RE: [UUG/MLUG] Bad Laptop Screens (Dell Sucks)

["Dill, Byron M." <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

When I got my Dell Inspiron 7K, it also had a few bad pixels.  I called and
they said it was "within their quality control standards."  I kept calling,
and eventually (I guess I annoyed them enough) got them to send me a new
box.  Luckily, that box had no problems.  I guess I understand that with a
15" LCD screen you have more chances to have a bum pixel.  My best advice is
to keep calling and bothering them - worked for me.  I like Dell, but they
have a few morons at the tech support level you may need to wade through! :)

Byron

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Buffington [mailto:EMAIL:PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 1999 7:23 PM
To: EMAIL:PROTECTED
Subject: [UUG/MLUG] Bad Laptop Screens (Dell Sucks)


Last week my (dell inspiron 7000) laptop's power supply went bezerk.  It
was doing funny things like whenever I was using it it would just shut
off for no reason.  It also made a high pitched whistling.

So I called Dell's technical support and described my problem.  He said
that I would have to send it in to be serviced.  I also mentioned to him
that there was a small scratch (3 millimeters) on the LCD and that if
possible that it be fixed.  So they sent me a box overnight.  The
delivery guy waited as I packed it up.  I put a small note in the box
describing the two problems.  

I got the machine back today.  Now it has a different motherboard,
screen and keyboard(!).  The screen has two (very annoying) pixels that
are always red.  My keyboard *was* in dvorak whenever I sent it in (I
had rearranged the keycaps).  The keyboard thing doesn't really bother
me, I can always change it back (although it took me several hours to
rearrange).  It just upsets me they changed something without my consent
or knowledge.  As for the the screen I'm *really* ticked off.  

I called them and asked why I sent in a damaged screen and got (what I
would consider) an even more damaged screen.  He told me that their
'diagnostics' deemed the keyboard broken so it was replaced.  He also
quoted part of their policy (which he informed me was available online)
that said that industry standards consider do not consider the screen
bad unless seven or more pixels are dysfunctional or five pixels in the
area the size of a dime.  He didn't know what the dvorak keyboard layout
was.  I asked to talk to his supervisor.

"Tommy", the floor supervisor also refused to replace the screen.  I
told him that if I would have known that I was going to get a screen
with bad pixels I would have rather kept the one with the scratch.  The
scratch was much less noticeable.  As for the keyboard I want my old one
back too.  I asked Tommy for some compensation for my trouble.  He
didn't bite.

So after sending in my machine to get a screen that was esthetically
faulty corrected, I got a screen back that was worse off! 

Sorry for writing a short novel.  Anyone have any suggestions of what I
should do?  (i.e. anyone know how to make 5 pixels go bad?)

Dell Sucks.

Jay