Dell's New Nightmare Return Process [Archive]

Jason Dunn

10-31-2008, 08:45 PM

Dell sells a lot of products, and I figured that since nearly everyone reading this site has probably ordered from Dell at one time or another, it was worth sharing this story with you. I've also posted this story to Dell's IdeaStorm, so if you have an account there, please go <a href="http://dellideas.secure.force.com/apex/ideaView?id=087700000000DFEAA2" target="_blank">promote my suggestion</a>.So what's the issue? Dell's new return process (RMA) is horrible. It's beyond horrible: it's so frustrating it makes me not want to purchase a Dell product again. The way it used to work? You'd call customer service, talk to an agent, and they'd issue an RMA via email. Pretty fast and simple, with only the occasional frustration of having to deal with an agent who tries to talk you out of returning the product. The way it works now? I phoned Dell customer service on October 23rd, asking for an RMA on an Inspiron Mini 9. I was told that my request would be passed on to the sales agent who processed my order, and he'd phone me back. What? I have to wait for a phone call from a sales guy to return the product? Not surprisingly, a full week passed and I didn't receive a phone call - sales guys sell things after all. I phoned customer service again on the 28th of October, asking again for the RMA - this time, they emailed the sales guy again and told me they CC'd his manager. Two more days go by, and still no phone call from the sales guy. <MORE /> On the 30th I call customer service again, and this time they give me his extension so I can phone him directly. I do, leaving him a message with all the details. No call back. On the 31st I phone him again, and after a few hours he phones me back - it's now been 8 days since he was supposed to contact me. He tells me he'll pass my return information to the returns department and I should expect a call from them within a week. Dell's goal seems to be to make it nearly impossible for customers to return products, thus boosting their bottom line by reducing the money lost on returns. I've easily wasted two hours of my time with all the phone calls I've made, and at the time of this writing I'm still waiting to hear back from the returns department. It simply staggers the imagination that Dell considers this process acceptable. I will now have to think very hard about whether or not it's worth ordering another Dell product in the future - they've created a nightmare return process that I never want to go through again. Dell, go back to the old way of doing returns - the new system is a disaster!

inteller

10-31-2008, 09:01 PM

thanks for letting me know this. I was just going to get one of the new XPS ONEs, but I think I'll go for an HP Touchsmart now.

Phillip Dyson

10-31-2008, 09:30 PM

I'm in the market for a new laptop, and this is definitely enough reason to not go Dell.

griffin911

10-31-2008, 09:46 PM

If you've exhausted the normal routes of solving your problems with Dell, try sending an email to:
[email protected]

Or go right to the top

# Michael Dell
Chairman and CEO
[email protected]

# Donald Carty
Vice Chairman and CFO
[email protected]

# Ronald Garriques
President, Global Consumer Group
[email protected]

# Michael Cannon
President, Global Operations
[email protected]

Jason Dunn

10-31-2008, 09:50 PM

thanks for letting me know this. I was just going to get one of the new XPS ONEs, but I think I'll go for an HP Touchsmart now.

The new HP Touchsmart PCs look amazing - enjoy it! :)

christak

10-31-2008, 10:12 PM

Went over and registered so I could promote your idea -- all went fine but after I promote (which looks like it works) the vote goes away and the number goes back to what it was before... What am I missing? ...it looks so straight forward...:confused:

Fritzly

10-31-2008, 11:39 PM

Please correct me if I was wrong but my understanding is that the HP Touchsmart is a "Touch" and not "Multi-Touch" system so it cannot act like the demo of Windows 7. Only Dell offers a laptop that is "Multi-Touch" but, at least in my opinion, is underpowered and overpriced.

freitasm

11-01-2008, 12:11 AM

I don't understand why you insist with Dell. IIRC Dell has dropped the ball many times - multiple monitors that had to be returned, orders that were not fullfilled, etc.

Jason Dunn

11-01-2008, 12:12 AM

I don't understand why you insist with Dell. IIRC Dell has dropped the ball many times - multiple monitors that had to be returned, orders that were not fullfilled, etc.

In this case, it was because they were the only one making the Inspiron Mini 9. It's not like I could get one anywhere else... :D

Soundtweaker

11-01-2008, 12:33 AM

I will now have to think very hard about whether or not it's worth ordering another Dell product in the future.

