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Dell Repair Mystery

T

tornadog

Golden Member
My 8 month old Dell Inspiron 1525 had a broken hinge. The plastic around it was so flimsy, it was impossible to snap it in, and it wouldnt stay open until I used some duct tape to keep it upright. So I called dell support and they sent me a box to send it in. 3 days later I get mail saying, the laptop needed a mobo and lcd screen change which is not covered by my limited warranty and quoted me a price of 580 for replacing the 2. I had originally paid 400 for the laptop. Now I wonder why a broken hinge would require a new mobo and lcd screen, to fix. Any takers?
 
Broken hinge = to a new mobo and lcd, not even in the same ballprk.

If it was mine I'd challenge them.

 
Laptop hinges are tricky and sometimes the manufacturers prefer to replace the entire screen assembly rather than just the hinge.

That said, there is no reason at all that the mobo should be involved. Something may have happened to the system during the repair diagnostics (a technician once broke a laptop screen here when he was replacing something else) and I'd push them on that. Escalate up the customer care chain if you have to.
 
I also would question why they want to replace the motherboard when the lid hinge was broken. I would ask them exactly which LCD lid components they want to replace. If you can't get satisfaction then I would suggest you look on ebay for a replacement lid with hinges. They don't appear to cost much and you could replace it if you are mechanically inclined and comfortable with it or bring it to a computer repair shop and ask them to replace it with your new lid. The only reason I can think of why they want to charge you out of warranty is because they think you broke it.

I replaced a LCD lid on a Dell inspiron 6000 and it was fairly simple. The online manually had all of the instructions.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R4...cat=See-All-Categories

http://support.dell.com/suppor.../display.htm#wp1179838


 
ok got my laptop back. my right hinge was the one with issues, now the left one is actually broken with a palstic piece missing, the panel that has the power button and speakers was pulled out and so was the entire keyboard. All the panels on the back are loose. Now I undertsnad why they said broken bezel, it was broken by them. I called them and they are denying they did anythign to it. I think this matter has to be escalated. Should I try putting it back?
 
You sent it to them insured, right?

You'll need to get them to say in writing that it arrived broken so you can collect the insurance. If they won't do that, they'll need to admit that it arrived in good shape and was broken by them.
 
Chances are they damaged allot of things pulling the unit apart. Dell didn't do it themselfs. They probably had it sent to some guy they contracted to do these services. I'd be raising hell with Dell about this and demanding a new Laptop. Be sure to have all your paperwork together and take good pictures of the packaging and damges the laptop currently has.

Before sending any OEM unit off i always get good documentation of the problems its going in for. Making sure to have good pictures of the whole system to show what was and wasn't broken. Then when there are problems like this you have proof and leverage to get things fixed for free or receive a replacement.
 
Yes, you should definitely escalate. Take pictures of the system as you received it and tell the Customer Care rep that you are prepared to send 2 or 3 notarized statements from people who saw the system just before you sent it and can testify that the only thing wrong was a loose right hinge. Do not waste a lot of time on the phone with a second level customer care rep; put everything in writing and send it by fax and/or signature required letter.

The carrier is responsible for any damage in transit but since you sent it in a specially designed, prepaid box, Dell would have to file any damage claim and they are not likely to do agree to that.

Hindsight is 20/20 of course but you should always take a picture of anything you take or send off to repair.
 
Thanks for your post. It taught me a lesson about returning anything for repair. If I ever return anything, I will use our camcorder to video the entire item and the process of packing it in the box.

Sorry for your problems.
 
BBB saves the day!! One online complaint to BBB on thursday, and I get a callback from Dell Saturday. They have agreed to replace my laptop with a refurbished model.
 
That's great news. You'll probably get a slightly better configuration than you had but be aware that the warranty will expire on the same date as your old one. An extension may be more expensive than the system is worth to you.

I've actually had very good experiences with Dell Services -- though it can be time consuming to get them to follow through. All of my systems come from the Small Business unit so they automatically include 3-year NBD On-Site warranties ($99 if they come from the Outlet).

In any case, it's good to hear that you're on the path to a good outcome.

Athena
 
Originally posted by: Athena
That's great news. You'll probably get a slightly better configuration than you had but be aware that the warranty will expire on the same date as your old one. An extension may be more expensive than the system is worth to you.

