Warranty replacement match $ paid instead of similar system?

After reading the entire thread by Stevie, I'm wondering if in replacement systems where the original purchase was substantially discounted (I.e. Military purchase), the replacement configuration offered more closely matches the discounted value instead of the machine being replaced.

This could explain the reason for the low end replacement config he was offered as well as the reason for declining the refund. Who would want the refund when you couldn't turn around and buy a similarly configured system for the refunded amount?

Of course he was prefer to decline the refund... I would too...

Btw, I'm not saying this was right or wrong. Just wondering if this is what happened.

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The previous thread was closed by Stevie's request. Do you think it wise to essentially open this can of worms again?

 

Your right. Let avoid relating this to Steve's issue. I'm wondering about Dell policy. Steve doesn't have to respond to my thread. Anyone with experience regarding my question can help answer it.




This could help someone decide whether it is worth buying a warranty if indeed Dell considers the purchase price in the replacement decision.

 

Just for clarification purposes, I have not accepted or rejected anything as of yet regarding my case. I have opened a 'part two' which, for those interested, can be found here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...l-support-full-details-included-part-two.html

The previous thread was closed at my request, quite simply as it was getting out of hand, not that it was then end of my saga....

However, to answer the OP's query - it could well be the case. I cannot see how or why Dell arrived at the replacement specification they did for me, if truly comparing like for like. I assume that original purchase price is indeed a major factor.

 

According to their policy, it should be based on specifications, not cost of machine. You might be able to haggle with whoever made the offer for a better system, closer to the specs of your current one.

 

Maybe the purchase price thing is a Dell EMEA thing....maybe that's why Dell EMEA screwed me over....just a thought. I'd love to have someone from Dell talk me through how they arrived at the replacement specification that they offered me....

In fact, therin lies a thought! - hmmmm.....

 

Not sure about other countries but here is Australia, original purchase price is not a factor when it comes to replacement, I have seen it first hand, friend had an Inspiron 1525 catch fire, battery literally blew like a balloon till one side leaked and threw smoke out, damaging the whole laptop. He paid $1299 on dell outlet and extended the warranty, got a xps15 as replacement with much better specs and it was on dell outlet for $2199.

My m15x cost me $2199 (absolutely base spec but with 3yr warranty) and dell replaced it with m17xr4 which was for $3299 on dell aus website.

So from what I see, purchase price is not a consideration her in Australia.

 

lol just care your baby beast as best you can Dell do offer same system as replacement if same part wont available then do provide equivalent or better then original ones. (99% cases)*

 

Right so its not just people living in US that get good service when accidents happen

 

From the 3 system's two laptops and one Area 51 that have been replaced. They Dell first tries 4 times to locate a replacement system of same or better spec's. The spec's are based on the original system as purchased new or refurb. They consider any upgrades (freebees) not to count so you can not go from a R1 to a upgraded R2 and expect to receive a same or better R2 they could roll you back to a system same or better spec'd R1. Some people get lost on where they stand on the replacement. I have seen people get mad because they believe Dell should replace like for like on a already exchanged system. After 4 tries at a refub for a exchange they then will go on to find a new build that is equal to or better than your purchased system. This is where it gets a little tuff comparing 2, 3 or 4 year old Tech to new. It could be said a low end 14, 17 or 18 R5 is a lot better than a high end R1. Now start judging all the parts one by one which is better than. In the end I think Dell is quite fair most of the time, not all but most. Anyway just my 2 cents worth from what I have learned about the game. I also have sold over 20 Alienwares on ebay and have never had a person PM me that Dell did not stand behind their purchase.:hi2:

 

I remember dealing with this several times in my 6 years doing retail and it sucks to have to tell someone that new stuff is cheaper so your 4 year old $300 camera now costs $100. Most of them didn't get that it was matching specs not dollar signs. Thankfully I never had to deal with a computer issue like this but GPS and cameras are bad enough.

 

I just want to reply to this, as I think my reply, from an EMEA standpoint, is VERY relevant to what was said above.

As many of you know, I've had my own set of problems of late, and I am not gonna go over them here, but suffice to say that I was offered a replacement which was an M18x R2 3630qm/Single 675m coming from an 18mth old M18x R1 2960xm/AMD 6990m Crossifre (original spec, not including changes) and in comparison, I personally think that the replacement offer was a bit of a dog.

