Brady's Computer Drama

December 2011, 13 months ago, Brady received a new laptop for Christmas. Of course it is only 1 month out of warranty when it breaks. Brady was having issues with his laptop during Christmas break but never mentioned it until he returned home and it promptly died.

 

I told him to take it to a computer repair shop on campus. He originally called his dad to come and get his laptop and take it to get repaired. But I told Brady he was an adult now and he needed to take care of it and take it to the repair shop on campus - which he did the next day. (** keep reading why I regret Brady's dad not taking his laptop in for repair)

January 7th Brady took his laptop in for repair at BYU Bookstore Computer Repair. The mother board was damaged and needed to be replace at a cost of a little over $300. We approved the repair and they ordered the parts needed.

 

Week after week went by and Brady still did not have a computer. Finally after 4 weeks and Brady's school work suffering I asked for their phone number.

 

According to Brady they were still waiting for a part.

 

I hate being a helicopter parent but 4 weeks was outrageous! I could not even believe it was taking this long. So I called them. A student answered and they told me the part wouldn't be for a few days. I was angry and asked to speak with a manager.

 

When the manager came on the line, we found out the part was in and had been in. Holy cow!! So they promised they would work on it and try to get Brady his computer the next day.

 

Brady received his computer with a broken USB port and a few other issues.

 

His power cord didn't work with the new port they replaced so he had to take it back.

 

The computer wouldn't shut down when it was closed ... so he had to take it back.

 

Finally he got his computer back. He opened and used it in class, closed it and put it in his bag. Next class he finds that it's really hot. He promptly takes it back to the repair shop and it totally dies while the technician is watching the computer. The new mother board is dead again.

 

No computer again. ARGGGGH! After a month of waiting!!!!!

 

I should have bought him a new computer the week it died. I can't even imagine being in college without a computer.

 

I decided to just order him a new laptop from Dell where I have purchased the last 4 computers we have bought.

 

Murphy's law would make this much harder then it should be.

I found a new computer with a touch screen, Windows 8 (which I am sceptical about) and proceeded to order it with next day shipping.

 

That's where a huge problem hit.

 

Dells system wouldn't allow for a "Ship to" and a "Bill to" address. So I had to leave the address to the ship to address.

 

I put in my credit card number and ordered the computer.

 

Well of course my credit card company rejected the order and put a fraud alert hold on my card because the address was incorrect.

 

The order was placed on hold and they contacted Brady because their system wouldn't allow me to put my information into the system. Well, Brady doesn't have my credit card number so he sent me the details and then I tried to fix the issue.

 

I called my credit card company and had them remove the fraud alert off the card and explained the situation with Dells stupid computer system.

 

Then I had to call the Sales Rep. assigned to the order. Well, I waited for 45 minutes on hold and still didn't get her. The automated system asked if I would like to leave a message, but then couldn't understand the 7 digit extension number I put in and hung up on me after 45 minutes.

 

ARGH!

 

I called back and tried the regular sales rep line and got a lady on the phone who wouldn't take care of my order because her sales associate was handling it and put me back into the "On Hold" loop.

 

I hung up and called again requesting a supervisor - which I didn't get. The new Rep. was going to put me back into the "On Hold" loop with the assigned Sales Rep - but I threw a fit. He finally agreed to help me and fixed the order now that my credit card worked and he took my bill to address.

 

I asked him to notify me when the order was confirmed with my credit card and send me the shipment detail. He then proceeded to tell me that he would call Brady with the information while I was on the line. He didn't listen to a thing I said about it being ordered from me and the recipient was Brady. No common sense! I got a little angry trying to tell them NOT to call Brady because he was in class and to call me with order problems, issues and tracking information. Their system is totally broken!

 

Really, it should NOT be this hard!

 

AND from a company that sales computers and should be up to date with their technology and ordering system.

 

Well, I thought we were good to go and Brady would receive his new computer as promised on 2/7/13.

Brady was SUPPOSE to receive his new computer today.

 

Did he?

 

Nope.

 

So I chatted with another sales associate that told me it hadn't shipped yet.

 

What?? That is unacceptable. I asked when it would ship and she said it should within 24 hours (which would mean he wouldn't get it until Monday).

 

I was outraged. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she indicated I would get a call back within 24 hours.

 

I told her that if it didn't ship today I was going to cancel the order. She was no help at all.

 

I decided to call back and cancel the order and have Brady's dad pick him up this weekend and take him to Best Buy. While I was on the phone an automated machine asked me for the order number. The automated machine came back and told me it was shipped today and the Fed-ex tracking number - which the other sales rep a few minutes earlier couldn't give me.

 

Seriously from a computer company? What kind of technology do these people work with?

 

It has been a computer nightmare.

 

What I learned.

 

NEVER have BYU Computer Repair shop fix your computer...

 

NEVER, EVER purchase a computer from Dell again!

 

If there is an issue with the shipment or the computer is damaged when Brady receives it... I will SCREAM!

 

Oh, and another great issue.. For Christmas Brady received a new iPod touch. He was on a date a couple of weeks ago and it fell out of his pocket into the snow and it's broken . . . . . with water damage which voids any type of warranty.

 

My financial success for January? One step forward .... two steps backward.

 

I hope to make it all right by scrimping in February.. I hope Murphy will visit another house.

 

Update: February 8th!

 

Yea! Brady received his new Dell Laptop today. So far so good.

He also received a Valentine goodie box from me - which made him happy.

 

Next.... surprise .... surprise!!!!!

BYU Bookstore Computer Repair shop came through by fixing his old computer. WOW!! I am surprised. But now we have a spare computer that will be mine when I see him in the spring.

 

Even though I have been extremely unsatisfied with the service from BYU Computer Repair shop, and Dell's customer service ... it all came together and Brady has a computer going forward.

 

Now I can relax and let my blood pressure fall back to it's normal levels - LOL!