You really have to think that hard?
It would be a no brainer for most people.

Jason Dunn

11-01-2008, 12:36 AM

You really have to think that hard?
It would be a no brainer for most people.

Well, there are certain things that Dell sells that no one else does - namely, Dell products. I really like Dell monitors for instance, and in the case of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, until the HP Mini 1000 was announced, it was the only netbook of its type.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment. :rolleyes:

sesummers

11-01-2008, 01:01 AM

My brother bought one of their PCs because it's the only reasonably inexpensive machine that can use CableCard TV tuners. We weren't able to get the thing hooked up immediately because we had to move cabinets around to get to the TV cable so I could add the splitter to connect the HDTV tuners to the cable, at which point he had to wait for the Time Warner guy to come out and "activate" them. Well, the first tuner turned out to have been DOA - pushing its power cable into the little hole popped the connector right off the circuit board. The second one worked- for two days.

My brother called Dell to try to arrange the RMA. They told him that it had been more than 21 days (it had - since they were shipped) and therefore they couldn't be returned, and he had to go through ATI. ATI has told him that he has to get them repaired through Dell. Dell then told him their computer was down(!!!) and therefore they couldn't even respond to his call. He now owns $1100 worth of PC and cablecard tuners, and has no TV recording ability, and nobody returns calls.

As far as I'm concerned, I'll never buy, nor recommend, another Dell product. Ever.

emuelle1

11-01-2008, 01:37 AM

My new Dell my wife got for me at Sam's club. That RMA process sounds horrible. What if it was a laptop that you needed for something like work or if you were taking classes? It's a pain not only to have a laptop break on you, but for the manufacturer to take it's sweet time getting it fixed and shipped back only adds insult to injury.

I had a Toshiba from work that was bought through New Egg. When the display stopped working entirely, I had to spend an entire day just getting an RMA issued, then after the laptop was shipped off, I had to wait about 5 weeks for a new one to arrive. Our network at work is pretty tight now. Back when my laptop died I was able to clone the MAC address and borrow another laptop to use. I'd never be able to pull that off now.

mkss55442

11-01-2008, 02:57 AM

Thanks for the report Jason. I hope they don't pull that kind of crap if my Latitude laptop with Next Day Complete Care goes belly up.
Mark

The Yaz

11-01-2008, 01:04 PM

I was interested in buying one of the Mini's for my department at work. My purchasing group has an account with Dell to purchase desktops/laptops.

When I made my request, I was told it could not happen at this time because the mini is not listed as an item to be purchased through the agreement.

This was significant because under the agreement we get to call up and tell them to give us a RMA, no questions asked. Any item purchased out of the item list would have to go through a "complicated verification process" and the purchasing group would not put up with that.

I can see what you're going through Jason. You've reviewed so many Dell products, don't you have some contacts that you can call diretly and complain to?

Eriq Cook

11-01-2008, 07:17 PM

I was seriously thinking about buying a Dell over HP this time for my next desktop & notebook. Think I'll be staying with HP though now. Dell just lost two more sales because of your bad experience!

Jason Dunn

11-01-2008, 11:29 PM

I can see what you're going through Jason. You've reviewed so many Dell products, don't you have some contacts that you can call diretly and complain to?

Dell's PR department no longer responds to my emails - they've been ignoring me for about 8 months now. :( That's the reason why I had to purchase the Inspiron Mini 9 to review it - they wouldn't reply to my emails requesting a review unit.

onlydarksets

11-01-2008, 11:42 PM

Well, there are certain things that Dell sells that no one else does - namely, Dell products. I really like Dell monitors for instance, and in the case of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, until the HP Mini 1000 was announced, it was the only netbook of its type.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment. :rolleyes:
Not to go too far OT, but what about the Mini 9 set it apart from the netbooks? Specs look virtually identical to the Wind, EEE, Aspire One, etc. (except, of course, more expensive ;)).

Jelster

11-02-2008, 12:28 PM

Have to say I've been having a similar run around with HP. My TX2000 has been in once already and now exhibits a "phantom" mouse pointer that teleports to random points of the bottom right of the screen. Long story short, it's been three weeks since I first contacted support, I'm now at the point where I need to contact the supervisor by phone to resolve the matter because they don't appear to be bothered to do it themselves.

