Dell Complaint 080806 My problems with Dell began almost upon first purchasing my computer online. Just before Christmas I noticed a promotion to purchase a Dell XPS M140 Media Model Laptop with time to pay, 18 months I believe, and 0% interest. That seemed a pretty good deal, and was ending the day I saw it. I bought almost my limit of $1500.00. Unawares to me, Dell split my purchases up, and issued a credit card that I had not approved or asked for, charging the wireless modem I had purchased as part of the order, to the credit card. They produced a new sales invoice to do this, because I made copies of the original. If I hadn't been getting the free credit deal, I would have sought the best deal on a laptop out, and I do not believe I would have purchased a Dell at all. I spent days and days calling Dell; one Indian man stands out in my memory as particularly unpleasant. It was no small trick getting someone online each time, I can tell you, and I never successfully managed to get the split charge fixed, because when my first billing was received, in late January, another problem was evident, it stated that I was severely in arrears on my account since the previous June. The modem charge was generating interest, and both accounts had late fees attached to my first payment. More calls to Dell Financial Services. I also began receiving these terrible long recorded dunning calls telling me to call Dell, one to my work number. I called. I became so frustrated because it became apparent that no one knew how remove the modem from one account to another. Because I am fairly financially secure, I was able to pay the almost triple amount of the modem off to stop the credit card payments and interest it was generating on the Dell account. After many more days and hours of calls to Dell Financial Services a girl on the phone finally understood that I had not even received the computer until almost January 1, 2006, and that I could not be in arrears from the previous June! She giggled and said oops, my bad, and made adjustments to the account. As I said, because I am experienced in the ways of credit companies I know when to be concerned. I do not think that young even very well-educated consumers could have worked their way out of this mess, nor would most have had the time or resources to have gotten the credit bearing portion paid off. I can promise you that Dell relies upon that. It brings in plenty of revenue. To pay something off added onto an interest free account, like at Sears or at Dell, who both send credit cards to the customer immediately, hoping that they will charge something interest bearing onto the account, is more expensive than just paying off the purchase. This triggers enormous interest and fees. The unwary consumer must pay many times the value of the item purchased with interest, because they are added to the other purchase and the entire balance must be paid including whatever has been purchased on 0% interest. The modem was about $70.00. To get it off of the statement, where it never should have been to begin with, I paid about $200.00. Now extremely wary about Dell, I would not buy anything from them ever again, certainly not on credit, nor advise anyone to do so. The billing problems have not gotten much better. Being a 21st century consumer, I pay such things online as much as possible. To do so, pay your monthly statement online with Dell, should you be able to navigate their very difficult web site, will cost you almost $15.00, added to the monthly payment balance. The same courtesy fee of $15.00, applies if you call the payment in. This information is in tiny print on the final payment window, very easy to miss. The late charge for my $29.00 a month payment is $29.00. How are these charges possible or legal? I have paid at least twice the monthly payment every month since receiving the computer, and paid the modem off in full, to make sure that I could never be considered late or be charged these insane fees. On my last payment I sent two checks for $30.00 each, mind you, I am already paid way ahead on this account, almost double on what was owed for monthly payments. I included the instructions that I would be on vacation, and wanted the payments applied to the July and August payments. There is a note currently on my August online statement that I am days late on my payment, and a $29.00 late fee was charged to my account. More calls, more than an hour or so of time necessitating a request to speak with a supervisor who could not have been over 14 years old, and who finally condescendingly agreed to remove the late fee, because I was paid ahead on the account. This time, in spite of a call to assure that I could send payments ahead, that I had made back in July, I was informed that I could not designate payments to be for this month or that, and that it all depended upon the date that the check was sent, but they could not give me a date by which I could be insured not to incur a charge for the following month. I asked for them to supply me with the text where such information was disclosed. I am certain it is not disclosed anywhere. The girl also told me that I could just have a monthly charge to my account applied for free. Now this had not been offered before in the many times I have made calls. She told me that she would mail me the paperwork to begin the process to start this. I am very suspicious, can you blame me? Since I began writing this complaint I have received a call from Dell offering me more time interest free to pay off this account, and additional insurance if I would agree to adding another an $89.00 fee. After that, the explanation of my purchase would be sent to me in writing. When I told the young woman, who sounded very tired, that I had to see this in print to consider it, she told me that they could not send the thing out in print until I had ordered it on the phone by indicating my approval. I said loudly that in no way would I consider ordering anything from Dell online or over the phone to make sure that in no way could I have been taken to have approved another charge. I would simply pay the danged thing off if it were not that I am also having problems with the computer. It came beautifully packaged, having far more capabilities than I even know what to do with now. However, the first time I turned it on and used it, it overheated. Calling into Dell customer support is a bit easier, because after you finally get someone, they tend to be a bit sharper than the finance crew. None the less, I have continued to have problems with the overheating, causing a complete dump of memory at least four times now. The most helpful solution ever offer me has been that I should purchase a cool pad. I have done so, but the unit still overheats. The most recent memory dump occurred during my first period class at the school where I use the computer in my classroom as a teaching tool attached to a projector. It was several days before I and school techs were able to restore the system. The class was bedlam. The Dell tech just insisted to me that my computer did not have the ability, or hardware to do what I had been doing with it since purchase, about five months now. No matter how I tried to explain that the computer had been used with a PowerPoint projector for months now, she said, 'Well I just do not know what to tell you then.' Like I said, we got it working shortly thereafter, but I am still reeling from the techs insistance that my media version M140 was not capable of doing what it is supposed to do. I am a tenured educator with a Master's Degree from a California State University, homeowner, fully vested retirement, and 20 years with LAUSD. Before LAUSD I was a real estate agent for 20 years, and have some familiarity with law and lending based upon that professional experience. I cannot believe that this company is getting away with these type practices. I am now girding myself to face the process of returning what appears to be an overheating laptop that certainly will not last two years, given its performance so far. There was a Dell laptop recently that exploded in an office in flames that has gotten a bit of press, and they are no longer selling the XPS M140 or 170, both just about 8 months old, so I hope that I will be able to return it for a full refund and purchase a more reliable computer. Any help or advice you can offer would be welcomed.