Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Computer misadventure

I killed my computer. I managed to spill water, which did not splash onto the keyboard. Thought I was in the clear. As I was wiping up, I lifted the computer & there was a puddle. I thought there might be trouble brewing. The computer was off. I did not remember if I had shut it down!! This was a 4 AM unable to sleep time. I unplugged all computer connections, removed the battery, then took off the back plate. Got out the hair dryer and tried to get all the spaces dried. I waited a couple hours, then plugged in the power. It did not power on. There was no reaction at all. I put out a call for assistance & received some replies. Hopefully, I can at least retrieve my data.

I called Dell. Each call was answered by the phone robot & when I reached my destination (after choosing numbers for several minutes), I was put on hold. After 2 minutes another robot informed me that wait time would be 10+ minutes. I hung up. I apparently was optimistic as I did this 6 times!!!!!!!!

The next day, I received a call from Dell. Unfortunately, this call was for the purpose of selling me an extended warranty!! I don't think I need coverage on a dead computer. I then called technical support. After going through all the steps, I finally talked to a technician. He explained the choices I had. The computer can likely be fixed but I would have to send it to Dell & pay a fee of $289.!!! Then they would diagnose and charge me for the repairs. He estimated $200-$300. I declined. He said it would be better to buy a new computer. I declined. He then said I needed to speak to an "out of warranty" technician. This one was pushy and not helpful at all. "I have a new computer right here. It will be faster and better". I told him several times that I did not want a new computer. The question I kept asking (of all 3 persons at Dell) was, "can I get the information out of the dead computer?" Then this 3rd guy had the audacity to tell me that I have $XXXX! He looked up my Dell financial account. This really got my blood boiling. I told him that if I use my Dell account, I still have to pay for it. "Of course you do, but you can afford $15/month". My finances are none of his business and how dare he check into my Dell account without even asking?? I again asked about retrieving information. He said, "Well, Ms. ......, I guess we can't help you today" and HE HUNG UP. Wow, customer service at its best.

I had been a Dell customer for awhile. I had always touted their customer service. No more. Outsourcing may be cheap, but it can also lose customers. All 3 of the men I spoke with were Indian. The first one even told me to stop him if I didn't understand him because of his accent.

So, Dell gets the worst possible grade in customer service. I spent WAY too much time on the phone and never got an answer to my question. All 3 of these men had 1 goal in mind, to sell me something! Either an extended warranty on a deceased computer, or a new computer. AND, I wonder if they breached:

"California Residents Only: We only share your Customer Information with our affiliates in a manner that is permitted under the California Financial Information Privacy Act. If required by the Act, we will provide you with notice and the right to tell us not to make such disclosures prior to sharing your Customer Information with our affiliates."

In my opinion, financial information should remain in the Finance Dept. It seems rather unethical to share credit limits with the Sales Dept. So, it is NO MORE DELL for me.

So long

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Todd Gloria gets cash from McDonald's franchise owners

Phil's BBQ owner for Larry Turner

I killed my computer. I managed to spill water, which did not splash onto the keyboard. Thought I was in the clear. As I was wiping up, I lifted the computer & there was a puddle. I thought there might be trouble brewing. The computer was off. I did not remember if I had shut it down!! This was a 4 AM unable to sleep time. I unplugged all computer connections, removed the battery, then took off the back plate. Got out the hair dryer and tried to get all the spaces dried. I waited a couple hours, then plugged in the power. It did not power on. There was no reaction at all. I put out a call for assistance & received some replies. Hopefully, I can at least retrieve my data.

I called Dell. Each call was answered by the phone robot & when I reached my destination (after choosing numbers for several minutes), I was put on hold. After 2 minutes another robot informed me that wait time would be 10+ minutes. I hung up. I apparently was optimistic as I did this 6 times!!!!!!!!

The next day, I received a call from Dell. Unfortunately, this call was for the purpose of selling me an extended warranty!! I don't think I need coverage on a dead computer. I then called technical support. After going through all the steps, I finally talked to a technician. He explained the choices I had. The computer can likely be fixed but I would have to send it to Dell & pay a fee of $289.!!! Then they would diagnose and charge me for the repairs. He estimated $200-$300. I declined. He said it would be better to buy a new computer. I declined. He then said I needed to speak to an "out of warranty" technician. This one was pushy and not helpful at all. "I have a new computer right here. It will be faster and better". I told him several times that I did not want a new computer. The question I kept asking (of all 3 persons at Dell) was, "can I get the information out of the dead computer?" Then this 3rd guy had the audacity to tell me that I have $XXXX! He looked up my Dell financial account. This really got my blood boiling. I told him that if I use my Dell account, I still have to pay for it. "Of course you do, but you can afford $15/month". My finances are none of his business and how dare he check into my Dell account without even asking?? I again asked about retrieving information. He said, "Well, Ms. ......, I guess we can't help you today" and HE HUNG UP. Wow, customer service at its best.

I had been a Dell customer for awhile. I had always touted their customer service. No more. Outsourcing may be cheap, but it can also lose customers. All 3 of the men I spoke with were Indian. The first one even told me to stop him if I didn't understand him because of his accent.

So, Dell gets the worst possible grade in customer service. I spent WAY too much time on the phone and never got an answer to my question. All 3 of these men had 1 goal in mind, to sell me something! Either an extended warranty on a deceased computer, or a new computer. AND, I wonder if they breached:

"California Residents Only: We only share your Customer Information with our affiliates in a manner that is permitted under the California Financial Information Privacy Act. If required by the Act, we will provide you with notice and the right to tell us not to make such disclosures prior to sharing your Customer Information with our affiliates."

In my opinion, financial information should remain in the Finance Dept. It seems rather unethical to share credit limits with the Sales Dept. So, it is NO MORE DELL for me.

So long

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Oh where oh where can he/she be?

Next Article

On & on, On & on, On & on

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader