Go Dell Go!

S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
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Michigan
So, my Dell Inspiron E1505 just assumed room temp. I was using it in my lap while watching TV and I glance up at the TV and glance back down at the system and it was off. I did some basic trouble shooting, but it's completely dead.

So, I just spent the last 45 minutes returning it to as shipped condition in anticipation of having warranty work done on it. I had to put back in the original CPU, HD, memory, and optical drive. I was surprised that I was able to find it all.

I guess having a 4 year warranty came in handy since I'm past the 3 year mark. Maybe I should drop it a few times and shear the screen off to ensure I get a new machine (I have complete care on it too). :eek:wneddnce:
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
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Michigan
Will they even still have parts for a 3+ year old system? I've heard of people sending in their systems and getting new machines back. I have on site service, so I don't expect that's going to happen for me.
 
udaman

udaman

Wannabe Storage Freak
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
1,209
:elephant::errr::dwarf:

a decade ago, Michael Dell said he'd sell off Apple...what a douchebag. Now Dell is in the dumps and Apple rulz! If you bought when Apple's stock dropped to <$80, you'd be swimming in riches today, as the stock is trading @>$160, doing better than just about any PC manufacturer.

Yawn.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/06/apple.tops.tech.sup.ranks/

Ya get what you pay for, Handy

Apple tops tech support rankings again for 2009

Apple has maintained a decisive lead in technical support rankings for 2009, according to a new Laptop study. Of ten major companies tested, only Apple managed an "A" grade for its help, earning it across both its ability to solve problems on calls and online; it also kept hold times to under five minutes and located its support only in North America. The company is further helped by having a dedicated retail network that can address questions in person, the magazine adds. No other PC builder matched Apple's score, although Lenovo and Sony came closest with "B+" scores. ASUS, Fujitsu, Gateway and Toshiba all scored either "B" (for Toshiba) or "B-" for minor issues such as long hold times, small errors in support or poor websites that were balanced by good phone support. With the exception of ASUS, these typically also outsourced their support to India or the Philippines and potentially had poor call quality or other communication problems as a result.

Of the group, however, it was the largest PC builders -- Acer, Dell and HP -- that fared the poorest and were handed "C-" grades. These often included significant mistakes, such as Acer and HP representatives claiming an in-warranty notebook no longer qualified and often having serious communication problems with the outsourced support. Dell's support had the worst score. While its online support was good, its phone support was far worse with a confusing menu system, very long hold times, and in one support case reaching three separate agents before receiving help despite the agent not finding the relevant warranty.

The discrepancies in the level of support aren't immediately explained but appear to affect companies that focus the most on selling low-priced systems, as the lowest three all have full-sized notebook lineups that start below $400. Prices this low typically come with small profit margins or are even considered "loss leaders" that are compensated for either through cuts to support or through profits from higher-end systems.
Click to expand...
 
ddrueding

ddrueding

Fixture
Joined
Feb 4, 2002
Messages
19,525
Location
Horsens, Denmark
I wish there was a filter...ignore posts from a user if their post contains "apple" and no other posts in the thread contain "apple".
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
So now I'm in Dell support hell.

Their website won't give me the phone number to call for my notebook because their stupid website doesn't have my Express Service Code. It won't let me enter it manually, and insists on using their web applet, which of course can't find it because the machine is completely dead and I'm not using it!

IDIOTS!!!
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
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Michigan
Ok, so I did an online chat, and got a phone number, but the menu system for the phone doesn't work. You press the option for support and get sales instead.

Ok, and I found out this EPP system is supported by the Large Business / Enterprise division.

ARGH!!!
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
So I finally got a hold of someone and of course they were in the wrong division and couldn't help me. They transferred me to another line where I'm now on hold. Dell's phone system is completely hosed.

Remind me to never buy another Dell.
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
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Location
Michigan
Around and round we go... Where it stops nobody knows...

I talked to someone else who is going to transfer me to another department that handles this type of issue.

Maybe I should just get a Wheel of Fortune and start dialing random numbers.
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
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Michigan
Wait, no that guy decided he could help me after all. After a bunch of question they're sending a new motherboard out to the local on site people to fix it.

Finally!

It seems the system is shorted out since the light on the power adapter goes out as soon as I plug it into the notebook.
 
MaxBurn

MaxBurn

Storage Is My Life
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
3,245
Location
SC
Stereodude said:
It seems the system is shorted out since the light on the power adapter goes out as soon as I plug it into the notebook.
Click to expand...

Or a bad power adapter. You have another to test?

I have blown one or two dell power adapters but in my case when they died they were all the way dead.
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
21,596
Location
I am omnipresent
The Lenovo way:
I call Lenovo support.
I press 1 for Desktops or Notebooks
I press 1 for Thinkpads
George in Atlanta picks up the phone after at most two rings.

I tell George my problem.

George makes it better, usually in the form of a box from DHL that arrives the next business day.
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Yeah, I'm tempted to buy a Lenovo T400, but I just don't need a new notebook. The current ones I have work fine for what I use them for.

I do want to dump my netbook though. :( The screen doesn't have enough resolution and the processor is too weak. :tdown:
 
sechs

sechs

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
4,709
Location
Left Coast
I've found that, if you need a replacement part from Dell, it's far easier to buy the whole thing new, swap the part, and return the new item with the busted part, on Dell's dime.
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I guess I should update this. The Dell tech came on Wed. He put in a new motherboard. The system powered up, but wouldn't boot into windows. The HD would just hang when it said "Resuming Windows". Pressing F8 didn't do anything. The tech called his backup tech support and the two of them concluded it was the wrong motherboard. They concluded the motherboard was for a Latitude E6400 instead of an Inspiron E1505. (As far as I know they're the same thing). He told me they (Dell) would get the right motherboard and be back Thursday (today). I was surprised he didn't have any diagnostic CD to put into the system and check it out. :eekers:

After he left on Wed, I messed with the system some. First I tried an Ubuntu Live CD and it wouldn't mount the HD because it said the system was hibernated. So, I was going to clone from my SSD to the original 80GB HD that I put back in the system because I wasn't sure that the Windows XP install on the original 80GB HD was intact. The USB to SATA adapter I had didn't work with with Acronis though. I booted the Acronis CD one more time and examined the partitions on the 80GB HD. I exited True Image and the system rebooted perfectly. :skepo:

Today Dell didn't call and didn't show up. So, I swapped my T7400 Core2 Duo CPU and my NEC ND-6750A DVD burner back into the system. I did a 2 hour stress test with CPUburn on both cores and it help together and didn't die. The only thing left is to swap the SSD back in. Dell apparently is incompetent, but at least I have a working system now. :rofl:
 
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