Dell, The Worse IT Company I Have Dealt With!

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Sep 29th


I am an IT guy, like most IT guys I like my gadgets, I like my technology. Recently I have changed job roles, my new role requires (well requires is what I tell the Mrs) that I have a brand new VMWare ESX server, so I can run a decent test rig with a bunch of virtual machines. I need a load of RAM, the more the merrier, maybe an SDD drive for speed, and dual processors with multiple cores would be the way to go. So I thought I would buy a new server from the boys at Dell. What a mistake.

I ordered the new rig on the 11th September from the Dell website, this was a pre-built rig that had been returned to Dell, I went with a return because you typically get a discount on the original price and Dell still provide a warranty, but it still cost just short of two grand. Now being pre-built, ready to ship, I was optimistic that I might receive the kit by the Tuesday, but no apparently their internal processes require longer to sort this stuff out. Five days later I got an email saying it would arrive on the 21st Sept, some ten days after I ordered my pre-built rig.

Now, here is the problem, I was not going to be home on the 21st, so naturally I wanted to change the date it was going to arrive, I clicked on their tracking link to change the delivery date, COMPUTER SAYS NO. You can’t tell them not to try and bother to deliver on the original shipment date, they don’t allow it! WTF? In this day and age they don’t have the technology required to adjust this original date. So their shipment company tried to deliver on the Monday, and left a card saying I was not in, no shit sherlock.

The card did allow me to change the shipment date to a day I would be in, so knowing I would not be in the next day either I requested via their shipping company’s website to have it delivered on the Wednesday, when I could architect a work from home day. Wednesday came and went, no delivery. I was on the phone first thing Thursday to Dell asking what was up. They said that their shipping company tried to deliver on the Tuesday (not the Wednesday when I was home) and had “No Access to Site”. Now, I was shipping to my flat, on a main road, with parking directly outside, no gates, no roadworks, nothing blocking them, yet apparently they had “No access to site”, of course there was no card left for the Tuesday when they apparently tried to deliver. Dell had no explanation about why they didn’t try to deliver on the Wednesday as requested.

But rest assured the Dell operator told me, the package was “Out for delivery” now and would be with me shortly. In anticipation of having my new shiny rig delivered the previous day I had blagged an extra day working from home, so I could set it all up, so if it arrived, as the Dell operated assured me, then all would be good, I could spend the pending weekend with config and setup. Nothing arrived.

Yet another call to “Dell Customer Support” (an oxymoron if I have ever heard one), “Sorry Mr Kennedy when it I said “Out For Delivery” it was being delivered back to our main hub, not you”. WTF? I am not saying this is the definition of incompetence, but it sure as hell runs close. “Don’t worry we can get it to you on Monday” I was skeptical to say the least. I was not going to be able to get a work from home day at such short notice, so suggested that Tuesday 29th September would be a better day for delivery and if it was not delivered on this day, 18 days after I ordered a pre-built rig, that I would like a refund.

Today is Tuesday 29th September, given the title of this post I am sure you have already guessed the outcome. No delivery. I quick call to Dell Customer Support. “It is still sitting at out main hub where it was delivered last Friday, it says there was “No access to site” do you have any road works? WTF? After more discussion this was the same notes from last week, and my explanation was not captured at all and they had not bothered to send the new delivery request through.

So I asked for a refund, “Please Hold”, a few minutes of hold music “Ök Mr Kennedy I have processed your request, we need to wait for the package to be returned to us, “I thought you said it was at your main hub?”, “Umm we still need it to be shipped back to us” (good luck with that) and your refund will be processed 5-10 working days after the package has been returned” WTF?

So after waiting 18 days for a delivery from Dell that never turned up I have to wait x number of days for them to get their package back from their main hub, and another 5-10 working days before I get my two grand back! It is likely to be close to 30 days before the money is returned to my account from the day it left. Dell the worse IT company I have dealt with!

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