I've had a phone call today from Dell EMEA Executive Customer Resolutions Team regarding the offer, as I wanted to ask why it was lo-balled, hoping that someone would give me a genuine reason for it. The reply and explanation that I got was quite gob-smacking considering this is supposedly Dell's "elite" department at 'last-stop-cafe' resolutions and escalations.

The guy started off by telling me that as my machine was 18mths old, it had devalued seriously during that time and that it was now worth a LOT less - which I know, of course. He went on to say "Why should Dell give me a 4th gen cpu, when 2nd gen cpu's are now not worth as much!" - I said, well - that's why I paid for warranty, so that if something happens to my machine, and old technology is no longer available, it get's replaced with like for like or better from the hardware that is CURRENTLY available, regardless of wether it is an improvement in generation or not - on a comparable performance level, of course.

The guy also had no clue about how to compare hardware either, or of the spec. of original hardware I had. He thought my 2960xm had a max clock speed of 3.7ghz, so was basing his comparisons off that - now the 2960xm I have (and that is described as this on my order) is factory overclocked to 4ghz. He didn't even know that 3.7ghz is just Intel's max turbo frequency and that Alienware's own overclocking (basically just going into bios and selecting level 3 from the performance menus) pumps out more than the Intel base figures. Also, he didn't really grasp that a 3630qm is locked for overclocking, but an XM cpu is not, and can be manually overclocked up to close to 5ghz. Totally inept way of comparing things, and shockingly bad computer knowledge.

If it wasnt bad enough he was telling me that I would only get something that was of comparable value to my somewhat depreciated 2960xm, he didn't even know the basic info about the processor itself.

Moving onto gpu, he had just as little understanding about that too. He was basing his comparisons again with depreciation in mind, but yet again, he had no clue how to compare a gpu. You will laugh when I tell you this, I was amazed, but all he was using to compare was the amount of vRam on the gpu - nothing about clocks, shaders, memory bus etc....how inept is that? - that's tant amount to saying to a Ferrari owner "Here you go, here's a Ford - it's still got two doors though....."

So, moral of the story is that YMMV depending on your location as to how you are treated. I'm from the UK, so fall under EMEA territory, and they obviously operate differently to other territories such as the US, where it seems that cost/depreciation may not be factored in, but it certainly IS factored in in EMEA regions - because that came from the horses mouth.

Bottom line? - I'd never take Dell extended warranty ever again....not until the useless monkeys are better trained.....it's shocking to receive such disgusting treatment.

Oh and as for replacing 'replaced' machines - I had one like that, not my fault that it was DOA but Dell EMEA did not even take that into consideration....pretty much meaning that I had used up a 'life' if you like because of their own ineptness in the first place in sending me a DUD - can you believe that!!!!!

He said "Sir, you have already had several replacements" so I tried explaining that they were Dell's fault but that didn't make a blind bit of difference.....

 

Makes me think how I felt when I bought my Samsung II to find it a couple months later for 29.95 with 2 year plan.
Cost me over 300.00.. I learned never buy a phone till it's been out awhile..

 

Sorry to hear that, SJ. They must have changed that since I got my replacement or I just got lucky in the beginning of the year. Granted, they wanted to give me a worse deal at first (which was basic M17x-R4 configuration that wasn't acceptable for me), but when I replied to the offer that I wasn't accepting it as it wasn't tolerable for me and asked them to make a better offer they made me a good deal. Overall, the M18x-R2 configuration I finally got as replacement for my defective M17x-R2 was almost twice the value of my original purchase price at the time. I did extend the warranty upon getting my replacement to the maximum as well, I hope it won't bite me in the rear (and hopefully I won't have to use it at all).

 

Many warranties that have replacement policies state that the replacement is a one-time only offer. I remember having to repurchase the warranty at BestBuy for a pair of Beats headphones after getting a replacement. I thought that was fair since it caps the warranty liability for a company at a fair value. I was able to re-purchase another extended warranty as an option or just live with the normal manufacturer's warranty on the replacement.

This makes the total liability predictable and less negotiation is necessary to get the replacement because as a consumer I know it is a one-time deal. And, the price to purchase the warranty can be lower too because of the limited liability.

The reason I bring this up is that I believe I read that Stevie's M18xR1 was purchased partly with a refund from another computer. So, Dell may have already made some consideration for limiting the allowance for his warranty replacement. For all we know, the original purchase was a Pentium 4 and the 3630qm offered to him is a huge upgrade over the original Pentium 4.

