Inspiron 15z Ultrabook Continuous issues for almost one year with no resolution

In May 2013, my employer, placed an order for the purchase of a Dell Inspiron 15z Ultrabook (touchscreen) through an employer computer purchase program (where we as the employee are eligible for a loan through our payroll). This purchase was for my husband's Father's Day gift the following month in June 2013, the final invoice was not issued until June 13, 2013. In July 2013, we began to notice the issue with the computer, which was sporadic. As you are using the computer, the screen would navigate and scroll through the internet, open documents, various applications, begin speaking, all on it's own without you touching the computer. We have recorded this issue on various occasions because of the difficulty of explaining the issue being experienced. During July 2013, we contacted Dell to notify them of this issue and they requested we troubleshoot the issues from home, spoke to various specialists and IT employees to attempt to assist us in troubleshooting. Various drivers were deleted and reloaded on multiple occasions by the various representatives who remotely accessed the computer. After these troubleshoots did not work, Dell decided to send us a technician to our home to fix the issue after they shipped and we received the items they wished to replace. On July 30, 2013, Technician Arthur (P) Canyon, Dispatch # 000167434680 arrived at our home to repair the laptop.  After he replaced the motherboard, I/O Board, and ran a diagnostic test, Mr. Canyon requested we test the computer in front of him to ensure the repair was successful. As we did this, it appeared Mr. Canyon was in a rush to get home to his wife who was upset he was coming home late and he was hoping the repair was successful so he could go home promptly. As he packed his tools, we proceeded with testing the unit and the issue occurred in his presence. He was in disbelief that this issue persisted to continue after the extensive parts he replaced. He stated he had not seen this sort of issue and would need to call it in. He proceeded to contact Dell and notify them he could not repair the issue. Once he contacted a representative, we were issued Express Code <ADMIN NOTE: Express code removed per privacy policy> , Mr. Canyon asked if it would be okay for him to have Mr. Bandhan call us back on our phone so he could leave to get home. We expressed that we could not make this decision for him, but the reason for Dell having sent him was because he was an expert and we should not be required to troubleshoot the issue ourselves since we are unfamiliar and would take longer (yet, he proceeded to leave our home). We also expressed this frustration to the representative, Bandhan (a supervisor) ID #161527, on the phone, because he requested a lengthy amount of our time (over 1 hour) be spent troubleshooting the equipment when it was not our specialty and because we felt this was Dell's objective for sending the technician to our home. After Bandhan's failed attempt to troubleshoot the device by uninstalling, reinstalling, then updating the system drivers and BIOS, I requested that my case be escalated to management so we could determine our options at this point. He explained that it would be escalated to the corporate office and they are given a 24-48 hour response time to these complaints.

On August 2, 2013, Jaswinder ID # 136033 (manager) contacted me, and we spoke for one hour and fifteen minutes after he also requested to troubleshoot the unit himself. He explained that sometimes the in home and customer service technicians are not as savvy and he had other options to troubleshoot. After much hesitation and frustration, we proceeded to allow him to remotely access the unit and attempt these repairs. He proceeded to follow the same process Mr. Bandhan had completed, which was uninstall, reinstall, update the system drivers and replace the BIOS. Following this, the only option Dell extended us was to ship the defective unit to the repair warehouse to allow their technicians to troubleshoot the unit in person and observe the issue it was producing. Very hesitantly, we agreed to this option because Dell did not give us any alternatives. We stated our original purchase was for a device that was operable and functional from the beginning without having to replace such large components; in our eyes this was no longer the new computer we had paid for. Mr. Jaswinder explained we would be shipped a Fed Ex box to send the unit back to Dell, and I asked if the shipping to my home, back to Dell, and returned to my home would be express due to the inconvenience this was causing us. He proceeded to explain this was not Dell's policy, that overnight shipping was not an option for the consumer to Dell, yet only for Dell to the consumer, and it would be shipped through their standard process, which was a 3-4 day duration. After this was explained, I requested for Mr. Jaswinder to inform me of how I could file a complaint with Dell's corporate office, either a phone number or contact person I could reach via email. He explained Dell does not have a complaint department or contact to reach, but I could send an email to him with my complaint and he would forward it to the appropriate place or I could send an email through the Dell website which in the end would be routed to him since he was in the corporate department. At this point, we felt that we were not left without a reasonable option to file a complaint and hoped that Dell would stand by their product and reputation by ensuring we would receive a functional device.

