Dell Laptop Order Stages Wiki

WoOOTOOTOT! and Congrat's to you!!! Finally, it's all YOUR'S, and your are McLuvin on it! hee hee

Enjoy~!


Cin

 

Hi Guys... I have a question about an order I placed with Dell. Here is the basics.

On 1/28/2009 I ordered the following:

XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz
4GB, DDR3
16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP
ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Vista Home Premium Edition 64-bit
8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Intel WiFi Link 5300


The order has been in 'production' since 1/29/2009. I just found out about the dell phone number to check on order status on Monday 2/2/2009.

I called the order status number on Monday and it was in the 'Testing' stage. Well, even today ( Wed 2/4/2009 ) it is still in the Testing stage. I am not sure how long before Monday it has been in the testing stage.

My question is: From what I have read on this forum, the testing stage only lasts for a couple of hours. Could this be a sign of technical issues with my Studio XPS 16?

I am just curious if anyone has come across this problem before and how long this might delay shipping?

Thanks.

 

That could mean something failed testing, but I'm not totally sure because my order was boxing by the time I found out about the phone number.

 

Hi Matt. It looks like your ordered close to the system I ordered. Once it was in boxing stage, how long did it take to get delivered? I am guessing the laptop is built in Malaysia? So a plane ride over and then shipping?

 

Testing stage can last from a few hours to a few days. I don't think it failed. Call Customer Care, speak with a Rep, and ask them to tell you exactly what stage your order is in. And, if there are any potential delays. Sometimes, the Automated Dial and online order status are not updated, accordingly.


Cin

 

I learned about the phone# on Wednesday, January 28, 2009, and it was boxing then so I don't how long it was boxing before then. It shipped on Friday, January 30, and was delivered on Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

 

Hi guys, first post here.

Ordered mine on the 3rd of February at 6:45pm, and am expecting for my Studio 15 to ship on the 13th. I'm hoping it gets here earlier then that, perhaps before the 13th (I live in San Antonio, and I'm hoping, though I doubt it, that it's being built in Austin). It's currently in the build stage right now, so what I'd like to know, is how long from this point would it take to get shipping and possibly into my hot little hands?

 

Hey!

If it's already in the build stage, and this Friday is the 13th..perhaps..barring any delays and such with the build..maybe it shall ship on 2/12? That's less than 2 days. Let see on that.


Cin

 

Hey Cin, I hope so. I'm quite excited to get it because it's my first laptop ever (my parents have had a couple, but desktops have been for me for years). Every 4 hours or so I log into Dell and check to see if it has shipped, and all my friends laugh at me for it.

 

I think I checked more often than that, especially when it got to boxing, etc...

 

Yeah, I get all excited whenever I get an email from Dell thinking that it's telling me it has shipped, then I realise it's just adverts

 

Oh first lappy's are nice! I got mine 1 year ago, in January!

Oh you have the Order Status Addiction...Don't worry, it will go away once it has shipped...Then the Anticipation Addiction comes into play. That one keeps you on *pins and needles*, but you will be fine. Were all here to support one another in these crisis'

LoL...I checked soo much on my Order status...

Did you sign up for e-mail notification? You will receive and email once it's shipped!

Cin

 

Yeah, I did. This wait is killing me

 

The waiting is truly the hardest part. Keep postiive that it will ship on Friday!


Cin

 

My Dell Odyssey: By Mourkaii

(this is very, very, very long...apologies, but I had to vent in my favorite thread of all time...):

I hope a few people here can relate somewhat. My hope is that this may help people out in the future:

On 1/4/2009 I ordered a Dell XPS 1530 with an LED-LCD screen (which was a FREE upgrade at the time), with ESD of 1/26/2009. To my excitement, on 1/12/2009 (a Monday) it was in Testing Stage...on 1/13 in Boxing Stage, on 1/14 back to Testing stage, 1/15 back to Boxing stage...and on 1/16/2009 (Friday) I received an email from Dell stating that "Order Delayed" and the ESD was changed to 1/26/2009 (a week late). I called Dell to hear why exactly it was delayed: I was told the LED-screen needed to be ordered. If I wished, I could downgrade to the CCFL screen and the computer would ship within 2-3 days, and I would be refunded $75 for the downgrade AND upgraded to Next Day Delivery (I was ecstatic as you can imagine). I said "yes please" because I'm not too picky on which screen I would be using. Having patience, I waited, understanding from the get-go that my order had an original ESD of 1/26/2009 regardless.

