Dell ordered back to court in laptop dustup

Dell has been ordered back into court to face claims it knowingly sold defective Inspiron 5160 and 1150 laptops. In October 2006, three Inspiron owners - Michael Omstead, Melissa Malloy, and Lisa Smith - filed suit against the PC maker, charging the company with "misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, …

[Kludge]

Court Acts Justly. FTW?

In a ruling widely held as unprecedented an American court has required justice to be observed instead of simply allowing a corporation to run rough-shod over the American sheeple. Clearly this court is backed by communist insurgents.

[Mike Echo]

What happened to Dell?

It seemed like not that long ago that the word "integrity" and the phrase "customer focus" was synonymous with Dell. This episode shows that Dell, like so many others, now smells like a dead fish. I too have been burned by the gap between their so-called "cusotmer focus" and the sad reality that is now Dell.

[John Smith 19]

Good

How much does "arbitration" on a $1200 laptop?

[Tarthen]

And this...

...is why I don't buy Dell.

Linux, because that's what my room-temperature HP runs.

[Suburban Inmate]

Dell being Dell then.

I won't bore everyone with harrowing tales of being tech-support to Dell owning users. I'm sure we've all got a few dozen.

Still, I do wonder what it's like in Dell HQ. If its anything like their products then the coffee machine has a secret key combo if you want your first-of-the-morning super-strength brain-defibrillator cuppa. Just like their netbook that won't boot from an external optical drive without same.

Of course, even with tons of excellent office chairs on the market made by companies with years of experience, Mr Dell will instead use proprietary chairs moulded exactly to his own backside, and lacking in the features and build quality offered by the specialist moth^H^H^H^H chair makers.

I could go on but its lunch time.

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: Dell being Dell then

The company runs on Excel spreadsheets...

Also, visitors have to check in with security at each building and get a new badge (security desk systems were not linked last I heared - I hope this changed).

of course, all of this was from a few years back (when the case first went to court), so things may have changed.

[Ed Gould]

Re: Dell ordered Back to Court

I have always disliked arbitration as the company always get to pick the arbitrator "judges". These people are nothing more than corporate types with an aim to please the corporation. In theory arbitration sounds good but the corporations in the US have corrupted the system.

I personally have had a friend who had to go into arbitration over being fired. He should have won by any standard instead he lost. Too bad his case involved civil rights and the appropriate laws were passed but 15 years after the fact.

Dell as a corporation prefers arbitration as they control the judges.

[Desktop Mobile]

When smoke gets in your eyes

Hi had a 5160, received a warning on boot due to over heating. Phoned Dell India call centre who told me to run the diagnostic disc fully.

I protested and she said it was a Bios error not a cooling error.

Upon returning to my office after a meeting I noticed the diag disc had stopped running, the fan was silent and then that the laptop was dead and there was a strong smell of smoke.

I rang Dell and they made me hold for ages and then agreed to replace the laptop with a new different model which arrived 5 days later.

They obviously required the old machine back.

I have never bought Dell since.

[Gfranty]

Com-tinue...

...something Dell's no longer do!

Seriously though, I have a Dell that has served me extremely well over the years (see: 1501), purchasing an 'upgrade' from dell (see: 1721, I think) about two and a half years into its life saw me, and see's me, using the original to this very day.

I now would not recommend Dell to anyone, simply because of their outputs recently - I do get one kick out of it though, being that I can loan out this irritating Delltop to my ex; I just know she'll get frustrated using it. :s

'Get yer coat' icon, because I'm turning mine.

[Zap]

I used to really like Dell

I can see why Dell might want to release all its legal might against 3 punters trying it on but this is a bit nasty.

Rather than downgrading their machines to run at the speed of an 8088 they should have just given them a new different model laptop. The users would have been elated and goodwill would be huge. Instead they have created a load of bad will.

As it is they close factories in Ireland only to get a grant to open one in newer EU countries and then flog off the factory to the far east.

Dell needs to make a step change in customer service, it may not be profitable in itself but they need to look at the bigger picture.