Insiron Duo Hard Drive Failure

In December, 2010, I purchased  the new Inspiron Duo for my daughter.  The waranty was/is good through December 5, 2011.

In mid November, 2011, I began to get an alert from the dell diagnostic program that the hard drive appears damaged and that I should back up my data imediately.  After contacting Dell, I was advised that there were many hard drive problems associated with this unit and that I should return the lap top for hard drive replacement.  As I was covered under waranty, a replacement hard drive would be installed at no cost.  Fortuantely, I was barely within my period of coverage.

The front end of the process worked well.  I got my shipping materials and prompty packaged things up.  I expected that I would be without my unit for about 2-3 weeks.

Then the "wheels" came off.

I was advised by the customer service agent (from your India call center), that due to the supply issues with flooding in Thailand, that the replacement hard drive would not be available for 30 days.  I was given the option of receiving a refurbished unit, which I gratiously declined, and expressed my interest in waiting for the replacement hard drive.  Of note, this lap top was a present for my 16 year old daughter, who is meticulous about the care of her "stuff", and I was certain that the dell product was close to "like new".  Additionally, I had user tested this product for 11 months, so I was fairly certain that this was the only problem with the product.  Lastly, as the unit was approaching the end of it's warranty period, I was concerned that the refurbished unit would not be covered.

I gave the Dell rep three options:

1.  I would wait for the replacement hard drive.

2.  I would accept a refurbished unit if it was covered by a new 12 month warrenty.

3.  I would accept replacement with a new unit.

To put this in perspective, the retail list for a new laptop is $499.

The service rep chose the firsat option.  I expected that I would be without the unit for about a month, but supply issues occur, so I was accepting of the delay.

Since that initial communication, I have been REPEATEDLY contacted by the India call center with unrelenting requests that I accept a refurbished unit, without warrenty.  No kidding, I get calls 2 to 3 times a week, "looping" back to this inital proposal, which I keep rejecting, for what I described above, good reason.

As of today, December 16, 2011 is the anticipated date for the new hard drive.  I hope that Dell will simply do what they have committed to, and relace the hard drive and return the lap top as promised.  I continue to hare serious doubts based upon the repeated pleas to accept a refurbished unit.

Someone in authority, with good judgement, at Dell needs to look at the service history of this request and ask themselfs the question, "is the cost of replacement of this unit for a new laptop verses a refurbished unit ($200?), worth the loss of customer goodwill?  My experience with the India call center is so bad, I doubt I will ever do business with Dell in the future.  EVERY time, I return a call to Dell I have to go through this history, when the service history is in the file in front of the rep.

 
My express service request # is < ADMIN NOTE : Express service request removed per privacy policy >.  My e-mail and contact information is included in that case file.  I plea is for someone in authority to review this matter.

Tom Coyle