So a few weeks went by, and on that Monday (1/26/2009), expecting it to ship any moment, I received an email from Dell at 9am...my heart leaped (literally) and then my world came crashing down when I realized it was delayed a second time. However, this time in the email it stated that my order will be automatically canceled by Noon PST due to Federal Trade Commission regulations, unless I clicked an appropriate link to wait the additional two weeks for my order. I chose to wait, again, and clicked the appropriate link on the website, receiving a confirmation email that I had given permission to Dell for continuing my order.

Three days later (1/29/2009) I checked the website for my order status, and found to my horror that the status read "Canceled".

Now, I should explain that I am an extremely patient person, but I was about at my wits-end at this point. So, I called Dell customer service to figure out what had happened. I was hung up on four times, mis-transferred twice, asked for my information exactly seventeen (17) times by nine different individuals in three different departments (yes, I kept track), and finally transferred to a manager. What I was told next, after 2 1/2 hours on (-and off) the phone, was that the order had been canceled automatically due to my lack of permission. I was P.O.'d to say the slightest, but tried to keep my calm and explain that I had given permission via the Dell website using the appropriate link and process at 838am PST (3 1/2 hours before the automated cancellation time), and that I had received a confirmation email a few days earlier that my order would be continued with. To me, being a database administrator and website designer, I knew that something could easily have been "off" with their website, the links, or where they theoretically routed to. Anyway...

Upon hearing this, the CSR Manager stumbled over himself trying to explain and rationalize the situation, in terrible pseudo-English (of course) I might add. Again, having patience, and understanding that the order was canceled, I proceeded to move emotionally and mentally toward the idea that I would have to re-order another laptop. However, the CSR Manager stated that it was still possible to (and I quote) "re-initialize" the same order and place it "in a state of the highest priority." I asked if this would be faster than ordering something new, and he confirmed, and said that it would ship on or before 2/4/2009 if we went ahead and "pull(ed) the current order out of cancellation stage and re-initialized the order".

Now, I wondered immediately where this "2/4/2009" date was coming from, and asked again for him to confirm that date, which he did. I then asked what was originally holding up the computer. He stated that I had ordered the CCFL instead of the LED screen, and that the CCFL screen for the XPS 1530 had to be ordered. At this point, I lost it: "But I ordered the LED screen originally, which was the first delaying part, and a CSR changed it for me to the CCFL to get me the computer faster, assuring me that it would ship in 2-3 days." Upon hearing this, the CSR Manager stated (and I quote again): "Sir, we are not able to change an order after it has been placed, as they are locked into our system." I pointed out, that not only was the screen changed, but my delivery was upgraded to Next Day Delivery. He said, again "Sir, not even the delivery method can be changed once the order is locked into our system."

I smelled something bad, really rotten: The smell of b*******. Yeah, that's the degree in which I lost it. So, I asked the Dell CSR Manager to transfer me to his superior. I was red in the face, and wanted to speak to someone higher up the ladder. I got a befuddled response and had to ask again: "Everyone is managed by someone, and I am asking to speak with your superior, please." For ten minutes this mini-conversation went around in circles: that there wasn't someone higher available, on and on that went. Eventually, I was told by this CSR Manager that an "executive supervisor" would be returning my call shortly. I began to ask how shortly, as I had a number of conference calls to be on that day and the next, and would like particular hours to receive a call, or an email sent directly to me as an alternative. I was shocked at the next part...

