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7 Posts
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10829
250N Help Me!!!
Hi everyone
Please help as I am most annoyed with Dell. I bought a smartpc 250N about a year ago and just before Christmas 2003 the fan started playing up and the unit overheated and shut down. I phoned technical support and they advised me to upgrade BIOS etc. This had no effect whatsoever. I then finally convinced them to take the machine back and repair it. I received it back and for a couple of months it seemed to work fine. Then about 2 weeks ago the exact same problem started again!!. I tried to put up with it constantly shutting down until last nigh it finally gave up on me and now won't start at all. I phoned DELL and they claim that it is now out of warranty and therefore I must pay for the repairs. I am very angry about this situation as I feel DELL did not fix the initial problem. They say that the repairs themselves are not covered at all by a warranty and that it is basicaly tough. I have read dozens of complaints across the net from people who have had exactly the same problem and am flabbergasted (I dont think I've ever used that word in a sentence before, but this time it feals like the only word that fits).
My questions are the following.
Is there anyway to restart my DELL?
Are DELL truly not liable to the repairs?
Please Help me
Awakenthesoul
Message Edited by awakenthesoul on 02-20-2004 08:32 AM
setec0001
41 Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 09:00
Welcome to the SmartStep Dell world.
Did you try unplugging the power supply, removing the battery, then putting the battery back, plugging the power back in and then turning on the power?
awakenthesoul
7 Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 12:00
Thanks for the quick response I'll shall try that as soon as I get home
. I would just like to add that after many phone calls over tha last 4 Hrs to different parts of DELL - From Ireland to India - I got through to a tecnician who almost admitted, to my ears anyway, that DELL were at fault. He said "This is a problem that DELL are aware of" Yet when asked if there was anything I could do I was told that he had asked his superior and he was told that "No there was not". I am still expected to pay for these repairs to a computer that DELL knows has a design fault. Is it just me or is this not incredible. I have one last chance by writing to their head office in Ireland to see if I receive any satifactory answer but I am not hopefull. I think someone else on this forum mentioned taking this issue further so I see this as my last alternative. So if anyone from DELL is reading this I shall be writing to my local paper and all of the national Computer magazines informing them of this debarcle.
Awakenthesoul
nfn15037
49 Posts
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February 23rd, 2004 04:00
awakenthesoul
7 Posts
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February 23rd, 2004 05:00
Cheers nfn1537
Ahh well I suppose I can keep trying. I've been looking into British consumer law and the Sale Of Goods act over here says that a customer has 6 years to bring a complaint if it is proven that a product has a faulty design. There seems to be a wealth of evidence on this site and on others aswell. So we'll see what happens.
Thanks Awakenthesoul
Honifer
15 Posts
0
February 24th, 2004 15:00
I suppose it's what you classify as faulty design.
Having a piece of metal that caused the laptop to catch fire randomly would be a pretty obvious sort of faulty design.
But since this problem is strangely NOT experienced by every single user (lucky gits) it's a minority issue and since the consequences are
slightly less dramatic than catching fire (shutdown) a civil suit is going to drag its heels on this one.
The problem is just bad enough to annoy the heck out of any heavy computer user, but not bad enough to affect everyone.
Ah well, thermal paste in place and waiting for a crash :)
Hon
gilmour25
19 Posts
0
March 4th, 2004 12:00
WHAT!?!?!?!?!?
The SmartStep has a problem like this??? I KNEW it!!! My 250N has been shutting down a lot lately... the dude I've been working with at Dell doesn't really know what the problem is.
This really upsets me. I saved up for a LONG time to buy a computer... and now I find out that I bought a messed-up one.
I knew something must have been wrong with it when Dell stopped selling the SmartSteps.
alanhill
7 Posts
0
March 6th, 2004 11:00
Under UK Consumer Law, if it breaks down three times with the same problem, you are entitled to a replacemnent.
Further, regardless of extended warranties, you are entitled to have the machine last the narural length of the product. So after 53 weeks, you are entitled to free repair. You just have to take legal action against Dell to get it (note: the word "s*e" is not tolerated by the board)!
Seriously, if you're in the UK, talk to your local trading standards.
Alan Hill
* = u
nfn15037
49 Posts
0
March 6th, 2004 18:00
Joulik
9 Posts
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March 9th, 2004 08:00
I'm a lucky guy, like you...
My computer was repaired 5 (!!) times in 1 year, it's simply scandalous!
Dell changed 4 times my FAN, and 3 months ago- the motherboard, but nothing changes!
I'm really disappointed
gexto
3 Posts
0
March 29th, 2004 21:00
Okay! so we all got problems with the not too smartstep. The soulution is to fix it yourselves by opening it up and blowing the bejaysus out of the fan. But so as to give you the other side of what dell get up to....
They accidently sent out a printer with my laptop when I bought it. I sent it back, they sent it back to me again, I sent it back to them again and they sent it back to me again........still following. So I get arsed off sending it back and tell them until they come to pick it up I will be charging storage space for it. 3 months later still nothing from them so I hook the baby up and boy do I have a grin........the best things in life are free they say. Whats even funnier is that another month later another printer, the exact same model arrives on my doorstep. Now thats two I have. I send it back and they send it back, I send it back and they send me two. Now in case you dont think I have being trying too hard to speak with someone at dell regarding these magic appearing printers, I did, but you know how the dell automated system works. I did try and ask to speak to someone in charge whom may have a brain, but no one of that calibre exists there. Anyone want a printer?
I hope this may bring a grin to some of you..........but I understand if it doesn't. Its not much of a laughing matter when your 2000 buck computer retires early on you.