One color: Black. "You can order the automobile in any color you like, as long as it is black." -- usually attributed to Henry Ford.

The design factor that was supposed to proudly enliven the new laptop lines is the culprit. How shameful.

It took about 6 weeks of complaints after complaints before a Digital Media Manager (not a Senior Vice President) was authorized to post some vague words about the production problems regarding the Inspiron notebooks.

Thanks, Lionel. But, no, thanks. 

I'm a supervisor for a general contractor. My boss ordered me an Espiron 1521 w/midnight blue on 7-23 and in a months time you still havn't fixed the paint problem? I used to paint cars for a living, and the comment by Alex that the quality on a car is easier to achieve than a computer is complete bull. Maybe if your looking at MACCO paint jobs this would be true. I also inquired about if the order could be changed to black, since it's available, and was told it would dealy the orderby another2 weeks! That's rediculous considering I've been told that the unit is in the testing stage and is only waiting for the blue panel to be installed. Also we've been offered only $20 as compensation for our inconveniance. I would think that some free software or a printer or something of a greater value that's more equal to what our company has lost as a result of this "inconveniance" would be a little more proper.  

So, here's to crappy service, lame excuses, and no real compensation.          

I was not profane in my comment so POST IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Compensation would be great.

I'm not just looking for free handouts. The people that have been waiting weeks upon weeks for a computer deserve something other than a pat on the back or kind words like thanks, or good going, or we love your money.

 If you are taking our money for a product, as far as we are concerned, doesn't exist we should be rewarded with some small gestures. A Timbuk2 bag would be great or any other small gift.

 
Concerned about how much I'm valued at Dell,

-Kevin
 

Lionel,

For starters, there was nothing like this (nor is there now)  informing of delays for the M1330 configuration ..... 

and finally, you stated

"Thanks again to all of you who continue to wait for your orders. We appreciate your patience and your business."

So I guess the rest of your customers that got weary of the poor explainations, bad customer service, auto-cancelling orders, paying for items that would not be shipped for months and continuously extending Shipping dates can go to hell ......... fair call I guess, if I could keep a stable of dedicated and cashed up customers suckers .... err .... customers that are happy to put up with being stuffed around I'd be happy too!!!

 I just hope for your sake there's enough of these people out there to sustain you business as you're losing the rest extremely quickly.

I've heard of "Killing with faint praise" so in a similar vein Dell is now performing what could be best described as "Destroying a Product Line accompanied with weak excuses".

I guess I'll try to get in the spirit of this so here goes

"Thank you Lionel and indeed the entire Dell Management / Production team. I appreciate you are trying your very best and doing everything you are capable of to provide computers to your customers. I appreciate it must be beyond your capabilitiues but hey, trying is all that counts and second place is good to (or is it third at the moment). I know you feel really really bad about not being able to provide computers in the pretty colours to people that need them so we'll do what we can to take the pressure off you to produce these computers. It's good to see all of you friends at HP, Sony and Apple who are willing to help take the burden off your weary, slender sloulders at this taxing time, so you should soon feel better and be more relaxed soon. Love and Kisses .... an ex-client"

Norway 25. August

Thank you for the post about Inspiron notebooks at last.

Don't apologize for the frustration you have caused all of us but for the miss of customer service and honesty about delivery time.

I ordered two Inspion 1720 (blue and green) July 31. and have a estimated delivery date at September 13. Nothing have happend,  no production at all and no promises about delivering in that time. I still hope and wait but if the delivery is delayed to October I think I will give up. My money have been deduct my bank account  even if Dell say they will do this when they have a product for me... You don't have a product for me and I do not have the money to pay you mostly 2 month before I get my notebooks.

The  compensation we have been offered is the same small amount as people who have ordered one so we are not earning something at all to have one order for all. May be it also make our delivery late?

Still I got the weekly advertisement in my mailbox from Dell who is trying to sell more of what they don't have *|o|*

I am very frustrated and insecure at this time but I still have a hope... Don't let me down any more.

Inger

This has become the party line. Pretty much exactly what was posted about the 1330...So we are back to paint and displays causing these delays? Sorry, but it doesn't fly. No other manufacturer has trouble with display supply, why only Dell? As far as the painting, one would think that this would have been resolved long before actually selling these bloody things and if not then at least by now, months after release. A company with the resources and experience that Dell has is being stymied by something as basic as this?

This is interesting (sort of like a car wreck is interesting): 

"I can assure you that people at all levels in many departments across the company are working around the clock to resolve all the issues preventing us from shipping your systems."

Wow...under those circumstances we should feel all warm and fuzzy that we are being taken care of and that Dell is seriously paying attention to our problems and frustrations. But if this were the truth then this problem would not exist at all...but it does exist. A company like Dell is throwing all of their mighty resources into this problem and still can't ship the products? Paint and displays indeed!