I hope with Dell possibly going private soon, it doesn't change their generous policies. But, I can't help but think that it will change due greater scrutiny by the new private owners.

 

In case you don't know what I'm talking about...

Dell shareholders convene again to vote on founder's buyout offer - Yahoo! Finance

 

I'd like to see where it says that in Dell's Complete Care Warranty Terms & Conditions. Not saying that SOME warranties might have this clause, just not something I am aware of in Dell's warranty....you could also argue the same point about parts replacements. Motherboards are NOT exactly cheap components, however Dell chuck them around like free candy. I've seen many people have issues which are nothing related to the MB, but Dell will elect to send the tech. armed with a new MB, too.....I've also seen individuals have 4 or 5 MB's, which is a gross waste of money trying to fix one machine...so where do you draw the line?

The previous refund was, in essence, the end of any business relationship I had with Dell, at that time, and therefore, it wouldn't have mattered if I had previously bought a machine with an Intel 4004. A refund is a final business dealing, relinquishing the seller from any obligation to me and vice-versa. So, from that perspective, with that refund, I am free to go and do what I like with whom I like. I chose to start out FRESH with Dell, and my original spec was as I mentioned many times - 2960xm / 6990m Crossfire - it was entirely a NEW purchase with Dell and has no bearing whatsoever on any previous dealings with them. NEW money, NEW order, NEW contract of warranty service, NEW everything....

What I am saying here, for those that have trouble in understanding, is that my current machine (even though purchased with partial refund) is treated as an ENTIRELY NEW PURCHASE. I repurchased again from Dell within weeks - that was MY choice. Had I left it for several months, do you think Dell would have looked up what I had on my last purchase and go off the specification of that for any future replacement policy on a future purchase? NO - they would not, but that is what you are intimating they would do.

You are throwing up FAR too many "if's, but's and maybe's" in an attempt to defend Dell's poor choice/offer of the replacement machine that they proposed to me.

 

When setting up a replacement there are 2 steps:

- A tech support agent configures the system (they should be knowledgeable) and will send the client an e-mail with the specs before sending it in for approval

- Another agent looks at the order and case and has to approve the replacement (I've never heard of denies)

I've specially asked about whether replacements are based on performance or dollars paid. It's only supposed to be based on performance and has absolutely nothing to do with dollar amount. In fact, there is nothing anywhere in the Dell policies that state it's matched dollar for dollar.

 

Well, it's obviously TOTALLY different in the EMEA region, as the guy I spoke to yesterday from Dell Executive Resolutions was adamant that the devalued worth of my hardware was a key factor in Dell not wanting to offer latest generation hardware, quite simply because of the argument that new is worth more than old and why should Dell take the hit? - the answer to that should be because of the warranty that the customer took out.

Like for like or better, when like for like is NOT available any longer - which in my case, WAS the case.

I certainly appreciate and totally agree that no-one should go from older tech. get a MUCH better cpu - for example, when going from one generation to the other, because the older generation is no longer available. However, just because 2n gen cpu's are no longer available, getting a true "like for like" should not be a problem, and just because original cpu has devalued.

Does the fact that my 2960xm cpu is maybe worth around £300 (going solely off Ebay prices - Dell's 'devaluation' calculations might differ) mean that any replacement offer should only be worth that value? - I don't think that's quite fair, as we all know that in the silicon industry, superceeded hardware drops off in price VERY quickly, hence why performance should be a MAJOR factor in determining true like for like. Dell EMEA do not follow that protocol, it seems.

I'm sure many of you have seen me list Brother Alienwolf's replacement story as an example. Going from an 840qm to a 4900mq is hardly like for like on TWO factors - price AND performance, yet he was offered this solution.

I am NOT for one second saying he does not deserve such a replacement, but it is worth using his case as an example to show the complete and utter mindless differences between regions. An 840qm is worth peanuts, compared to my XM, but he came out with the second best cpu currently available. Dell were obviously not going off comparable price OR performance, because even a 4700mq is a better in terms of performance and also likely considerably more expensive than what his 840qm would be valued at.

Level playing field across regions? - certainly not.

 

I'm sure many of you have seen me list Brother Alienwolf's replacement story as an example. Going from an 840qm to a 4900mq is hardly like for like on TWO factors - price AND performance, yet he was offered this solution.

