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Buy a PC from DELL? - only if you're incredibly patient and don't mind abject rudeness on November 25th I finally took deliveryThree letters, 30+ emails and this webpage and no reply until November 20th.No computers, £2400 debited from my VISA card and over a month with no communication from Dell. Judge for yourself. I had been very patient and incredibly polite, but having taken the afternoon off work for nothing below is the letter I sent to DELL by First Class post on the morning of 8th October. I have not even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Subsequent events are outlined at the foot of the letter. 6 Fair Ridge Manager How long does it take to buy a Dell computer over the internet? How much does it cost over and above the price on the screen? Well the current answer to the first question is over 3 months and the second is as yet unquantified. Back in early July I filled in an online form to purchase a computer on behalf of Red Rose Travel of Aylesbury. I made it quite clear that if delivery was after July 17th the computer should not be delivered to me at the above address but direct to Red Rose. Contact details were quite explicit, but rather than ring me, you phoned Red Rose. The delay this engendered meant that the deadline for July 17th lapsed and the order was cancelled by you as despite phone calls to you and emails communication simply failed within your organisation. After I returned from holiday I ordered another PC, in fact two, taking advantage of the Bank Holiday £100 rebate. Time passed by so after a couple of weeks I emailed (no reply) and then phoned to discover that there was no trace of the order, despite the fact that I had an email acknowledgement at the time of placing the order. One of your employees advised me to look at the website again and offered to phone me at work to sort out an order on Monday September 16th. I received no call. However, I - perhaps foolishly - ventured back on to the internet and ordered two more machines. The deal was almost as good as before but not quite. I did phone the contact at Dell and left a message on his voicemail particularly advising of the slightly poorer deal. I got no reply. I used the information in the confirmation email to track the order after 10 days of hearing nothing. It came back advising unrecognisable codes and 'wrong country' information. I rang Bracknell again on Friday 27th September. They confirmed the order and said it was in process and about due for delivery. On Thursday 3rd October I received a scrappy piece of paper through the post asking me to ring a 0870 number about a delivery. No reference to Dell or the nature of the intended delivery was mentioned. I rang at 9.03am on Friday to be told that the office was closed until 9.00am. Later in the day I waited eleven and a half minutes at national peak rate phone call charges to arrange delivery for Monday. They could not deliver to me at work unless I rang you (not a course of action I relished). They said they would request an afternoon delivery so I took this afternoon off work and waited for the PCs. Almost predictably they did not appear. At 6.05pm I returned to the office. When I got back home later this evening, there was still no sign that anyone had ventured anywhere near the property bearing two computers. I am now preparing myself for the phone call tomorrow. I have purchased at least 3 PCs previously for Red Rose from you with no problem. After this one, the next PC I get for them will come form PC World and it won't be a Dell. If your delivery company cannot get the PCs to me tomorrow, my new PC won't be a Dell and as for the 50 plus PCs I am buying for use at work this year I shall be actively looking at alternative suppliers. Yours in frustration Dr M Isles Despite a contact phone number being given and an address for postal response, nothing was heard from DELL. I sent them the letter again by post and email apending this section. Subsequent events: The phone call on Tuesday took 13 minutes to answer. Western Walsh (or whoever they call themselves) had no record of the proposed Monday delivery. I requested that they now deliver the goods at my convenience and arranged after 4.30 on Thursday. I got home at 4.10 to find a firm called Lynx had attempted delivery at 1.50. I rang Lynx, a thankfully local call which was responded to promptly. All they could offer was to deliver again, I asked for after 4.30 again, but they were unable to guarantee this. I advised them to try again on Friday and if this was unsuccessful to send the computers back to you as I was heartily fed up with the whole sorry state of affairs and would buy a new PC for the bus company from PC World and stick with the one I had. The Friday delivery was timed at 3.30, I was unable to get home till 5.00 anyway as I had overlooked a late meeting. I understand the goods are now with Western Walsh and on their way back to you. I am guessing you have already charged my credit card, please arrange to recredit it. To add further to the annoyance and inconvenience, I took my computer out of the house on Sep 20th and did not bother to reinstall it properly as the new PC was imminent (ha ha!) so a month later the house is still in some sort of chaos and I have to take this letter on disc to work in order to be able to print it out!!! As I sent the letter as an email attachment, the only response I have had is to say that their email system could not read it as it stripped stuff from attachements! I resent it the next day in the body of the email. On 23rd October I sent the following email to DELL I find the lack of communication from you on the above matter nothing short of downright rudeness. I have now written 2 letters and this is the third email. I would like your assurance that my credit card has been recredited. Failure to communicate will result in this correspondence being the subject of webpages linked to the major search engines on the internet. Yours, with the same degree of sincerity that you inspire, Dr M Isles. It is now 10th November and there has been no response to any emails. 
