Genealogy Chat

I sent an e-mail to Dell quoted my 3 year externded guarantee I took out on my computer------ which I thought would also cover the printer as it came with the computer. I received a two pages e-mail of instruction on how to correct the fault myself. The information is too complicated for me to understand, I just can't follow the instructions. Its a good job when you take out a warrant for your television or washing machine, they don't send you instructions on how to fix it yourself ie DIY. Betty

I had a similar experience recently. I bought a package deal of PC, screen and keyboard and mouse. The keyboard space bar snapped off after only 3 months! The shop could only excange it they said if I took all the whole lot back, no way was I going through all the change over again for a keyboard. The staff in the shop tried to be helpful giving me one that had obviously gone back for some reason or other, only the pins in the socket were distorted so I ended buying one, still this one has lots of built in features such as zoom favourites etc so thats the only consoaltion. It is stupid that they need the whole package back. Pauline

Had one of those extended thingies once (not with Dell), when we tried to claim on it they thought of every excuse under the sun not to honour it, including the fact that they had resold the warranty to someone else. Eventually they agreed to repair the computer free if we paid £75 to have it delivered to them. Never again, not worth the hassle. Has anyone had a good experience with a warranty? Ellen X

Hi Pauline And Ellen, Thanks for your comments, I just don't understand it all. I was speaking to someone on GR who said her first years guarantee had run out with her Dell computer, she phoned them anyway and they tried to give her instructions on what to do, she was on an 0870 number for half an hour, still she couldn't do it. They rang her back at home after the 30 minutes were up, and took manual control of her computer to fix it, it took 40 minutes but they managed it. I have a warranty, why can't they do that with me rather than me e-mailing them back and forth. Betty

I know all about Dell. Bought my PC from them in November, work fine for a few months then started to get problems. After doing a Dell system restore again it was ok for a while but then problems again which the restore would not fix. Contacted the technical department who said it was a software problem not Hardware. Over the next four weeks I spoke to India many times (call centre is there), they talked me through formatting my PC (which wipes everything) and tried reinstalling the software via new CD's, this didn't work and they even sent me 3 lots of CD's to try. Then I was passed back to the Hardware technical department who then started me off diagnosing the PC memory hard drive. This took 16 hours! After they failed to keep to a specific ring back time (they never ring when you arrange them to) I finally flipped and rang their customer services department Even then I was passed around and ended up back at the Hardware technical department who finally agreed after 33 days of talking to them to take my PC back to their factory and fix it. I still haven’t got it back yet but it has only been 5 days!!!!! Steve

That comes under the realms of customer service,which is a medeival term and no longer used. Re extended warranties,the following was 'leaked' to sales staff and used as part of a training course i once attended. Customer benefits; 'a method of extracting extra money under the pretense of ensuring trouble free future events' Company benefits; 'a method to obtain at least one years interest on monies paid,whilst product is covered for fault/defect by manufacturer,and under all circumstances (ie non screaming,reasonable customers) is to be used to delay/prevent free repairs of said faulty/defective goods.Customers who utilise the trading standards office may be excused more severe delays,but efforts should be made to prevent payment under warranty whenever possible.' I won't name the company,but they were and still are a national electrical retailer,needless to say the management found the exercise backfired somewhat with reduced staff confidence in the warranty,despite a £10 bounty for sales staff for each one sold. Glen

Another thing that get me is that they call these 5 year warranties when of course the first year is automatic so they should be called 4 year extend warranties! Pauline

Hi Steve, You sound as if you know about computers, I wouldn't know what a system restore is. Where I worked before (now semi retired) if the computers broke down, they had a guy onsite who fixed them, I just used it, can't fix it. Thats why I took out the warranty, Dell have won awards for their services to customers, i can't understand that, best computer technicians etc. I need my printer working, they say they give support 24/7, best technician award etc. on hand day and night, well I paid over £116 for my warranty and so far in two days I have had this one e-mail, as stated I can't understand what they are telling me to do. I could have bought a new printer wth the money. Betty

