STUDENT DELL PURCHASE ORDER WARNING.

This actual event was taken from the Alienware arena website as proof of just how bad dell customer service has become in recent years.

The tread starts are as follows by the username biosphere 76.

IF YOU ARE A UK STUDENT AND BUY FROM DELL ONLINE THIS MAY HAPPEN TO YOU.

So after owning the latest Alienware 17 for less than a week, enough is enough, and it’s going back for a refund.

Just a bit of background for the long story here.

The laptop was bought by my partner, who is a Ph.D. student at one of the UK’s top Universities. She needs a powerful laptop for her study work, and so chose Dell, as they give students a 10% discount.

Also when she takes a break, I like to grab an hour or so gaming on it.

However, like I’ve said elsewhere on many forums, there has been nothing but issues with it.

The overall build quality of the machine. Terrible wireless card.

This dell machine gets very hot, USB ports not always working, and the list goes on.

I’ve been on this forum a fair few times asking questions and even responding to other forum users’ problems.

I have done a clean install of the OS.

I have updated all the drivers, and everything, and yet still this machine was so clearly looking like an expensive doorstop in the near future. So she opens a return on the Dell UK website. Well within the 7-day return policy.

Ticked which box applies – Return/refunds. And the reason for return. So this is where the nightmare really begins.

First, she get’s a phone call from Technical support wanting to run through the laptop problems, even though she didn’t ask for technical support.

She was in class at the time, and so couldn’t take the entire call, but did clearly say it’s a return to the Dell person on the other end.

And so then Dell would get back to her shortly.

So then today, she gets an email from a ‘Tibor Rendek, E-Mail Support Specialist’ saying he will phone soon to run through the problems.

Despite what phone conversation my partner had briefly with the Dell person saying it’s just a return. So after emailing Tibor Rendek back explaining this.

He then emails back asking her when did she buy/receive the item, to make sure it is in their 7 working days return policy (Isn’t this kind of information on record for them already).

So my partner emails this guy back with the details he asked for, and a scan of the delivery invoice.

And so the Dell Hell stupidity continues, Dell’s website where you pay and check out.

In order for students in the UK to qualify for the 10% student discount.

You are required to write at the top of your delivery address, in capitals, STUDENT and the name of the University, followed by your name and home address.

However because this ‘E-Mail Support Specialist’ sees STUDENT and the university name in the first two lines, he thinks my partner is a business customer… His response… ”The 7 days return right applies to all private customers.

However, I just found out that your PC is registered with a company (STUDENT University Of ********). In this case, I am afraid that a refund won’t be possible, as the business customers don’t have any return right.

The only option available would be fixing your computer” So we have emailed this guy back. Hopefully, he will reply with a sane answer on Monday.

Tonight however my partner phoned up Dell UK customer support to again try and get the ball rolling on the return, however, she was met with a wall.

After trying to explain to the Dell person on the phone that no it is not registered to the University, and yes it is her own private laptop. And then try to remind this person, that Students are required to write that information to get the discount.

She is then told that her University may not qualify for the discount.

Despite this fact, my partner has clearly already paid with her own money!

So anyway all these details will now be ‘transferred’ to some department for them to ‘look over’ I’ve read about Dell Hell and their terrible customer support, but this is totally insane.

And even though this doesn’t actually apply to her, the part in the response – ‘business customers don’t have any return right’ Way to attract business there Dell!

My partner is a busy person and doesn’t have the time to be going back and forth with tech support.

She asked to return it for a refund. Under UK law she is entitled to do just that. I know there are lots of happy Dell/Alienware customers.

However, after she gets her refund we are never buying from Dell again.

Delldisputes.com says when we were alerted to the above story we read it once and once was enough to say yes the story is true, its because the dell-cares team’s first language is not, IN FACT, ENGLISH is Asian if a big English-speaking tech company sub-contracts out their customers care system to non-English speaking call handlers, hell mend them.

It is like a Chinese-based only tech company asking a UK-based call center to only answer in mandarin simplified Chinese which is just a crazy business model doomed to fail!