I say take the free laptop replacement and when it comes sell/trade it for something different. Or are they not really offering to replace it?
-----Original Message----- From: Thomas Bruno
I got the following e-mail reply from dell:
-----CUT---------
Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support.
Ronnie, if I have understood it correctly, you are concerned about the smoke coming from the Laptop while trying to connect TV through TV Out connector and also the RCA cable melted because of this.
I apologize and truly regret any inconvenience this matter may have caused.
Please provide the information requested below so I can setup the service to arrange for the system to be replaced.
-----CUT-----------
This proves dell e-mail techs can't read, i posted the same story to them, word for word here, I never said the laptop smoked. I said the TV caught on fire. and the wire melted
I don't know yet, i sent the details, and i got a automated message saying "we are redoing our mail system to better serve you, normally it would take a technician 6-12 hours to contact, but until we finish, it very well could be up to 24 hours.
On Fri, 2004-12-03 at 16:32 -0600, Brian Densmore wrote:
I say take the free laptop replacement and when it comes sell/trade it for something different. Or are they not really offering to replace it?
-----Original Message----- From: Thomas Bruno
I got the following e-mail reply from dell:
-----CUT---------
Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support.
Ronnie, if I have understood it correctly, you are concerned about the smoke coming from the Laptop while trying to connect TV through TV Out connector and also the RCA cable melted because of this.
I apologize and truly regret any inconvenience this matter may have caused.
Please provide the information requested below so I can setup the service to arrange for the system to be replaced.
-----CUT-----------
This proves dell e-mail techs can't read, i posted the same story to them, word for word here, I never said the laptop smoked. I said the TV caught on fire. and the wire melted
Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
On Fri, 3 Dec 2004, Thomas Bruno wrote:
I don't know yet, i sent the details, and i got a automated message saying "we are redoing our mail system to better serve you, normally it would take a technician 6-12 hours to contact, but until we finish, it very well could be up to 24 hours.
The old runaround tactics. First they shift the blame and if that fails, pretend reading comprehension problems, and then if logic becomes too threatening, stall. Then they are ready to introduce you to the bureaucracy of paperwork and procedure, all while making calls through a broken automated telephone system.
"I need to talk to your supervisor."
"OK, I'll transfer you."
"Please be patient. Call time may exceed 10 minutes. Your call is..."
I learned this when dealing with our beloved phone companies.
-=Duane http://dattaway.org
Actually, this is my 3rd laptop from dell, due to replacements, each time I got the standard message like the one before saying "send us the details, so we can replace your system blah blah", I have no doubt they are going to do it right now, however, I am ready if they don't.
On Fri, 2004-12-03 at 16:46 -0600, Duane Attaway wrote:
On Fri, 3 Dec 2004, Thomas Bruno wrote:
I don't know yet, i sent the details, and i got a automated message saying "we are redoing our mail system to better serve you, normally it would take a technician 6-12 hours to contact, but until we finish, it very well could be up to 24 hours.
The old runaround tactics. First they shift the blame and if that fails, pretend reading comprehension problems, and then if logic becomes too threatening, stall. Then they are ready to introduce you to the bureaucracy of paperwork and procedure, all while making calls through a broken automated telephone system.
"I need to talk to your supervisor."
"OK, I'll transfer you."
"Please be patient. Call time may exceed 10 minutes. Your call is..."
I learned this when dealing with our beloved phone companies.
-=Duane http://dattaway.org
Ok, here's the update:
Dell emailed me back. I posted my orginal story on both the dell forums, and dell's e-mail tech support.
Basically, the first technician asked me to send my address and stuff, so they could setup to replace my laptop.
I though.. ok this would be fine. cept for the T.V. and my cables being damaged. But I could settle for a replacement laptop. So I sent my details in, thinking, ok this sounds like my last laptop replacement. They just send me a new one, i place this one in the box and send it back. All will be fine and well.
Then thismorning, it seems the dell tech (who is not the orginal tech) decided that this wouldn't be a good solution. Instead now, they want me to send them my laptop so they can A.) repair the motherboard, and if that doesn't fix it, B.) replace the laptop.
Now this seems like a reasonable request.. only a few problems with this one:
A.) I'm freaking terrified of my laptop, to afraid to even plug it in and turn it on. B.) I'm freaking terrified of EVERY pluging a TV into a computer, or anything RCA into a TV again. C.) There's isn't much comfort in them replacing the motherboard... D.) What about my TV and RCA cables? E.) When I send them my laptop, i have nothing, no proof, no evidence, they can say whatever they want. It's in their possesion, they can say the laptop is fine and didn't cause the problem. Once the evidence is in their possesion, I have nothing. I most certianly am not going to trust dell, especially after they tried to extort $300 from me by MAKING me send in my laptop for a fan repair... the fan can't be more than $2, they just wouldn't sell it to me. F.) last time i sent it into the dell repair center, It stoped turning on all the time, and they never did fix it.
