Do I have any consumer/legal recourse (please help)?

[osmont]

I will make a very very long story just ''long enough'', so as to not bore everyone, but I bought a Dell computer for around $800 in november of 2009. Ever since I got it there have been problems. For three calendar YEARS I have had to call Dell, waste hours and hours of my time in at least two dozen calls to tech support, cust service, escalation, etc. It's 2011 and now they are leaving me ''out to dry''. Here is a chronology:

(This is all under Dell's brand new computer warranty)

Nov 09: Bought a Dell laptop. From day one it would occassionally freeze at the windows 7 logo, needed a hard reebot. I let it slide as it wasn't constant (you expect it from time to time).

Feb 10: the problems increased so I called tech support, after two hours online troubleshooting on the phone and remotely, not much changed. Things marginally got better, but the problems persisted.

May 10: The computer got much worse, and eventually crashed completely one night in early June. Called Dell, as the computer would not even turn on past the Dell logo this time, they offered me to send the computer back.

June 10: I send the computer back. They said two weeks. Nearly a month later, no computer. I call, they have the wrong address. I give them the right address. A week later, no computer. I call back, they still have the wrong address. Neither Dell or Fedex bothered to call my number which was correct to tell me the computer was sitting at a warehouse in hot Florida because of the wrong address. I have to make half a dozen calls to get Fedex to resend it to my correct adress.

July 10: I finally get the computer back, it works with the volume half as strong and with a tin sound, and a few other quircks. I call Dell, I'm upset, they reluctantly after insisting to replace the computer (they wanted me to send my original one back, I had already lost over a month when I need it for school, work, conectivity, etc)

They send me another computer and model. It seems to work fine until october...

(now, I have multiple witnesses about all this, friends, family, and independent dell contractors that have seen the computer problems ''in action'', plus the record of dozens of calls I've had to make. Neither computers where ever dropped, had top of the line antiviruses, where always within AC enviroment, with air circulation under them, unscratched, the keyboard covered with a protector. The computer looks showroom new to this day)

November-December 10: Sofware issues. Background programs would not shut down properly, even volume mixer. Windows forced them to shut down. Then the mouse pad malfunctions, the left button won't work.

I call Dell... (again): They offer to troubleshoot over the phone. I told them I've tried that. Troubleshoot over remote connection? Tried that. Send the computer? Tried that. So after having to speak to multiple people in India, they finally offer to send a technician.

January 11: The FIRST technician comes. Replaces hard drive, motherboard, mousepad. Goes to turn the computer on... the screen turns different colors, and that's it. He calls Dell... After an hour of that, he replaces back the old motherboard. Turns it on... the hard drive IMAGE FAILS!!! He can't do anything more for me as he has no parts... I am now left with a non-functional unit. I call Dell... They have to agree to send another tech guy the next day. I am left without a working computer.

Next day: tech comes... he brakes the lighted key. So now no lights on the keypad. He can't ask for a replacement because the whole case is in escalation mode. He replaces all the parts. Turns the computer on: ''microsoft.net framework error'', he says it ''should be'' no major problem. He leaves as he cannot stay through the windows initial process. I finish the process. I start using the computer... It suddenly makes a very bizarre high pitched noise, and shuts down. I try to turn it back on, it gets to the windows screen, makes the noise and shuts down. That's it...

The escalation team calls me. The ''supervisor'' won't return my money. He won't extend the warranty which will expire soon, he won't replace the computer with a similar model, only with an inferior model and no warranty. He accusses me of not being patient.

The product is still under warranty. I cannot use it. Only a year into my purchase. The won't do anything further. ''Write to our legal department'', they said.

I have left out the numerous instances of customer abuse when they transfered me to four or five different reps to ask me the same things. Or when I asked for a supervisor, multiple times they would claim that the last person before them was new and that they apologized...

I am so sorry... but I hope some people with some comsumer protection background can read this and tell

[giulio]

You seem to be asking for someone to tell you the terms of the warranty that you bargained for. I do not know the terms of your warranty.

[jolie95]

You seem to be asking for someone to tell you the terms of the warranty that you bargained for. I do not know the terms of your warranty.

Tell the president of the Dell you will start a blog and start reporting the truth unless you receive a replacement or refund.

[mace]

There is a reason for business moving to Florida and for Florida being the home of boiler room scams and other cons. Florida laws protect their home grown business and forbid recognizing any judgment outside of Florida. This is carryover from the days when Realtors scammed old people out of their retirement by selling retirement home sites in the middle of swamps.

If you see a company headquartered in Florida, don't deal with it. They are there for a reason, mostly to prevent anyone from suing them.

You need to see a consumer products counselor to see if you can get service or a refund. I seriously doubt there is much that can be done.