On September 4, 2013, Dell shipped the repaired device with a repair slip, DPS Reference # 000168161148 indicating they replaced the DPK Card, Hard Drive, and Motherboard on the device. We immediately proceeded to test the device upon its arrival and determined that the same issue continued. We immediately contacted Dell and were put in contact with Mr. Sajith Narayanan (corporate manager) whom requested we send the videos capturing the issues to his attention. After being extremely persistent and us not agreeing to yet another repair, Mr. Narayanan placed an order on 9/10/13 to send us what I assumed was a new system exactly as the first unit (but after reading other customer's experiences, it appears it most probably is a refurbished device) that was repaired various times. The unit arrived in late September 2013, and initially appeared to work without this issue recurring.

Unfortunately, on 11/5/13, we emailed Dell (customerresolution18@dell.com - the same email address we had previously contacted Mr. Narayanan through) to notify Dell that the issue we experienced with the first unit, was now occurring on the second unit. After several attempts to reach Dell, we received their first response on 11/19/13 and proceeded to explain to Bryan (Dell Tech ID 244241) of the issues and we were exhausted by the horrible experience and were not interested in repairing or troubleshooting the unit at this point. We wanted a different option. On 11/22/14, Cheryl (Dell Rep ID 242532), insisted the issue was software related and that we should proceed to download and install the appropriate software ourselves through a link she provided. I expressed my gratitude to Ms. Cheryl for her quick response and the option she extended, but explained that because this was the second unit we received, we were not willing to invest more of our time into the defective computer. She acknowledged my concern and suggested I contact Dell’s customer care team to seek the option of a refund. On November 27, 2013, we received an email from Dell explaining they had received my request. We were told that our case would be escalated to corporate and we would receive a phone call within 48 hours, the same statement we received the first time we asked our case be escalated with the first defective unit. On December 2nd and 4th, I followed up via email to Dell expressing that we had not been contacted by anyone in the corporate office with unfortunately no response. Again, I sent emails on December 5th and 17th of 2013 requesting Dell address this issue and not ignore our request to resolve these long-standing issues.

Seeming to have no other options, I contacted my colleague who had placed the original order for the unit to see if he had a contact at Dell whom could escalate the issue and see if a resolution would be possible. My colleague reached out to Dell in which they requested he attempt to troubleshoot the unit himself using their guidance and tools. He received the unit from me in late December and during the month of January 2014, he proceeded to troubleshoot various items Dell suggested and other items he researched as viable solutions. Through his research, he identified there were a high volume of consumers that had experienced the same issue we were with this model device and Dell was unable to determine a solution. Many clients expressed the same frustration as what we experienced with no viable solution.

On January 30, 2014, following Dell’s instructions of which items to uninstall, reinstall, trouble shoot and test; the laptop was returned to us by Mr. Gustaffson. On February 3, 2014, the issue once again recurred and I notified him of this on February 5, 2014 via email. We appreciated the time investment he made to this effort and asked what could be done on our behalf as a consumer to take a firm stance with Dell. He stated all we could do was be persistent and attempt to initiate the process again through a case that I would need to pursue as a consumer (understandably, he could no longer invest his work time to work on the issue). He assisted us submit another inquiry to Dell and provided them with my husbands and my contact information so they could reach out to us. We were put in contact with Mr. Sajith Narayanan again and he asked us to email the videos of the issue, which were subsequently sent on 2/12/14. Upon reviewing the videos, Mr. Narayanan explained the motherboard and screen needed to be replaced on this unit based on the videos. Once again, I expressed my frustration with this repair and troubleshoot method that Dell was forcing us into. I explained this same issue occurred with the first unit we received and that we just simply wanted our money back so we could purchase a working unit elsewhere. Mr. Narayanan replied simply by stating Dell will not issue a refund and that they had not attempted to troubleshoot this unit, so it could not possibly be the same issue identified on the first unit. He proceeded explaining that without having an opportunity to work on the second unit, there were no other options Dell could extend to us, but upon receiving the unit, may be able to offer a different solution. I further expressed the unfair approach Dell was utilizing to handle this situation and that as a consumer, we had no options. He replied by stating he was giving me options and I inquired how this was being done if the only available option he offered was to ship the computer and have it repaired at Dell. He replied by stating this was the only option available, in which I proceeded to state it was then not an option, rather a forced decision by Dell since there were no other alternatives besides me having to keep an inoperable computer. Hesitantly and extremely frustrated, I had no choice but to agree to shipping the computer to Dell’s repair facility to allow them to attempt to make the recommended repairs.

