Submission + - Dell Bait and Switch 1
coldfarnorth writes: I recently found out the hard way that if you buy a machine with Vista Ultimate installed on it from Dell, you get exactly half of what Microsoft sells as the same product. According to Microsoft's web page (at the bottom of the page), Vista Ultimate is the only version of windows for which you need not specify that you want either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version; Both are included. According to the Dell's website (Home and Home Office), you can order "Windows Vista Ultimate" on your computer. No provisos, no disclaimers, no asterisks, no fine print. You might think that the two products would be the same, but when my computer arrived I was shown to be, shall we say, a bit optimistic. Although Dell proudly touted it as a containing a 64-bit processor, it arrived with only the 32-bit version of Vista.
After calling Dell, dealing with two levels of scripted problem solving, explaining six ways that, I was not interested in a new computer, I merely wanted what had been specified at the time of sale, I was firmly told that that my only recourse was to speak to the Conflict Resolution Team. Still better, I could not call them, they would call me. After another brief circus, I spoke with a gentleman whose accent had been outsourced, and I was assured yet again that there was absolutely nothing that Dell could do about the confusion. Had I complained within 21 days of receiving the laptop, I could have returned it (but that date had passed).
The rest of the conversation was a debate on what Dell had offered when the computer was ordered. I pointed out that Microsoft only sold one version of Vista Ultimate and that if Dell was offering Vista Ultimate, it seemed reasonable to assume that I was getting the whole product, as Dell offered no information suggesting otherwise. His response was a gem: Why should I assume that the two products were the same? After all, Dell had presented nothing in writing to that effect. Further discussion proved equally futile, and the conversation ended.
That essentially left me out of options. I had gotten as far into Customer Service (ha) as anyone would let me go. I would be interested in hearing if anyone else has been bothered by this particular bait-and-switch, and have managed to get this resolved in their favor.
After calling Dell, dealing with two levels of scripted problem solving, explaining six ways that, I was not interested in a new computer, I merely wanted what had been specified at the time of sale, I was firmly told that that my only recourse was to speak to the Conflict Resolution Team. Still better, I could not call them, they would call me. After another brief circus, I spoke with a gentleman whose accent had been outsourced, and I was assured yet again that there was absolutely nothing that Dell could do about the confusion. Had I complained within 21 days of receiving the laptop, I could have returned it (but that date had passed).
The rest of the conversation was a debate on what Dell had offered when the computer was ordered. I pointed out that Microsoft only sold one version of Vista Ultimate and that if Dell was offering Vista Ultimate, it seemed reasonable to assume that I was getting the whole product, as Dell offered no information suggesting otherwise. His response was a gem: Why should I assume that the two products were the same? After all, Dell had presented nothing in writing to that effect. Further discussion proved equally futile, and the conversation ended.
That essentially left me out of options. I had gotten as far into Customer Service (ha) as anyone would let me go. I would be interested in hearing if anyone else has been bothered by this particular bait-and-switch, and have managed to get this resolved in their favor.
