If you complain enough, Dell will give in!

[dullard]

On July 5th I ordered a computer with 1 GB memory. I received the computer on July 16th. While 11 days was a bit longer than I wanted to wait it certainly wasn't excessive. Unfortunately they didn't ship the memory with the computer (it was useless to me since I didn't have spare RDRAM lying around). After many calls and emails someone finally bothered to tell be that all 256 MB RDRAM was backordered until mid-August, then they would still ship using the 3-5 day slow method. So I expeced the RAM around August 20th. A 45 day delay with a useless computer. I called, emailed, left tons of voice mail and no one would respond or help. So I went to delltalk (their online discussion forum, sorry I can't give a link since that would let you know my password - look in the support menu). I warned that I would complain on several forums including Anandtech that Dell service sucks. Low and behold I was airmailed the RAM and received it today (it is still listed as backordered on their website).

Moral: complain and make mild (legal) threats to those big OEM companies when you don't get your way. They will listen once they feel you will let the world know of your problems!

 

[TunaBoo]

<< On July 5th I ordered a computer with 1 GB memory. I received the computer on July 16th. While 11 days was a bit longer than I wanted to wait it certainly wasn't excessive. Unfortunately they didn't ship the memory with the computer (it was useless to me since I didn't have spare RDRAM lying around). After many calls and emails someone finally bothered to tell be that all 256 MB RDRAM was backordered until mid-August, then they would still ship using the 3-5 day slow method. So I expeced the RAM around August 20th. A 45 day delay with a useless computer. I called, emailed, left tons of voice mail and no one would respond or help. So I went to delltalk (their online discussion forum, sorry I can't give a link since that would let you know my password - look in the support menu). I warned that I would complain on several forums including Anandtech that Dell service sucks. Low and behold I was airmailed the RAM and received it today (it is still listed as backordered on their website).

Moral: complain and make mild (legal) threats to those big OEM companies when you don't get your way. They will listen once they feel you will let the world know of your problems! >>



Or be polite...

 

[dullard]

I was extremely polite and professional for 1 week. I got nowhere. I stopped being polite and got my result very quickly.

 

[thephew]

I had a similar problem with Dell. They overcharged me $75 for my geforce 3, and no amount of phone conversations seemed to fix it. So I sent them a fax saying if I didn't see the refund in 5 days I was going to inform the Better Business Bureau of their credit card fraud. I recieved a cordial email yesterday informing me that my CC has been credited the $75.

 

[ElFenix]

did you configure the system with 1 GB and they didn't put it in the system? or did you order it as accessory? dell has a policy of not shipping systems that won't boot, so i'm guessing the second. of course... ordering a computer with RDRAM was your first mistake...

 

[dullard]

<< did you configure the system with 1 GB and they didn't put it in the system? or did you order it as accessory? dell has a policy of not shipping systems that won't boot, so i'm guessing the second. of course... ordering a computer with RDRAM was your first mistake... >>



Yep it was the 2nd option, since the Dell representative said that the Dell memory was out of stock but the Kingston memory was in stock (I also saved $400 by not using Dell memory and I have two free PC800 ECC 64 MB RDRAM RIMMS). I even checked their website and this was confirmed. When I received the computer without the necessary RAM (I couldn't run any of my programs with just 128 MB) I called Dell to find out that the website and representative were both wrong. Neither Dell nor Kingston RAM was in stock.

The RDRAM choice was since I needed a fast computer. And all benchmarks for the program I use, show a 1.5 GHz P4 runs 8% faster than the 1.4 GHz Athlon. So I ordered a dual processor 1.7 GHz Xeon. I realize that this performance difference is specific to my program (Fluent). RDRAM is the only choice with a Xeon, so how was this a mistake?

edit: Corrected poor grammer

 

[dullard]

<< I had a similar problem with Dell. They overcharged me $75 for my geforce 3, and no amount of phone conversations seemed to fix it. So I sent them a fax saying if I didn't see the refund in 5 days I was going to inform the Better Business Bureau of their credit card fraud. I recieved a cordial email yesterday informing me that my CC has been credited the $75. >>



Good for you in forcing them to give you what you deserve. I would have also contacted the credit card company, since they should have a wrong price policy.