Once dell has the laptop, I have nothing. This isn't going to work. I guess i'm going to have to go see a lawyer tomorrow. Plus... what about general safety? This could have been my grandma... or YOUR grandma... All i did was plug in the TV to the video card via RCA....
I have here all the dell emails that i recieved and replied to.
The Original Message http://www.djgoku.com/original-message.txt
Dell's first reply "Message 2" http://www.djgoku.com/dell-reply1.txt
My Reply to message 2 http://www.djgoku.com/my-reply1.txt
Dell's second reply "Message 3" http://www.djgoku.com/dell-reply2.txt
My Reply to message 3 http://www.djgoku.com/my-reply2.txt
My 2nd Reply to message 3 http://www.djgoku.com/my-reply3.txt
More updates as they come on
www.livejournal.com/crweb
On Fri, 2004-12-03 at 17:11 -0600, Thomas Bruno wrote:
Actually, this is my 3rd laptop from dell, due to replacements, each time I got the standard message like the one before saying "send us the details, so we can replace your system blah blah", I have no doubt they are going to do it right now, however, I am ready if they don't.
On Fri, 2004-12-03 at 16:46 -0600, Duane Attaway wrote:
On Fri, 3 Dec 2004, Thomas Bruno wrote:
I don't know yet, i sent the details, and i got a automated message saying "we are redoing our mail system to better serve you, normally it would take a technician 6-12 hours to contact, but until we finish, it very well could be up to 24 hours.
The old runaround tactics. First they shift the blame and if that fails, pretend reading comprehension problems, and then if logic becomes too threatening, stall. Then they are ready to introduce you to the bureaucracy of paperwork and procedure, all while making calls through a broken automated telephone system.
"I need to talk to your supervisor."
"OK, I'll transfer you."
"Please be patient. Call time may exceed 10 minutes. Your call is..."
I learned this when dealing with our beloved phone companies.
-=Duane http://dattaway.org
Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
I hate to say it, given that we all love to express our opinions on these matters, but you're talking to the wrong people.
You REALLY, REALLY need to at least talk with a real, honest-to-goodnes, listed-in-the-yellow-pages Product Liability Lawyer.
At the minimum, you deserve to have a working laptop, a fixed TV, and a new cable. You've been injured, and you can probably argue quite successfully for compensation for that. Shock and trauma are a little bit more difficult to prove, but getting knocked unconcious is pretty clearly not something you should expect from a consumer product that's being used correctly.
If you don't talk to a lawyer, what's the worst that could happen? Well, I suppose Dell could say "it was the TV, not the laptop", and you'd be out a computer and a TV. Maybe you're cool with that. I don't think I would be.
If you do work with a lawyer, he should be willing to do this on a contingency basis - his fees come out of any potential settlement. You may still loose the laptop and the TV - they become evidence. Your expense in replacing them, though, becomes part of your claim.
We are not talking about suing someone because the coffee you shouldn't have poured in your lap was too hot. We're talking about serious injury and damage from normal use of ordinary consumer appliances.
Think about this: What if you'd been alone? What if that fire had caught on something else, and kept burning, while you were knocked out on the floor?
My girlfriend today pointed out a time like 5-6 weeks ago during a bible study i was using my laptop with it on my lap, and i was getting shocked through my blue jeans. I had forgotten about this until now. That seems a little wierd to me aswell. We are pretty certian it's the laptop.
On Sun, 2004-12-05 at 13:43 -0600, Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
I hate to say it, given that we all love to express our opinions on these matters, but you're talking to the wrong people.
You REALLY, REALLY need to at least talk with a real, honest-to-goodnes, listed-in-the-yellow-pages Product Liability Lawyer.
At the minimum, you deserve to have a working laptop, a fixed TV, and a new cable. You've been injured, and you can probably argue quite successfully for compensation for that. Shock and trauma are a little bit more difficult to prove, but getting knocked unconcious is pretty clearly not something you should expect from a consumer product that's being used correctly.
If you don't talk to a lawyer, what's the worst that could happen? Well, I suppose Dell could say "it was the TV, not the laptop", and you'd be out a computer and a TV. Maybe you're cool with that. I don't think I would be.
If you do work with a lawyer, he should be willing to do this on a contingency basis - his fees come out of any potential settlement. You may still loose the laptop and the TV - they become evidence. Your expense in replacing them, though, becomes part of your claim.
We are not talking about suing someone because the coffee you shouldn't have poured in your lap was too hot. We're talking about serious injury and damage from normal use of ordinary consumer appliances.
Think about this: What if you'd been alone? What if that fire had caught on something else, and kept burning, while you were knocked out on the floor? _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
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Jonathan Hutchins -
Thomas Bruno -
Tom Bruno