I went from a second best cpu at the time to a second best cpu now..I do not understand why thats so unbelievable. You keep saying I deserve what I am getting but can not help but notice you keep using me as the opposite of how you were treated. I fully understand your being upset at how Dell treated you wasn't right or fair. Plenty of people have been treated fair before me by Dell including you..They have always treated you fair until now.

 

Okay, Bro - you went from second best years ago to second best cpu now (1st gen to 4th gen), which is GREAT! - I am made up for you. However, correspondingly, I had THE best cpu in my original spec - its was NOT a freebie nor a bump or anything else as I bought it outright with my ORIGINAL machine. Going off your logic & treatment, I should get THE best cpu again, right? - wrong, if you are an EMEA customer. A 3630qm is nowhere near comparable, any fool can see that - except EMEA, who obviously factor in devaluation, or quite simply are inept at comparing hardware.

And no, they have not always treated me fairly, but I don't (won't) go into the other examples of terrible service, as it's not my thread to litter. I'm only commenting on here because the title of the thread is fairly relative to my own experiences, and I do believe that it is relevant - even though I'm talking £££'s and not $$$'s. My example is from an EMEA perspective, but it just goes to show how Dell's regions vary so massively in how they appear to deal with replacement machines and policy.

I don't see what is wrong in using your replacement as an example, but you seem to be getting quite upset about it, so I apologise to you. It doesn't change the fact that it is relevant, though.

 

Going from second fastest cpu to second fastest cpu 3 generations down the line makes no sense. Thats a classic example of better or the random treatment that dell provides. I guess they just dont care.

 

Although it wasn't with an Alienware, my first Dell laptop was an Inspiron 9400 that I didn't do a lot of research on and didn't get the specs that I really ended up needing . but that aside after I had the laptop for about 12 months it failed but good....I went through the process and dealt with tech support as best I could and we ended up replacing everything short of the outer shell of the laptop before Dell finally agreed to a replacement system. At the time I was dealing with the same tech support rep through the latter half of this process. Jim had given me his email and direct line at Dell so that we could expedite the process . Upon the decision to replace the system I asked if I could simply build a new computer online and send him the specs provided that I could keep it under the price I paid for the first one. He said he would have to clear that with his manager but to go ahead and build one and send him the specs and he would do what he could. After a day or two I got confirmation back that everything was approved and they were going to use the config that I sent them which by this time had been replaced with the Inspiron 1720 with a LOT better GPU and dual hard drive support among other things

I don't know if it was simply because I tried to stay calm through the whole thing or maybe just the particular rep that I was dealing with but they did end up letting me replace the system based on the system cost and not just what they thought was equivalent because the GPU alone was a massive upgrade....I went from an ATI X1400 to an Nvidia 8600GT

While I am sure that the 9400 being replaced had some part in it, I still got a pretty good deal so I can happen getting it replaced based on the $$ you paid but it may really depend on who you get on the other end of the phone.

 

If Dell offer you a replacement machine, the price is supposed to be irrelevant. It's about the functionality of the current system, not price. It might be that an equivalent replacement system comes out cheaper on price, or it might be the case that it's more expensive.

There are some reps that don't abide by this however. Either because they're ignorant of the policy or the hardware, or because they're trying to pull a fast one on you.

 

Stevie, you mentioned once that your M18xR2 was purchased with money from a refund. What was the previous system? Do you think that had any affect on what you were offered?

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It would not matter that would not be an exchange and since it was cash there would not even be a connection between the two. When you purchase your next system that will have nothing to do with your old would it.

 

As Alienwolf quite rightly said, once you have a refund, there is a total disconnect. Any new machine will not have previous history attached to it. Can you imagine the mayhem that this type of review process would cause Dell? - I mean, having to trawl back through everyone's previous purchase history! - where would they draw the line??. That's why Dell base replacement configurations against the current purchased original specification and nothing else.

From a personal perspective, that meant that my 'original purchase' of my M18x R1 / 2960xm / 6990m XF was a new purchase not linked to any previous history, and should have been treated as anyone else buying 'new'.

I had that 'original machine' replaced twice. Both occasions were down to Dell. Both methods of resolution surprised me because of simply sending a tech with the parts to resolve, Dell insisted on whole machine replacements on BOTH occasions. Firstly, they swapped the whole machine because of the 6990m cold boot problem - they could have just sent a tech to swap gpu's. Secondly, the unit that they swapped my original with arrived with 580m's to cure the cold boot problem, but turned up DOA. Thirdly, again, Dell insisted on yet another new machine.....and as a 'good will' gesture, Dell Bill B swung in a pair of SSD's for all the downtime etc.