Betty kindly passed the instructions for the DIY fix on to me, as I also have a similar problem with my Dell printer, although we have different models. The instructions are a load of gobbledigook jargon and I don't think they even address Betty's problem, even though she described the specific error message to them. I am fortunate in that I have a spare printer, which I have installed, so am up and running, but poor Betty is left with nothing, only a sheet of meaningless words. Jay

Hi Jay, I hope you will be able to follow the instructions better than me but I will copy and paste them and send them in a pm to you ok. Betty

I'm on a roll now,retailers beware, Don't forget that the option usually shown to a customer who dares to ask for a discount when buying something is 'diluted'. Buying a car?Want a bit off the price?Invariably the salesman will offer to throw in a warranty worth £xxx,don't forget that £xxx is what YOU would pay,the garage pays £xx,the difference between £xx and £xxx is commision and ultimately profit for the retailer. Yes the retailer has to make money,but you are just a money machine for the big companies,if you add the interest they make on every warranty for the first 12 months from everyone who really is the loser. Glen

Hi Betty, I use a PC at work (like now :-)) but I am not good enough to know how it works or how to fix it. The Dell system restore I carried out, I read in the PC manual so that was OK but everything else I was talked through via the call centre. The 24/7 support is via the web so if your PC does not work like mine you can not use that. The dell telephone support shuts at 18.30hrs GMT. Steve

I bought my set up from PC World (no doubt not the cheapest way!) But having bought an extended cover, have since had on line and phone support for even the most minor things that I now am quite embarassed about. Also had a replacement monitor, no quibbles, just an apaology that they only had 17' to replace my 15' and would it fit! Can't complain, nothing but praise! Helen

Hi Steve, No my PC is working ok, its just my printer thats not working. I printed off some things one night, got up the next morning, it wouldn't work. I know its just a cheap, cheap printer model they gave me with the Dell computer when I bought it! It just prints, doesn't scan or anything, small 720 model. Betty

hi all , my printer is poorly as well its in the menders, i tried it yesterday and it kept showing a disk, well for the census that i print off it does'nt need a disk then it was having a mad 5mins printing off somethingthat i'd already printed a couple of days agoi think it went mad with this heat wave were having lol hazel.

Betty We had a free printer with our dell desktop PC. I thought it was terrible, so slow. We already had a printer so we dont use it. In fact, I'm not even sure where it is. If you were a bit nearer to me you could have had it (if I could have found it LOL). The point is, if they were any good they wouldnt be giving them away. Margaret

Hi Margaret, I think that's true about the printers, this is a very very cheap one!! would love a printer which also scans as I would like to be able to send photographs to friend but without being able to scan them I have to get someone to scan and send them to me. Betty

Hi Betty, You can't usually get a warranty on a printer - they are considered to be disposable because of the very low cost. I'd guess that your warranty only covers the computer and that that is why they're being lss than helpful about the printer. PM me with the problem if you want to I can't promise anything, but used to do tech support for a small software company. Mark

I'm wondering if Dell bought out Lexmark. Partner's Dell system came with a free lexmark printer/scanner, which he gave me - developed a major fault just after the 1 yr time limit, fixing was the price of a new printer, so we threw it away. I believe Lexmark are no more? Partner bought me my current Dell desktop package - the included Dell printer/scanner looks just the same as the lexmark did, only the logo is different. Just gone past the year by a few days and now it malfunctions! My own laptop is a Dell, but when I bought that, they were still concentrating on the commercial market and it really has been a superb purchase and much admired by computer buffs. I think the standard has gone down as they have tried to get into the home market and brought the prices down At the end of the day, one way or another, you only get what you pay for, and nobody actually throws anything in for free, not the big boys anyway. Am I being cynical? Jay

Hi Jay, It is just a small printer Dell 720 its called. I have a Dell desktop model, nice large screen, paid about £480 for it about two years ago. Betty