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6156
Sales site price error, Dell policy
I'm hoping someone from Dell can help me out. I purchased and Alienware Alpha R2 with free Graphics Amplifier. Dell was also running a promotion to get the amplifier with PNY XLR8 GTX 1080 for and additional $199. I was charged for the promotion but now Dell is telling me that they will not honor it.
I was also shuffled around from department to department denying that this promotion existed. I finally found someone at order modification department at 1-800-247-2076, option 4, that confirmed the promotion existed and that it was added to my cart.
The order modification department told me that they will not send me the PNY 1080 but offered me a lower end video card or $150 (which isn't even equal to the $199 I was charged.) The manager I spoke with was very rude, Sandra 8112883 and appeared to just want to get me off the line.
Who can I speak with that will actually help me out? I don't want a lower end video card, I don't want a $150 refund, I'd like the PNY XLR8 1080 of the promotion.
For the record I have screenshots of the promotion and it added to my cart stating that it's the Amplifier + PNY XLR8.
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
Community Manager
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54.9K Posts
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June 30th, 2016 15:00
Because this was filed with the BBB, it is now in the hands of our Executive Services Legal Department. But to clear up some erroneous comments made in this thread =
Consumer Terms of Sale =
Dell strives to communicate accurate pricing and product information but will not be held responsible for any pricing, typographical, or other errors in such communications. Your order is subject to cancellation by Dell, in Dell's sole discretion.
Alpha-R2 sales site, very bottom =
Dell reserves the right to cancel orders arising from pricing or other errors.
The Alpha-R2 sales site currently does not even offer the Alienware Graphics Amplifier in the configurator. You have to scroll down to see the stand alone $199.99 offer with no video card.
So the order should have been cancelled and a new order placed using the correct pricing and promotions. What they should have offered you was a $199.99 refund. But it now falls into the decisions of the Executive Services Legal Department.
Alienware-Eimy
3 Apprentice
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4.4K Posts
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June 28th, 2016 10:00
Hi,
Did they explain why they would not give you the PNY 1080?
DC73
4 Posts
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June 28th, 2016 12:00
Sales and customer support said that the promotion didn't exist and couldn't send me the video card but when the order modification department at 1-800-247-2076, option 4, confirmed that the promotion was linked to my order they said Dell was out of stock of the video card and would not send it to me on back order. They instead offered me a much lower end video card or $150 refund.
The $150 refund doesn't even make any sense as when I ordered the Alpha R2 the graphics amplifier was free and there was a $199.99 upgrade to add the PNY GTX 1080. So basically they want to keep an extra $50 on the order.
Ultimately I would just like Dell to honor the promotion and send me the PNY GTX 1080 when they have it in stock.
beastmd1
37 Posts
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June 29th, 2016 00:00
That's obviously a pricing mistake. You really think that they are going to give you a nearly $1000 video card for Free? Man oh man!!
DC73
4 Posts
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June 29th, 2016 05:00
This is more than just giving me a free video card. They had the promotion up for days. Decided not to ship me the video card without telling me. Confirmed that it was part of my original order when I called the order modification department. Offered me a video card that is less powerful than the 960 GPU that comes in the Alpha R2 I purchased. (Because it makes sense to use a graphics amplifier with worse video card than on board video of the Alpha right?) Offered to refund me $150.00 instead of the $199.99 that they charged me. (The amplifier was listed as free with the purchase of their top end Alpha R2. Or am I to assume that this promotion was wrong as well?)
This is more than just making a price mistake. This is not communicating that there was a problem if indeed there was a problem at all. For over charging me and for straight up lying until I found a person at Dell that confirmed that it should have been part of my order. Not to mention the rude manager I spoke with while I kept my cool explaining my situation to them.
This is very poor business practice from sales to customer support from Dell.
Cass-Ole
2 Intern
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1.8K Posts
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June 29th, 2016 17:00
I agree, they gave u the run-around in the face of proper documentation you've housed here for them on DellareAliens.com itself.
1080 FE is a $700 card actually. The consumer advocate in me says they need to honor that 1080 - it's clearly a price mistake - where we tend to hold business accountable for their mistakes. Business that prefers to be petty where the mistake tips in your favor & out of theirs, they owe you $199 I guess or try to haggle for the 1070FE which is in stock. Going through with the shipment without informing you, we call that a 'knowing silence', guilty silence. deserving of the opinion u expressed up there. I agree, share the opinion on all fronts. I'd also agree if u just get a $200 refund to set everything back to a clean slate. It is what it is. Good luck, & for documenting your wretched customer service experience with the person named for the public. Her Personnel File sounds ripe for a red flag from upper managementNamol04
62 Posts
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June 29th, 2016 18:00
Pricing mistakes happen - the terms and conditions of the purchase agreement usually give them final right to refuse to honor an obvious pricing error - which this is. Doesn't make it right, but PCs are a low margin business and I am sure this error went all over the Internet and Dell just can't take the losses and probably really doesn't have inventory. They should just be honest with you though, and they should give you the amp for free, although on that screen cap you posted it doesn't show it as free.
beastmd1
37 Posts
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June 29th, 2016 23:00
Amazon showed it as $849 so I added a little to dells normal markup.. Still think is ludicrous to expect any business regardless of size to honor even a $700 mistake. I mean look at his example even. If you look at that you can see its an obvious mistake. Not to mention that it was probably all over the deal sites and the probably had thousands of orders before they noticed the error.
Some sort of good will is deserved but not as far as the 1080 card itself.
DC73
4 Posts
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June 30th, 2016 07:00
I appreciate everyone's comments even if they do not align with my thoughts of how this should be resolved. Dell isn't even responding to the email I sent to customer service, it looks like they're just going to ignore me. For such a large company they have terrible customer service, I'll never purchase another product of theirs. There appears to be a huge disconnect between their management and the lower level employees who handle cases like mine. I wonder if upper management would even care that they treat their customers poorly.
All of this could have been avoided if they just admitted there was an error and at least offered to refund me the extra $199 they charged me. Telling me that they are out of stock and can't send it just doesn't make sense especially since their order modification department told me that it's linked to my account and I should have received it.
To the individual who said I didn't show a screenshot of the amplifier being free, the tick box that shows "none" in the image is the base amplifier alone. There is no additional charge for it since it was free the promotion. The pricing you see below "none" are the upgrade options for the amplifier that was added to my cart. Dell frequently runs a promotion for their top of the line Alpha's and laptops with a free amplifier. Just look at the deals and I'm sure they cycle it back in again soon.
I've filed a complaint with the BBB, we'll see what happens with that I guess.