Then I see this...

"we have added dedicated sales and support resources in the United States and around the world specifically to address the customer experience issues that these delays cause"

What? Where are these resources? My customer experience has not changed at all over the last 2 months. I still speak with the same characters every time I call to request information on my order and I receive the same lies and misdirection to the same questions, the same language barriers, the same frustrations waiting for someone to pick up and answer a simple question!

I like the part about dedicated sales staff...just what Dell needs, more sales staff. Keep selling a product you cannot build...don't you folks see a small problem with that? It leads right back to the original problem...lot's of us waiting for our orders and orders simply not shipping. You continue to post excuses that we cannot even force ourselves to believe and the waiting continues as you sell mre and more of these ghost-products to unsuspecting folks all over the world.

To correct the problem you simply need to ship these devices as promised. Stop bumping the shipping dates over and over again. Try an honest approach...stop selling them, start building them, tell us when you KNOW they will ship and stop throwing us shipping dates that you must by now know are completely fabricated. Since when has honesty ever hurt a company, especally a company who had such a huge loyal customer base?

I ordered a midnight blue Inspiron 1520 on July 7, and recieved it exactly when Dell said I would. So far, I've been very happy with it, except for the fact that the internal card reader seems to be faulty. I sent an email to customer service about a week ago, but haven't heard from them yet.

Thanks for the screen shot - too bad that's not what most of us were priviledged to see when we ordered our laptops!!!!!!!  Apparently you're problems with the laptop colors preceded ALOT of our orders and this is frankly too little too late.  You may have product delay problems - who doesn't experience that now and again.  But your problems excede that - your problems started when you started backordering peoples laptops without offering clear answers at the very onset. Not only that, but if you read this blog and see how very inept your customer service department it in explaining the situation to your customers - your problems go way beyond not being able to put paint on a laptop casing.  That is what will ultimately result in your loss of business.  There is NO excuse for withholding or going about your business as if nothing was wrong - when you should have been keeping your customers informed from the very beginning.  And to backorder customers on the DAY they are supposed to ship - what is that about? 

I would be more than thrilled to get notification that my Laptop was shipping on the Magical August 28th date.  But since I order a Ruby Red, 17 inch 1721, I'm skeptical.  In fact you haven't addressed that magic date at all in your blog post.  That is exactly what I'm talking about.  Give us a little bit of info, try to appease us - and basically - I feel like you think I'm stupid enough to fall for that.  How long have the paint problems existed???  How long have the screen shortages existed???  Why wasn't the check out process we all went through at the time reflecting those situations????  How about addressing our direct questions???  Why can't Dell adopt an attitude of being up front with their customers????  And why does it take nearly a week of over 200 negative blog comments to get someone from Dell to actually say ANYTHING about the situation??

After several days of complaining and several hours on hold, I was told every excuse they can throw at you, and the final word last night was.

Sir, we have the blue in stock, for the inspiron 1720, I don't know why you have not received your computer yet. they did have a slight shipping problem with the colors, there was an earth quake in Malaysia and that did delay the colors, but they are all in stock now.

I am now starting to think that it was never a color problem for the inspirion,  but maybe they might have had to many people ordering the free memory and hard drive upgrade that they gave away for free. and the color option that was a free choice as well.

You can't expect to run a sale with the shelves empty, I did email M. Dell last night and hopefully someone down the food channel replies to my email. 

Well, according to the notice my Midnight Blue Inspiron 1520 is on its way to me, next business day shipping. Like many of you my order got delayed a couple of times and I too had the ESD changed to the ever popular 8/28 however it supposedly shipped on 8/24. Total time from order to reciept (if it actually gets here on 8/27 like it is supposed to) will be six weeks and three days. Best of luck to all of you 8/28ers out there and this is hoping that yours ships early as well. Still no excuse for Dell to have these delays. Dell is still the one of the best PCs on the market, now lets hope their customer service returns to the level it was a few years ago.

Take care out there!!

Thank you for addressing this issue further into detail.

"1) the order date and 2) parts availability. There are other variables that factor into this, but in general, we expect to ship products in the order they were received when we have the components to build your system."

- Maybe you could be getting orders done so people could be have their systems shipped out 1 week or 2 before their ESD. That way it'll take a shorter time to get  through all the orders.

- Those who are still in the Build Stage will get out immediately. ( not that I'm complaining)

"We'll continue to work directly with suppliers to ultimately increase our production on color notebooks. Besides scale, we are also focused on maintaining the levels of quality we established when we designed these notebooks. In other words, we're not going to relax our quality standards to ship more products."

- I hope that you do work and have GREAT communication with suppliers and have the parts come in within the next day or so.