Now, when I was speaking with Executive Resolutions the other day, the guy is saying to me "But Mr. Jones, Dell has replaced your machine twice already, we cannot continue to keep replacing and replacing as there is obviously some fault that needs to be addressed....." - I try telling him that the machine replacements were beyond my control, not my fault that Dell elected to send two machines, when in the first instance, all was required was two gpu's. If I had got that at the outset, there would have been no need for a second new machine, and consequently, no need for Dell to offer/gift the SSD's.

Basically, the guy was saying that not only was the value of my current machine taken into account, but also that Dell had replaced it twice already - through no fault of my own, I might add. The replacement offered (3630qm / single 675m) was based off the value of my depreciated hardware and also he based it off the perspective of "Why should Dell foot the bill to go from 2nd Gen outdated hardware to 4th Gen latest hardware?"

I tried explaining to him that replacements should be like for like or better in the absence of the availability of older technology, he was having none of it. This was a guy in Dell Executive support India - he knew nothing about how to compare hardware - his idea of comparing a gpu was to go off how much vRam it had, and he used the argument of "Why should Dell give you a gpu with 3gb vRam (770m) when my 6990m's (original hardware) only had 2gb vRam. He didn't even consider the important aspects of a gpu such as core clocks, shaders etc...

Same method of appraisal was used for the cpu - actually, he was going off Intel spec. sheets to get the information about clock speed - max turbo clock of 3.7ghz. He skipped over the fact that actually, the cpu came from Dell 'factory overclocked' to 4.0ghz and that the Extreme Edition processors carry a hefty premium due to the fact that they are an enthusiast grade cpu and people who pay for such get the additional benefits of the XM's unlocked multipliers etc etc etc..

Maybe you guys can see now why I so pissed with Dell and how they have treated me regarding getting a like for like replacement.....seems other areas are treated much more favourably. I've seen new threads of late with even more resounding replacements with VERY hefty upgrades....yet another example here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/726044-m17x-r2-exchange-info-dell.html

Quite a MASSIVE upgrade in comparison to original hardware.

Perhaps the most laughable thing about this, for me, is that Dell were quite prepared to give me £3k back when, if they had gone 'like for like', based off original spec NOT including the SSD's, they would have probably been looking at a machine with a RETAIL price of around £3.5k - sure, that is more, but remember that the retail price includes profit on said machine. We've also seen many replacements on NBR that go from a low price original to a massive increase in replacement cost. In terms of 'cost to Dell, they would have actually have been MUCH better off financially doing that because:

1. They would not have to give back £3k.
2. A new replacement would have not actually cost them full retail price - probably quite a bit under £3k actually.
3. On top of spending less money if they HAD have done option 2, they would have had my machine back as well, and while not worth much, would have still been saleable on the outlet - which would have cut down on their 'cost' to just replace - meaning cost to replace would have been calculated as follows:

Let's assume for a second that my machine is worth £1k resale to Dell on the outlet - being quite pessimistic. Dell want to give me £3k back via refund, so the total cost to Dell is then £2k and no customer, no future business, and a LOT of rather public unpleasantness.

Cost of genuine 'like for like replacement' would be worked out (roughly) as follows:

Unit cost of replacement excluding profit - resale value of returned machine = total cost to Dell.

So, a true like for like (going off original spec) is around £3.5k Retail. Take, say 15% off that (as we do see discounts in that region, and Dell STILL make money on those discounted machines) gives unit cost of say £2.8k. Take off the £1k for sale of my old machine = £1.8k total cost to Dell, which is cheaper than a refund, and better for me as a customer - and for Dell from a public relations point of view.

Heck, they could have even gone up in replacement specification and not been much financially worse off. A maxed out 18 is £4.2k, less 15% = £3,500ish - £1k return for my machine = Total cost to Dell of £2.5k as opposed to the refund route, leaving them £2k. I'd have even PAID towards that maxed out spec, as it would not have been true 'like for like', so the cost to Dell would have been reduced even further....

