Comments on: Dell and Dead Pixels http://www.trustyetc.com/trustyblog/2009/05/22/dell-and-dead-pixels/ Effective and Efficient Education Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:39:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Schinker http://www.trustyetc.com/trustyblog/2009/05/22/dell-and-dead-pixels/comment-page-1/#comment-16802 John Schinker Sat, 23 May 2009 14:21:50 +0000 http://www.trustyetc.com/trustyblog/?p=867#comment-16802 This is fascinating, because I mostly deal with Dell at an institutional level rather than a consumer one. In the last 10 years, I've easily purchased 1800 computers, laptops, and servers from them. In every purchase we've ever made from Dell, we have had the option to return the item for replacement for any reason (or no reason) for 30 days. There's no cost to do this (including shipping), and they always expedite the replacement. There have been times when I've sent back servers costing thousands of dollars because I had problems in the first week and didn't think I should have to spend an hour on the phone going through the troubleshooting. I've never had a problem with this. With LCDs, we have haven't ever had a problem with dead/dark pixels/dots, either. That doesn't necessarily mean that we haven't *had* any, just that no one has complained about it. I will say that your post has be scouring my screen for dark spots. The one I found turned out to be dirt. The other interesting thing is that a lot of laptops have accidental damage coverage. Dell calls this "CompleteCare," where they will replace any broken parts with no questions asked. While I would certainly not advocate deliberately damaging a computer, one could make the case that a laptop with a couple dead pixels might not be covered under warranty, until you drop it down the stairs... onto a paved road... just as a truck rolls by. We have had all manner of student-inflicted abuse fixed under these warranty provisions, and have never had a problem getting things repaired. It seems like Dell's being unreasonable in your case, and without an account rep hierarchy, you're left powerless to do anything about it. I certainly wouldn't blame you for going elsewhere. This is fascinating, because I mostly deal with Dell at an institutional level rather than a consumer one. In the last 10 years, I’ve easily purchased 1800 computers, laptops, and servers from them.

In every purchase we’ve ever made from Dell, we have had the option to return the item for replacement for any reason (or no reason) for 30 days. There’s no cost to do this (including shipping), and they always expedite the replacement. There have been times when I’ve sent back servers costing thousands of dollars because I had problems in the first week and didn’t think I should have to spend an hour on the phone going through the troubleshooting. I’ve never had a problem with this.

With LCDs, we have haven’t ever had a problem with dead/dark pixels/dots, either. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we haven’t *had* any, just that no one has complained about it. I will say that your post has be scouring my screen for dark spots. The one I found turned out to be dirt.

The other interesting thing is that a lot of laptops have accidental damage coverage. Dell calls this “CompleteCare,” where they will replace any broken parts with no questions asked. While I would certainly not advocate deliberately damaging a computer, one could make the case that a laptop with a couple dead pixels might not be covered under warranty, until you drop it down the stairs… onto a paved road… just as a truck rolls by. We have had all manner of student-inflicted abuse fixed under these warranty provisions, and have never had a problem getting things repaired.

It seems like Dell’s being unreasonable in your case, and without an account rep hierarchy, you’re left powerless to do anything about it. I certainly wouldn’t blame you for going elsewhere.

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