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In summary:
· 4 failed deliveries
· Fictitious names and departments given
· Fraudulent transaction
· Incorrect and delayed refund
· Total lack of commitment to customers
I tried to purchase my Dell system over the internet (from where I’d seen the PC I’d wanted to buy). I tried both Internet Explorer and Netscape, but the boxes in which you complete your details were none-existent in parts. So I called the sales department.
I spoke to Sarah Hughes, who ordered the PC for me and gave me the total cost over the phone: £878.90 (after freight and VAT). I paid by giving my switch card details over the phone. Whilst on the phone to Sarah, I explained that my flat is not easy to find and so asked for an extra line on the delivery address to say: “Flat above John Lewis shop” and also asked her to give the courier company my mobile number as they would find it difficult to locate without my help.
I received an email from Sarah with two PDF files attached. These were my contract papers to confirm my purchase and the purchase price total £878.90. It gave a detailed list of the parts I was to buy, but I noticed something was missing and so attempted to call Sarah. I got her answering machine. So I left her a message asking her to return my call. That never happened.
I tried both the internet and the phone number (of the Automated Order status) to find when my package was due to be delivered. The date was inconvenient, so I called customer service. Before I had even mentioned the date was inconvenient to me, the man mentioned 4 different dates of when it would actually be delivered. He said it would be best to call back on Monday (30/09/02) and someone would be able to give me an accurate date.
Monday - 30th September 2002, I called the customer service department and was told that someone had tried to call me last week (on my mobile) with no answer. I have my mobile with me 24/7 and there were no missed calls. I don’t have a home number and they were advised that this was the primary number to call. According to them, they had failed to deliver my package – and I hadn’t even known about it. I rearranged for them to deliver on Thursday, 3rd October.
I called the couriers personally to ensure the message had been relayed about my mobile number and delivery address. They confirmed all and the date was correct also.
Thursday, 3rd October 2002. Although extremely busy at work, I managed to take a day’s leave. I ensured that my phone never left my side and was on all the way through Wednesday night and all day Thursday so that the courier could call me at any stage. I received neither call nor visit from the couriers after staying in all day. I called the couriers at 5pm to express my disconcert of the situation. They informed me that, according to their system, a courier had been to my property and left a card to say ‘tried and failed’. This was completely untrue as I watched for the door all day and there was certainly no card anywhere to be seen. The only thing that did arrive through my door, that day, was my invoice from Dell head office informing I had been charged £878.90.
I returned to work on Friday morning to discover an answer phone message (on my work phone) from the previous day. It was from a man called Liam, the driver of the couriers. His message explained that he was trying to find his way to my flat, but couldn’t. I presume this was my ‘card’.
Friday, 4th October 2002, I called Dell and expressed my frustration at this so far appalling service. The man in Customer Service rearranged another attempt for Monday (7/10/02) evening between 6pm and 10pm.
Again, I called the couriers to ensure they had all of the correct details.
Monday, 7th October 2002 – no show, no call.
Tuesday, 8th October 2002, I called Dell to complain. I asked for some kind of compensation as I am now very far behind in a project and had lost a day’s pay. Sheena Clarke in Customer Service rearranged another attempt for Tuesday evening between 6pm and 10pm and explained that it was not Dell’s policy to compensate. I explained all that I have been through so far and so she offered to refund the £49 freight cost. Again, I stipulated the couriers will have to call my mobile number if they are to find my property. It was explained to me that it is not in the couriers contract to call ahead of delivery, but I explained that they would have to if they were to find my property.
Again, I called the couriers to ensure they had all of the correct details.
Tuesday, 8th October 2002 – no show, no call.
I called Dell to complain. I appeared to have been connected to the Bracknell branch and spoke to a lady who went by the name of Lisa Casey. She seemed very professional and knowledgeable about the system. She explained to me that previously, deliveries had been entered on the system but not actioned. I accepted what she had said without thinking and agreed to try a final delivery attempt (# 5) for Thursday 10th October between 6pm and 10pm.
