You are currently browsing the Rant & Rave weblog archives for the day September 13, 2007.
September 13, 2007 by Hawk.
So… I need a new PC. This one’s reaching the end of it’s usefulness. The CD burner only makes coasters even when slowed down to 4x (down from 52x). The floppy drive is dead. It’s only got 384 megs of RAM pushing a 1.6gHz Celeron. It’s old and fairly decrepit. I’ve spent a while looking around the sites, Dell, HP, Gateway and a few smaller companies I’ve seen mentioned here and there in the computer magazines. Dell so far has had the best configuration for the least money. My biggest problem is I’m poor and I’ve been poor for a long while. Other than bills if I spend $20 a month on non essential things it’s a big deal and I’m looking at putting somewhat over $400 on my credit card. This is scary for me. I need the moment to be ‘right’ and my mindset to be ‘right’ and even then it’s going to be a real bitch to click that last “Place Order” button. With that in mind Dell’s got a current, long term promotion running with a $100 discount on the PC I’m looking at (Athlon 3800+ Dual Core, a gig of RAM, 160 gig HD, DVD burner, 13:1 card reader, etc.). I missed out on their last promotion that would have gotten me a much better machine for only $35 more than the above system so I wanted to find out when this discount expires. I popped into the Dell Chat system to ask. Big freaking mistake:
Me: “I’d like to know when this current promotion ends.”
Dell: “Our specials change weekly, Sir.”
Me: “This isn’t a weekly special as it’s been running for several weeks now”
Dell: “Our specials change weekly, Sir.”
Me: “This isn’t one of your weekly specials. Like your free shipping offer it’s long term.”
Dell: “You’re correct, Sir.”
Me: “Then I’d like to know when this current promotion ends.”
Dell: “Our specials change weekly, Sir.”
Me: “You just agreed with me that this was NOT a weekly special.”
Dell: “That’s correct. Several of out offers have been running for quite a while.”
Me: “Then I’d really like to know when this current promotion ends.”
Dell: “Our specials change weekly, Sir.”
This Abbott and fucking Costello routine went on for TWENTY minutes when the idiot finally told me he had no idea when the promotion would end and gave me the number and extension (the wrong extension number at that) to some department that he assured me would have the answers I wanted. I called them. Big freaking mistake #2. After spending at least 10 minutes getting lost in their automated phone system:
“Press one if your have bought a Dell and are left handed.
Press 2 if you have bought a Dell and it’s currently on fire or speaking in tongues.
Press 3 if you’d like to press 3 again.
Press 4 if pressing 3 didn’t allow you to press 3 again.”
I finally get a human being on the phone, explain the situation and after a minute of silence I’m told she can’t help me and needs to transfer me to someone who can. Amazingly this transfer doesn’t hang up on me, summon Satan or connect me to the power company. I get a sales twit on the phone and once again explain my question. He doesn’t, of course, have any idea and puts me on hold for five minutes while he asks his manager. He gets back on the line and tells me his manager is as clueless as he is “This is a corporate decision, Sir, we have no idea when the promotion may end. It could be tomorrow. Would you like to order your system now to ensure you get the discount?” Nice try at getting a commission, shithead. I just hung up on him.
Dude, I wish Dell didn’t have the best deals. I really do. This seriously made me not want to do business with them.
Hawk (*sigh*)
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