Dell sued for bait and switch

Tipstaff · Feb 25, 2005, 04:39 AM

CNN Money:

"The suit accuses the world's largest personal computer maker of false advertising and bait-and-switch practices, fraud and deceit in its sales and advertising representations, and breach of contract by unilaterally modifying terms and conditions of sales and financing.

First is the bait-and-switch accusation. A statement from the law firm given to Reuters said the suit was filed on behalf of a San Francisco nurse who claims that in 2003 she was led to believe that she was buying a Dell notebook computer listed at $599 and an $89 printer, but was later billed $1,352.

Dell is also accused of switching parts in the computers it sells. "The customer will order a computer with certain parts, but will not receive the machine they think they're getting," said Friedman. That includes installing lower end equipment in machines that a customer has been told will have better quality parts.

Second, the computer maker and its partners CIT Bank and Dell Financial Services (DFS) are accused of using false promises of low-cost financing to trick buyers with installment payment hikes."

You can check out the rest of the article HERE

Tipstaff · Feb 25, 2005, 04:58 AM

This article was posted yesterday on CNN Money, but I never got a round to posting it (I was busy reposting MIGs threads.. LOL)

Anyways, this comes as no big shock. 1 time I had a customer ask for a quote on a brand new machine that had a 128mb PCI-E graphics card in it. When I gave them the quote they said, "I can get this same machine from Dell for $400 cheaper." My calm respone was, "Then go buy it from them." Sure enough, they did, and a couple weeks later they brought the machine in for service (piss poor performance, spyware, you name it). To make a long story short I went over this brand new, $400 "cheaper than my quote" machine, and almost instantly 2 things stuck out at me: cheap ass PSU (and lack of proper cooling for a P4 3.4Ghz machine), but also that the 128mb PCI-E graphics card... was ONBOARD! Not only did I get a good, long laugh out of this, but it also sent this customer into a rampaging fit.

Moral of the story: You get what you paid for. Brand name 'cheap' PCs from companies like Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq, EMachines (which is Gateway anyways) are all cheaper for the very same reason: they use cheap parts (PSU with no fans, less cooling, smaller cases), they get away with saying it has this part/option, which 'technically' it does, but is infact built in/onboard the motherboard, or through some other scheme like financing a PC for 2 years, and in the end you're paying $400 more for a $2000 machine. Someone once posted that the best way to get what you want is to build it yourself. Man, after reading this story, can you really disagree with that?

Duranix · Feb 25, 2005, 05:18 AM

i think dell deserve it!

BURN BURN BURN!!!

and the people who can buy their own parts and stick it together themselves, and save themselves money, should BURN BURN BURN too.

Feb 25, 2005, 04:39 AM	#1
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 191 System Specs	Dell sued for bait and switch CNN Money: "The suit accuses the world's largest personal computer maker of false advertising and bait-and-switch practices, fraud and deceit in its sales and advertising representations, and breach of contract by unilaterally modifying terms and conditions of sales and financing. First is the bait-and-switch accusation. A statement from the law firm given to Reuters said the suit was filed on behalf of a San Francisco nurse who claims that in 2003 she was led to believe that she was buying a Dell notebook computer listed at $599 and an $89 printer, but was later billed $1,352. Dell is also accused of switching parts in the computers it sells. "The customer will order a computer with certain parts, but will not receive the machine they think they're getting," said Friedman. That includes installing lower end equipment in machines that a customer has been told will have better quality parts. Second, the computer maker and its partners CIT Bank and Dell Financial Services (DFS) are accused of using false promises of low-cost financing to trick buyers with installment payment hikes." You can check out the rest of the article HERE __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Feb 25, 2005, 04:58 AM	Thread Starter #2
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 191 System Specs	This article was posted yesterday on CNN Money, but I never got a round to posting it (I was busy reposting MIGs threads.. LOL) Anyways, this comes as no big shock. 1 time I had a customer ask for a quote on a brand new machine that had a 128mb PCI-E graphics card in it. When I gave them the quote they said, "I can get this same machine from Dell for $400 cheaper." My calm respone was, "Then go buy it from them." Sure enough, they did, and a couple weeks later they brought the machine in for service (piss poor performance, spyware, you name it). To make a long story short I went over this brand new, $400 "cheaper than my quote" machine, and almost instantly 2 things stuck out at me: cheap ass PSU (and lack of proper cooling for a P4 3.4Ghz machine), but also that the 128mb PCI-E graphics card... was ONBOARD! Not only did I get a good, long laugh out of this, but it also sent this customer into a rampaging fit. Moral of the story: You get what you paid for. Brand name 'cheap' PCs from companies like Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq, EMachines (which is Gateway anyways) are all cheaper for the very same reason: they use cheap parts (PSU with no fans, less cooling, smaller cases), they get away with saying it has this part/option, which 'technically' it does, but is infact built in/onboard the motherboard, or through some other scheme like financing a PC for 2 years, and in the end you're paying $400 more for a $2000 machine. Someone once posted that the best way to get what you want is to build it yourself. Man, after reading this story, can you really disagree with that? __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Feb 25, 2005, 05:18 AM	#3
Duranix DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 614 Rep Power: 0	i think dell deserve it! BURN BURN BURN!!! and the people who can buy their own parts and stick it together themselves, and save themselves money, should BURN BURN BURN too.