Dell quandary....

DMAC

Hi All,

I recently ordered a new Dell XPS 710 from Dell. It's gorgeous, lovely and all of those wonderful things.
Problem is the stand with folding legs would not fit the base so after several phone calls and photos of the suspect part sent to Dell they said they would have to send me an a new base unit.

They told me I could transfer my data onto the new machine and then re-package my old machine and they'd collect it from me.

Yesterday the new pc arrived. Complete with another monitor..... hmmm. hey told me they'd only send a base unit.

Question 1 - Would you keep the monitor if this was you? After all, they said they'd only send a base unit... I never mentioned anything about a monitor..

My machine came with 2 gigs of ram, with the slots available for an additional 2...

Question 2 - Should i fleece it? Would they notice? What happens to PC when they go back to Dell?

..
.....
er..... SLI video cards anyone?

Seriously.... am I being extremely devious, or does this kinda thing happen from time to time?

Thoughts welcome..
Dave

ambman

christmas came early for you this year:D
if they miss i will sure they will look for it back. was it on a delivery docket. if not say nothing. or move address;)

petes

DMAC wrote:

Question 2 - Should i fleece it? Would they notice? What happens to PC when they go back to Dell?

..

Ever hear of the Dell Oultet store?

turbot

I'd say that you should behave honourably towards them, in so far as they have done so with you.

If they do not collect it, despite your willingness to participate in their collection process, and a certain period of time elapses ( 6 months ?) then I think you are within your rights to use it for other purposes. AFAIK morally and legally.

If you simply swap components, and return half the machine, then technically you are a looter, and your actions constitute theft.

DMAC

turbot wrote:

If you simply swap components, and return half the machine, then technically you are a looter, and your actions constitute theft.

but if they asked for them back I'd could say "whoops sorry about that, I install the extra bits to see how it would run and 'honestly' forgot to put them back into the other machine..... "
I'd then send them back..
Ahh your probably right though... In circumstances like this the little devil on one shoulder has a louder voice than the angel on the other....

Hobbes

turbot wrote:

If they do not collect it, despite your willingness to participate in their collection process, and a certain period of time elapses ( 6 months ?) then I think you are within your rights to use it for other purposes. AFAIK morally and legally.

At which point they can morally and legally charge you for it as well.

majiktripp

It comes down to scruples. Are you honest....honest when it suits you....or just plain not nice? Dell are a big faceless money grubbing tyrant whore of a company after all...sure who's going to know?!

DMAC

Hobbes wrote:

At which point they can morally and legally charge you for it as well.

Can they? Even if I sent it back when the asked for it?

Hobbes

DMAC wrote:

Can they? Even if I sent it back when the asked for it?

Think it was mentioned on the legal forum but as far as I recall, it would be illegal for them to bill you for it in anyway. They can however ask you to return the item and they would incur any costs in that return.

However if you were to start using the item (and not returning) then legally they can bill you. You may be able to use it and get away with it until they ask.

There may be a point where it could be considered abandoned but I doubt it is six months.

Ghost Train

I'd like to think I'd give it back to dell, morally the right thing to do *shrugs shoulders*

Cabaal

as far as I know, you need to advise them they they have sent you the item by mistake, this has to be done twice and you must have evidence that you did this.

If after 6 months after you last notify them they have not contacted yout o collect it then its yours, best to check legal forum though

WizZard

I've always understood it as Cabaal said too.

OP: Send it back, bad karma sticks

maidhc

It isn't your problem if they don't come looking for it.

They send me 2 56k modems in the good ole days. I kept both. Both got hit by lightening and died.

Viking send me 2 keyboards recently. I have kept both. Karma; try me.

TerrorFirmer

There is a very high chance that they'd notice anything missing of significance to be honest, like the ram or more obviously, video card.

Cabaal

maidhc wrote:

It isn't your problem if they don't come looking for it.

However if they do and he can show no evidence that he notified them of the mistake then he';s braking the law.

maidhc

Cabaal wrote:

However if they do and he can show no evidence that he notified them of the mistake then he';s braking the law.

If they come looking for it, he gives it back! He isn't breaking any law by failing to help dell manage their inventory.

At the end of the day, if the OP felt really devious he could lie and say it was sent back. Dell won't pursue the matter any further.

No I don't have moral standards, and yes, I am a lawyer.

astrofool

Well, it seems they provided you good service by allowing you to swap the data over + you have an extra monitor free.

Just remember, were you to take some of the parts out (they'll probably check either way), then the management goes and works out how many parts they lose like this a year, and figures the only way to stop it is to not provide such a service. YOU would be responsible for making the Dell support experience even worse