Beware Dell's tech support.

I used to be a huge Dell fan.
Until this week.

Three months ago, I (dude!) got a new Dell computer. It was misbehaving right from the beginning, so within a few days I called tech support about it.
After trying to "troubleshoot" it, they sent a tech out to my house with a bunch of new parts, and everything worked fine. I was happy and continued to tell everyone looking at computers to buy a Dell.
A week ago, in the midst of a damned conversation, my computer shut off. It wouldn't switch back on. I was irked, but called tech support and went through the whole shebang again: troubleshoot, tech comes out, tech replaces everything but the hard drive.
No dice. It won't boot up. Tech-dude takes off like his ass was on fire and leaves me with a computer that still doesn't work.
So I call back tech support. I'm shuffled around and around, and after 2 #ing hours, I'm irate.
Enter helpful support dude. He tells me I need to reinstall XP, and assures me it won't damage my data. I don't like this, but unwisely I do so.
Rather than fix the problem, he caused my hard drive's partitions to be erased. After a total of 4 hours on the phone with these cads, he gives up and says they'll send someone out with a new hard drive.
HELLO!! I've got 15 gigs+ of data that I'd like to keep!!

I found a shop locally who said they'd try to help me. After working on it all day, they've managed to recover 12 gigs.
It's almost 7pm now, and their senior tech fella is on his way over with my (useless) computer, and a loaner hard drive with the recovered data. They're only charging me $40 for all the work.
Dell is supposed to be here tomorrow with a new hard drive.

The moral?
Don't let Dell's tech support do ANYTHING to your computer.

Thank you for letting me vent.
-B.

Always keep backups. Dying hardware doesn't matter if you have the importans stuff backed up.

I've had 3 HDD's die in the last few months, not in the same PC. I think the quality is sinking.

This is why you should buy the parts that you want, and put the comp together by yourself..

(from 'bulk' parts..)



'Packed comps' suck bottom..

Sadly not all know how to assemble a comp..

damn that does suck. hehe your post was like a good story, i began to get a little nevous when you said the tech support told you to reinstall XP, then when you said it erased all the partitions i was like, aya! i knew it! yeah, like a goosebumps story by R.L.Stein.

but anyways, i dont think hating on dell is the right way to direct your anger. I bought a dimension in 98 and replaced all the insides last year except i'm still using the stock hard drive. 12.6 gigs over 5 years is pretty good id say, i still have 3 gigs to go.

however, if you're hating on dell tech support im going to have to back you up. tech support in general is lousy and ive heard that dells is one of the worst (i told all my friends to get one too, and one friend had major issues with his monitor that they just wouldnt believe). i still think theyre solid computers but you know how it is, luck of the draw, you got a bunk hard drive and mines still going 5 years strong. sorry dude

How can you people manage with so small HD:s?

I have 80 gb:s of space, and i am allways running out of it..

yeah fulcrum i agree with you. you can get so much bang for your buck if you buy the components and peripherals seperately. i went from junk to top of the line system for $400 US

i delete everything i dont use. im all about games but never have more than two on the hard drive at any one time. CS is always on there, thats a must, but right now ive got sim city 4 loaded up and cracked and it takes up more than a gig. i keep the processor and RAM maxed out so that they totally dominate the HD. i can probably get what i need faster than your 80 gig 7200 rpm HD. im not a comp sci engineer but it makes sense doesnt it? *shrugs shoulders*..

Originally posted by insite
yeah fulcrum i agree with you. you can get so much bang for your buck if you buy the components and peripherals seperately. i went from junk to top of the line system for $400 US

So you upgraded 'it'?

Only thing in my comp that is the best of best is the video card.. and even it is Radeon 9100.. so even it isnt really that bad..

oh yeah. the only thing on my dell thats from 98 is the 12.6 gig hard drive. from the power supply to the drive bays to the motherboard everything is new. i bought a geforce 4 ti 4600. that cost the most, but god was it worth it. it immerses me in a more beautiful reality then my own eyeballs if that makes any sense (which it doesnt), but you have to know what i mean. it looks so good. radeon 9100 is old skool man, i wouldnt mind the 9800 pro. maybe its time for me to stop dropping 60 bucks a weekend on liquids and invest in something more tangible

what is that jet you have as an avatar? isnt it a little dangerous to be flying below the treeline??

i guess its not for military use aye, SAM operators could prolly see it coming from a mile away

Originally posted by insite
what is that jet you have as an avatar? isnt it a little dangerous to be flying below the treeline??

i guess its not for military use aye, SAM operators could prolly see it coming from a mile away

It is Finnish airforce Saab J35 Draken.

The special paint was for 'farewell' ceremony, as they were WFU.

www.scramble.nl...

ilmavoimat.fi...

From those links you can find more pics of it..

And it is not dangerous, as the pilots of FAF are first class..

*edit*

Here is good picture from the side:

www.sci.fi...



[Edited on 25-9-2003 by FULCRUM]

When you buy a new computer, always keep your old one for backup.

