Have Dell killed my laptop?

gotan

John, I did email you from an internet cafe but clearly you didn't receive it. Dell didn't contact me at all this week so I rang them back, again on a premium rate number as that is the only way to reach "the team dealing with the complaint". They do not offer to call back. They initially said end of this week for the replacement. Now it is 'probably' thursday of next week. Their technician killed my Dell on 11th June so I think that they should have reacted much faster. They will not give me a core2duo 6400 although my laptop was top end in 2003. I have of course also lost the Office software that I bought at the same time from Dell. I paid, if memory serves, around £1500 in all for the 5150 and 40GB then was a very normal spec (I think 60GB was the biggest on offer back then). They will only do a dual core 1.73 processor and 80GB hdd. They keep telling me that this is a big favour to me as it is "an upgrade".
I asked for bluetooth which they have apparently agreed to. I then asked for a cheap carry case as a gesture. That one tbc, probably not. There are apologies, but no recognition of urgency or culpability in killing my machine.
I am very disappointed with Dell to be honest.
That about outlines the whole complaint so I will pm you with the case ref no if you think that you can intervene to speed things along and get me a decent machine as soon as possible? When I asked for a core 2 duo processor I was told that supplying that as a replacement "is not Dell procedure". I am afraid that I asked whether killing customers' laptops which had only minor hardware faults was 'Dell procedure' so my soh failure may have not helped. I have an exam with online study to do in July and so this is just so inconvenient. I wish I had not called the technician! Do you know or can you state that Dell's inhouse technicians (eg a C&R warranty) are any better than the outsourced ones that do home visits? Perhaps it is different in America. Thank you for any help. I would be grateful for your intervention. Little person, big company.

Little_John

If you bought the office licence from Dell it will be OEM and dies with the PC, Dell are the cause you are replaceing your PC therefore they should also reimburse you for the software.

Make sure that they are aware you play games, performance wise a 3.0 P4 is similar to a 1.7 core2duo, drive space who cares 40>80 is an upgrade you can expect them to provide you with a better spec or the currrent top of the line like you bought back then they need to provide you with the equivilent.

The 5150 has a decent graphices card for its time, the intel 950 is crap and not up to the same standards of the nvidia 5700 you need to insist they provide you with somthing that is capable of playing the games you play.

You went about it the wrong way demanding a core2duo It isnt possible to get a comparison with the p4 3.06 you had so you need to go round the houses to get what you want, and the graphics card is the only way.

What laptop are the offering you? model numbers witht he spec not just a dore2duo 1.7 with an 80GB drive

gotan

Think it is a dual core 1.73ghz 6400 with dedicated graphics card. 80GB hdd.
They agreed to add bluetooth (£29 on their website). No office software.
I asked for a free carrycase but they said they would have to see on that one, which I take it means no. As all their offers are for that machine at £299 + VAT with a 120GB hdd I asked for that too, but no, as this one is 40GB. They do keep going on about how I am so lucky as I am getting an 'upgrade'. The dead one has a wonderful screen with zero dead pixels which runs at a high resolution and is very clear, like a desktop monitor really. The only upgrade is really that it will have a DVD RW not just CD RW and DVD ROM.
It was obviously cheaper to send the replacement than fix the other one.
I don't know what happens to my consumer rights if I am not happy with the one they send. They remarkably say that it cannot be faulty as it is new!
The biggest annoyance now is the time that it is taking to have it delivered as they killed the old one on 11 June. They are now saying they hope by the end of next week.
I would like to keep the old one and see if I can have it fixed privately, but am unsure of my legal right to do so. I have not accepted to do so in writing.
The 5150 is metal and very well built and would be nice to have as a back up machine. For viewing slideshow photographs, it is much better than the new screen Dells.

Little_John

Like I said in my last post you have been asking for the wrong things. The Intel 950 graphics chip is not capable of playing the games you want to play you want them to provide you with a laptop with an ATI or Nvidia graphics chip.
This is what you need to do.
Phone dell up and tell them that you need the higher end graphics chip as that is what you currently have and that was your sole reason for spending £1100 on a laptop back then you could have paid a lot less I know you spent £1500 but £400 was on Office and warrenty remember. You should also be asking them to replace the office licence that you are loosing as an OEM licence can not be transfered to you new laptop.

Like I said before the 6400 is the cheapest laptop they do with a non Intel 950 chip in and they will supply you with that.

As for asking for a bag and to keep the old laptop do't push your luck you are lucky to be getting a new laptop as a replacement but they can not supply you with goods that are worse that what you already have and the intel 950 is worse than the Nvidia you have in your faulty laptop.

gotan

They will supply a dedicated graphics card. However in my state of shock, I did not mention the Office software. Obviously when I backed up I was not expecting the PC to be no longer usable and have to be replaced. I have emailed them to ask them to help with new Office software, but not sure if they will. What does it cost - Word, Excel, Powerpoint? I don't need Publisher. I don't want Open Office as need to do professional work and it's not quite as good as the real deal.
I did buy the original Office software from Dell with the machine. I think it was MS Office basic 2003.

Little_John

Office 2003 basic OEM to buy with hardware is about £115 but as you will not be buying it with hardware you will need to buy the retail version, it is very difficult to buy retail office 2003 now as 2007 has been released It will be almost impossible to find the basic version of 2003 even 2007 is difficult your next option is Office standard and the retail version is about £300.

You need to pursue dell to provide you with a new licence for office on the new laptop as the replacement laptop will not be of the same standard regarding the software package that you bought it with. (sales of goods act etc)

Good luck with this one do not settle for them not supplying you with office it is an expensive package to buy with a PC as OEM never mind retail and they must provide you with the same version you bought.

gotan

I have emailed them about the Office software, but had no reply. I should have asked for it up front, but forgot and of course I did not expect the laptop to be unusable after their visit. I have not heard from you, DellCAJohn - perhaps this is something you could help me with if possible?
Office 2003 student and teacher edition is a bit more than £100 at Amazon so it is a substantial outlay.

Little_John

Are you a student or teacher? You need to be to legally run that version of software.

Don't mess about with email phone them get an answer your happy with, if the person you speak to dosent give you what you want then ask to speak to someone higher up and just keep going also remember the bit about the graphics card in the laptop they are offering you is not capable of running the software you are wanting to use. Make sure they know you are unhappy with the way you are being treated being fobbed off with a lesser capable laptop as it won't allow you to use office or play the games you bought the original laptop for.

gotan

Silence from Dell so another 20 minutes on an 0870 line. I couldn't find the geog line as it's a specific case no/tech support line. My new PC was only ordered on 21st and so normally will only arrive around 9 July. I am so angry. I spoke to a supervisor who will provide Office 2007 for the machine but seems unable to speed it up. Says it has been fasttracked but that it should not have taken so long to order. I asked him for Office 2003 (which you CAN still buy) but he is not sure he is allowed to sell it. He admits that Office 2007 is different and perhaps difficult. My OH has an exam in July so it is not merely inconvenience here.
I pointed out that if I had bought a Dell on 12 June, the day after their engineer killed mine, it would have arrived by now.
They know how angry I am but just keep apologising. I have an email from them stating the new system would arrive by the end of this week, but that's not much use if they won't do it, is it?

Little_John

Result on office nice one, what about the Laptop graphics card?

If it ever turns up and the graphics card isnt sutable what ever you do don't say ahh well and put up with it moan your head off at them untill they sort it. Large companies cant be allowed to walk over customers.