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(The Consumerist) Fail Dell tries out a new shipping policy, which guarantees free overnight shipping for laptop purchases, though it may take up to 18 overnights to reach you   (consumerist.com) divider line 45
More: Fail, Dell XPS One DESKTOP computer, Rob, specifications  
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45 Comments   (+0 »)


 
NeuroticRocker [recently expired TotalFark] 2009-11-05 01:58:11 PM  
img.epinions.com

 
Pixelvision 2009-11-05 05:54:52 PM  
"overnight" is not, and never will be a synonym of "send"

 
12349876 2009-11-05 05:59:42 PM  
Here's the translation for said dumbass consumer.

The package wasn't in the mail for 18 days.

When they finally DID ship it to you, they shipped it overnight.

 
Playinodds 2009-11-05 06:02:49 PM  
looks like a relatively rare screwup, not in dells normal sales but rather the "someone ordered it and then cancelled it".

I've bought 4 computers from dell in the last 3 years, each has come before the estimated date. One had to be sent in to dell for work - they shipped me a box and labels, I put the laptop in the box, put on the labels, and called UPS for pickup. I sent off the laptop thursday morning, got it back monday morning repaired.

The only bad part of the experience was dealing with the inept and annoying indian call center guys to get them to ship me the box to begin with.

 
TheGreatGazoo 2009-11-05 06:12:33 PM  
Outpost.com has gone the way of the dodo.

 
oneodd1 2009-11-05 06:17:46 PM  
TheGreatGazoo: Outpost.com has gone the way of the dodo.

Is it hosted on the same servers as bookpool?

 
crazypeltast52 2009-11-05 06:24:41 PM  
Why would anyone who knows anything about dell expect their computer overnight?

That isn't how they do business. They take your order, build it, and then ship it. They don't do that finished products inventory stuff.

 
BumpInTheNight 2009-11-05 06:27:50 PM  
Yah shipping happens; grow up.

The line '18 days' is to cover their ass in case it actually takes two weeks for some god-forsaken reason, so long as the parts are available the overnight is very much in effect. What whiny mc entitledpants fails to mention is how long it actually ended up taking for the replacement to arrive, my bets are it shows up tomorrow, but of course it will just get quietly ignored.

 
bhcompy 2009-11-05 06:48:46 PM  
At least they're not using Smartpost

 
Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener [TotalFark] 2009-11-05 06:48:52 PM  
img4.imageshack.us

Dude, you're getting pissed off!

 
Spontaneous Defenstration 2009-11-05 06:49:09 PM  
I ordered a laptop from Dell a month ago.

I find out a few days ago that they canceled my order (without telling me!) and created yet another, with another one-month delay. Why? I don't know, the most of the information I got was an "incompatibility with the wireless drivers." Either way, I'm going to end up waiting two months for a laptop.fark Dell.

 
akharon 2009-11-05 06:56:39 PM  
Spontaneous Defenstration: I ordered a laptop from Dell a month ago.

I find out a few days ago that they canceled my order (without telling me!) and created yet another, with another one-month delay. Why? I don't know, the most of the information I got was an "incompatibility with the wireless drivers." Either way, I'm going to end up waiting two months for a laptop.fark Dell.


So why not cancel your order and go through someone else?

 
Handsome B. Wonderful 2009-11-05 07:09:41 PM  
12349876: Here's the translation for said dumbass consumer.

The package wasn't in the mail for 18 days.

When they finally DID ship it to you, they shipped it overnight.


How hard is this for people to understand this?

 
oneodd1 2009-11-05 07:20:03 PM  
crazypeltast52: Why would anyone who knows anything about dell expect their computer overnight?

That isn't how they do business. They take your order, build it, and then ship it. They don't do that finished products inventory stuff.


Why read the article and learn that it was a returned system and there was not much build time in it.

 
Unknown_Poltroon [recently expired TotalFark] 2009-11-05 07:24:58 PM  
Spontaneous Defenstration: I ordered a laptop from Dell a month ago.

I find out a few days ago that they canceled my order (without telling me!) and created yet another, with another one-month delay. Why? I don't know, the most of the information I got was an "incompatibility with the wireless drivers." Either way, I'm going to end up waiting two months for a laptop.fark Dell.


Glad to hear you're encouraging them by CONTINUING TO BUY THEIR shiat.

 
ihatedumbpeople 2009-11-05 07:44:45 PM  
Slight threadjack here, but I can't stand people that buy outlet, reconditioned or "scratch and dent" merchandise, then whine and complain it's not new.

