back to article Dell's order status website wobbles at knees

Dell customers hoping to check when their newly-purchased computer will be shipped are complaining about errors on the vendor's order status website. Over the past week some Dell customers have struggled to access details about when their kit would be delivered by the company. "I placed an order last Friday (22nd Feb) and, …

COMMENTS

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  1. Uk_Gadget
    Go

    Simple solution..........

    ............to all of Dell's troubles: BUY SUMMIN ELSE....

  2. Harry
    Unhappy

    There's something seriously wrong ...

    ... when a computer company can't make even its OWN computer services work properly.

  3. JakeyC

    Glaswegian-based

    "said Glaswegian-based Bocco"

    so this 'Bocco' is some sort of parasite that lives on Scotchmen is it?!

  4. dvr
    Thumb Down

    it's not just order status...

    ...it's the whole ordering system. i can't get a quote for 10 desktops, nor for a single raid card.

  5. Dale 3

    Too soon

    If you only ordered your system "last Friday", what are you doing checking on the order status now? It's not going to be delivered for another 3-4 weeks anyway. You don't need an order status system to tell you that. That's just the way Dell works.

    1. BJC

      ...or was it?

      I was trying to determine the order status because I was trying to cancel the order.

      During the order process, the estimated delivery was "3+ weeks". The order confirmation estimated delivery as 7th July - about 4.5 months! While technically correct, that's ridiculous! No point in hanging around, so I tried to cancel the order the next day.

      Given recent experience, I have serious reservations about using Dell again. As was said before by someone with far more widom than I:

      "The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." — Albert Einstein

      Maybe it's time to recognise the obvious and give up on Dell.

      Bruce

  6. RudeBuoy

    Old problem new news

    I placed multiple orders on November 26 and 27. They were finally delivered in the last week of December. I got the same screen shown whenever I tried to view the order status then. Non of the orders showed up in my account even today.

  7. B Candler Silver badge
    FAIL

    Fixing the customer number

    What also doesn't help is that the tracking link which goes to the Syncreon website doesn't work, because the customer numbers don't match up.

    Apparently sometimes you can convert a Dell customer number into a Syncreon customer number by replacing the leading GB1 with 02. This didn't work for me. In the end I found the solution here:

    http://www.clik2complaints.co.uk/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=2357

    I had to remove the GB, add 02 to the front, and drop the last digit off the end. Obvious.

  8. OpenSauce
    Paris Hilton

    That old chestnut...

    The disk was full ;-)

    "an application service running on the database server of the website hung and failed to start automatically

    We are now implementing further monitoring solutions to prevent similar situations arising in the future."

    Paris, 'cause she knows a big disk when she sees one ;-)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Another reason

    Why I dont buy Dells no more!

  10. NightFox
    WTF?

    Ring my Dell

    Is this anything to do with the fact that a Dell automated service has been ringing my mobile every 10 freaking minutes most of today to tell me my Dell laptop is going to be delivered tomorrow. I KNOW! YOU TOLD ME! Not only is it annoying, but as I'm currently in Switzerland I'm having to pay to receive all of these phone calls.

  11. sleepy

    Dell's little secret

    With a delay between ordering and fulfilment, Dell gets to buy the components for your machine at a lower price. You may think that computer prices only fall by 10-15% a year, but in fact the machine specs at those price points also improve considerably over that year, so the price of individual components falls much more rapidly. The delay Dell imposed by "not building your computer till you specify and order it" can actually save Dell 3-5%. Conversely, it can move your careful price comparison 3-5% against Dell by the time you take delivery.

    Delivery time is of the essence when pricing a computer.

  12. Colin Jepson
    FAIL

    Another reason #3

    When I bought my last Dell ever I paid a lot extra to have it delivered to Spain. This took forever and when I finally got it I needed help under guarantee. The Indian assistant was not allowed to call me because I was not in England or Ireland. No further response was ever obtained from Dell.

    Go figure why I will not buy Dell again.

  13. emergent comprehension
    FAIL

    DELL - order processing is just BAD

    I'm so happy this has hit the news a bit. I had SUCH a bad time ordering from DELL.

    I have to strongly recommend do not buy from DELL.

    It took me many hours on the phone over 2 weeks to get them to re-deliver the laptop to the correct address, because they couldn't find it.

    As well as problems with their order taking systems like those above.

  14. PsychicMonkey
    Unhappy

    if its working now...

    why can't it find my order?

    oh thats right. Dell are crap. Cheap, but still crap.

    I just wish I could afford better....

  15. Equitas
    Thumb Down

    Dell troubles

    I bought five Dells in the past year. Nothing wrong with any of the machines, and the netbook is really excellent. Price and build quality on all of them was fine.

    As far as the order status business was concerned, it was absolute nonsense, at least one of them showing that it hadn't been built when it was sitting in my hands.

    The really negative part of the experience, however, was, as usual, the Indian call centre. It may be cheap for Dell accountants, but it must lose them countless customers. By way of contrast, Vistaprint manage to maintain an excellent call centre in, IIRC, the Philippines: the staff speak a reasonably conventional version of English, they're willing to listen to the customer first, they know what they're talking about and they answer the questions and solve the problems quickly and efficiently -- at least they have done so on the occasions I've called them. That's what we want from call centre staff. It doesn't matter where they're located if they can do the job. Dell's call centre staff haven't done the job on the occasions I've had the misfortune to speak to them and that obviously militates against placing orders with Dell.

  16. PsychicMonkey
    FAIL

    According to Dell Support

    they still have a back log, hence why my orde rplaced last Thursday is still not confirmed!

  17. Jay 2
    FAIL

    Bloody Useless

    Ordered two identical servers (one for each DC) on 9th, got an email back saying that the delivery date would be "on or before" 19th. So on the 17th one of them shows up. So come the 19th where is the other one? After chasing Dell they claim that it hasn't been built, and not only that but they don't know why. We're still waiting...

    Sounds strangely familar to last year when we ordered two identical storage arrays. One turned up and the other one wasn't built as the factory had allegedly run out of parts. Eventually it did turn up.

    Much as we'd like to buy something else, we're not allowed as the US part of the buisness makes the rules. Though I have a sneaky feeling that next time out purchasing dept won't be going direct to Dell (a bit of o token gesture as we have to buy Dell kit, but they may get the message you never know).

  18. bobbybaggio
    Thumb Down

    Problem resolved...Erm, no it isnt

    I ordered on the 16th Feb but have not had a confirmation from them.

    They claim the problem is rectified but that's plainly rubbish.

    Their complaints department have informed that its an ongoing problem.

  19. deadbeef
    Thumb Down

    Still down

    I ordered a laptop through the outlet on the 17th of Feb and my internet receipt still hasn't been converted into an order yet. IF you can get through to the right person you find out that their ordering system is still down and should have been back up on Thursday. Its still down today. They could at least send customers an email to let them know that there is a problem and provide updates.

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