I think I love Dell the computer but have learned to hate Dell the computer company.

I recently made an online purchase of an XPS 8700 Special Edition and a Dell Ultrasharp 27" monitior. This is probably my 5th or 6th Dell desktop for home use over the years. In the "old days" not only did Dell make a wonderful product, but their customer service was second to none.

In my opinion, the former still holds true, but the service component has deteriorated to the point where I wonder why I even torture myself. 

The latest round of nonsense started when I placed my order. I had used different delivery addresses in the past (I used to use work addresses when I was at the office so I could take delivery) but now that I am retired I wanted to set my account up so that the previous work addresses were deleted and my home address was the only one that persisted. This I did in a very straightforward way by editing my  password -protected personal Dell account. Only when the no-longer-valid addresses were purged did I place the order. I made sure that the address for shipping was my home address.

Imagine my surprise when I got the automated e-mail acknowledging my order, that Dell was using a shipping address that I had purged from the account. Apparently, so I was later told, that previous address was on file for shipping and was apparently "locked" into the account as the default. But it was a work address that I had not used for 5 years. So much for editing my account before I placed the order.

It also could not even be true that this former address was "locked" into the profile. There was another work address that had been used on the same account in the past without trouble. So clearly the "per order" shipping address can be changed. How did this one get "locked" in then? Even after it no longer even existed in my account profile online??

I *IMMEDIATELY* contacted Dell to tell inform them of the error but was told that this was the "verified" default address that belonged to that account and that it could not be changed once the order had been initiated and confirmed. Instead, even though I knew and Dell now knows that the address was WRONG, they have insisted that delivery has to be made to that address, and only once delivery FAILS (as it of course must), ONLY THEN can they re-route the shipment to the correct address.

The reason given was to protect against fraud. I call on that....

I could fully understand if the order had already been SHIPPED that no one wants to re-route in mid-delivery until and unless a new verified address can be provided. That part of anti-fraud I get.

But the machine has not even left Dell's hands - it is still IN PRODUCTION. No one can convince me of the business logic of refusing to change the shipping address to the correct one when it is still well before the product will ever gets anywhere near the shipping carrier. To not do so means that Purolator has to have a failed delivery before it can make a correct delivery. That means that someone is paying 2x for Purolator. And I have to add several business days onto my delivery date while my computer goes around in circles in the city. AND WE ALL KNEW IT WAS THE WRONG ADDRESS before it ever leaves the Dell assembly line.  

Apparently it is easier (it sure can't be cheaper!) to let Purolator go around in circles, and frustrate me to no end, than to simply change the bloody address even after acknowledging that it is wrong long before it has ever shipped.

Can anyone explain this nonsense to me in terms that make any sense??