"Sir, be more patient and you will get your computer eventually." And then the CSR Manager hung up...on me. Now I don't know everything about most Customer service departments, but there is one golden rule: You will not get hung up on, because this a big bad no-no with lots of bad-ju-ju-sauce on top. Well he did...he hung up. After hanging up the phone on my end I wrote an email to Dell through their website, pointing out the different CSR agents that had "helped" me and each of their station/ID numbers (which I'm always careful to get at the start of a conversation).

Many days went by, and out of the blue yesterday (2/11/2009) my phone began ringing, citing an area code for which I was familiar with, a region I used to live near: Virginia (DC Area). My eyebrows went up, and I picked the phone up. This time, I was impressed, shocked and thrown back a bit. A well spoken American was on the other end, "Jonathan", and he was an executive supervisor from Dell customer service. I almost missed his name at the thought of speaking with someone from Dell that spoke clear English (I'm not being belligerent here, it literally was just...something-else). I relished in this for a moment...

In short, Jonathan told me that my order had never been delayed due to any specific issue, and that it had never been changed from LED to CCFL to anything else, much less priority. He also mentioned that he was "taking measures" to deal with the customer service problems I encountered, and in particular the CSR Manager that hung up on me. He also mentioned that Dell cannot change an order, or it's shipping method, unless it is delayed a second time: At that point, they are required by the FTC to allow the cancellation of the order, and they can change it, ultimately, in rare situations. With that cleared-up he said that with my consent we could three-way call to a CSR to place a new order, which he would personally sit-in on, and he would have that new order put in for me if I wished with a 35% discount applied in addition to the 20% discount deal on the XPS 1530 model, free Next Day shipping, my LED screen I originally ordered at no extra charge and a priority placed on the order. He then said, "Shall we call it in, Logan?". He remembered my first name, not "Mr. XXX" or "Sir"...."Logan". I'm sorry, but I just about $*** my pants right there (pardon the langauge)...and I managed to quibble out..."Absolutely, and thank you so much, Jon". "Sure thing, Logan. Sit tight just a second." Talk about the crown-jewel of CSR experiences, and a complete 180-turn from the previous experience...

So that was yesterday, and my order is already in "Boxing Phase" In Production. Talk about fast, although I'm still keeping my fingers crossed at this point.

So I'm...Seven weeks on now, with no laptop, but likely one on the way next week.

However, most importantly: I wanted to thank the original poster of this thread, as well as all the hundreds of responses to it, in helping me keep my cool for seven weeks on my order. I consider my unusually-high-patience threshold (gauged from others stories here) has been thoroughly tested, but all-in-all Dell did, in the end, do anything and everything they could to be sure they retained me as a customer, and anyone I might talk to or recommend them to in the futuer. And that, in the end, is a win-win for them and me. And, not to mention, I got a completely loaded-out XPS 1530 with 3 year warranty and 3 year accidental protection for a total ~55% off ...but, unfortunately, I'll never get those seven weeks back, or every day of these (so far) 40 days of checking my order status and praying "this will be the day..."

Thanks so much, and I hope this story helps other people gain perspective, stoutness, insight or anything else that will help them in their own quest for a new Dell laptop.

May your journey be shorter, and more rewarding than my own. -Mourkaii
EDIT!: I should have mentioned, as well, that I found much support from this and many other comments about Dell...and my experience seems to NOT be nearly the worst ever (actually, mine has so far had a "good ending" *knock on wood): http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=46264 as an example.

 

Well, my worst fears were confirmed today. I called up the CSRs and they said it was being delayed until the 27th of February. I told them it was totally unacceptable for this, and asked for compensation. All of the CSRs were jerks and didn't want to help, let alone explain anything to me. So I called up the sales rep I used, talked to one of her team mates, and they gave me the option to cancel, which I took.

Instead, I called up the Dell Outlet, got a 1537 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Illuminated Keyboard, Fingerprint scanner, Webcam, ATI Radeon 3450 Mobile for pretty much the same price WITH 2 day shipping. I'll get it either on Tuesday or Wednesday. We'll see what happens this time.

