Where’s the Service in Customer Service?

Right in the midst of my being absorbed in Dell hell (10 days, 60 hours and 16 phone technicians), I read “Dell, HP Report Big Drops, Warn of Continuing Lag” [Aug. 17].

I gave up on Hewlett-Packard human customer service a long time ago, but Dell hell is something I never expected. As a Dell stockholder and a generally well-read and well-researched consumer, I purchased a Dell desktop system for my home nearly six months ago for $2,700-plus--a lot of money, but because I have a back disability and must work from home I wanted something dependable.

Well, I am now convinced that Dell will be suffering a lot more setbacks in the future as its policies and so-called warranties (I purchased an additional two years to be added to the one-year plan) should be subject to legal review. After the initial 30 days of ownership, a purchaser basically has no rights (and that is 30 days from the order date, not the receipt date). If an internal tech cannot solve a problem, good luck customer--you are on your own.

Anastasia Mann

Los Angeles