I talk to people on a relatively regular basis that purchase "scratch and dent" stock from our stores, then are completely amazed when it actually has scratches...they then ask for new merchandise to replace the 'damaged' goods, and they get it...granted they pay the difference.

/end threadjack
//he wasn't complaining about the merchandise
///anticipating a dozen people whining that I DRTFA

 
gobbles71 [TotalFark] 2009-11-05 07:52:45 PM  
ihatedumbpeople: Slight threadjack here, but I can't stand people that buy outlet, reconditioned or "scratch and dent" merchandise, then whine and complain it's not new.

I talk to people on a relatively regular basis that purchase "scratch and dent" stock from our stores, then are completely amazed when it actually has scratches...they then ask for new merchandise to replace the 'damaged' goods, and they get it...granted they pay the difference.

/end threadjack
//he wasn't complaining about the merchandise
///anticipating a dozen people whining that I DRTFA


images.businessweek.com

 
Tobin_Lam 2009-11-05 08:06:07 PM  
12349876: Here's the translation for said dumbass consumer.

The package wasn't in the mail for 18 days.

When they finally DID ship it to you, they shipped it overnight.


Overnight typically means it will arrive the next day. That's why people order it like that. There's no point in overnighting if it is already going to be sitting around for almost 3 weeks. A couple more days for shipping doesn't matter in that case.

On the other hand, I ordered something from Amazon with 5-7 day shipping and had it in my mailbox in less than 24 hours. That was awesome.

 
jake3988 2009-11-05 08:06:10 PM  
I nor anyone I know has ever had a good experience with dell. And I've read awful things online about Dell. Don't ever get a dell.

ACER FTW!

 
hamsack 2009-11-05 08:14:34 PM  
Don't even get me started with Alienware.

 
Choadzilla 2009-11-05 08:15:15 PM  
If you want it today, go buy some "off the shelf" crap at any box store and hope that it hasn't been sitting there for 6 months or more.

When you are done, proceed to the STFU lane.

 
foo monkey 2009-11-05 08:26:33 PM  
Should have bought a mac

yeah, that $2K Dell translates into a $4k mac.

 
RoxtarRyan [TotalFark] 2009-11-05 08:31:23 PM  
Spontaneous Defenstration: I ordered a laptop from Dell a month ago.

I find out a few days ago that they canceled my order (without telling me!) and created yet another, with another one-month delay. Why? I don't know, the most of the information I got was an "incompatibility with the wireless drivers." Either way, I'm going to end up waiting two months for a laptop.fark Dell.


...well, I see the stupidity in this story has already been pointed out. Carry on.

 
Dr. Nick Riviera [recently expired TotalFark] 2009-11-05 08:40:04 PM  
hamsack: Don't even get me started with Alienware.

What happened to Alienware? Last computer I bought from them was about 5 years ago (pre-Dell merger), but it's still running ok.

 
Bacontastesgood 2009-11-05 09:05:19 PM  
I gave up on Dell when they wouldn't help me with my monitor until I provided them with a service code. I didn't buy a system, I just bought a monitor. They just kept transferring me around saying they needed the service code from my system.

Plus their computers always have these jive ass proprietary connectors on the mobo.

 
SBWorks 2009-11-05 09:42:12 PM  
I'd take Dell shipping screw-ups over HP related shipping screw-ups. They always seemed to go the extra mile to botch things up.

I loved HP's "2-Day Warranty" on laptops, too. That $200 warranty was written to make is sound exactly like Dell's warranty but they didn't mean that they would fix it in 2 days, it only meant that they would use 2-day shipping back and forth to the repair depot. The actual repair still took two weeks but they shipped it faster...

 
Antidamascus 2009-11-05 10:03:48 PM  
To overnight something just means it's shipped overnight, not that you get the product the next day after you place the order, right?

We've often had to wait on a product for many days and then overnight it to someone.

 
Spontaneous Defenstration 2009-11-05 10:04:09 PM  
akharon: Spontaneous Defenstration: I ordered a laptop from Dell a month ago.

I find out a few days ago that they canceled my order (without telling me!) and created yet another, with another one-month delay. Why? I don't know, the most of the information I got was an "incompatibility with the wireless drivers." Either way, I'm going to end up waiting two months for a laptop.fark Dell.