On February 17, 2014, this second defective laptop was dropped off at Fed Ex for Dell to repair. February 21, 2014 Dell issued a repair document DPS Reference # 000172017108 indicating they replaced the DPK card, hard drive, motherboard, and windows software (almost exactly the same repairs they performed on the first defective device).  On March 3, 2014, Mr. Narayanan reached out to me to confirm we had received the device and that we were using it to ensure the repairs had been successful. I explained to him the delivery had been delayed because we were not home to receive the package and it had to be transported to one of the Fed Ex locations to be held for our pick up; therefore resulting in us not having much time to use the computer to troubleshoot it.  After appearing to experience seemingly good operation of the device, we unfortunately experienced this same issue beginning on March 18th. We immediately notified Mr. Narayanan via email along with videos demonstrating the same issue once again after these expensive repairs that Mr. Narayanan suggested should resolve the problem. Because we had experienced non-responsiveness from Dell previously, I proceeded to follow-up via email on 3/19/14 to Mr. Narayanan stating I would like confirmation that he received my email and videos.

On March 19th, Mr. Narayanan called me to notify me he was researching the issue and would contact me the following day, March 20th with a resolution; in which he followed-up via email as well. Today, March 20, 2014, Mr. Narayanan contacted me at my employer’s office, which from the very beginning has not been a viable point of contact because this is an item to be addressed on my personal time. He proceeded to explain to me that he had seen the videos and felt repairs were the appropriate solution. I replied by saying “you are joking right?” and he stated, no ma’am, this issue can be resolved. I explained to him that I was at work and would need him to call me on my cell phone in 10 minutes. He assured me he would call me, yet unfortunately, he returned my call approximately a half an hour later as I was sitting in the waiting room for a doctor’s appointment. He briefly proceeded to explain that he would like to do a repair and I interrupted him by saying that I was in the waiting room for a doctor’s appointment and it was inappropriate for me to have this discussion at that moment. I also brought to his attention that he had not contacted me within the timeframe I requested due to my appointment. I further explained that I was expecting his phone call on my cell phone tomorrow morning when I would be available. Also, I shared with him that it was ridiculous that Dell would only exercise this option to repair the unit instead of stand behind their product, recognizing that this recurring issue was not being resolved, and refund my money so I could purchase a working computer. He said again, a refund would not be possible but further explained, I may be able to request another replacement unit in place of this one. This unrealistic suggestion further irritated me and I stated that because I was giving him until tomorrow to contact me due to my appointment, I was offering him ample time to reconsider what “options” Dell was going to provide me. I explained I was no longer willing to put my family through this frustration and headache, I was not going to spend my time troubleshooting the issue myself, and I am not willing to let Dell ship the computer back and forth to perform yet another repair. It is exhausting, overwhelming, and frankly unfair. Therefore, I suggested he truly assess the option he was going to offer me on Friday, March 21, 2014 otherwise, I would begin to research how to pursue legal action against Dell as I felt we no longer had any viable options being offered to us as a consumer. He concurred by stating that he would call me the next morning.

After much deliberation over this, I accepted the unfortunate truth that when Mr. Narayanan contacts me, I assume he would only offer me the option to repair or replace this second defective unit with the exact model we have been experiencing these continuous and exhausting issues with. When Mr. Narayanan contacted me this morning, I was given one "option" by Mr. Narayanan which was to ship the computer to Dell engineers, which he tried to say was different. I expressed that this was something they did with the previous unit and it is very apparent that these engineers, specialist, and various technicians did not know how to resolve this issue.

After continuously butting heads with him and feeling as if he is a robot repeating the same program "Dell cannot offer any other option, must repair device", I proceeded to notify him that I filed a complaint with the BBB and that in my eyes there is only one solution to this case. Provide us a refund of our money so we can purchase elsewhere and if it is determined there is absolutely no way to do this, my alternative option for Dell would be to send us a different laptop that is comparable in price and features, and does not have a touchscreen. The unit we would request is the Alienware 14 offered through the Dell website. I believe after almost one-year worth of working within Dell’s policy, obliging to their limited options (which he confirmed that I have done so with the exception of his phone call today), this is the least Dell can do. Mr. Narayanan proceeded to state this was not an option he could extend, it was not Dell's procedure, they could only repair it. 

