Studio 1537 - So disappointed

So I ordered a 1537 for my wife as a surprise gift and I ended up really disappointed with my purchase. Now I read on this forum that the speakers weren't that great, but I figured they would have been at least on par with the Inspiron E1505.

Worst. Laptop Speakers. Ever.

I can't believe they sell a laptop designed and marketed around multimedia with speakers as awful as these. Had I known they were this bad I wouldn't have made the purchase base on this design flaw alone. I tried using Vista's HD audio driver as well and even though they were louder it was still much worse than anything on the 1505. If I could compare the sound quality to anything it would be like listening to audio through headphones...while they're sitting on a desk in front of you. Just very tinny sounding and awful.

The second issue I'm having is with the touch sensative media bar. The eject button gets stuck on and the bar becomes unresponsive. The only way to resolve the issue is by shutting down, pulling the battery, plugging it back in and booting back up. I read deeper into the issue and I can't believe Dell is getting away with this. I've been jumping through hoops trying to get this thing returned for a full refund (I refuse to pay a 15% restocking fee for a defective product). I spoke with no less than 6 people and the last person I spoke with was in the sales resolution department. I was told that in order for Dell to take the laptop back without a fee, a tech support rep must run a diagnostic test on it. He also said that this cannot be overturned, even by a mananger.

The laptop was shipped with the most recent BIOS revision and I reformatted the laptop myself using the latest drivers from Dell's site. Does anyone have any advice for me on getting this thing returned or the issue escalated?

 

Not true. It actually stops being stuck after a couple of minutes, have some patience. It will make the ejecting noise about 10 times, and then all the panel buttons will work normally.

 

I appreciate the advise but I still consider that faulty.

 

does the same thing happen if you use the restore disks?

 

The first time I experienced it was in it's factory shipped setup.

 

It's not a software issue, that's been proven. It happens in BIOS, Windows Vista, Windows 7 beta, XP, various Linux distributions...

 

How exactly is Dell getting away with this? I'm so frustrated with the company. I shouldn't have to threaten them with a BBB complaint or a major news organization to get my money back. I have to restore my laptop to its factory configuration so someone from their tech support can tell me something is wrong.

 

The eject problem is a widespread issue with the Studio series. I have no clue why Dell hasn't fixed this. I had a Studio 1535 with the same problem. I finally got it replaced yesterday and guess what? The replacement system has the EXACT same problem.

Some guys here on NBR have found a good solution. It does involving opening up the laptop a bit and adding some padding and stuff. The thread is here.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=286942&page=16

You have 21 days to return the system for a full refund or exchange it for a brand new system. After 21 days, they exchange it with a refurbished system. PM me if you need help or have any specific questions regarding how to get a replacement.

 

Delete the IDT drivers and let Vista install it's own drivers. It makes a world of a difference.

 

Oh the run around, frustration and poor customer service I have experienced so far is beyond anything I've ever dealt with in retail. During the day I have been transferred no less than 10 times to various departments (technical support, customer care, sales resolution). I have remained calm the entire time but I'm about to flip my lid.

Earlier in the day I spoke with sales resolution and I was told that technical support had to "diagnose" the issue before it could be returned without a restocking fee...I bit my tongue and agreed to this. Unfortunately the laptop wasn't with me at work so I had to call when I got home.

So far I've been in the same transfer loop for about 90 minutes now. I had the last technical support rep assure me that everything I've stated has been noted under my ticket number and that there would not be a problem with the sales resolution department.

When speaking with the sales resolution department rep he told me that I was wrong, that I told the rep that I read a review on a website about the issue and that I was not experiencing the issue...I told him that was wrong. After going back and forth a bit, in a heated tone, he hung up on me...

I'm now back on the phone again trying to reach someone to get this resolved. As I'm typing this out I finally got to customer service and I asked to speak to a supervisor in a normal tone, the rep then thought it would be best if she hung up on me instead...

Earlier today Dell had me as a customer. I was returning this laptop because of the defect to purchase another Dell system without media bar. They now have lost a customer. I'm going to the BBB, 7 on your side (a network news channel service that goes after companies when customers are treated poorly) and I'm contacting the corporate office. There's so much more to this story, I'm just too flusted to type it all out so it all makes sense.

F**K Dell

Does anyone have a corporate contact number?

 

KingRaptor,

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

The real question is: does anyone have a number where you can talk to someone who can actually speak English, or who can comprehend and resolve the issue without regurgitating the SOP from their customer service playbook???

Never mind, I already know the answer to that one.

 

Go with the BBB option. That's what I did. Explain in detail what is wrong but remember to continue to be polite. A rep will probably call in a week or so after filing the BBB complaint. Remind him that 1) you don't want a defective computer, 2) they don't want to deal with a defective computer all the time and 3) that the best solution would be for them to take back the Studio and refund your money.

Remember/know the 21 day rule. They will absolutely cling to your $$$ and never give it back after 21 days.

Good luck.

Remember, if you have other questions, you can always post or PM people here.

 

haha, I have a Japanese Studio 1537 and this was a problem that I was aware of and do notice. I have since uninstalled the Vista and put Windows 7 on it with the Microsoft drivers. The sound is much better than with Dell's supplied drivers..the IDT. You should give this a try.

I went into buying mine aware of this issue. I don't see it happen often, but it shows up here and there. Annoying? Not terribly. But I have never had to shutdown or remove a battery...That sounds a little extreme of a fix. As mentioned before if you let it go it will fix it self after about 10 attempts, then goes back to normal.

Do you also have your disc eject after coming back from Sleep Mode? I get this periodically as well. I do agree that this is a stupid problem, and I don't know why it has not been fixed. But I want to keep my laptop.

 

i think those problems with the speakers and the touch sensitive media buttons were addressed in the new Studio 1555 models.

BTW they removed the touch sensitive media buttons in the new model altogether

p.s i have ordered my studio 1555 today

 

Take away cool/selling features (touch media buttons) as a means to avoid having to engineer/produce them properly... Dell...FTW...

 

Well, after another 4 hours on the phone this morning (no exageration) I finally received a full refund. I cannot believe I had to go through something this frustrating and exausting to get my money back. I can certainly understand why some customers would give up and accept the restocking fee charge. I can honestly say I've never experienced customer service as awful as this. I'm still filing a complaint with the corporate office to convey my awful experience and provide kudos for the two employees that were able to help me get this issue resolved.

Thanks to everyone who posted advice.

 

It's great you got 100% of your money back. There was no reason for them to charge you because you did nothing wrong!