Craziest customer service in the world.

[jkh13]

Some people might tell you that Dell customer service has improved over the years and that it is actually quite good but due to my recent experiences I think there must be a special place in hell reserved by those that run their customer service department.

I purchased a Dell WFP2407-HC monitor off them about 2 years ago, a highly recommended monitor that I am sure alot of you are familiar with. I developed a problem with the monitor a few months ago, no biggie I though, I was still covered by the warranty and was eligible to receive a working replacement. A few days later I explain the problem on the Dell service forums and get in contact with their support in the UK, they said because I had bought the monitor in Hong Kong, I would need to get it replaced in Hong Kong as the warranty is not worldwide. Fair enough at this point, no problem with that, I was going to spend my summer in Hong Kong anyways which at that time was only 1 month away. So I pack the monitor in the suitcase with me to Hong Kong.

I arrive in Hong Kong and after a few days I contact Dell HK through email, no reply for 3 (working) days despite the fact they *should* reply within 1. Sent another email, this one came back with a reply the next day and over 3 days a pickup and replacement is arranged. This happens 2 days later, I open the box when I come back from dinner and amazingly they managed to send me ANOTHER broken monitor, I didn't even need to turn on the monitor to realise it was broken, the stand was unable to move up and down and was stuck on the lowest position. Not only that, they sent me the Dell 2408 which is notorious for very bad input lag which I do not want as I game alot on the monitor as well as do work. I immediately send another email back.

Another exchange of emails happen over the next few days, I respond one last time except this time no reply after 1 day, I am getting worried at this point as I was about to leave the country soon and wanted the monitor to bring back with me to go to university. I call the support line and explain the problem, this first time I got forwarded 3 times over 20 minutes to different departments explaining my situation to each. Last person tells me I should wait for the email and it would be done in time, I explain I wanted it to be done NOW as I was urgent to leave within 4 days, he fowards me again and this time no-one on the other end. Angrily I decide to jut wait for the email.

The next day still no email, I call again at lunch, forwarded SIX times this time before actually getting to a person who would listen to my problem, strangely it was the sales department I was talking to. Backwards and forwards with different conference calls with all the departments for the next hour, it is Friday at this point and I was to leave Hong Kong on Sunday night. The sales person said it could be possible to replace on sat or sun but he would have to contact the customer support department to confirm. In the meanwhile I talk to another tech support person, he thinks I am ridiculous for wanting a 2407-hc over the newer model and says it is company policy for them to send what is available in the refurb department. He claims that there is nothing that can be done further, however he seemed to forget the stand is broken....

The sales person calls me back 2 hours later to explain how he was able to contact absolutely no-one in the customer support department and that is impossible for them to send it on Sun/Sat now, I am on the phone for another 1hr 1/2 discussing possibilities, in that time he tries to contact no less than 5 other people, none of which picked up their extensions. At this point I had enough for that day as it was getting nowhere, the sales person says he will call back on Saturday to see whether shipping can be arranged from HK to UK.

Saturday comes and the sales person calls, he says there is no possibility for them to send to the UK or compensate for us to ship it ourselves. I am on the phone for another hour, in that time he tries to make contact with tech support again but no response from them or customer service despite the fact they should be working on Saturday. The sales person says he cannot do anything without approval from customer support which is not responding at all. At this point I am stuck as I am leaving the next day.

I fly back on Sunday and arrive Monday morning, I quickly call Dell back to sort something out. This time customer support actually answers, according to them my case has been elevated to a higher status and they want to resolve it quickly (p.s. its already too late.). I talk with them for another hour and they explain the options to me:

1. They cannot send it back to the UK
2. They cannot pay compensation for me to ship it myself
3. They cannot transfer my warranty claim to the UK
4. They cannot guarantee me a 2407-HC
5. They cannot let me speak to someone higher up

HOWEVER they claim they can send on Saturdays and Sundays now, next day as well which is very surprising to me as before it was claimed I would not be able to receive a working model on Saturday or Sunday despite calling on Friday. They try and offer me an better warranty plan as compensation but it is useless to me as I do not live in Hong Kong and only visit maybe once a year. I then ask if they can upgrade me model to the newer U2410, they flatly refuse that as well not surprisingly. At this point I was extremely frustrated and asked them if they could offer me any sort of compensation which would be beneficial to me. They offer me a 4gb USB flash drive.....

I now have a monitor which may not even be working or the model I want stuck in Hong Kong when I need it within the week. It will cost me ALOT of money to send it back to the UK as well. To anyone thinking of buying from Dell directly... DON'T.

[mycarsavw]

To anyone thinking of buying from Dell directly... DON'T.

...if you're a UK resident who plans to buy from DellHK without a worldwide warranty.

[Grey M@a]

I think this is a case of "more fool you".

You bought a Dell monitor (could be any product though) from Hong Kong to save a few pennies and then moan because you didn't get a world wide warranty which is actually available from their site at time of purchase. I don't see how you can moan about it to be honest.

[jkh13]

I don't think you understand, I knew that I wasn't covered worldwide as I bought the monitor in HK during the period where I lived there (not to save money as you imply) I have no problem with that, my problem began when I bought the screen back to Hong Kong with the intent to get it replaced so I can come back to the Uk with a working monitor. I initiated conversation with them on the 2nd of September and I left on the 20th making clear that I was leaving at said date. They claim they can definitely get me with a working monitor within that time period as they say there turnaround is normally only a few days. I am pissed as now my screen is stuck in Hong Kong with my parents due to the incompetence of their support. You should read the OP before blaming me of something that was not my intention.

[mmh]

if your parents are there, surely they can sort it and send it on to you?

