Can Dell Support be any more stressful?

Background: I originally purchased an E1705 with a 1500 N minicard. Upon receipt I was unable to connect to my Belkin Pre-N router. After discussing the issue with Dell Technical Support, and posting a message here, it was determined that the 1500 N minicard only worked with select routers, specifically routers utilizing the Instensi-fi technology. Dell was nice enough to send out a free a/b/g card that was able to connect to my router.

Now fast forward 3 weeks, my computer is dead. After spending 2 hours on the phone with Dell Technical Support we determine it was a bad mother board, and a suspected faulty a/b/g card (it was very hot to the touch).

Current: My replacement E1705 is finally in production. Upon review of the invoice I notice it will be kitted with a 1500 N minicard. I immediately get on the phone with Dell Customer Care and explained the situation. After being transferred to 4 different departments I ended up back with Dell Customer Care. No one could help. Their standard response was “Well, that is what you originally purchased, so that it what we are shipping you”. I patiently stated (multiple times) that the 1500 N minicard does me no good, that is why Dell Technical Support sent me out a new one. Their response was for me to put the a/b/g card from my dead computer into the replacement computer. Why would I do that? Common sense dictates that that would be completely stupid of me. Why would I place a suspected faulty card into a new computer. Come on now, if the a/b/g card possibly fried the first computer, why would I chance frying a second motherboard. So finally I ask to talk to a supervisor, and once again I explain the situation. He tells me there is nothing he can do except for me to wait until I get the replacement computer, and then they can see about sending me out a new a/b/g card. I commented that I was hoping to have the a/b/g card at the same time I got my replacement, so that I could connect to the internet. He was adamant that I had to wait until I got the replacement. So in essence, I have to wait until I get the replacement, go through this whole ordeal again, then wait another couple of days to get a replacement card. Just for those who are curious, he too told me to put the old faulty a/b/g card into the new computer.

Side Note: When talking to Dell Technical Support this morning I was informed that the 1500 N minicard had no know issue with any N routers. That is would work with any Draft N/Pre-N router. I advised him he was solely misinformed. Per Dell’s own press release the 1500 N will only work with a router that uses Instensi-fi technology. I also mentioned that in my previous experience with Dell Tech Support that their technician informed me it was a known issue, and that not all routers would work. I felt like I was defending myself in court, I was sending him quotes from their own press releases, and chat logs, and he still wouldn’t believe me.

The whole point of sharing all this: (1) to alleviate my current stress level with Dell (2) to show that Dell Support lacks even an ounce of common sense.

Thanks for listening.

 

Dell support are full of idiots. There are some nice people who actually try to help however the overwhelming idiot culture makes anything impossible.

Anyway rule of thumb for Dell is to let them handle simple requests. My advice to you is to take the lappy and buy like an Atheros card.

p.s. I dont think your wifi card can fry your motherboard. Wifi cards gets hot is pretty normal.

 

Thank you for your advice lixuelai.

I too do not believe the wireless card was the sole purpose of the motherboard going bad, but I suspect that with it running so hot it was a contributing factor.

 

My father has a Dell for work and almost all of their notebooks had the song battery recall. With that said the IT guy took care of things by calling Dell and they worked out a deal that they would get replacement batteries for their business before the sent the faulty ones back. Well that fell through and now his company supposedly owes Dell for the price of over 200 batteries. I guess something got lost in translation or someone at Dell wasn't making and authorized decision.

 

I can't offer much advice.

Except to say that I think HP's support is worse than Dell's. They do their darndest so that you don't have to be "burdened" with talking with someone. They are the Yahoo! equivalent of PC support. That's been my notebook experience any way.

My desktop is a Gateway and I've found their support to be excellent. No scripts. Once they get a feel for your level of experience, they adjust for that (so no repeated "Click Start. Do you see control panel? Click control panel. Do you see internet options? Click internet options" blather - just "OK now go back to internet options").

Plus, I haven't needed support very often. Don't know about their laptops, but the desktop has been a solid performer.

 

yea most companies are like that, and i agree HP's support is worse than dell.

 

Perhaps the Belkin router may have been the problem to begin with.

 

wow.. Dell can be frustrating at times, I agree. I have spent 2.5 months trying to get $40CAD credit. I eventually got it but that took a while and I attribute getting it more to a miracle than to anything I did.

I'm not sure about connectivity between 1500N wireless card and Belkin's Pre-N router, but I would be really surprised to know that your laptop's mobo got fried because of a different wireless card. Besides I think they also use mobo as "the reason" when they decide to give you a replacement system.