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lifetime phone support
When I purchased my dell 8100 I also purchased lifetime phone support. Now I need them to help me format my computer (cause i'm not smart enough to do it by myself), they want to charge me around $90.00 to help me. What good did it do to get the lifetime phone support?
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Posted January 17th, 2006 14:00
As a tecnician I can tell you that the "life time phone support" is not software related it is for the hardware on the computer only...
they have always charged for software support and it is 99$ per issue or 240$ for a 4 issue contract.
this may be as clear as mud in the website where you purchased the computer, but believe me it is there....
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/services/dell_on_call?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
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Posted January 17th, 2006 15:00
@Steven_millner wrote:
As a tecnician I can tell you that the "life time phone support" is not software related it is for the hardware on the computer only...
they have always charged for software support and it is 99$ per issue or 240$ for a 4 issue contract.
For years Dell offered free lifetime support for issues dealing with the operating system. Tech support would walk a user through reinstalling Windows on an elderly computer without a service charge. At this same time, Dell offered 30-days of "How to" support for installed software exclusive of the operating system. At about the same time that the 30-day time period for returning an inoperative computer under the "Total satisfaction guarantee" was shortened to 21 days the "lifetime support" was decreased to extend only to the limit of the system warranty. From numerous posts in this forum it appears that accessing that support is no longer automatic.
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Posted January 17th, 2006 16:00
lifetime support DID use to help with software. They have helped me before with my operating system. Now it is more about the all mighty dollar than helping there customers.Message Edited by turnrow on 01-17-2006 12:55 PM
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Posted January 18th, 2006 01:00
Denny Denham wrote:
...For years Dell offered free lifetime support for issues dealing with the operating system. Tech support would walk a user through reinstalling Windows on an elderly computer without a service charge. At this same time, Dell offered 30-days of "How to" support for installed software exclusive of the operating system. At about the same time that the 30-day time period for returning an inoperative computer under the "Total satisfaction guarantee" was shortened to 21 days the "lifetime support" was decreased to extend only to the limit of the system warranty. From numerous posts in this forum it appears that accessing that support is no longer automatic...
Denny, do you know if that was written into the warranty, or was that just a policy they changed?(One of these days my old XPS_T600/98SE might well need a little support...)377
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Posted January 18th, 2006 13:00
What a shame. All of my calls to Dell as a new computer user were software (XP) related.
My next PC will be a MAC. Unless Apple does the same thing. I'd rather pay more and get service, than pay little and get none.
My 4 cents, (inflation)377
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Posted January 19th, 2006 12:00
Denny Denham wrote:
For years Dell offered free lifetime support for issues dealing with the operating system. Tech support would walk a user through reinstalling Windows on an elderly computer without a service charge. At this same time, Dell offered 30-days of "How to" support for installed software exclusive of the operating system. At about the same time that the 30-day time period for returning an inoperative computer under the "Total satisfaction guarantee" was shortened to 21 days the "lifetime support" was decreased to extend only to the limit of the system warranty. From numerous posts in this forum it appears that accessing that support is no longer automatic.
Such is the art of downsizing. :smileysurprised:
I'm looking to buy a new system later this year..... not too impress with the way Dell is headed in their strive to cheapen costs and support.
Denny Denham
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18798 Posts
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Posted January 17th, 2006 00:00
If Dell had not reneged on their lifetime support for systems purchased before they no longer offered it, you would not have a problem, but they apparently did.
Instructions for formatting your system (which is included in the reinstall of Windows XP) are here and in the included links.