Dell Dimension 8250 - very upset with Dell technical support experiences

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on February 24, 2003:

From: Mike Berry [Email User]

RE: Dell Dimension 8250 - very upset with Dell technical support experiences

Dell sold me a new Dimension 8250 with a defective hard drive. Technical support told me the only possible explanation was a virus and told me I had to call McAfee. I ran a virus check, found no virus, and called the mcAfee number the tech gave me. Turns out the number was not a working number.

Called back and a different tech told me I'd have to completely reinstall my OS. She said I'd lose all saved info. Neither tech ran any diagnostics or checks, and made no attempt to find the cause, even though I made several suggestions. This tech gave me a number at Dell to call the next day, and that someone at that number would assist me with saving all my information that would be lost during the reinstall

I called the number given me the next day and a recording told me there was no such number at Dell. Called tech support again, and a recording told me I was being redirected to Nashville. Then the phone went dead.

I called back yet again and talked to a different tech. He told me there was no such number at Dell, that Dell did not assist with backing up information regardless of whether or not it was due to a defective part, and that I'd have to figure it out myself.

He asked if there was anything else I wanted and I told him to connect me with someone immediately to arrange return of the entire crummy computer. He told me I could not return it since I was past the 30 day return period. I read to him directly from my original packing slip the order date, and pointed out today's date. He said he did not know why his information was wrong.

Finally I was connected with someone in customer service. She apologized and asked if I couldn't accept an exchange of the defective tower with a new one. I agreed on the condition it be done pronto. She promised a fedex shipment in 2 days.

3 days later I went online to check the status of the order. I found that the order wasn't even made until 2 days after I had been promised the order would be expedited, and that it would be a minimum of another 12 days.

I emailed customer service several times to complain, and was told each time that nothing could be done.

My advice to anyone reading this is DO NOT BUY DELL! They lure you with their "Award Winning Support" advertisements, and you later find out it does not exist. I also paid for in-home support, which I was refused, and paid an extra $50 for "express support" under the ruse that I would be connected to technical support faster if I ever needed it.

I was lied to, rudely treated, cut-off, redirected, given false information, and all without the slightest effort to investigate the cause of the failure, or even determine if it could be diagnosed and fixed over the phone.