Dell Guilty of Defrauding Customers

Computers, cell phones and the like are the ultimate luxuries. They make our lives easier and, lets face it, we love them to death. But we all know how frustrating it can be when something goes wrong. Either it's way more expensive than we thought, impossible to repair, or the warranty doesn't cover what's broken.

That's how some deceived Dell customers felt about financing, warranties, and repair services promised by the company. Clients who were "left on hold for hours...pressured to take apart their computers themselves, and subjected to numerous other negligent and abusive practices." (Source: vnunet.com)

They were victorious Tuesday, winning their case against Dell Inc. in a New York court. The company was instructed by Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi "to more clearly disclose that most customers don't qualify for free financing or get "next day" repair service." The lawsuit contained over 1700 complaints from individuals who felt Dell had not honoured its promises. (Source: allheadlinenews.com)

Most consumers are savvy enough to know that the ads they see on TV or billboards are too good to be true. Cell phone ads never include the rip-off system access fees and computers rarely include upgraded RAM, better operating systems, or additional computer programs. However, the Dell customers' central complaint is a little different. According to the judge's decision, only seven per cent of customers qualified for some of the promotions, such as free monitors, memory, rebates or interest-free financing. In reality, many customers were slammed with 16-30% interest and many customers waited excessive periods for repairs (Source: theglobeandmail.com)

Maybe I'm dreaming if I think this case will make long calls to my computer company, only to be transferred to another department, a thing of the past. More than anything, it is refreshing to see that in at least one instance; some action has been taken by the courts to remedy blatantly false advertising and terrible customer service.

That is not to say that all computer companies have bad customer service reps or routinely bait the public with false advertising. But it is comforting to know that in every boardroom in every major North American computer firm this week, Dell's crucifixion my be an item on the agenda. In the rush to get good products out, major players often forget that focus also needs to be placed on keeping the public happy after they purchase.