Dell 24" LCD Nightmare

[dsio]

6 Weeks ago now, I purchased a Dell 24" LCD monitor.

I'd been desperate to upgrade from my 19" AOC CRT, and when I discovered that a new revision, "AO3" was out, which fixed the banding problems in previous revisions of the Dell 24" 2407WFP monitor, I jumped at the chance to get one for $1100 including 5 year warranty.

It was amazing. It truly was, my brand new AO3 24" LCD. Gaming was amazing, images were brilliant, programming a great deal easier, and I couldn't fault it.

Then I discovered that the Composite and S-Video ports, didn't work. At all.

Nothing. Just a jumping blur that sometimes resembled colours.

So two weeks after purchase, I asked for an RMA. It all went well, and I had a replacement at my door the next morning. That's when it all turned to hell.

My replacement monitor was not a new monitor. It was a previously returned monitor sitting around the warehouse.

It had:
*Scratches on the sides
*Strawberry jam all over the side and buttons
*An old revision, an "A02" with the banding problems

***A massive, 1200 pixel long line, vertically from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen, in red. An entire column of dead red pixels.

That day, I called Dell tech support. I explained the problem and asked for a new one. They said that they WOULD NOT provide me with a new one, only a used refurbished monitor as a replacement. They said it would be another one off the warehouse floor.

I said, No, I paid for a new working monitor, and I want exactly that.

So the lady at tech support tells me she will call me the next day, after asking her supervisor.

A week passed.
Two weeks passed.
Three weeks passed.

The forth week, I call again. I get another guy, from tech support this time, who makes me repeat the same crap all over again. Then he tells me, don't worry, I'll get the customer care lady to call you back.

A week passed.
Two weeks passed.

I called again, when I spoke to the tech support guy, he said he'll get her to call me back. I said, "No, I've been told that twice already. I won't be called back, I'll speak to her now."

Funny enough, that moment, she picks up on the line and says hello.

She tells me that I NEVER asked for a new monitor, and that I said to her that I was happy to keep my broken one with the red bar down the middle. Just as I go to respond, the phone hangs up.

I call back, in a complete fury, and get another guy on the phone.

This time, he tells me, the entire Dell customer care centre has been blacked out by a power failure, and will probably be out until close of business.

"She will call you back later"

Thank you Dell, Thank you Malaysia.

[Rondog]

dsio, that is absolutely disgusting that just turned me off Dell for good.

Ring back, ask to speak to not a supervisor, but to a manager. If they ask why, start mentioning things like ACCC and lawsuit and results while ensue.

[bonesaw]

my god its like their trying to mess with you

[Got EpOx]

Keep calling them back and remind them of all the legislation which applies in this situation.

[GrahamGarside]

This my Aussie friend is karma for that time you laughed at me for spilling coffee on my keyboard!

[aghastpumpkin]

Originally Posted by dsio

This time, he tells me, the entire Dell customer care centre has been blacked out by a power failure, and will probably be out until close of business.

"She will call you back later"

Thank you Dell, Thank you Malaysia.

Then how did he call you? Sniff, sniff, whats that I smell?

BS!

[dsio]

Its a seperate department at Dell. You see what happens is you wait in the queue, then you get a Dell operator, and she asks you what tech support department you want to talk to. For Australia, this was actually an english speaking person, and could even be local.

Then from there they forward you to tech support. Tech support can only do two things, either tell you how to fix a problem, or order a "Workable" replacement sent to you from the local courier's warehouse.

I refuse to accept that, because I've paid $1100 for a new working monitor, which I still havn't recieved.

The tech support department is in Malaysia, and the people there speak pidgeon english.

Then from there, when I demanded a NEW monitor, it had to be passed on to customer care, which seams to be only a handful of people, maybe 3 or 4. She doesn't have much english at all and had to repeat nearly everything several times.

I'm /guessing/ I spoke to a tech support person. To be honest I'm close to the point of walking into the Dell Kiosk at the local shopping center and just leaving the monitor there, and asking for a cash refund.

I should add for accuracy that I DID get a callback from this customer care woman a couple of hours later, and she said the same thing, HOWEVER she still said she couldn't promise a new monitor, and had to "make a proposal" to her manager about it.

I was planning on buying a 12" Dell XPS M1210 laptop off Dell for about $3200.

Now I'm looking very hard at Sony's 13.3" VAIOs. More expensive for less features, but at least Sony seam to build a quality product.

[Gizmo]

I've taken the liberty of putting your first post on the Front Page, Dsio.

http://www.aoaforums.com/frontpage/content/view/1789/1/

[Daniel ~]

Gizmo, should you contact Dell and give them a chance to respond? ":O}

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Gizmo, should you contact Dell and give them a chance to respond? ":O}

Eh, funny you should ask that; I already have. We'll see what happens.

[Daniel ~]

What can I say, I may as well go back to sleep! ":O}

[Ken X2]

Contact the 'DOG' at MaximumPC, he'll get you a response, woof!

[QSDT]

That really is bad now I'm worried . I had a friend who when he has problems and needs to talk to these tech type help lines, would ask there name and then inform them that he is recording the call for later reference, I think he really did record them, but he did alway get good help. You need to keep calm aswell.

[Toro]

I don't know about Dell policy in Australia, but I know here its a new whatever if it breaks within the first 30days, and after that its refurbished.

Also if the pixels are "red" they are not "dead" only stuck. I recommend this site http://www.jscreenfix.com/ . Stuck pixels can often be fixed within a couple of hours of running this java applet that cycles each individual pixel through the colours. (not going to help with whacking great red line down your screen though, or the jam or the scratches)

Shocker of a story matey. Hope you get it all sorted, but it certainly doesn't look very promising if that's the service you are getting. Just make sure you fill out the survey if you get one

[Daniel ~]

That's a pretty sucky policy.

[Toro]

that's warranties for you Daniel

[dsio]

It had no effect. You see its impossible to have 1200 dead pixels in a row, it must be a defect in the panel, or the panel's processsor instead. This is not your usual situation.

To follow up on this:

I spoke to the Dell lady last night, at which point she finally agreed that since I was never sent a working screen in the first place, I deserve to get one.

ETA is 3-4 weeks.

Thing is, I'm still not happy, and given the last two were defective, and how many complaints are going around, my hopes for this next one are not too high.

I was going to buy a Dell M1210 off these guys. Thats over for sure now. Ive already visited Sony instead. It isn't worth the risk, and if I needed anything fixed or replaced, I could never go through this again.