Dealing with Dell Tech Support - help please

Hi all,
I am trying to help my niece in dealing with Dell Tech Support. I did not know where else to post this plea so if I am in the wrong area please forgive me.

I bought her a new Dell laptop to take to college last June. By Aug. she was having problems. They told her it was the disk drive and walked her through fixing. Ok for a while.....December...keyboard problems- ended up sending her a new keyboard and walking her through installing it. Now, April and one day after typing out a research paper, she left the room and when she came back it had shut off and she could not get it to reboot fully. It will go a partial then give some message and die again. Now they are sending a hard drive. I am not asking for help fixing anything here, I just want some tips on dealing with these people.

When she calls support, first: she cannot understand them(bad English). Second: they blame her. Third: they agree to send some new part but she has to install once again.

I feel we got a lemon. All the major parts have been replaced and it still does not work. I want to help her but I thought I would start here and ask all of you if you have any tips on dealing with them. Again I apologize if I am in the wrong place.
Thanks,
DYP

 

How do you know it is a hardware problem?
It could be a virus or bad software.

 

Check how much the call is costing you,write down what you want to say in a list,check the warranty to see if your entitled you a new computer,I suprised they want you to install a keyboard and harddrive usually that voids the warranty,ask to speak to someone with better english,if you do finally get it up and running and she uses the internet read this and follow it it'l be the best upgrade it ever got.

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=44525

 

make sure you are aware of the polcies
http://support.ap.dell.com/docs/monitors/929px/en/warranty.htm

Use them to your advantage.

 

As far as I can see in the Dell warranty you are entitled to a replacement computer up untill the end of the first year of the warranty in june,you will have to find the original packaging along with your warranty and take it back to where you got it,or post it.After june is when you enter the 2 year phase of the warranty,where they offer replacement parts for you to fit yourself.

It seems to me like they have made you void their own warranty,if I were you I'd say you have no idea how to install the harddrive and would like to return the computer for a replacement as stated in your warranty.

 

you could use the Dell Chat with us tech support.

i would rather chat than talk on phone anyday.


http://support.dell.com/

click home and home office and you should find it.

 

Just wanted to thank all of you for your time in replying. I read everything to her that you wrote. FYI - just another suggestion from the network administrator at the school district I work for: take the prepaid shipping label from the new hard drive, package up the whole computer and new hd and return with a letter explaining that she is not a computer tech and does not feel comfortable installing.
In other words, dump it back in their lap. She just got the new hd today so it will be up to her what she wants to do now.
Thanks once again.
DYP