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Follow up to "My 8 month old B-120 is dead"
Dear Dave or whomever:
My local vendor has informed me that my motherboard is history!! This cost me $50.00 to learn that it would cost an additional $400.00 to repair!! All this from an 8 month old product. According to said vendor, this is a common problem with this series.
Had I known I was purchasing a "disposable" computer, I would have opted for the extended warranty. I guess quality is not a priority at Dell. I just hope that our missle defense system is not in Dell's hands! Apparently, Dell waits until the customer has no recourse .I know that I'm just one customer but it appears that there are many others.
A company's success depends on quality and customer satisfaction. Maybe Dell should spend more on the product and less on advertising ...."Dude, I'm gettin a disposable Dell'". I know that Dell has a full-time employee (s) that reads and responds to these postings. I fully expect a somewhat glib response stating that I should have purchased the extended warranty.
I'm now the proud owner of a $600.00 poorly designed Frisbee!!
ejn63
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August 18th, 2006 21:00
Yes, you assumed the responsibility for repair by saving money up front with a 90-day warranty. You had the choice, gambled and lost. Doesn't matter if it's a Dell, HP, Compaq, Toshiba, Sony or any other - they're all about the same in reliability.
Assuming you replace it with another, buy a 3-year warranty or you could find yourself in the same boat after another 90 day or 1 year warranty.
Timothyfish
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August 18th, 2006 21:00
ejn63
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August 18th, 2006 21:00
If you think Dell is the only company whose notebooks fail within a short period of time, go ahead and buy another make with a short warranty.
Fact: 20% or so of all notebooks, regardless of brand, have a major failure within 3 years (considered a useful lifespan).
Fact: Dell isn't the best, but they're not the worst out there. They're also less expensive to repair than many others.
Fact: ALL notebooks are expensive to repair when they break.
You made a mistake by taking a 90-day warranty on a product with a 20% failure rate and ended up the 1 in 5 that have major failure.
I do not work for Dell, but have worked with just about every major brand of notebook out there. I'd put HP/Compaq as the pits for reliability, and Lenovo/IBM on top. Dell is somewhere in the middle.
Message Edited by ejn63 on 08-18-200606:46 PM
gurlivy
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August 20th, 2006 18:00
Timothyfish: I am sorry that you are blaiming Dell for your mistake. You need to look at the reason why you choose to buy a computer with no warranty, especially a portable system. In good faith, Dell offered a 90 day warranty in case something happens to the system. If you feel 90 days is not enough time, then Dell offers different warranty contracts to fit specific needs of their customers.This goes for any product. If you choose to not bid for that extended warranty, then you need to blame yourself. You stated, "I guess quality is not a priority at Dell." You choose to purchase the low-end portable model from Dell. If you are looking for better quality, then you should purchase a Latitude or Precision line of portables. In that case, you are looking above $1000 for a higher quality system. Look at it this way, If you bought a car with no warranty on it and you have a problem mechanically on the car, would you go back to the manufacturer and complain to them they don't care about quality? If you did, they would tell you the same thing, "If you didn't purchase the warranty, then you will be responsible for paying for the repairs."
If you did your research, you would see that portable systems have more expensive parts than a desktop computer. And choosing a low-end system will result in lower-quality parts. "Even though this notebook was entry-level, it wasn't cheap." This indicates to me that you knew that it was an entry level notebook, and to correct you, $600 is a low-end price for a portable computer.
No matter who the manufacturer is, make sure you do your research, especially when it comes to portables.
Timothyfish
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August 20th, 2006 19:00
dannyowens
2 Posts
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August 20th, 2006 23:00
Timothyfish
8 Posts
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August 21st, 2006 00:00
Hey Danno, I wasn't gonna respond to anymore comments, however, I FEEL YOUR PAIN! I knew there was more of us out there that feel RIPPED OFF! I mean, what do ya gotta do, buy an extended warranty for everything you purchase under a grand?
To me, it's the principal, either you sell quality products, including the "entry-level" products OR you don't...you can't stand behind the reliability or quality, then don't sell them, sell only high-end products . Not every one can AFFORD a $1000.00 or more laptop, just wanted something to surf the net and play DVD's on, never expected the thing to die after barely 8 months....$600.00 is alot of $$$ to me ...Anyway Danno, glad to hear from ya, what are ya gonna do with the useless thing? Me? I'm gonna blow a hole right dead center at POINT BLANK RANGE (shades of Ron White!) with my 357! Cause it's Dead, RIP Dell!!
* I'm going to also post on Clark Howard's website (www.ClarkHoward .com) and my wife said she's going to write a letter to to the CEO of Dell, NOT that it will do any good!!
gurlivy
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August 21st, 2006 12:00
Obviously, you missed the point. The point is, do your research and get warranties on items you purchase that cost a lot of money to you. It's like car insurance. If it gets wrecked, the insurance covers the repairs. Digital cameras, video cameras, computers, and anything else electronic. I have bought a few items, of nameless manufacturers, and had issues with them, and since I didn't have a warranty, it was up to me to replace it or repair it. I am not saying that because an item is on the low-end that you should get an extended warranty. I am saying that you should get an extended warranty on any kind of system. Do your research on anything you buy, computer or non-computer. I am suggesting that if you purchase any kind of computer from any manufacturer, get a warranty whether it is one year, two years, or three years. Depending on the system, some will come with an automatic one year warranty. Also, a lot of manufacturer's will let you extend that warranty when it runs out.
If you don't buy a Dell, which it sounds like you won't, then try Gateway or HP. IBM might be too expensive for you, and Sony, well hardly anyone can afford a Sony computer. There is also Toshiba, which should be in your price range. But, again, check warranties and extend them if you need to.
Good Luck!
bweed6
806 Posts
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August 21st, 2006 14:00
if you shoot it, that is probably going to significantly reduce the likelyhood of getting it repaired. just a thought. it might make you feel better though.
i for one always hope every electronic device i purchase lasts forever, but they don't, so i always buy extended warranties. pays off sometimes. electronics fail.
Timothyfish
8 Posts
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August 21st, 2006 20:00
Timothyfish
8 Posts
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August 21st, 2006 21:00
Thanks for your input ....................I'm not gonna rant anymore. It was all my fault! I assumed that the product would last forever!
I'm old and somewhat ignorant in the way that companys operate. I guess 8 months was reasonable .............However, I've read some of the other forums and it seems that there are a lot of complaints even with the merchandise still under warranty. I give up!
I lose!
Timothyfish
8 Posts
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August 22nd, 2006 19:00
dannyowens
2 Posts
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August 22nd, 2006 19:00