Buyer Beware - Dell XPS 2720 - Service Issues Power Supply

I did end up getting this resolved, but it took a lot of yelling and about 30 days (15 phone calls and about 4 hours of being on the phone).  They sent the service person out twice with the wrong part, in the end, they actually ended up shipping me a brand new replacement unit.

I love this machine, but Dell service and warranty simply [Admin NOTE: Profanity removed as per TOU].  The overseas call center is next to impossible to escalate any issue without jumping through hoops.  I was at the end of my rope, if it took any longer than it did, I would have sent the unit back and had my Visa provider provide me a refund and fight with Dell.

It was the WORST service and most FRUSTRATING thing I've gone through in a long time.  I still don't think they've transferred my extended warranty from the old machine to the new one they replaced it with.

This is very interesting. I have the same issue with my DELL 2720. I purchased the machine in June 2013. It came with OS 8 but I rarely used it because many of my applications and programs are not compatible with 8. I would have to invest large sums of money to upgrade my programs and apps if, and only if, they have been made compatible with 8. And many have not; so, that solution became moot and I continue to use my OS 7 machine for everything.

 First the hard drive died and, luckily, I had a spare replacement drive. However, the machine does not come with OS reinstallation disks and the product key is embedded in the system board forcing a consumer to have to purchase the disks from DELL ($239) – especially if one did not purchase an extended warranty.  After receiving the disks and reinstalling OS 8, the display went dark and the machine died. No power goes through the machine, but the power cord jack shows a green light and Ethernet connector shows flashing lights suggesting there is power but nothing going into the power supply. The only part that works is the power supply cooling fan which, interestingly, is an indication all connections coming out of the power supply, connected to and controlled by the system board are dead but the part that is not connected to and controlled by board is operational. When the power button is pressed there are no button indicator lights but the power supply cooling fan turns on. As stated before, everything else is dead. As you noted, the power supply obviously fried itself AND the mother board rendering this near $2000 machine useless. I contacted DELL Tech Support and the reps I dealt with were extremely apologetic and helpful. I was sent a replacement system board (refurbished, by the way, and missing components that are on the original system board) but after installation that failed to remedy the problem. Obviously, either the board and power supply must be replaced or the entire machine needs to be in order to see an operating device.

(On a peripheral note, my office recently purchased for business purposes a number of DELL 23” All in One machines. We have not had the machines in place 60 days and they all require fixes inclusive of software and firmware troubleshooting. The DELL Techs who came to “fix” the problems could not determine the cause leaving it up to our in-house Tech Support crew to find and fix the problems themselves.  The same issues plaguing my personal 2720 have surfaced with a few of the office machines thereby strongly suggesting the DELL All in One machines come with inherent mechanical flaws.)

 It might be that too many interconnecting parts inclusive of those that generate heat (i.e. hard drive, power supply, and display monitor) should not be placed all in one casing. And it might be the power supply generates too much voltage that over a very short period of time, regardless of usage frequency, results in a fried system board and useless computer.  (On a side note, I had a similar issue with a DELL XPS 10 tablet I purchased with lousy Microsoft RT technology. It was not yet out of factory warranty and it failed to turn on. I had to send it in for service. The fix was, again, the power supply.) The XPS All in One is considered DELL’s most powerful machine made to date.  Unfortunately my experience with the XPS series cannot affirm DELL’s position. And I, too, have other DELL devices. And it's nice the All in One allows for more desk real estate, but perhaps DELL wants to reconsider the technical configuration and assemblage of it All in Ones.

Additionally, it’s uncanny that the machine begins to fail but a few weeks after the factory warranty is up. Without solid proof, this appears to be how DELL gets back at you for not purchasing extended warranties; the machine quickly fails. And I have not owned it 16 months, nor have I used it with any frequency over that time. Sadly, I do not intend to invest in another DELL machine but will seek out HP or another brand to replace the useless DELL XPS 2720 All in One and take a near $2000 loss.  I would recommend to anyone considering the All in One to first inquire of anyone you know who has one about how it performs and have there been any software / firmware issues. Or consult blogs such as this one. If not, then try it. If so, consider going for a standard desktop and separate monitor configuration. With the standard configuration you likely will experience less complete machine failure.  

I have ONE XPS 2720 that works well; and I am on my FOURTH replacement, moving on to number FIVE this week. Bad displays. I think to people in Nashville are taking someone else's return and sending to me; then sending mine to someone else. Mind numbing. And I am EVP of a company that uses Dell machines and servers; though I am thinking it is time for a change...