So why not cancel your order and go through someone else?


Find me someone else who has a Core i7 laptop with a decent screen that isn't $2000 and I'll drop my order immediately.

 
erscott_420 2009-11-05 11:32:53 PM  
foo monkey: Should have bought a mac

yeah, that $2K Dell translates into a $4k mac.


bought a dell inspiron 1500 in october 2006...80gb hd,1gb ram.1469 after tax....got the blue screen of death in Jan 2007.get sent a replacement that has vista home basic on it.suffered untill last month when i ordered my mac mini, with 2gb of ram and 120 gb hd for 579....so basically my 600 mac > my 1400 dell...

/just sayin
//smug free.

 
12349876 2009-11-05 11:37:14 PM  
Tobin_Lam: Overnight typically means it will arrive the next day. That's why people order it like that. There's no point in overnighting if it is already going to be sitting around for almost 3 weeks. A couple more days for shipping doesn't matter in that case.

Overnight is important for security and insurance reasons. And the computer was probably still being worked on during those 18 days.

Tobin_Lam: On the other hand, I ordered something from Amazon with 5-7 day shipping and had it in my mailbox in less than 24 hours. That was awesome.

If you live near a distribution center, you can get things quick.

 
Hugo Zorilla 2009-11-05 11:43:55 PM  
FTFA:
The rep apologizes again for the mishap and says that they will send the replacement via overnight shipping from their warehouse within 18 business days.

WHAT!?!?!? I asked her if that was correct to which she responded, "Oh yes sir, we need to find a computer with the exact specifications with the one you ordered."


Dell is trying to accommodate the customer -

"we need to find a computer with the exact specifications with the one you ordered."

But to do so will take some time.

They don't have it sitting on the shelf -

"they will send the replacement via overnight shipping from their warehouse"

Once they find (or build) the replacement, they'll overnight it.

What is so hard to understand?

 
M-G 2009-11-05 11:51:47 PM  
Dell's definition of next business day is pretty screwed up as well. Took almost two weeks to get a system fixed that had NBD coverage...

 
themindiswatching 2009-11-06 12:57:28 AM  
12349876: If you live near a distribution center, you can get things quick.

This.

/lives near the Newegg warehouse.

 
schief2 [TotalFark] 2009-11-06 01:04:59 AM  
I got my credit card number ripped off somehow about six months ago. The one thing they were able to successfully purchase (because I was out of the country and didn't check my statement for a couple weeks) was a laptop from Dell's online store.

It amazed me then, and amazes me now, that Dell was perfectly happy to ship a $1500 laptop to an address three states away from my card's billing address, apparently without doing any verification whatsoever. Luckily it was minimal hassle to dispute the charge.

/cool story bro

 
Tourney3p0 2009-11-06 01:08:49 AM  
erscott_420:

bought a dell inspiron 1500 in october 2006...80gb hd,1gb ram.1469 after tax....got the blue screen of death in Jan 2007.get sent a replacement that has vista home basic on it.suffered untill last month when i ordered my mac mini, with 2gb of ram and 120 gb hd for 579....so basically my 600 mac > my 1400 dell...


Bought an Apple ][ back in July 1977...no hd, 48kb ram. $2900 after tax...got the black and and green screen of death in Feb 81.bought a vista machine last month for $499... so basically my 499 vista > my 2900 mac.

 
jonohull 2009-11-06 01:10:11 AM  
erscott_420: foo monkey: Should have bought a mac

yeah, that $2K Dell translates into a $4k mac.

bought a dell inspiron 1500 in october 2006...80gb hd,1gb ram.1469 after tax....got the blue screen of death in Jan 2007.get sent a replacement that has vista home basic on it.suffered untill last month when i ordered my mac mini, with 2gb of ram and 120 gb hd for 579....so basically my 600 mac > my 1400 dell...

/just sayin
//smug free.


You're comparing a laptop with a desktop, and there's a 3 year time difference. Of course it's going to be cheaper. I bet you didn't get a screen with your Mini either. Hey, why don't you also compare a tree with my bathtub?

 
drjekel_mrhyde 2009-11-06 01:14:55 AM  
Buy from Dell, HP, or Apple you need to get farked hard
/Newegg and Tigerdirect FTW

 
armoredbulldozer 2009-11-06 01:57:27 AM  
JewBoy Electronics makes shiatty computers anyways. Get an Asus.

