Think Dell is Back on Track?

Don't let the successes on the business side of Dell con you into thinking that things are better at Dell for the average guy... this exchange today on the Miami Herald website is clear evidence that without friends in high places, your chances of getting A) A machine that works, and B) Customer service that works, are Buckley's as my Australian friends would say... and imagine if they didn't have the extended warranty with "next day service".

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A formula to mess up computer: two video cards
Posted on Sat, Nov. 17, 2007

• Q: About two years ago, we bought a top-of-the-line Dell computer for our small business. We also purchased a three-year extended warranty; it's supposed to give us next- day service if there's a problem.

Everything was fine until Oct. 10 when the computer crashed.

We called Dell. After going through extensive troubleshooting, it decided to order a new power supply and motherboard. A few days later, a tech arrived to install them; it still didn't work.

Dell sent out a tech and parts twice more. Once, we got the computer running, but it crashed again the next day.

Dell sent us a refurbished replacement. After five days, it wouldn't power up. Dell said it would send us our third motherboard and power supply. The tech still couldn't get it to turn on.

Spending so much time on this isn't exactly helping our business. Perhaps Action Line can persuade Dell to fix it once and for all?

Jane Firebaugh,

Miami

• A: We can. It's working now; this time, we hope it's a permanent fix.

We forwarded your e-mail to Dell, which responded promptly. Another tech was dispatched, and, for a while, he couldn't get it to work, either. Then, he had an idea: Maybe the problem was caused by having two video cards. He took one out, and the computer worked. He tried with the other one; the computer still worked. It seemed that having two working cards installed was at the root of the trouble.

Dell followed up and gave you a better number to call if it happens again. We all hope you won't need it.

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So... to sum up, DEll sold a flawed design to a customer and then proceeded to offer "refurbished motherboards" among other repair solutions to them on an ad nauseum basis... seems awfully familiar!

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