I've actually had very good experiences with Dell Services -- though it can be time consuming to get them to follow through. All of my systems come from the Small Business unit so they automatically include 3-year NBD On-Site warranties ($99 if they come from the Outlet).

In any case, it's good to hear that you're on the path to a good outcome.

Athena
Click to expand...

what about square trade warranty. My warranty on this laptop expires Jan 21st 2010 and I can get 1 year after that from SquareTrade for 40 bucks.

 
Have you called Dell Warranty Services to find out what the warranty extensions options are?

What exactly do you get with Square Trader? How do you get to collect?

Also, how did you pay for your original machine and was it new or refurbished? If you pay for a new machine with a credit card with "extra protection", you automatically get an extra year's warranty.

Whenever I buy something that qualifies for my credit card's coverage, I staple a copy of the credit card insurance provisions to the receipt so that I'll remember that it applies when/if I need it (I started doing that after realized that I missed an opportunity to file a claim on a printer)
 
Originally posted by: Athena
Also, how did you pay for your original machine and was it new or refurbished? If you pay for a new machine with a credit card with "extra protection", you automatically get an extra year's warranty.

Whenever I buy something that qualifies for my credit card's coverage, I staple a copy of the credit card insurance provisions to the receipt so that I'll remember that it applies when/if I need it (I started doing that after realized that I missed an opportunity to file a claim on a printer)
Click to expand...

Hi Athena,

Never knew about credit cards with "extra protection". Any recommendations for one?

Thanks,
Skyzoomer
 
Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
Never knew about credit cards with "extra protection". Any recommendations for one?
Click to expand...
I only have two credit cards and they both include an Extended Warranty benefit that extends the manufacturer's warranty for up to 1 year.

The programs are all pretty much the same: The extended warranty begins when the manufacturer's warranty expires. If you purchase warranty coverage with the item, the credit card coverage is added on after that. The item must be new (not refurbished), must have been charged entirely on the card (i.e. no splitting) and there are limits to both the amount of the item and the number of claims you can make in a year.

Check all the marketing materials for your card to see if it's included or just call them up and ask. The programs are administered by insurance companies that contract with the credit card companies. For low dollar amounts, they usually just send a refund checks but if it's an expensive item, they will pay for factory authorized repair equivalent to whatever was included in the manufacturer's warranty.

My cards also have "Purchase Protection" benefits that cover accidental damage in the first 90 days. Credit card companies offer these things because they know that most people will never file claims. That's why I have taken to attaching the terms to the receipts of large ticket items -- or at least writing a reminder on the receipt for smaller items.


Athena
 
got the replacement notebook yesterday. It says refurbished on the sticker but looks almost brand new. Extremly happy from first impressions. Got some nice upgrades from the old one.

Pentium Dual Core 1.8GHz(T2380) to Core2Duo 2.4Ghz(T8300)
2GB DDR2 to 4GB DDR2
160 GB HDD to 250GB HDD
builtin webcam
xp downgrade license(preinstalled)
 
So now you have two "new" laptops.

Dell's policy is that a replacement must be equal to or better than the old unit. Since replacements usually come months or years after the initial purchase, they almost never have an equivalent so they upgrade you.

Did you look into extended warranty for the replacement yet?

Athena
 
Originally posted by: Athena
Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
Never knew about credit cards with "extra protection". Any recommendations for one?
Click to expand...
I only have two credit cards and they both include an Extended Warranty benefit that extends the manufacturer's warranty for up to 1 year.

The programs are all pretty much the same: The extended warranty begins when the manufacturer's warranty expires. If you purchase warranty coverage with the item, the credit card coverage is added on after that. The item must be new (not refurbished), must have been charged entirely on the card (i.e. no splitting) and there are limits to both the amount of the item and the number of claims you can make in a year.

Check all the marketing materials for your card to see if it's included or just call them up and ask. The programs are administered by insurance companies that contract with the credit card companies. For low dollar amounts, they usually just send a refund checks but if it's an expensive item, they will pay for factory authorized repair equivalent to whatever was included in the manufacturer's warranty.

My cards also have "Purchase Protection" benefits that cover accidental damage in the first 90 days. Credit card companies offer these things because they know that most people will never file claims. That's why I have taken to attaching the terms to the receipts of large ticket items -- or at least writing a reminder on the receipt for smaller items.

Athena
Click to expand...

Hi Athena,

Sorry for the delayed response but thanks for keying in all that good info!

You're an asset to this forum,
Skyzoomer

 
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