Frankly I've been shocked at how poorly HP performed and this now tells me Dell isn't much better. I'm putting my money down on a cheaper, foreign make from now on. They may lack in some aspects but when it comes to reliability and support if HP and Dell are dropping the ball then what is the point of paying out for that premium.

nmcclana

11-02-2008, 06:17 PM

Jelster

11-02-2008, 07:55 PM

Is there a 'more expensive option'? Somewhere I can pay $1,500 for an $1,100 laptop so I get good customer service?

Another suggestion - once I had a problem returning my xbox to MSFT; filed a complaint with the BBB & everything was magically taken care of & a supervisor called me a day or two later to get my address. Have you tried that route?

I had thought that was what you got from using a bigger company like Dell and HP, some invested thought in the support infrastructure. Seems the cure all excuse is to buy an extended warranty and be happy that their poor design/workmanship is wasting your time, money and denying you use of the product you bought.

In my case I feel the TX2000 is just plain flawed, every problem I have with the unit you can find others complaining about and having no success in resolving. Sigh. I'm hoping I can return it for some kind of a refund and avoid the need to ebay the thing.

I'm trying to be patient although I think that's being taken advantage of, why should I have to act upset to get a normal level of service? I'll give them a call this week and if it the response is a blanket "Impossible to return" I'll take your advice regarding contacting the BBB or sending off the emails to Consumerist and see if they shake the tree a little.

Sorry for the ranting, this is just frustrating. :)

onlydarksets

11-02-2008, 09:34 PM

ignar

11-03-2008, 02:35 PM

Jason, I remember you had hard time returning your Dell monitors before. Is it possible your account got flagged for the prior incidents and the return process becomes much harder than normal?

I generally had better experience with Dell support than HP. I got one repair and one replacement from Dell last month and didn't have an issue (other than the technician arrived four hours later than scheduled, but I guess that's the norm in this age. :rolleyes: ) On the other hand, HP support has been horrible. When I had my faulty laptop hard drive replaced, I had to work with four contacts from as many departments and worked practically as a liaison for them since my service ticket was continuously outdated or lost in their system.

Torque

11-03-2008, 05:07 PM

Dell is the nightmare that just keeps on giving.

After my last Dell laptop bit the dust, I was determined not to buy another Dell product. My latest laptop is an Acer Aspire 5315. It cost me $398 at Walmart. Another 1gb of Ram for $34.95. Still under $450 with a 2.13Ghz Celeron w/ 1mb of L2 Cache (single core), 15.4" 1280X800 Screen, 160GB HDD, DVD/CDRW, and webcam built in with Vista Basic. Laptop was in my sleeve-bag. accidentally dropped it flat on the concrete ground getting out of the car one day. Took it inside, turned it on, and guess what? NO DAMAGE. WORKS PERFECTLY!!! Try that with a Dell. I don't think so. Dell sucks. Their customer support sucks. And now, their return policy sucks. Save your time and money and stay as far away from Dell as you can!!

Jason Dunn

11-03-2008, 05:33 PM

Not to go too far OT, but what about the Mini 9 set it apart from the netbooks? Specs look virtually identical to the Wind, EEE, Aspire One, etc. (except, of course, more expensive ;)).

Spec-wise, you're right, they're virtually identical. But this is the first netbook created by one of the top computer makers (other than the HP Mini Note 2133), so I was eager to check it out. The build quality is off the charts compared to other netbooks, but spec-wise, it's nothing special and is in fact pretty expensive for what you get. And that's why I'm returning mine. :)

Jason Dunn

11-03-2008, 06:25 PM

Is there a 'more expensive option'? Somewhere I can pay $1,500 for an $1,100 laptop so I get good customer service?

Well, interestingly enough, on my Dell XPS notebook, I've had good service and support - at least, in terms of getting things covered. This is largely because there's a dedicated XPS support department. It hasn't been perfect mind you - when my XPS M1330 was scratching it's own screen, I had to get pretty ugly before they finally agreed to fix the problem.

Another suggestion - once I had a problem returning my xbox to MSFT; filed a complaint with the BBB & everything was magically taken care of & a supervisor called me a day or two later to get my address. Have you tried that route?