Guys/Gals

I ordered a blue 1520 July 18th and was stiffed with a delay every week until about 2 days ago, when I canceled after it did not make the ship date. I was however given a $100 coupon for complaining. If you call dell and ask for compensation, they will give that, and free over-night shipping if you push for it. I said I was going to cancel if it did not ship on the next date and it didn't..

I work with Dell's all day and love them, so I wasn't going to drop Dell for this incident. I ordered a Vostro 1500, which is butt ugly (opinion), but has the same stats as the Inspiron for an even cheaper price. Actually, I got a highest screen rez and a 9 cell battery for $100 cheaper than my inspiron had cost. Otherwise, I have the same vid card, processor, etc... These all have been shipping on time, if not earlier. I will get mine in a week.

Drop your Inspiron, you will be waiting for another month. I have school and need a laptop, so I cannot wait.

If you really have oversold yourselves beyond your supply...you should consider doing what the airlines do...offer some kind of compensation to those of us who are willing to wait.

 All these kids who need a new computer to head off to college could
"board" and those of us who are only traveling on business and not that eager to get back to the office anyway could be bumped to the next flight...with the incentive of a couple hundred bucks off.

I mean at this point your popularity is ranking right about the same level as an airline's would be.  What with one delay after another...and you aren't even offering STALE PEANUTS as compensation for not being able to deliver your product in a timely manner.

 Here we all are, stuck in those tiny cramped plastic seats....and instead of coming on overhead with some kind of good news, you 're just repeating what we already know....things at Dell are not taking off.

We had noticed the delays so no need to point that out...and most of us don't care what is causing them because changing our configuration doesn't mean we get them any quicker so no need to point that out either...

What we really wanted to hear about is how you plan to SHOW us that you appreciate not only our business but our patience as well.   

I purchased a Dell on July 8th, with the expected ship date to be on 7/20.  I was so excited that I was going to get the system (Inspirion 1721 in sunshine yellow, my company's color).  On 7/20 I received an email from Dell stating that my system has been delayed and would be shipping on 7/27, I got an email on 7/27 that my system would be shipping on 8/3, on 8/3 I got my last correspondence from Dell stating my system will be shipping on 8/27.  To date I still have no system and had no updates from Dell.  I have to say my disappointment with this company is unbelievable.  The company new before the expected ship date that my system was not going to ship.  Customer service which is out sourced to India, have absolutely no answers.  I asked if I could change what is holding up the system to something they had in stock, and the modifications department was just as unhelpful as the customer service department.  I am going out of the country on Sept 9, and no one has been able to tell me if I will have my system before I go.  Who can I talk to so I can get answers?  I have been patient but Dell has been unresponsive......HELP

I also have ordered an Inspiron 1420 for my daughter who will be starting college in a week. I ordered July 19th with ship date of August 9th and of course the current ESD is August 28th. I did forget to mention the color, Flamingo Pink!

I have read many of the blogs regarding the delays but I have come up with my own theory:

Many of us have been told the reasons for the delays are: The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), LED (Light Emitting Diode), LCD Cover (The painted outside shell) and whatever!   

With Dell's constant quest to sell the best product to the consumer they must sub contract to many suppliers to get the best product and best price. While we all speculate where these suppliers are located what if China is resonsible for the LCD covers?

With China being in the news recently for using paint that contains Lead on childrens toys and a vast array of other products was Dell caught up in this Lead Paint fiasco!!!

Dell and former customers say they have never experienced delays like we are seeing now. When did the delays start? At the introduction of color choice? China and the Lead Paint fiasco seem to fit into our delay situation  

Take that screen shot one level further, please, where it shows the number of days delay.   For Brown, it shows 1 day.   When I ordered on July 24 it was showing something similar.   The most it has ever shown for brown was 5 days.   Yet here I am, still waiting over 30 days later.    I've been assured that the color is the only delay on my order ever since the original ship date of 8/7.   I placed a second order for an identical system in black on 8/20 and it is currently in boxing so I do believe color is the only holdup.   On 8/9 when I found out about my delay (no Dell didn't notify me -- I had to cal them), the website was showing no delay for brown and ever since then I have been asking for someone to tell me why the ordering site shows such a short delay or to get it corrected.   Last request was with Ruma Rafeeq on 8/20 -- at that time is showed 3 days and she agreed to try to get the matter referred to the correct department.   Now it shows 1 day and yet I'm still in BUILD stage.

Come on Dell, cut the Bull**** and put a proper notice that all colors except black or white may cause "undetermined" delays.

I just want to let Dell know how very disapointed and frustrated I am. I really wanted a pink 1520, which I ordered on 7/9/07. The order was delayed twice then cancelled. I re-ordered in red on 7/31/07 and still am getting delayed and expect to get cancelled again any day. This is simply unbelieveable!

I can't get any compensation for my delays and cancellations other than a promise of a $25.00 credit when the laptop finally ships.