(Note - I based 'unit cost to Dell' by taking discount of retail prices, around 15%, as we all know, Dell DO discount these machines and STILL come out with profit - it's not unusual to see discounts in the region of 15% and more - if anything, the REAL cost of a unit, to Dell, would be even less than Retail prices less 15% discount, as I personally seen machines discounted by over 20% and Dell STILL make money on them because they would not sell a machine at a negative margin when offering 20%+ discounts).

I guess what I am saying in a nutshell, is that provision of a replacement would have probably been a smarter business move by Dell, from a financial point of view, a customer perspective and public relations aspect also. Yet they still saw fit to 'wiggle out' of giving me a genuine replacement offer that was 'like for like' with excuses such as devaluation, old gen to new gen arguments, poor hardware comparisons etc etc

Go figure. - I've since accepted the offer of a refund - only because there was little point trying to fight Dell legally, as they were within their rights to offer a refund and close things. However, I will probably never do business with Dell again, primarily because of the extremely shoddy way in which I was treated in respect to the replacement proposal. I don't relish the thought of being in the same boat again if I chose to buy another Dell machine.

@Alienwolf - looks like I found a new example, Bro :thumbsup: :laugh:

 

Ha har..have you heard anything out of Dell ? or have they gone dark ?

 

Just edited my last post (again LOL), Bro - I've taken the refund offered. They didn't really leave me much option, because of the insulting replacement offer and the way they tried to justify it. My 18x is going back to the mothership, I pulled my 680m's, Ram, triple pipe heatsink yesterday. Just getting it ready to go back in the box and for it to be collected on Monday. That's it for me then. I even had to fight with them to get them to honour the offer of the refund......

 

Sad to hear..

 

Yeah, it is saddening. If only they (Dell) had been bothered to research what a like for like was, properly, and run with it - instead of leading me down the garden path for many weeks, then trying to squirm out of a genuine like for like replacement offer - instead, they chose to run with the insult, with umpteen pathetic reasons why they "wouldn't do this" and "why this wasn't comparable to that" and "your machine is worth X now - why should we?", it all could have been so different.

Of course, I've ended up with a refund, but I really do still quite peeved over the whole replacement machine saga - it's taught me a valuable lesson which is to NOT trust Dell EMEA with ANYTHING when it comes down to replacement specifications.

I'd still recommend Dell/Alienware machines, but I will be extremely hard pushed to find myself wanting to buy another just yet - because of this very incident and how crappy I've been treated over the last 10 weeks by Dell EMEA.....perhaps EMEA should take a leaf out of Dell US' playbook, god knows they need some 'schooling' on how to deal with people and how to weigh up hardware.

 

I had a similar nightmare experience with Dell with trying to transfer US warranty on an R2 to Canada. The M18x R2 I bought came with valid warranty that had been extended by the previous owner, but when I went to transfer the warranty over to my name and location (Canada) they denied and said it wasn't valid.

Basically Dell had a history with the laptop as being a warranty replacement for a warranty replacement tying back to an inspiron xps from 7 years ago lol (which was two completely un related purchases). Anyway, long story short. Some people get screwed, most people don't. Dell is a solid company with some of the best warranty policies on the planet, but sometimes there are snags in the system and the customer gets screwed over.

Bottom line is, what is your time worth? Is it worth going back and forth for over a month with these people (even though you shouldn't have to)?

 

Stevie....you need to make a youtube vid of your experience.....just a calm synopsis of everything....so that other people can avoid dell like the plague.

Honestly, after researching clevo/sager machines, I cancelled my 5600.00$ 18 because of your story, and stories like yours...I for one definitely appreciate you taking the time to document your experience.

 

Yes, its worth my time - because if no one speaks up, thousands more will get shafted by Dell. It's okay for folk who get good treatment to pass it off, but when you get screwed, just like I have been ( C'mon....a 3630qm/single 675m for a 2960xm/Dual 6990m's ? - you gotta be kiddin' me, right?) then it becomes VERY personal. I take that VERY seriously....

Thanks. I'm certainly not about to let it lie......

 

Oh I totally agree with you man. I was just asking rhetorically. I certainly agree that if I were you, I would continue to fight tooth and nail until you've resolved your situation to your satisfaction. Unfortunately for me, I had to rely on constant communication with both Dell and the previous owner, which was annoying (to both the previous owner and myself).

I'm not sure what it is but it almost seems like outside of the US, big global companies like Dell and Apple have different policies regarding warranty specific issues and the like. It sucks.