I haven't considered that just yet, but I think between making some noise about this here and on my personal blog, and forwarding the write-up to Dell's customer advocacy department, I should get some good traction.

Jason Dunn

11-03-2008, 06:34 PM

Phronetix

11-03-2008, 06:57 PM

I suppose anything is possible, though I'll probably never find out if that's the case. :confused:

I disagree, because if that was the case, you'd think they'd also flag his account as "MS MVP, owner of website, treat well or else". lol

It's sad to hear that Dell just doesn't get it. They will pay a steep price for their foolishness over time, I would bet.

Jason Dunn

11-03-2008, 09:09 PM

I disagree, because if that was the case, you'd think they'd also flag his account as "MS MVP, owner of website, treat well or else"

Ah, but then you're assuming that Dell has any respect for online community leaders. It probably says "mouthy blogger" next to my name. :p

dazz

11-03-2008, 09:38 PM

Geez Jason! That sounds like a royal pain in the behind!

We tend to all forget that company executives almost exclusively don't care about customers AT ALL. The only "caring" that is real is keeping a customer happy enough that they will probably buy again. Beyond that (in their minds) why bother. Too many executives that decide it is time to cut costs don't think about how their cost cutting will affect the people that actually make them the money.

BUT, besides all that I am actually more shocked that their PR department has been ignoring you. Having run my own site and in dealing with PR types it is truly amazing to me that you are getting snubbed! Thought Media still is one of the top mobile tech sites on the planet and for them to just ignore you???

Dell, I doubt you are listening, but if you are please understand that I for one will NOT be buying any Dell products after hearing this. There are too many options available to bother with a company that ignore its own customers and community.

There! Now they'll go broke. ;)

Dell-LarryR

11-04-2008, 12:38 AM

Ah, but then you're assuming that Dell has any respect for online community leaders. It probably says "mouthy blogger" next to my name. :p

Actually, Dell pays attention to bloggers nowadays, so if there is something in your account it wouldn't be a complaint about the fact you blog about us. :)

Someone asked if you had tried contacting Customer Advocate (post 4) and thats my team, so you won't need to as we contacted you. I just found out about this thread and wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help you and/or sesummers (post 12).

Jason, from what you've posted I don't see why you were not able to get a return set up just as easily for the Mini as for the other item, but I'll be more than happy to look into it and get you in touch with the correct folks in Canadian support to get things straightened out. Since I'm in the US (Dell headquarters) I don't have direct access to the support tools for Canadian customers or I'd set it up myself. If you can PM (or email) me the order number for the Mini I'll see what I can do for you (I tried to find you in our system, and was able to find some of your orders, but not the one for the Mini; apparently Dunn is a popular last name ;)).

Sesummers, while you may have been outside the return period it is possible Dell can do a replacement on the TV tuner cards. Without seeing the order details I can't say for certain, however, as there are some third party hardware options that we can only replace within the first 21 or 30 days after the invoice date. If those cards fall into that category you would have to contact the manufacturer of the cards to see about getting them replaced for failure. I'm not sure how long ago this happened, which can, unfortunately, make it more difficult to fix if it has been too long, but I'll be happy to check things over for you. I would just need you to PM me either a case or order number for the cards to check on it.

Emuelle, a return for your Dell would have to go through Sam's Club, but for normal warranty work you should be able to just contact tech support as normal. You don't mention having a problem with it, which is always good to hear, but if you did I would recommend contacting Dell tech support as Sam's would have no way to trying to fix the computer.

Jason Dunn

11-04-2008, 03:34 PM

Jason, from what you've posted I don't see why you were not able to get a return set up just as easily for the Mini as for the other item, but I'll be more than happy to look into it and get you in touch with the correct folks in Canadian support to get things straightened out.

Thanks for stepping in here Larry - I was hoping that if I lit a big enough signal fire someone from Dell would take notice. I'll contact you privately with my order information, but for the sake of everyone reading this thread, can you explain why Dell has changed their RMA process for consumers? Why did Dell make the decision to make customers phone once, wait for a sales person to phone them back, then wait again for another phone call from the RMA department? Even if this issue I have gets resolved, if this is really the new policy I'll be very leery or ordering from Dell again. Ordering products sight-unseen is risky for me as a consumer, and Dell's great return policy was the only thing that protected me from ordering something that didn't meet my expectations.