I actually have two backup computers, but I am paranoid. My XP has been quite stable, so I don't worry about it as much as I used to. I lost some writing years ago, so we all have to learn this lesson I guess.

Computer storage is so massive nowadays another problem is losing stuff. Now where did I put that file with that stuff and what did I call it? I especally have trouble organizing graphics. Let's see, did I put that picture on this cd or that, or is it still on disk? Let me run through a thousand graphics and hope I didn't delete it.

Dell has a good rep for service, but they are all sinking. I got a Compaq and a month later in PC Magazine I read they rated it the worst PC. But I haven't had any problems with it. Actually I got an eMachine first, but it had a big green splotch in the monitor unless I did a cold boot followed by a warm boot, so I traded it in on the Compaq.

Originally posted by FULCRUM
This is why you should buy the parts that you want, and put the comp together by yourself..

(from 'bulk' parts..)

'Packed comps' suck bottom..

Sadly not all know how to assemble a comp..

That is what I did, but my motherboard won't fire up, or post the memory beep. I sent multiple emails to Shuttle motherboards, but they are pushing for me to return the mboard for them to look at it. Problem is if nothing is wrong with the mb I have to pay all shipping and tech time.

I feel for you Banshee. Dealing with any type of tech support sucks.

Building your own comp isnt so great when the motherboard prongs and the instruction book for it dont match up and neither do plugs for the case. I have two useless USB ports on the front of my case, a light or two that doesnt light up, and likely more I cant remember. Also I hooked up a fan wrong and until I fixed it two Greys thought that the case was their mother.

tech support everywhere is going to the dogs.

It may get worse now that companies are outscourcing their operations to places like India , so they can pay a pittance to people there for a job that is worth WAY more.

If you can build your own puter, or find a shop that will build one for you.

Dell's tech support and "customer care" have already been outsourced to India.
I'm beginning to wonder if they outsourced their "factory" as well.

The local tech Dell sent out yesterday was quite the helpful one.
After five minutes, she was on the phone with Dell having them send me a brand new machine.

Yay. I think.

-B.

Back when SoBig was shutting down computers, a buddy of mine, who is NOT computer savvy in the LEAST, calls Dell Support thinking his Notebook PC was screwed up...

In SPITE of the fact MicroSoft warned all the big OEMs that the problem existed and could easily be stopped by simply turning the XP Firewall "ON" (takes about 5 mouse clicks and 1 minute) the Dell "Tech" support moron had my bud opening his case (notebook remember!), and when that failed told him to FORMAT his harddrive and re-install XP!!!!

Obviously my buddy isn't smart enough to ever back anything up so ALL his files were permanently LOST (his business files were ALL on that HD) and worst yet, after he completed all this SoBig STILL SHUT his computer off because they still hadn't told him to turn his firewall on!

Unbeleivable but TRUE!

I think the help desk positions in these major manufacturers are WAY underpaid. This makes sense because in the eyes of a "Bean Counter" that's an absolute EXPENSE center with no hope of generating profit. HOW wrong they are!

I'll bet neither Banshee nor my buddy will EVER buy a Dell again! Repeat business/referrals are KEY to the success of ANY business no matter how big they are. Not to mention "Good Will" and word of mouth.

I would imagine a few people who are considering Dell may read this thread and change their minds...

PEACE...
m...

It's not just Dell.... I used to work for Gateway, and I could tell you similar horror stories... Believe it or not though, Dell still uses better parts on average than Gateway does....

While it's best to build your own, if you know your stuff... The fancier the gadgets, the more compatibility issues you run into....

Originally posted by groingrinder

That is what I did, but my motherboard won't fire up, or post the memory beep. I sent multiple emails to Shuttle motherboards, but they are pushing for me to return the mboard for them to look at it. Problem is if nothing is wrong with the mb I have to pay all shipping and tech time.

I feel for you Banshee. Dealing with any type of tech support sucks.

Are you sure that you knew what were you doing?

Even the most little errors in installation may end up in making the whole comp. not working..

I know this for a fact as for now i have assembeled more than 200 computers..



But even i sometimes make mistakes.. and it allways good to check the mainboards jumper settings, as those are hardly ever in right place.

(when you take one out of a box..)

the fsb jumper especially... and the memorys sometimes need much work and pain to get them working..

I have myself Epox EP-8 Rda+ mainboard, 2x256mb KHX pc 3700 and Athlon XP 1700 (OC @ 2044mhz, fsb 185)

And this comp give trouble every time i take the memory modules off.. wont boot at all, beeps.. so on.. ultimately i have succeeded every time to get it back in working condition..

With luck i guess..



[Edited on 27-9-2003 by FULCRUM]

Springer,

no offense but 'bean counters' don't make those kind of decisions.

usually it is MBA's.

you know those people that studied philosophy as an undergrad then graduate then decide they can't get a job then do an MBA with only 2 years of study vs regular business grad with 3 or 4 years worth.

yep they are the ruination of business, no hands on experience and all hand picked to satisfy globalist politically correct agenda.