I too, have been given the magic ESD of 8/28/07. I got a bonus from work in July, and was buying myself a pink laptop with that money, but now it looks like it could be a christmas present to myself.

I can do nothing but echo the sentiments of the above posters.  I have been purchasing Dell computers for years -- in fact, I am writing this message from an older Dell Inspiron.  Within my home I can count two more Dell systems, not to mention various speaker systems, mouses, and other accessories.  I have helped numerous people purchase their own Dell's, both family members and friends. 

 When it came time to purchase a new computer, I went with what I thought I could trust -- a reliable Dell.  Accounting for possible long orders due to the back to school season, I purchased my Dell in July, all along mentioning that it was imperative that I get the notebook before the last week of August.  I was given an August 16th ship date, and I purchased my system from Dell.  Along came the August 16th date, and no word on my computer shipping-- to make matters worse, Dell failed to contact me on the matter (I had been promised they would keep me up to date on any developments).

 After several hours of trying to contact Dell, both online and via phone (at one point I was transfered to another department, placed on hold for nearly forty minutes, only then to be told by the representative that I had been transfered to the wrong department), I finally managed to learn that my computer had been delayed until the 28th of August -- an obvious problem.  I explained the situation, was transfered twice more, and eventually was told that my computer would likely ship earlier then the 28th.  I was angry, but what could I do? 

 
Yesterday morning, I receive a call very early in the morning (alone a rude gesture), informing me that my Dell would not be shipping until at earliest the 28th.  At earliest!  This is completely and utterly unacceptable.  

Why Dell has failed on so many levels is beyond me.  If I had been informed on the 16th of August of such vast back ordering (which the Customer Service Representatives surely were aware of), I would have been able to cancel the order and purchase a new notebook in time.  As is now, I am left out in the dry by Dell. 

I'm not quite sure how Dell can ever recapture my confidence and loyalty.   I'd hope this message received some attention, but I know better -- all four emails I have sent the company have not been returned .  I desperately want to continue to work with Dell -- the only question now is what Dell will do to help not just me, but the thousands of other customers with similar problems. 

 

I have NEVER dealt with a more inept company than Dell.  I have always been an HP/Compaq guy, and I must have been crazy to try another.

Finally got my 1520, after a month of delays--and it doesn't have a WEBCAM!  Why not?  Well, after a total of 1 week and more than 5 HOURS on the phone, and being told several times that it does have a webcam (AM I STUPID OR SOMETHING?  THERE IS NO WEBCAM!) they will finally send a replacement. 

Then, my replacement order is canceled.  Why?  No one can tell me.  Now I have to go thru the whole ordeal again to get this right.

I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy a Dell again.  I will gladly pay 100's more to not deal with this lame excuse for customer service.  It isn't worth it to get a good priced system with a company that can't back it up.

Well, the magical date of 28th August has been replaced on my order status as 2nd October...and "my" laptop is still showing as being in the pre-production stage.  This has been its status since the day after I ordered it on the 16th July. 

I returned from holiday at the beginning of August expecting that the carriers would have tried to deliver my unit.  Instead, what was wating for me was an email which had been sent 2 days prior to the first delivery date that I had been given, to say that the EDD had been moved back to the 28th August.  Then on Thursday 23rd August, my EMEA order status page gave me the October date.  This was followed by an email on the 24th August to inform me of this fact.

Dell must have been aware that there were problems with parts before I and many many others placed our orders...and there was no warning that I should expect delays.  Even now, when you go in to configure a 1520, there is a notice that the delay is 5 weeks...it's more than 5 weeks until the EDD that I have been quoted and will have been almost 12 weeks since the order date (and that's if it ships by 2nd October!).   

I am as yet undecided whether or not to cancel my order but I had rather set my heart on a green case.  My spec came to just over £1000.00, more that I have ever spent on a piece of hardware.  I am thoroughly disappointed in the lack of communication from Dell: customer services should be sending out weekly updates. I have had two phone calls in answer to my emails, however, but conversation is difficult and I can appreciate it must be hard to placate customers in what is not your first language but we do need a lot of placating because the delay that we have had to endure is totally unacceptable.  I have seen on other forums that American customers seem to have been offered money off, or products as compensation for the delays.  All that I have been told by Dell is that they will "expedite my order"...I'm not even sure if that means that they will give me next day shipping!!

I suppose my story is not a lot different to everyone else's, but it has been good to have a rant!

P.S. The reason I was given for the first delay was that they were waiting for a consignment of Intel chips.........!

Can someone please answer this simple question: How is Dell able to continue to take orders when it hasn't shipped systems ordered 2 months ago? How? Isn't this against work ethics?

And my peeve is that new these orders are starving the old orders because if screen becomes available for the old order, the processor may be out of stock because of the newly completed orders. This is freakish scenario and can potential starve many old orders.

