Dell customer service still sucks in 2008 - My horrible experience with Dell Financial Services

5/12/08 - UPDATE - I’m happy and proud to announce that Dell monitors the blogosphere like no other company today!  I received numerous phone calls and email follow ups from Natalie (customer_advocate@dell.com) notifying me that they have removed all outstanding balances and the Indian call center harassment will be stopped.  Dell has taken user generated complaints and questions to an extreme level by creating Dell Conversations.  I’m very pleased at the outcome of my situation with Dell, but regardless, I shouldn’t have had to blog about it to get a resolution.  Nevertheless, I will continue to do business with Dell because I’m so impressed with their embracing attitude towards the internet and blogs.

Original complaint message:

I recently purchased a Dell CPU, 30-inch flat screen monitor, mouse, keyboard, and other accessories; totaling nearly $3000. This is probably a lot more than the average Dell customer spends; and the level of customer service sucks - that is if you hate dealing with someone in India that could care less about your situation. Below is the copy of the invoice that I receive every month, and the last letter that I have written Dell regarding my purchase:

dell-1-500-x-688.jpg

dell-500-x-688.jpg

I’m upset because Dell is outsourcing their finance collections and using Indian labor to relentlessly pound their customers with telephone calls. They are also screwing with my credit by reporting my late payment. These Indians are rather smart as well; they call with blocked telephone numbers, an 800 type looking number, and overseas numbers, in order to make it look like a different call (they do this because people like me pick up and hang up, or never answer). If you read the letter above, you will see that I returned my unopened purchases but Dell is trying to collect on the shipping charges. I was fully prepared to accept delivery of the goods I ordered, but FEDEX was unwilling to attempt to ship to me again, and Dell was completely worthless and could do nothing to insure I received the shipment. So kill me, I’m at the office busting my ass for my clients and unable to take receipt of a $3K purchase, so take the effort and bring it to my residence one more time.

The next telephone call I receive from an outsourced Indian doing debt collections, I will record and post on this website for the world to see. Hopefully, Dell will start treating it’s customers with more respect and Dell’s market value wont look the way that it does. Please comment on this post if you have experienced similar problems.

I don’t hate Dell, I think they make a reasonably good product, for a good price; and I just recently purchased another laptop from them. But this Dell Preferred Finance account has been a horrible experience. The reason they have the Preferred account option is that they want to make additional money by allowing you to borrow from them, and you can’t dispute this with your credit card. Otherwise, VISA would have already been notified and I would have won the dispute for the shipping charges. If Dell rectifies this situation, I will certainly report on it and recommend my readers to purchase Dell products; but till that happens, DON’T PURCHASE FROM DELL SUCKS.

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4 Responses to “Dell customer service still sucks in 2008 - My horrible experience with Dell Financial Services”

  1. Dell-Natalie D Says:

    Hi John,

    We have tried calling you many times at the phone number you have above, but have been unable to reach you. I have also tried posting on this blog, but it has been pending pre-moderation for a couple days. I hope we can connect with you soon.

    I can’t apologize enough for all you have been through. I completely understand why you are frustrated. Sometimes we make mistakes and it is not an indication of how much we appreciate you and value you as a customer. We do appreciate your business very much.

    Luckily, I have some better news to share. After looking into your case, here are the changes we were able to make for you:
    -Collections should not be calling you anymore
    -We waived all late fees and finance fees
    -We credited you back the money for shipping

    Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. You can reach me at customer_advocate@dell.com (in the subject line put: Attn: Natalie).

    Natalie

  2. Binky Says:

    Dude. Wow.
    1. You spent how much time researching, deciding, and buying this system, and you can’t spend a couple hours picking it up?
    2. You gave them your home address for delivery, and then didn’t arrange for someone to be there to receive it?
    3. You let FedEx try three times to deliver it to your home while you’re at work, and never bothered to call them to arrange a workable delivery?
    4. You expect a company to eat shipping charges because of your mistakes?

    It looks to me (and probably to most other people who come across your blog, if any) like you caused your own grief, and are now causing your own credit damage. And I suggest that you’d get further ahead by better managing your affairs than by blaming others and advertising your problems.

    Good luck with that!
    -Binky-

  3. Stephanie Says:

    I’m surprised Fedex would’t just leave it. They have a bad habit of leaving things on my front porch for all the world to see. Well, except when it’s raining. Then they leave it in the driveway. I guess they don’t want to get out of the truck and bother to put it on the covered front or back porch. They may get wet. So, they just drop it out of the truck and drive off.

    I have my own gripes with Dell. I have learned that if you purchase a Dell from Staples or any place else, that customer service is non-existant. They will not even begin to talk to you without an order number. I don’t know how many times I’ve told these idiots that I have no Dell order number, yet they demand it. I get the exact same canned response each time. I have 3 Dells and don’t know that I’ll ever buy another. I just had to spend money out of pocket to get one of them fixed even though it was under warranty. That one was actually ordered from Dell, yet still no customer service.

  4. Senthil Says:

    I have dell latttude 510 model.
    Serice Tag no: 59Z2T1X.

    My battery is no longer working. I want to change the battery and there is some noise from the cooling fan.

    I am in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Please let me know how and where i can get the problems fixed.

    My number : +919442659025

    Regards,
    Senthil

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