You can now request American tech support from Dell, just remember to bring your credit card!

Hmm this is interesting. For a fee of $12.95 per month, you can now get north american tech support instead of overseas.
Link to story here.
What do you think? What I'm not sure about is, if you have to sign up for one or three years minimum, or if it's month to month. That works out to be $155.40 per year.
Edit: It is $99 per year with a new computer purchase, sorry I neglected to point that out as well.

 

Or take your luck and recall them...

 

You didn't read the article, it says $99 for a year. I could see people paying extra for this. They offer a lot of extra services for people that want. I'd rather spend $99 for a year rather than talk to the hipster Apple Geniuses.

 

$99 per year with a new computer purchase. Otherwise it's $12.95 per month ($155.40 per year).
Any particular reason for trolling atbnet? This has nothing to do with apple, or is it because of my avatar and sig that you think I can't talk about other products and companies too? Oh, and I did read the whole article.

 

Nice edit, and I'm the trolling one.

And I believe it does have very much to do with the avatar, or why else would you bring it up?

And finally, if you don't pay $99 for a year, you don't have to pay for an entire year.

 

Being a former Dell owner, I brought it up because I just heard about it on CNN and looked it up online. Apple has nothing to do with it at all, and reading some of your former posts I see how much you hate Apple, but that has no place in this thread.
As a (former) Dell owner, I know I'd be ticked to have to pay to get someone from tech support I could understand, as that was a frequent problem I had with Dell in the past. You will also note, I asked others what they think of Dell incorporating this new fee. Your posts in no way are productive or welcome in this thread.
[/bye]

 

I have nothing against Apple, I've own Apple notebooks in the past. It's their users I have a problem with.

 

Beats not having the option, IMO.

 

Not that I want to fan the flames here guys, but talin, part of the money you spent on your Apple pays for that service.

And abnet, Apple users are humans like you and I. Though, according to Microsoft lately, "We" are joe-pcs. And McCafe Lattes are apparently for red meat eating republicans. Suuuuuuure. Racist crap that doesnt sell computers or coffee as far as I am concerned.

Otherwise, I am glad to hear that it only costs about 100 bucks to keep someone in the states employed. Is there really a benefit to that other than not talking to an Indian? I'm not sure. Because, my warranty doesn't really entitle me to anything other than the standard fare.

 

I have paid USD 468 for 3 more years of complete care already, I am NOT going to pay for any of my pennies AGAIN for that. NO WAY!

 

I prefer online chatting.

 

Oh,and what have apple users done to you?

OT,doesn't Dell's "business" warranty offer this free?

 

I didn't know that...all this time I thought my awesome american support was because of luck lol.

 

It's a tough situation we face because on one hand, we all want inexpensive computers. However, to get this, Dell has to cut cost somewhere and like most companies - it's their customer/technical support that gets the ax. I agree in that if paying $100 a year will keep the job here in the US, then so be it. Nothing against any other countries but I would expect assistance from my native country whether I'm Japanese, French, American, etc. even if we are in a global economy.

 

This is true from a practical standpoint. It's also probably true that many end-users see savings because of the wildly reduced cost of foreign call centers. But whether customers are given this "choice", or foreign call centers are the rule, Dell is still profiting from something it isn't providing its customers. It's profiting from relocating jobs from the communities that provide it the bulk of its market and legal framework under which it operates, and this is exploitative.

The LA Times headline says it all: "Dell sees value in backlash against foreign call centers"; they're doing expressly to profit off the customer frustration that their cost-cutting measures have caused. If Dell was committed to providing efficient, effective, locally-operated customer service (which many customers already pay premiums for in terms of extended warranties, etc.), then this profit opportunity wouldn't exist. Dell manufactured it, and the customer base and taxpayers in North America that lose out, and in that they didn't get a choice.

For me personally, this poses an even greater frustration for me. By asking me for an extra $99 to support American jobs and effective customer support, Dell is effectively holding a referendum on whether or not this service, and its general offshoring policy by extension, is acceptable to customers; if people pay for it, they must think it's a good thing. $99 is a small price to pay for these things, and if Dell had asked me whether it should offshore its call centers to drop the retail cost of every computer it sells by about $100, I would say no, please don't. Now it's a Catch-22; either endure subpar service, or pay Dell for continuing to offer subpar service as a policy. It's a shame. The incoming administration has stated offshoring subsidies are in its crosshairs; hopefully they remember that on January 20.

 

wow, hmm. Thats interesting. Ive never seen that before. Good idea.

Its pricey though. I personally wouldnt pay it. But thats me.

 

This thread has deterioted into bickering(post have been deleted) and it is now closed. If you want to dicuss Dell charging for US-based tech support, then do it here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=331374

Alsoin the future, please remember to respect other people's opinions.