I can contribute to how much we are valued by Dell.  I just spent a majority of my morning with both Dell CSRs and CSR Managers.  The Front Line CSRs can't help and tell  me to call 800-367-9444 (BTW... this is a QVC customer service number), and the CSR Managers tell me the same thing.  Apparently, I'm blowing smoke up their butts when I tell them that the folks at that 800 number can't help me, because THEY ARE NOT GETTING IT!!!  I've challenged them to call the number themselves and they say they 'can't'.  What is that about?

This last Dell CSR was apparently more concerned with HER level of CSR than about MY issue:  it's been 40 days since I ordered... WHERE THE HECK IS MY MACHINE AND WHEN CAN I EXPECT IT???

Cripes... if I was more  computer savvy I'd do the research and look at an alternate brand.  Seriously... I've only had Dell both at work and at home and if I had an alternate brand I'm not sure I would be able to function.

Who do you write to at Dell to give them a 'run-down' of all the Dell CSRs I've talked to, their ideas  of resolutions (call QVC... go to Wal-Mart), and try to explain to these people how freaking frustrating they are??? 

I'm lucky in some instances:  I haven't had my order canceled without my knowledge, so for that I'm thankful, but still... maybe if someone canceled my order they'd be doing me a favor!

Sheesh!

Okay, so according to the updates, the 1330 and the Inspirons have been delayed because of paint issues. My question is, where's the Latitude that I ordered a month ago and still hasn't shipped? There's no paint options to go along with that to delay the process. I know you said there's short supply on certain Inspiron screens that are also holding up the process, but some more details on why my Latitude still hasn't shipped would really be nice.

It's frustrating because I start school in a week and needed my new Laptop by then. That's why I ordered it a month ago. I'm almost certainly not going to have it by the time I begin classes though.

I've long been a customer of Dell but the service and support just seems to be going downhill and this may very well be my last purchase, especially since there's no compensation or concern for all of our long waits.

Thanks, appreciate it.

I agree with many above. I ordered on 7/28 and have been told three times my ship date was moved. This is for my son for colleage. He leaves tomorrow with out his computer. When I call no one can coment on if the new date 8/31 is firm or not. This tells me you do not have any quality control over your outsourced suppliers and had not back up plan.

Compensation is in order. A three year warrenty free would not be out of line.

what a joke of company. you would think that a 'big' company wouldn't fall in such mistakes. i don't think toshiba or such companies would delay laptops this bloody long.

 i'm giving my inspiron one more day and then cancelling and  buying a toshiba or hp. i ordered on the 8th and was it was supposed to ship two days ago but it's still 'in production.'

 oh and btw, your customer service sucks. not helpful, no nothing and overall pathetic.

 

I agree with Inger from Norway. I just ordered an Inspiron a few days ago with a ship date of 9-26. Over several years, I have had nothing less than total satisfaction with everything about all of my Dell purchases. Never, has anything I've ever ordered been late. Usually,I recieve things in half the time ( 2 DJ's, computers, ink, etc). Now that I've seen this page, I'm very concerned. This laptop is all for business use, so every day I have to go without it is a problem. I can only hope that DELL will at least have mine to me by or before my shipping date. I surely do not want to become one of the many "disgruntled customers". If I had known about the color issues, I probably would have chosen "good ol' " black instead of red (if it would have helped). I would have sacrificed a cool new thing from DELL in order to get the quality I need without the "fashion statement" that the new colors provide. I guess all there is now for me is to sit back, wait and see what/how long things take. To all of you out there, I wish you luck and I'll keep you posted....???

Since the last update from Mr. Gruzen, there have been over 500 comments in response on that thread, plus hundreds more on other threads around this site.  This should indicate the level of concern by Dell's customers and should prompt the company to provide another update.

thanks Lionel, you at least seem to read the blogs and often answer peoples' questions the same day on other threads...  Why can't your boss or Michael Dell himself step up and provide some honest answers regarding these delays?

I have been a loyal Dell customer for more than 10 years, and never considered going anywhere else for my new laptop.  However, after ordering, I found this blog and was horrified to learn the recent conditions of this company.  Of course my order is delayed like so many others and I currently have no faith in the latest ESD.

 Four suggestions:

1. Please make the delivery delays more accurate and obvious to your customers before confirming their order and taking their money!

2. Please provide a regular update (every few days at least) to all the customers waiting for their products instead of waiting until the ESD and then pushing it out 2 or 3 weeks or more without clear explainations.

3. If a customer's order is delayed beyond your initial ESD, you should automatically upgrade them to NBD shipping, and if it is delayed again start providing $$credit to their accounts. At least this might cool some of the tempers demonstrated here.