 

Dell is a huge company and they do have a big chunk of the computer market. But they would be much more profitable if only they had premium customer service.

My order was delayed and it finally shipped and it will be here probably the middle of next week. If there is nothing wrong with my system I will probably keep it as it is the style I have been waiting for.

BUT I will be honest in saying that I will not order from Dell again. Not to be rude and spiteful but to make sure that my hard earned money is spent with someone that actually takes care of their customers.

Sure we all are impatient waiting on your new order. We want it right now and that is only human. But the way their customer service is handled and what that portion of their company has evolved to is not for me.

 

Oh noze! That's too bad.....It stinks that they really didn't care that you were going to cancel ~ Or do anything for you to help with the *long wait*

I see alot more peep's on the forum are ordering from the Outlet...ease of ordering, great pricing, and very fast shipment! I would prob's do this too!

Let us know when you receive your lappy from the Outlet next week, and howit's working out for you!

Cin

 

Yeah, it really sucked because they didn't care if I spread stuff around on the net (which was an empty threat, but I threw it out there). I got misdirected a couple times, and when I talked to somebody about canceling my order, the guy got all pissy with me saying it's already in production, you can't cancel the order. I told him BS, it hasn't even been put together yet, blah blah blah. So I finally had to call up my Sales Rep and have somebody on her team cancel it. Got transfered over to the Outlet, and they told me that as opposed to the 2 hours of testing they put the new machines through, they put the outlet ones through 4 days of training .

So I ordered it... 2 day shipping, and it's already in San Antonio. I'm hoping it'll be delivered on Monday.

 

Yup, that's major, dissapointing suckage what you went thru. And, the Rep telling you that you can't cancel your order whilst in production, is utter BS!

Well, at least it's on its way to you for hopefully a Monday delivery..and you got a much better deal, I'm sure!


Cin

 

interesting post! thanks!

I have a question though, when your order is shipped, does dell email you the Purolater shipping number immediately?

 

Just keep checking the order number page, it'll say shipped, and it'll say the name of the carrier and the tracking number. Click on it, and it'll take you to the tracking page. Not sure if that's how Purolater works (since I'm in the States), but that's how it is with FedEx and mine that's on it's way.

 

Just checking, did you receive a tracking number, yet??
Hoping for today, for you!

Cin

 

Yeah, I did. It's in San Antonio, currently on the phone with FedEx to see if they can get it pulled and have it waiting for me so I can pick it up today (since it's in San Antonio and even though it's slated to be delivered tomorrow, it's already in San Antonio).

 

They said that it's still in the shipping container at the airport and since it's not due to be delivered until tomorrow, it'll probably sit there to then. Which sucks considering it's in San Antonio. If they would just get it to the FedEx facility, I can go pick it up >.<

 

Aaaaah! I know that stinks that it's nearly w/in your grasp..and you have to continue to wait!

Well, be patient a bit longer! Think soon, it will be all *yours*

Cin

 

Yeah, I've been calling FedEx every couple of hours trying to see if it's there. I'm on the phone again seeing if it's out of the shipping container. Cause if it is... I will drive to go get it before I go to work today

 

on your order status page, do they update the status throughout the day or at the end of the day? I ordered mine days ago and it doesn't even say its in build yet.

 

HA! I was like that when my Mini 9 was enroute to my city. I ended up picking it up from the FedEx depot in the evening after work.

(We had a snow storm anyways, and they were called off their delivery routes)...

I hope you can get it before work today!


Cin

 

Nope... I'm at work right now. Sad thing is, it's still sitting in a shipping container. I'm hoping they call in the next couple of hours, and I'll take off early to go get it.

 

If the website isn't updated, try calling the order status number. It'll have more up to date information.