Or hasn't it been changed and I'm just getting the run around for some bizarre reason?

And for anyone who's interested, I still haven't been phoned by the RMA department. :mad:

Dell-LarryR

11-04-2008, 05:05 PM

Jason, I received your email and I am checking into things now to see what happened on our end, and why. As far as I know the policy hasn't changed, however, I have been out of normal tech support for a while and don't normally deal with Canadian customers so it is possible. Regardless, I'll be having someone from the Canadian Escalations group contact you about it so we can try and get things properly straightened out for you. I'll have more detail on that in my reply email.

Dell-LarryR

11-06-2008, 04:58 PM

I just thought I'd post what I found out about what happened since it seems we (finally) have things moving in the correct direction now.

It seems that the policy on returns changed slightly recently, and for returns over a certain value (CAN$300 in this case) Customer Care has to get the customer in contact with their sales rep to get the credit return set up. The sales rep, after speaking with the customer about the return, would start the paperwork and the customer is supposed to receive an email with the return information sometime in the next two business days. If the process goes smoothly, it should add only the extra business day or two to the old process, and if things work correctly should actually make the process smoother even with the extra days required.

In this particular case the delay in getting in contact with the sales rep was the problem, and your feedback about this has already been passed on to the appropriate groups here in Dell for us to try and improve on that.

Thank you to all of you for the feedback. Without it Dell would not be able to improve.

Jason Dunn

11-06-2008, 09:27 PM

...and for the record for anyone reading this thread, I now have the UPS return label for the Inspiron Mini. Thanks to Larry for his help. :)

Phillip Dyson

11-07-2008, 01:23 PM

It seems that the policy on returns changed slightly recently, and for returns over a certain value (CAN$300 in this case) Customer Care has to get the customer in contact with their sales rep to get the credit return set up. The sales rep, after speaking with the customer about the return, would start the paperwork and the customer is supposed to receive an email with the return information sometime in the next two business days.

I don't know what CAN$300 translates to in US $ but how is that not 95% of what you guys sell? Now a customer, who took the risk to buy sight unseen, has to shuffled around and depend on someone actually calling them back. What is it the Sales Rep is going to say or ask that the the Customer service Rep can't do and record in your system? They are called Customer service reps right? Why are they qualified to complete the transaction?

To quote my girlfriend, its 2008. Surely some kind of tech solution can make it so the customer doesn't have to be dependant on somone calling them back. Whenever that happens.

Any model like this, and I've encountered it even with my Cable company is just more hassle for the customer.

vmaha

11-24-2008, 08:08 AM

ATTENTION ALL POTENTIAL DELL BUYERS AND DELL REPRESENTATIVES:

I purchased a Dell XPS system recently, but prior to purchasing the system I called Dell to inquire about return policies etc. Like any smart shopper, I asked "What if Dell lowers the price on the system or offers a better deal soon after I purchase this one?" The sales agent reassured me that if I purchased a laptop and did not open the packaging that I could return the system, worry free and not have to pay the 15% restocking fee (as long as the system is not opened nor used.)

Dell offered a better deal recently on the same laptop, but they had already shipped the first one. AGAIN, I was told that I should just receive the first laptop and then return it, unopened without having to pay 15% restocking fee. So I purchased the other Dell XPS Laptop for 1300$, expecting to simply return the first laptop once it is received.

I received the first laptop yesterday that I had ordered and when I called Dell to begin the return process I was told that I would HAVE TO PAY the 15% restocking fee! That's almost 200$!!! When I informed the customer service agent that I had been told otherwise and that the laptop is still in its original shipping box, unopened, she simply said that there was nothing she could do about it. I even have THE NAME (**Kaylee**) of the customer representative that I spoke with initially who told me that I would not have to pay the restocking fee. WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!?! I was directly LIED to by a Dell service agent, the laptop is still unopened and was only ordered 1 week ago.