[Grey M@a]

As mmh has said, could your parents not get the warranty replacement sorted for you and then use someone like Parcels2Go.com I think it is for the cheap UK delivery? That's if they are still doing their cheap import offers

[Yosh]

This thread is irrelevant to people buying in the UK.

2 different branches of the same business / store can be completely different dependent on how the management of each runs them.

I and many others here can confirm Dell UK CS/Support is top notch.

I think you created your own issue by purchasing the item in HK.

[TheAnimus]

dell uk don't want to know about it because its a HK warrenty only. Fair enough.

HK took too long to turn round a replacement, not fair enough.

[Barakka]

This happens 2 days later, I open the box when I come back from dinner and amazingly they managed to send me ANOTHER broken monitor, I didn't even need to turn on the monitor to realise it was broken, the stand was unable to move up and down and was stuck on the lowest position.

You do know about the change of catch design where you have to push the monitor down then press the button to release the mechanism, which locks in the lowest position for transport ?

1. They cannot send it back to the UK
2. They cannot pay compensation for me to ship it myself
3. They cannot transfer my warranty claim to the UK
4. They cannot guarantee me a 2407-HC
5. They cannot let me speak to someone higher up

No reason why they would do any of those things unless you had purchased the worldwide warranty option, and certainly no reason that they would be able to send you one of the old models they no longer make.

[mycarsavw]

HK took too long to turn round a replacement, not fair enough.

The replacement was turned around in good time (we don't know what the HK standard warranty is - 7 days for a replacement sounds ok to me), it was just a shame it was also faulty

[jkh13]

As mmh has said, could your parents not get the warranty replacement sorted for you and then use someone like Parcels2Go.com I think it is for the cheap UK delivery? That's if they are still doing their cheap import offers

The issue is that I am stuck without a screen now when I go to university and even if sending it, it would cost us + the added risk of customs when the point of bringing it back to replace was so I could take it back to the UK without cost.

Also I confirmed the stand was broken, I knew about the button.

[blackbirds]

I used to work for Dell tech support, and monitor returns work like this:

"Hi"
"Hi. What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's broken."
"Righto. You tried it with a good cable, all that sort of stuff, and is the Dell self test thingie not bouncing around the screen and etc?"
"Yeah, nuffin', man"
"Sounds pretty knackered to me, then. Gimme five minutes, I'll arrange a courier to bring you a new one."
"Cool."

[24hrs pass]

"Oh cool, the new monitor is here, it works. That's nice. Oh, a satisfaction survey email, I'll give whatever 'is name was a 9, geezer."


A slightly trimmed account, but, the phonecalls never took more than ten minutes, and replacements were almost always sent out next day. Lesson? Always deal by phone when you want quick service. Always buy a warranty that's good for the country you live in. Sympathies that it went wrong, but you must surely understand that Dell is a company built from an endless series of procedures. When you comply to those procedures, things go well. When you start doing mad things, things go horribly wrong, simply because the company's procedures aren't wired to accept these sorts of abberations from the norm.

[jkh13]

I used to work for Dell tech support, and monitor returns work like this:

"Hi"
"Hi. What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's broken."
"Righto. You tried it with a good cable, all that sort of stuff, and is the Dell self test thingie not bouncing around the screen and etc?"
"Yeah, nuffin', man"
"Sounds pretty knackered to me, then. Gimme five minutes, I'll arrange a courier to bring you a new one."
"Cool."

[24hrs pass]

"Oh cool, the new monitor is here, it works. That's nice. Oh, a satisfaction survey email, I'll give whatever 'is name was a 9, geezer."


A slightly trimmed account, but, the phonecalls never took more than ten minutes, and replacements were almost always sent out next day. Lesson? Always deal by phone when you want quick service. Always buy a warranty that's good for the country you live in. Sympathies that it went wrong, but you must surely understand that Dell is a company built from an endless series of procedures. When you comply to those procedures, things go well. When you start doing mad things, things go horribly wrong, simply because the company's procedures aren't wired to accept these sorts of abberations from the norm.

I wish it were that simple . I called on thursday expecting to be able to sort it out after they ceased email communication and I spent a long time on the phone getting transfered between departments until they hung up on me.

[ajones]

I found Dell tech support for monitors a nightmare, until I got DDI number of the guy in Bonny Scotland who was going to sort me out. At that point it literally was a case of "Yep, sounds broken; where do you want us to ship the replacement?"

I guess from my point of vire, BIG thumbs up for Dell customer service

[jkh13]

Amazingly enough now, after ANOTHER hour on the phone with Dell HK, they are refusing to even send me a 2407-hc OR a 2407 demanding that they can only send me a 2408 as they only have the 2407s stored in the China warehouse.

[arthurleung]

Amazingly enough now, after ANOTHER hour on the phone with Dell HK, they are refusing to even send me a 2407-hc OR a 2407 demanding that they can only send me a 2408 as they only have the 2407s stored in the China warehouse.

You should have went to their head office in Hong Kong and make a fuss.
I've to say, customer service in Hong Kong past the purchase stage is pretty crap, unless it is a small shop / company. Nowadays I'm just scared to buy stuff in Hong Kong, no latest stuff (or at rip-off price) and the price is in general somewhere between the ex.vat and inc.vat price, which completely defeat the purpose of buying out of UK.

There is really nothing wrong for them to send you a 2408 providing that the revision is the one that fixed the input lag.
My friend (also in HK) got offered a 2408 too when his 2407-HC broke, and he was completely happy with it.

It is really your own fault. The easiest solution would have been you replace the monitor and sell it in Hong Kong, and get a new one in UK.
Importing LCD monitor to UK is 15% VAT + 15% Duty + Whatever the processing fee is. And yes I got hit with that a couple years back with a 2001FP. Ended up only a couple percents cheaper than buying from UK. At least it is still working though.