 

It usually updates overnight. You can get more dedicated info by calling: 1-800-433-9014, and entering your 9 digit order number. (Thats The Automated Dial)

Also, if you want more conclusive information call and ask a Rep

Hope so too, for you!


Cin

 

Apparently, what I've been told by multiple people at FedEx is wrong. It won't be offloaded off the shipping container until tomorrow. Which is total BS considering 6 people have told me it would be done this afternoon... I'm going to call later and see what they say.

 

rawwrrrr and grrrrr = Go get em'...

I hate that when no one at a company will take responsibility for what they have told a customer

Let us know what they say.


Cin

 

Yeah, this whole process has been a pain in the rear. :/

And to think I never had much problems with FedEx till now...

 

Yeah, it's just too bad. I've always had good luck with FedEx, too.

I do think they are much better than DHL..when Dell was using them in the area I live!

Cin

 

Well, I guess this whole ordeal is just getting worse... I called up at the start of my lunch break, find out it's at the hub office, drive like a madman through San Antonio... to find out it's still in a shipping container at the airport -________- I have to go back at 8am to get it. If it's not there at 8am, I am going to TICKED to all get out.

 

Oh no..this has turned into a not so fun adventure for you, hasn't it.

How are things looking today?


Cin

 

And it's now safely in my hands I've already unpacked it (forgot to get pictures because of my voracity to get it up and running) and have already wiped it, and am in the process of installing Windows 7 on it

Though, found out the Vista version they sent with it is only 32-bit... so I'll have to call them for the 64-bit disk later on down the line.

 

Now, it's official: Congrat's!!!

Did you just rip right into the packaging and such??

Glad you finally have it! And, so far so good for you!
Yeah, they will usually send that disk to you!

One word: Enjoy!


Cin

 

Thanks And yeah, I ripped into the packaging. I had to stop myself from opening the box in the car on the ride back home.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting an update (to my epic-length post a few pages ago). I just returned from a business trip:

So, my order is still in testing, and is supposed to ship in two days (thursday). I'm getting a bit worried it will not have enough time for "boxing", and thus won't get to the US in time for it to ship out to me Thursday (Next Business Day Delivery for Friday 2/20).

*crosses fingers and hopes beyond hope...*

Again, apologies for such a long post earlier...I really needed to vent I guess. And Cin: thanks for all the advice to others, it's helped along my process immensely

I can't wait to rip into my laptop delivery Friday *hopes*

 

Congradulations coraldayton! I'm losing my mind waiting on my laptop (and here I thought I was patient...)

 

LMAO...well it's yours now!

How's it going with it?

Hey! Try and be a bit more patient....Lappy's can move out of the building stage fairly quickly! There is a good chance that it will ship on Thursday, for yah!

It's only 48 hours away if it does ship on Thursday, then a Friday delivery!

Stay strong! lol.


Cin

 

I'm from Canada, and called Dell this morning, to check the status of my order. He said it's already built and it might be shipped in 2-3 days. Does anyone know if Purolator delivers in Canada on Saturdays?!

 

This morning my order made it to "Boxing stage"...and if it can ship sometime tomorrow I'll get it Friday! *crosses fingers*

 

I'm not 100% certain, but I don't believe they do. I found this *rather old thread*, it may be of some help to you:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=154438&page=4

Oh, that's just great! I hope you would get it by Friday, also!!
*fingers crossed with yah*


Cin

 

*sigh*...right at Noon here I got another "Order Delayed" email from Dell...this is the third now on this order :/. New Revised Estimated Ship Date: 2/25/2009 (next Wednesday)

Oh well...It's far enough along that I'm sure it will ship next week. *sigh again*

Another long weekend with no computer at home :/

 

ah i'm in delivery prep!!!! does anyone know how long this lasts before its shipped? is it the same day? Actually beside delivery prep it says: ship date is 2/19 which is today, but it doesn't say shipped........

 

sorry, I just found out about this thread. So if this question has been asked before please excuse for that.
I just want to know the location that dell ships out their completed systems to customers.
Thanks