Why I Will Never Do Business With Dell Again

Long time readers may be aware that I have never said anything bad about a specific company here before. This is worth an exception.



I had bought several computers from Dell before, and had been a satisfied client. In fact, last time I bought a desktop in November, I only compared them to one other online provider. They always built to spec and delivered on time. I had zero warranty issues or problems.



I just had an experience that changed my mind. Depending upon how you look at it, however, their customer service department is so bad as to be worse than a waste of time, or their customer disservice department is highly efficient and motivated.



The facts are as such. Couple of weeks ago, I got a thing in the mail saying "Thanks for opening a Dell Account." It had been months since I ordered anything from them. Quite frankly, I'm not interested in a credit account with any particular vendor. I pay with Visa or MasterCard where I need them, and pay the bill as soon as it arrives, and then I'm done with the issue.



So I called Dell, and told them that I didn't apply for this account, and wasn't interested in credit with them, please close the account. They said they couldn't do that, as it was "an open account with a balance" and tried to get me to give them my social. They wouldn't do anything without my social. Not on your life, I told them. I had never requested credit from them, and was not about to give them my social. I tried to make a police report as well, but the officer thought it was just "dead tree spam," and told me not to worry. I flagged my credit report anyway.



Well, I just got a bill. I checked my credit report, and sure enough, there was an account from Dell that hadn't shown up before. I disputed the credit line, and called Dell. Just a courtesy call to inform them that this was a fraudulent account. They wanted my social in order to report a fraudulent account. Once again, not on your life, numbwits. Not going to happen. Period, end of sentence. This is a courtesy call to let you know that you've got a problem. I know very well that you can find out (I could, if I were so inclined), but I'm certainly not going to hand it to you. Deal with it. Goodbye.



The correct response on their part would be "What account number is that? Thank you for letting us know. We will investigate." Easy, simple, no hassles, gets the ball rolling, and doesn't concede that they consider me not responsible (Because there are slimeballs in the world who open lines of credit and then disclaim them). As opposed to what they did do, which is not only completely incompetent, but so far out of line as to be from an alternate reality. Really. Somebody tells you an account is fraudulent, and you then demand their social security number. That goes beyond hubris, straight through chutzpah, and and several light years into pure rectal aperture territory.



Goodbye Dell. I like your computers, but your corporate attitude is unacceptable (not to mention that your customer disservice reps cannot understand standard american english at the speed of normal conversation). I'll find somewhere else to buy computers from now on.