I called Dell, attempting to speak to Lisa as I had realised that the previous delivery dates must have been actioned, otherwise the couriers would not have known the new dates each time. In trying to locate Lisa, I was passed backwards and forwards between Ireland and Bracknell offices. When passed to the Bracknell office, a lady on reception informed me that there was no “Lisa Casey” and then curtly told me that I was not a Company and therefore could not want this branch and redirected me back to Ireland. Once within the Customer Service department again, I asked for a “Lisa Casey”. They had never heard of her either.
Whilst there, I explained my latest grievance and said that I wished to cancel my order and asked for a full refund. At the same time I asked to make an official complaint and could I speak to the lady’s superior. She informed me they were out of the office, but she would pass my number onto the “Specials Department”. When asked to explain, she said it was like a complaints department where they would contact me within 2 hours.
Not having much faith in Dell by now, I decided to call this “Specials Department” myself. After going through the automated options, I arrived in Customer Service and asked for this Specials department. I finally lost my temper when the lady informed me there was no such department. She said if I wanted to complain, I must write to: Dell Computers; Customer Relations Department; Boughall Road; Bray; Co Whicklow; Republic of Ireland.
I returned home to find my bank statement had arrived. To my horror, I found that Dell had withdrawn £1399.43 causing me to go significantly overdrawn.
According to my PDF file (confirmation) and my actual invoice, I should have only have been charged £878.90.
Again, I called Dell to sort this out. Once through I asked the lady how much her screen was showing they were to refund me. She said £698.99 (as the £49 freight money was already in the process of being refunded). She said that she would try and get hold of Sarah Hughes (from the Sales Department) as it was her who made the sales transaction in the first place.
Wednesday, 9th October 2002, 5.45pm
Unfortunately, I missed a call from Paula O’Brien. She left an answer phone message to inform me that if I wanted more compensation than the £49, she could offer 10% which would mean a further £30.
Thursday, 10th October 2002. I spoke to Paula O’Brien from the Cancellations Department, who kindly took on board all that I had to say and has started the ball rolling to solve the financial problem. Paula said that the refund process will begin once the computer has been collected from the delivery depot. The refund will be sent directly to my bank within 5-7 working days after the return of the computer. I stressed that after the treatment I have received so far, I would like to have this system speeded up. Why should I wait for the delivery of a computer to Dell before I get my money? They clearly didn’t wait for me to get a computer before they took my money.
A courier delivered my computer. Even though I had cancelled it two days prior, I decided to keep hold of the items in case the depot reported back to Dell that I had received the goods and I was trying to pull a fast one. I immediately called Sarah Hughes (Sales) to tell her that I would like to keep the machine but was eager for the remaining money still outstanding to be refunded immediately. I spoke to Paula O’Brien the following morning and re-iterated this to her. She agreed to refund the outstanding monies plus refund me 10% of the purchase price and the delivery charges.
After many more chase up calls from myself to Dell I had at last been refunded some of the outstanding monies. The figure appeared too low considering we had agreed a few weeks ago that I was to be refunded the freight and 10% as well.
I spoke to both Sarah and Paula and both said they would sort something out.
It is now 5th November and I am waiting to hear where my remaining money is. I have not included the cost of phone calls (stuck in queue’s, being passed from pillar to post), I have not even included the interest charged to me by my bank for being overdrawn.
As much as Sarah and Paula have helped me, I am absolutely disgusted with the overall customer service by Dell. Each person I spoke to was very polite (bar one person at Bracknell reception) but it does not make up for the lack of communication and amount of errors caused.
As Dell’s robotic answering service announces that each call is recorded for monitoring/training purposes, I would be very interested to find out exactly how many calls I did make in total. How many people I spoke to - whom none had a clue from the next person as to the status of my computer or money.
It is now 18th November with no further reply from Dell, so I am taking them to Watchdog…
After sending a very brief email on 18th November asking for an update, I received a phone call from Sarah saying that she was passing the message on from Paula that I was owed nothing further more. I disagreed and said that I had sent my complaint to Watch Dog. It was soon after this that I received a phone call from Paula’s manager. Derrek had details in front of him insisting I had received a second payment of the outstanding money on 14th October. I disagreed and assured him I have checked all of my weekly bank statements up to date since the sorry tale began. After a bit of research, he called back and agreed that I had not been paid the outstanding money and so would arrange for that to happen. We hope to have this outstanding amount in my account by next Wednesday or Thursday. The case continues….