4. Your CSRs should have better information to respond when asked about the delays instead of the scripted answers. 

If the management team at Dell wants to save the company, something has to be done to address this crisis.  You are losing customers daily. 

So far, I have not cancelled, but I have already set up alternate systems in my shopping carts at HP and Sony.  Don't make me use them.

I have the same sentiments as most of you however i first ordered in june to be shipped july 14th . Of course thaat  changed to the 19th, then the 2 of August. Great got a email on the 31st in transit to shipper will be shipped on the 2nd ABRACADABRA!! order cancelled by the wonderful people at dell because of federal mail order rule (which the company didnt follow) on the first .

Called and customer service said reorder of course so im30 days and umpteen thousand orders behind in line with new ESD of aug 30th for an order placed  on the 1st and after contacting now less than eight CSR in who knows where all of whom were going to take personal ownership of my problem and keep me updated i have yet to hear anything i have sent about 20 emails now  im afraid i will never get it so we wait

I still feel that these delays should be compensated accordingly as a gesture of good service and reputation that Dell has. Not doing so would just be damaging the Dell image further. Coming into the 4^th week waiting for my m1330, and it seems like nothing has been done about it yet. The apologies issued are hard to take in considering that this is a premium product (as rightly quoted by Dell CSR’s). As I’ve mentioned in the previous post, as a go-to person for anything computer related, I am very cautious about giving advice to people who are interested in looking for a computer and thinking about Dell. I have told them realistically what to expect. While it was easy for Dell to make money off me from this experience, I would say Dell has a much tougher time recruiting new customers from this operations/supply chain management issue. And you know what they say on how much easier it is to deal with existing customers than to find new ones.

Are you building laptops around the clock to meet these back orders? I'm talking about a 24 hour clock, no a 7am-7pm clock.

I am also very frustrated, because I have been told 3 different things were a problem with my Flamingo Pink Inspiron that I ordered on July 7, I can't understand the people who are calling me, but I do understand they want me to change my order to something I don't want.  I have talked to serveral people, on many different occassions, and was told my computer would be done and shipped (on 2 seperate occassions) before Aug 28.  I have already paid for mine, and I am wondering if I might get it for Christmas, instead of for Fall semester at college.

 I do appreciate finally an update on the Inspirons, but what good is it for those of use who are trying to be patient and are getting nothing in return?

 I also worry, because I have already been delayed once, that when I more than likely am delayed again, my order will be cancelled because I can't take a call or get to an email on time and I won't get what I want at the price I have already paid.

So, what are we to do?  I someone at Dell would answer this, I would appreciate it, because I can't understand anyone who calls me on the phone and any emails I send, I guess go to those same people I can't understand.  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

Ordered on July 22 ESD August 8 . . . three e-mails informing of delays . . My son has started college without his laptop . . .he is willing to wait . . . new ESD August 31 . . .I am not happy with my dealings with Dell or the customer service . . . I spent 1 hour on the phone and spoke to 7 people before I was told that the color was the problem . . . I said, we would change the color . . . too late all colors are unavailable . . .

Instead of adding more sales and support resources, maybe a few manufacturing plants in the United States would be nice.   Those Malaysian workers are overwhelmed with orders.   There was no mention of a delay (per your screenshot) when I ordered my 1520 Inspiron (ruby red) on 7/27.   Ship date is now 8/31.   I just cannot fathom all the advertising of these new Inspiron computers and you cannot produce them.   Unbelieveable!      I agree with the compensation - maybe shave $100-$200 off  for our inconvenience.   After all the computers will be obsolete when we get them.

I am sorry, folks, but I was just doing my job. Yes, you have been misled, but what else can I do? I was just copying the party line from the template.

Oh, and, believe me, it's the stupid paint process. It's an issue of scale, okay?

Check with Alex if you're still in doubt.

F U Lionel, Dell!!  You've been having problems for how long with the Inspiron colors -- and you just finally post a sobb story.  No other business can treat customers the way you do, and stay in business.

I ordered my Inspiron on July 31, it is supposed to ship 8/27, but I'm not holding my breathe.  The laptop bag I ordered has also been delayed 2x, a week each -- what is the sorry excuse for this?  India doesn't seem to know -- or maybe they haven't been taught the correct words in their second language training yet.

The fact is Dell has gotten itself into a problem by advertising and prompting products that they had not fully tested the production process for.  If you would like for your customers to be understanding about that situation, you must become transparent and honest.  Giving all customers a ship date of 8/28 and then meeting some shipments and rescheduling others is dishonest.

 Please provide accurate estimates and each time you reschedule a customers order offer some compensation for the inconvenience.  If you were to operate in this manner I would gaurantee the issues would be fixed or the products cancelled (not orders).

Will Dell operate in this manner, or will they continue to bleed their customers goodwill, by posting misleading ship dates, and stories describing how they are working to resolve these problems.

