Lemon Law Question

Alright, I am having problems with my notebook and I am wondering whether I can still be refunded for the cost of the laptop and at what point I have a strong enough case. The laptop's history:

I bought the laptop in my sig mid-September 2007. The first repair that had to be done on it was in february, when the screen started getting lots of dead pixels.

The next repair that had to be done was to replace the motherboard mid-july to get rid of the static interference in the headphone jack the 1520 is infamous for. (It had the problem way back when the notebook was new, but was very tolerable. LITERALLY on the 22nd day after the purchase the noise became full blown and incredibly noisy. The noise somehow disappeared sometime in january but came back in july.)

About two weeks after that repair, I started getting an odd clicking noise anytime audio was played. At the beginning and end of any audio played, there is a very audible click. I self diagnosed the problem (thinking it was a software issue) to no avail and contact Dell once more. The rep suspected it was a hardware issue (as the audio clicks even during diagnostics tests off a bootable CD) so now I am having all audio components on my computer replaced (motherboard + speakers). This repair is taking place tommorrow.

If that repair doesn't work, then they want me to send in my laptop to their depot to get fixed there. And to be honest, I do not think that either repair is going to fix this problem as this seems to be a very deep problem. If I use the latest vista drivers, it clicks. If I use the generic microsoft drivers, it clicks. If I use a bootable CD with the hard drive pulled out, it clicks. If I use XP (its dual boot), NO CLICKING. The clicking despite the hard drive being pulled out implies a hardware problem yet the lack of clicking with XP implies software is the culprit. I am simply mind***ed at this point.

If it does get to the point where they want me to send it in, I would much rather just give up on the laptop instead. The 30 or so days of the original warrantly left on the computer would simply be too little time to be able to be fully confident the hardware will last. I could extend the warranty, but I would much rather not have to keep calling in for repairs.

 

is there anyway they could send you a new one..

i know in my warranty.granted i bought my laptop ( a compaq f500 series) from walmart..that if you have to repair it more than 3 times and that repairs don't seem to be working..something along those lines..i will have to check again. that they will replace it.

what warranty did you get with your comp?

 

hmmm u didnt buy it u STOLE IT!!! its not even out yet u have a prototype.


no but seriously make dell give you a replacement comparable laptop. its been done before per other posts and this would be a good reason for it since it seems like its a fault in the hardware dell chose to just discontinue (inspiron 1525 now) rather than fix. (just my 2 cents)

 

My original warranty was for one year. The first repair was a nightmare as I had to send it in to the depot and took five days to get it back (I'm an engineering student and we constantly rely on our computers). After that, I upgraded the warranty to include "At Home" service. Other than that, I have not modified the warranty.

Yup, it certainly does help my case that they quickly discontinued the laptop. Unfortunately, if they did decide to replace it with an inspiron 1525 it wouldn't work out. The modelling sofware we use is graphically intensive and I use this pc for gaming, so the 1525's dinky x3100 just doesn't have enough power.

Also, I fixed the date. Now its correct.

 

I'd guess the best replacement without the downgrade would be Studio 15, no?

 

>_> I don't think so. The Studio 15 has has a ATI 3450 which is worse than a 8400m gt so it would also be a downgrade.

 

i'm not 100% sure how lemon law works, but i THINK u have to repair the same piece of hardware 2-3+ times. meanin if yur monitor goes out 3 times then u'r eligible. if yur GPU, monitor, and keyboard go out at different times, yur best bet would to just call them. explain yur situation and ask for a replacement. stress to them that yur job requires a notebook that can handle graphic intensive programs.

i really doubt u'll get a new laptop. u'll probably end up with a refurb. good luck man. hope everythin works out.

 

Well I guess I could argue that these replacements are all sound related. Counting two motherboard replacement and speaker replacement, that's three repairs they would have made to fix sound issues.

I hope all goes well too, but to be perfectly honest I don't know what outcome I want to happen more; that the upcoming repair works or that it fails so that I can toss out this laptop. On one hand, I want it to be fixed so that I can end this madness and finally enjoy my laptop, but on the other hand, I don't want to keep a notebook with questionable reliability, one that will worry me with every little hiccup it has. I would love to have Dell replace my notebook with a better one (since performance-wise XPS>Inspiron>Studio) but I don't want them to think I am trying to rip them off now that my warranty is almost up (because replacing it or refunding the money both end up with big losses for Dell.)

One this is for certain: I am glad I am having these issues now rather than two months down the road because I originally wasn't planning on extending my warranty and that would have made me royally screwed.

 

lemon laws depend on your state
http://www.nationallemonlawcenter.com/
That site mainly talks about the vehicle lemon laws, so you may have to dig a bit more for the computer lemon laws in your state.

 

Latest repair didn't work. Speakers still pick up interference from the motherboard and the audio still clicks.

Now I have to haggle with Dell and see if they are willing to not have me send it to the depot. I wonder if they would be agreeable to sendin me a hard drive with preinstalled software instead...

 

https://support.dell.com/support/to...ellcare/en/outstanding_issues?c=us&l=en&s=gen

Submit a request here, it is for unresolved issues. You will need a case or dispatch number.

Spell out your service history as best you can. You may be able to get it from here: https://support.dell.com/support/supporthistory/search.aspx?~ck=ln&lnki=0

 

Thanks for the reply, but I have already spoken with Dell Reps about the issue. I have to send in the laptop to the depot for a last ditch effort to fix the laptop and if that doesn't work I call them back to discuss a replacement laptop.
Honestly, they just seem like they enjoy wasting time and money. I mean, this audio issue so far has not been remedied with replacing all audio hardware, and has not been fixed with reinstalling software. I even went as far as reinstalling windows (but not before imaging my harddrive ) and the problem was still there. Now what? What more can you do to try to fix it?

 

Didn't you say you paid for the at home repair warranty? I know I'd be demanding my money back for that warranty if they are still insisting on you sending your laptop in.

 

I agree, but I want this to be over with, and the depot would be the best place for them to completely fix it. If even the depot can't fix it, then even Dell would have to admit that the system is beyond fixing and must replace it. If they don't, then I would have legal standing anyway to ask for a replacement or refund.