 
LGeezer 2009-11-06 03:23:57 AM  
Tourney3p0:

Bought an Apple ][ back in July 1977...

I shall assume you meant that '][' ironically, otherwise I'd have to call you a tosser.

 
oneodd1 2009-11-06 07:29:22 AM  
erscott_420: foo monkey: Should have bought a mac

yeah, that $2K Dell translates into a $4k mac.

bought a dell inspiron 1500 in october 2006...80gb hd,1gb ram.1469 after tax....got the blue screen of death in Jan 2007.get sent a replacement that has vista home basic on it.suffered untill last month when i ordered my mac mini, with 2gb of ram and 120 gb hd for 579....so basically my 600 mac > my 1400 dell...

/just sayin
//smug free.


Try again. You got a replacement system for a software error?

LGeezer: Tourney3p0:

Bought an Apple ][ back in July 1977...

I shall assume you meant that '][' ironically, otherwise I'd have to call you a tosser.


That's how it was printed on those old bastards:

www.sbprojects.com

www.vintage-computer.com

Interesting site for ][s. (new window)

 
finnished 2009-11-06 08:15:32 AM  
Spontaneous Defenstration:
Find me someone else who has a Core i7 laptop with a decent screen that isn't $2000 and I'll drop my order immediately.


I don't know what you mean by decent screen, but Newegg has 6 Core i7 laptops, all well under $2000.

 
Mi-5 2009-11-06 01:06:22 PM  
erscott_420: foo monkey: Should have bought a mac

yeah, that $2K Dell translates into a $4k mac.

bought a dell inspiron 1500 in october 2006...80gb hd,1gb ram.1469 after tax....got the blue screen of death in Jan 2007.get sent a replacement that has vista home basic on it.suffered untill last month when i ordered my mac mini, with 2gb of ram and 120 gb hd for 579....so basically my 600 mac > my 1400 dell...

/just sayin
//smug free.


And your point is what, Smugbag?

You are comparing machines from different generations of computer.

 
2many280s 2009-11-07 12:26:07 AM  
I'm an independent IT guy and I have to give Dell some credit on their Gold support (or whatever they are calling it these days). Any time I've had to call them for a customer for a replacement part I always get an American, no bullshiat troubleshooting from someone who has no clue, and hell no more than 15-20 minutes on the phone before parts are overnight shipped. Last time I had to call for a customer went something like this...

Me: I've got a Dimension soandso here, about 9 months old that died, looked like a bad power supply but PS checks out ok and some caps are puffed around the CPU so I'm thinking motherboard.
Him: Yep, puffed caps, bad board, what is the service tag?
Me: xxxxx
Him: Power supply will fail too, bad batch, how many of them do you have?
Me: They upgraded a few recently, looks like there is 3 of this model left in the office.
Him: I'll go ahead and send out 3 Power supplies and motherboards, the other 2 will probably fail too. (Double checks address on file)
Me: Yep thats it.
Him: Should be there tomorrow, need an installer or do you want to do it?
Me: I can do it.
Him: Ok, parts are on the way, anything else?
Me: Nope thats it, Thanks.
Him: Here is a ref number, call us back if there are any problems with the shipment.
Me: Thanks, Bye.

Next day DHL showed up with a box full of parts. No Indians wanting me to restart a dead system or any other bullshiat, just straight to the point and quick. Haven't gotten that kind of service from any of the other manufacturers.

 
castufari 2009-11-07 09:05:22 AM  
2many280s: I'm an independent IT guy and I have to give Dell some credit on their Gold support (or whatever they are calling it these days).

If you have gold. Most end users don't get that kid of service, if they call they get someone in who knows where...India, Philippines, etc. We have a gov't account with same day on servers, NBD on everything else. Server support is great, always a US guy when I've called. Desktop/laptops vary, usually stateside but I've talked to a guy overseas once when I called the problem in at 11pm EST.

Handsome B. Wonderful: How hard is this for people to understand this?

Very hard. I tell people that unless the site says "all in stock items ordered before 3pm PST will ship same day unless otherwise noted" then they might have to wait a couple of days. Not happy with that? They go visit a local brick and mortar.

 
falkone32 2009-11-07 05:41:59 PM  
oneodd1
Try again. You got a replacement system for a software error?

Uhh.. failing hardware will often cause BSODs. In my experience, if a company like Dell can blame someone else then they will. Chances are it was confirmed with a diagnostic program or a complete system restore.

 
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