard" that they refer to is not a standard at all, but a guideline which is not mandatory within the industry.

A dead pixel is a fault. If the buyer was not told about it at the time of purchase then the buyer can apply their rights under both DSRs and/or SOGA to get a replacement or refund.

Hammyman

fwor wrote: »

This is misleading information from Dell. The "Industry Standard" that they refer to is not a standard at all, but a guideline which is not mandatory within the industry.

Actually it is a standard with an ISO number applied, ISO-9241-302, 303, 305, 307:2008 which replaced ISO-13406-2. It isn't something they just decide.

ISO-9241-302, 303, 305, 307:2008 pixel defects:

Class 0 panels are completely defect-free, including no full pixel or sub-pixel defects.

Class 1 panels permit any or all of the following:
1 full bright (“stuck on white”) pixel
1 full dark (“stuck off”) pixel
2 single or double bright or dark sub-pixels
3 to 5 “stuck on” or “stuck off” sub-pixels (depending on the number of each)
Class 2 panels permit any or all of the following:
2 full bright pixels
2 full dark pixels
5-10 single or double bright or dark sub-pixels (again, depending on the number of each; no more than 5 bright (“stuck on”) subpixels are permitted).
Class 3 panels permit any or all of the following:
5 full bright pixels
15 full dark pixels
50 single or double sub-pixels stuck on or off

Premium displays which cost £1000's and typically found in medical,military and critical systems are Class 0. Most consumer grade are Class 1 which means they can have up to 5 faulty pixels before being classed as defective.

Dell are completely correct in what they say. You can return under the DSR however you would have to return the whole computer and this would be AT YOUR EXPENSE.

fwor

Hammyman wrote: »

Dell are completely correct in what they say.

They are not correct if they allege that ISO 9241 is a standard that has any bearing on consumers at all. It certainly is not "the standard that a consumer must accept".

The general title of ISO 9241 is "Ergonomics of Human System Interaction", and if you read the relevant part you will see that it is intended as guidance on what a user (not a consumer) should consider acceptable. The fact remains - any dead pixel is a fault, and if you are not specifically told about that at the time of purchase then you have a right to return it as faulty.

However, I agree that if you were told by Dell at the time of purchase the class of display being provided and what that might mean in terms of pixel defects then you would not have a right to subsequently claim that it was faulty. Do Dell ever state that during the sales process?

[Deleted User]

Daxx, I would advise you to speak to your local branch of Trading Standards as soon as you are able to. You are in a difficult situation where the basis of Dell's policy is an ISO Standard that, unless you buy a copy, you will not find the complete text on the internet therefore you will not be able to fully understand its implications.

It also puts everyone else in the situation that no one can advise you with any certainty how your statutory consumer rights are affected by this standard.

Bribrian_2

I just spent a fair amount on a new Dell XPS laptop & it came last week with one dead pixel which initially cheesed me off but as it doesn't really interfere too much i decided not to send it back. I certainly would though if it had a cluster of them in the middle of the screen....

fwor

anewhope wrote: »

You are in a difficult situation where the basis of Dell's policy is an ISO Standard that, unless you buy a copy, you will not find the complete text on the internet therefore you will not be able to fully understand its implications.

With respect, the OP is not in a difficult situation. If Dell did not explain their policy on dead pixels (e.g. stating a class and explaining what that means) at the time of purchase then it's simply not relevant.

It annoys me that Dell (and some other manufacturers) want to have their cake and eat it. They don't want to tell buyers about their policy on dead pixels when they buy, and then they want to trot out something that has no status in consumer law after the event so that they can maximise their profits, even when the display has a fault which the customer can see.

I've bought half a dozen products recently that have LCD or OLED screens, and not a single one was supplied with a description of the class of screen, nor any statement at all about dead pixels. If the supplier had later tried to add in a "policy" after the event, they would have stood no chance in consumer law.

Having said that, I agree with Bribrian that if it doesn't annoy you, there's no point in going through the aggravation of having to return it just to make the point that you could...