Too little to late.  One of the worst customer service experineces I have ever had.  My son was left hanging for his college PC.  Thanks Best Buy for the bail-out.

Dell should check with manufacturing before they start a Marketing ad blitz selling what they don't have and can't produce.  Poor management - and it starts from the top.  Great case study on how to alienate customers.

I will never again buy nor recommend Dell.

Why are people who ordered 2-3 weeks ago getting systems when people who ordered months ago with the same config are still waiting?

If you are not prepared to lower quality standards, why do so many of your  M1330's have serious quality issues?

(why do I find it unlikely you'd dare answer this question)

 EVIDENCE:

• This poll shows at least a third (of 100 owners) have build quality issues (with less than 30% describing their system as arriving in perfect condition): http://forum.notebookreview.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=1961
• This article shows a computer that both had serious build quality and lacked an OS or BIOS: http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/08/23/dell-ships-new-xps-m1330-laptop-without-bios-or-operating-system/)
• This website has detailed photo's of one M1330 with an array of dents and gaps: http://www.obscurehideout.com
• This review reports "The laptop doesn’t sit flat on a desk (it wobbles) ... Additionally, the beautiful brushed aluminum palm rest is starting to separate from the chassis base at the bottom right corner" (http://www.randomprocess.ca/2007/08/21/dell-xps-m1330-review/)
• There is in addition numerous reports on forums, which would be too tedious to list in full, from M1330 owners of similar problems, with many deciding to return the product and get a Sony instead.
  

I recommend Dell systems to ALL of my clients. 

 The systems have in the past ALWAYS shipped before the expected ship date. 

But recently, the ship dates have extended and been missed. 

This is a particularly big problem with the people who want a notebook BEFORE school starts. 

So far I have had to cancel three orders and bought HP notebooks instead because the ship dates have slipped to mid to late September for systems ordered in late July and early August. 

Dell, who has always been the best computer builder and supplier has suddenly slipped to the level of Gateway. 

So sad. 

I ordered a Flamingo Pink Laptop for my daughter for school on July 22, 2007.  I was told that the product would be shipped August 9.  I contacted Dell and inquired and was told that they were out of stock of Flamingo Pink, I asked if I could then change the color.  Wow! if I did so it would take me back to the very beginning of the order and I would have to wait additional time. Okay, I expressed that the computer was for my daughter for school.  I was assured that I would get it around the 21st or 24th in time for school. My question now is where the H...... is the computer? Dell's service and customer committment to this point has been very poor.  For months I received brochures about these new computers with the "pretty" colors but they can't deliver.  Why advertise if you can't make the committment to get them to the customer in a timely manner.  Bad enough absolutely no one contacted me to say that there was going to be a delay.  Is this Dell's new customer service of sticking it to the consumer.  We are so big now that we don't care???? I am absolutely disappointed in Dell and their lack of committment in notifying customers of their issues. My daughter is starting school and no computer.  Next time I will go else where to buy a computer. I purchased a computer for myself from Sony and it came with no problems in the time that they said it would with no B.S. 

Dell all I can say is you have made a lot of customers mad and you are not doing enything about it to correct your errors and misjudgement.

The paint issue that was posted sounds like bull to me too. 

Ordered Green Inspiron 1520 on July 9.  Two backorder dates given and now the magical date of August 28 (right!).  Pushed hard and got someone higher up food chain who admits that the orders from last week of June are finally shipping, implying that my order will ship by September 7 even though my date is still August 28.  I threatened to cancel the order and rep pleaded to wait until August 31 at least.  Indicated that he believes my order will ship by August 30. 

He also said the orders for Green (any model) were expected to be 100 per day but exceeded 250, hence the contraints in the supply chain.

I've tried 3 times to put something on this site but everytime the person controlling it refused to post it, or the system wouldn't take when I said Submit.

I'm tired of waiting, cancelled the printer order since same rep said they hold the laptop and printer to ship together (printer has been backordered 4 times and has current date of August 31)  I figure that DELL would give my laptop to someone else if they still didn't have the printer.  So removed it from the equation.

 Good luck to all of you. 

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad I didn't order a Dell.

Delays that last months, no (or false) explanations, terrible customer service, phone support specialists that can barely speak my language.  I'm not missing those things at all.

I agree with the poster who stated that it was shameful that the option to "colorize" your laptop is the culprit behind the delays when that is supposedly the major selling point of Dell's refreshed laptop line.  How can a company this large not have made certain beforehand that there wouldn't be problems producing what supposedly sets their laptops apart from the competition?  The things setting them apart from the competition now are the ridiculous delays and design flaws.