Jason Dunn

11-24-2008, 07:21 PM

I purchased a Dell XPS system recently...I could return the system, worry free and not have to pay the 15% restocking fee (as long as the system is not opened nor used.)...Dell offered a better deal recently on the same laptop, but they had already shipped the first one. AGAIN, I was told that I should just receive the first laptop and then return it, unopened without having to pay 15% restocking fee. So I purchased the other Dell XPS Laptop for 1300$, expecting to simply return the first laptop once it is received.

Ouch - that's pretty ridiculous that they'd tell you one thing and then not honour it! It's a Dell XPS system, so I presume it's for home, not a business? I've noticed that with home users, Dell offers a 30-day money back guarantee where you can send it back for any reason. But with business customers, Dell isn't quite so flexible - they've tried to stick me with the 15% restocking fee a couple of times.

My advice? Return the whole thing. You only bought it a week ago, right? So you should be able to call Dell up and tell them you don't like the laptop, the size, weight, whatever. Then re-order the laptop at the new, lower price. Another option would be to call customer service, and ask to speak to a manager - and if he doesn't budge, ask to speak to his manager. Don't give up - be tenacious. And tell them you're writing about this experience on a blog - sometimes the pressure of bad PR will make Dell do the right thing.

Or, better yet, don't buy a Dell at all - I don't think companies should be rewarded for treating their customers poorly.

Let me know what happens!

Dell-LarryR

11-24-2008, 07:21 PM

I would recommend contacting our Unresolved Issues (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/outstanding_issues?c=us&l=en&s=gen) department if a normal escalation through Customer Care doesn't take care of the problem.

Fustrated

12-04-2008, 09:23 PM

I'm having a similar experience. I had purchased a Mini 9 plus a notebook sleeve from Dell Canada. I had called Dell Canada prior to purchasing the notebook online with the specific concern if the notebook's keyboard is too small for me to type with that I can return it. The Dell agent noted that I had 30 days to return if I did not like the notebook.

I used Dell Canada's website within a few days of receiving the notebook to submit a request a return, and it's been three weeks and another additional return request on Dell's website. So far, all I have gotten are calls from Dell agent trying to talk me out of returning the notebook. And their promises that another agent from the return department will call/email with instructions to send the notebook back.

BTW, I already own two Dell M1330.

Dell-LarryR

12-08-2008, 06:02 PM

Fustrated, if you keep having problems getting the return set up send me a PM with the order number and your contact info and I'll see about getting it to our Canadian escalation folks.

Fustrated

12-12-2008, 10:45 PM

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the offer to help with the return. Please check your PM.

Fustrated

Dell-LarryR

12-15-2008, 05:42 PM

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the offer to help with the return. Please check your PM.

Fustrated

I'm glad I could help. If everything goes as it should someone from the Canadian escalations group should contact you either today or tomorrow.

Fustrated

12-17-2008, 05:07 PM

Thanks Larry, you got the wheels moving at Dell Canada. Got the return authorization email on Monday.

Fustrated

Dell-LarryR

12-17-2008, 05:13 PM

Thanks Larry, you got the wheels moving at Dell Canada. Got the return authorization email on Monday.

Fustrated

Glad to hear it. I was just getting ready to harass them about it since I hadn't gotten a reply to my email yet. ;)

RACEMONEY

12-18-2008, 06:49 PM

You know....

Larry has obviously been a god send to these folks here on the Forum...

And I'd be willing to bet that he is a caring and dedicated employee who does his job really well...

I applaud you Larry from Dell....

BUT......

Why should the average consumer dealing with Dell have to hope and pray that they get to be lucky enough to run across a dedicated employee like Larry to get a simple return accomplished?

I had a similar negative situation many years ago (1998) with Gateway and I
eventually boxed it all back up and shipped it back to them at my own expense deliver confirmation requested....

Then when they called about not getting paid for it I sent them documentation that They...not I had possession of that computer and I was not going to pay them for something I did not have.

I had to call a few different heads of a few different departments but I eventually got the whole thing resolved and bought my first Dell.

I have made sure everyone I've ever known was told about Gateway's poor service.

Fortunately, (knock on wood) I have never had anything but good luck and absolutely no failures whatsoever with my many Dell purchases since 1998.

Therefore I have never needed Dell Support.

If I ever do......I hope Larry picks up the phone when I call in.

Thanks again, Larry, for being an employee that all Dell employees should aspire to someday be.

Rich Jerozal