Dell Products: Customer Service and Warranty Review

When I bought my Dell laptop a little over two years ago, I struggled slightly with the decision to purchase the warranty. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of customer service. Now that my warranty has expired, I can say that it was money well spent. While I never had any technical problems with my Dell laptop, I did have some other issues. The first was the hinges on the screen became loose, causing the screen to wobble. When I contacted Dell using their online chat, the Dell representative had me make sure the screws were tight. After some other fixes that had no chance of fixing the loose screen, the Dell representative had someone else call me. The phone call went smoothly and the tech had replacement hinges mailed to me. While my warranty included having a tech come to my house to replace the parts, I told him that I'd rather install it myself. There was no argument at all. He only asked if I was sure about doing it myself since it was not an easy replacement and was considered rather difficult. I assured him of my ability to do it. I was shocked at how easy this problem was fixed.

I received the replacement parts fast. I guess they didn't have the exact hinges in stock for my laptop because the hinges they mailed weren't identical to the ones I had. To make these new hinges fit, Dell also replaced the piece that goes behind the screen that the hinges attach to. After being installed, my laptop looked exactly the same.

While under warranty, I also had Dell replace the palm rest and keyboard. I had no problems with getting them to replace these parts either. Since their call centers are overseas, it can be difficult at times to talk with their technical support. But overall, it went great.

The only thing in this entire experience that bothered me was when Dell replaced the palm rest, they sent the wrong sticker that goes on it. I called Dell several times to get the replacement stickers because pulling up the old Intel Centrino Duo sticker and putting it on the new palm rest did not work. It began to peel. Two Dell representatives tried saying that originally my laptop had came with the wrong sticker. I looked it up on the Dell website and showed them how the specs of my computer meant I had the Intel Centrino Duo. Finally, they admitted to being out of stock on the Intel Centrino Duo sticker. I asked them since my warranty expired in a week, couldn't they just sent me the sticker after they got more in stock. The manager I spoke to said that it cost more to mail the sticker than the sticker itself cost. It seemed since they had a contract with DHL that they weren't allowed to simply place a new sticker in an envelope and mail it USPS.

Aware I'd never get them from Dell, I bought the two stickers that I needed off eBay for $4. Since it has been about 3 months now, I can safely say that I'll never get those stickers from Dell. As annoying as it was, at least Dell pays for the return shipping on the parts that they replace. I lost $4, but it could have been a lot higher. I highly recommend getting the warranty on all Dell computers.