It's beyond me how Dell can somehow forget to include a DVI/HDMI port on their laptops that can be configured w/ a Blu-ray drive.  Why would you pay an extra $700 for a laptop that can play HD media yet can't output it to an HD display?  Are you trying to force people to upgrade to your XPS line of laptops to get that functionality, because personally, I believe you are.

And by the way, your new line of 17" XPS laptops that are about to be released look terrible.  I'd honestly be embarrassed to be seen with one.  And why do the 13" and 20" XPS laptops look similar but the new 17" XPS laptop looks totally different?  Not only does it look hideous, the arrangement of the ports is stupid.  Did you just smack them on anywhere you felt like it?  Do you all have a bunch of monkies making the decisions at Dell HQ?  Whatever group of people that has made these poor decisions should be fired.

If this comment isn't posted or removed, you have my word that I'll never purchase a Dell ever again.  That is, if you can somehow get back on track.

I am a ESDer of 082807 too...was already delayed once...my original ESD was suppose to be on 082407 but like many of you nothing...my only comment (but please believe I want to say a lot) is that Dell should really stop running these commercial ads...etc....until they have all the components they need to get these orders out in a timely manner.

I'd encourage those who can't wait to consider the Dell outlet option.

I have a friend who'd had an Inspiron 1721 (Ruby Red) on order since 07.29. We took a look at the outlet and found about (10) of them in that color, and another (10) 1720's as well.

He needed the system this week and could wait no longer. He bought a nice 1720 comparably equipped at the outlet and will cancel the original order.

Some colors were either not present or limited, but it might be a viable choice for some.

I ordered my Inspiron 1520, ruby red, on 7/27 and there was no mention of a delay in ship date (per your screen shot).    First it was delayed to 8/22 - now 8/31.   I think you should credit everyone's account $100 for our inconvenience.    Who knows how many more times it will be delayed.   I feel sorry for the people who wanted them for school.   Instead of adding sales and support resources, why not add a few manufacturing plants in the United States.    Earthquake in Malaysia!!!!   That's why they're delayed.  

As I've said previously (see my post under the XPS M1330 entry), it isn't the delay that bothers me, but the extremely poor way Dell has handled it.  The debacle continues, as the Dell automated system for checking order status has been down for most of the last 3 days, and the online chat folks can't tell you anymore than the online automated system - "you're in production and I'm sure you'll be shipped on 8/28 - don't worry."

So I'm thisclose to cancelling my Insipiron order, and going with a Mac instead.  I've been considering the switch, but the investment/learning curve has held me back.  Isn't it ironic that Dell's delay might just send me over the brink?

And the damage to the Dell reputation - I know how many of my friends/family think I'm stupid for waiting as long as I have (6 weeks) - you think any of them will consider Dell for their next purchase? Even the friend who reco'd Dell to me is appalled.

 

Where do I begin...this is the short of it.  I ordered 2 laptops the beginning of june a 1501 and pink 1420. The 1501 arrived within a 7 days the pink 1420 never.  Was told to change the color to black after the 3rd delay. Changed to black and guess what no black then told to change to brown it was in stock.  After 2 delays they were suppose to next day dhl...dell did ground.  Said it was signed for by a receptiontist.  Well I don't have a receptiontist at my home and no computer here.  Dell promises a replacement with in 5-7 days (remember I have tryed to get this since June but they promise 5-7) still no computer.  I have spent hours and hours on hold only to get someone who has no idea what is going on.  I have repeated myself so much.  I have started to record the conversation of lies told to me by everyone at dell even supervisors.  I have this so documented that I can't wait for someone at dell to contact me.  I have sent a registered letter to Michael Dell and have written in all blog that I can find about this experience.  Dell probably will not post this but if they do DON'T ORDER A LAPTOP if you need it anytime soon.  I will continue to check back to see if this is posted.

Can Dell be a little more accurate on the "select my system color" area when ordering?  It should read something like "Definetly will indefinetly delay your order."  Meanwhile, by all means - keep advertising the crap out of these colors on your advertisements.

I ordered my inspiron 1720 on July 31, should ship on the 27th, but I won't hold my breathe.  This color problem has been the excuse for several weeks, and finally Lionel took some time to post his thread on this blog.  How nice, but too late.  Now the bag I ordered to carry the laptop in has been backordered 2x now, is Dell experiencing difficulty getting nylon?

Good to know I'm not alone in this nightmare.  I've had an ongoing back and forth with some customer service idiot at Dell since I ordered my Inspiron laptop on **JULY 2**.  Basically her response has been:

"Sorry, we don't have the parts on hand to build and ship your laptop.  I know you've paid us for it, but we'll ship it it when we ship it.  Compensate you for the wait and all the time you've spent chasing us?  Nope, Dell doesn't do that."

When I suggested I would be forwarding the issue to the Better Business Bureau and also BC Consumer & Corporate Affairs I got a snotty email back--here is the quote directly:

"Hello,