We are hopeful that by filing a complaint through the BBB, this will bring attention to an issue many Dell customers have experienced with this laptop model. If it is determined Dell is unresponsive to the BBB or that a reasonable outcome cannot be reached, I will research my rights to pursue Dell legally. All the emails, records of verbal communication, videos, and documentation have been recorded to appropriately document the series of events since the issues presented themselves in the very first unit. We believe as a consumer with limited options, we have utilized Dell’s process of resolving these matters as they have requested and they are now forcing us to continue this exhausting process a third time. I shared all of this with Mr. Narayanan and told him I knew I was one small person on Dell's totem poll and that a measly $1,000 meant nothing to them, but this treatment was unreasonable. I respectfully declined the option to repair the second device and would not be willing to receive another Inspiron 15z Ultrabook because we have lost confidence in this product, Dell as a business, and would anticipate receiving another defective device. With this, we would be fearful that the issue may duplicate itself once again in a third unit and risk the potential of the issue happening once the device has run out of warranty, therefore resulting in us being stuck with a non working unit. This is a risk we believe we could encounter through the proven track record of the two defective devices we have received and do not want to gamble on its recurrence in a third unit, therefore, the request for an entirely different unit within the same purchase bracket and similar specifications would seem appropriate and logical if there is absolutely no way a complete refund can be issued. Being that Dell received $62.1 Billion in revenues during 2012 and that they have invested so much in replacing these costly parts multiple times in two different devices (demonstrating they have certainly expended much more money into these two units than it would cost them to simply return us the money), it is difficult for a consumer to understand why Dell cannot issue a refund for the computer purchased in the amount of $1,056.95. In the end, I expressed to Mr. Narayanan that truly, it is not about the $1,000, I purchased this as a gift for my husband because he always had hand me downs computers previously. Having bought him this unit was a great surprise for him and every time I see him shake his head because he cannot use the computer, it breaks my heart. As a sidenote, I mentioned that each time we have had to ship the devices for repairs, we have been informed to back-up the unit so we do not lose our data. Each time, we have replied in the same manner, which is that we have been unable to utilize the computer so there is nothing stored on it in the first place. It's pretty sad to say we paid a decent amount of money for a device that is not new, the issue cannot be resolved by Dell no matter how many videos I send them and how many repairs they make, and we still are being bullied around by this company. After a 32 minute phone call with this Corporate Manager, I asked him if Dell responds to the BBB complaints and he explained they do. He said they would receive the complaint within 24-48 hours and I notified him that the BBB submitted the complaint to Dell at 4:41 am today. He said the complaint would be sent to him and Dell would then respond by Monday to the BBB. 

The BBB’s assistance in filing this formal complaint and holding Dell accountable for their product would be extremely appreciated and I am hopeful Dell will respond to the complaint and make right of their proven defective product. The only stance we know to take is to post this information everywhere and spread the word to not purchase Dell products. I am also hopeful that Dell will ensure this complaint goes to someone higher than Mr. Sajith Narayanan who continuously states he is the person who handles these things. It is apparent he is unwilling to be objective in this situation. I made two recommendations to him before hanging up the call. One was for Dell to genuinely assess the trouble these models are having and find a solution. Just as a car manufacturer or baby product company performs recalls, they should consider how many people this is affecting and address it appropriately. Second, I suggested that as a big company, I understand policies are in place and are necessary. But I also explained that sometimes there are challenges or situations that don't apply to these procedures and maybe the procedures need to be reassessed. Being that we had been compliant all the way through of the only avenues Dell extended, we were at a dead end and needed a different type of solution. As usual, Mr. Narayanan said "I'm sorry, I understand your frustration, but this is the only option". 

Frustrated, disheartened, at a loss, and seeking a different "option",

Susie Aguilar

P.S. This is not my first experience with Dell, I had one several years ago that worked well and lasted me quite some time. Therefore, I had not feared experiencing this negative situation at all, but now would never reconsider buying a Dell product again and will share that with as many people as possible.