Dell told Arthur to replace his broken DVD drive himself, even after he shipped his laptop to Dell expressly so they could perform the replacement. Arthur tried unsuccessfully to remove the broken drive with the help of Dell phone jockey before returning his unit to the mothership. After weeks of waiting, Dell returned the still-broken laptop with a note explaining that they were out of DVD drives, but that when they arrived in “two or three days,” they’d send one to Arthur so he could install it himself.

As for Dell, I purchased a Dell Vostro 1500 laptop last January. A few weeks ago, the CD/DVD drive stopped working. I called Dell, and spent a long time on the phone with someone who tried to instruct me how to remove the drive. I could not do it, and they sent me a DSL return box to send them the computer back.

On Friday I missed the delivery. Today, though, I stayed home to wait for it till it arrived at 2:30 PM. There was a note with the computer stating that the drive was out of stock, that it would not be in stock for 2 or three days, and that they would be sending me one. I could install it myself, according to the note. Oddly, I’d sent them the computer precisely so I wouldn’t have to do that.

What on earth is going on with a company that accepts returns, doesn’t fix them, and then tells you we’ll send you the parts and you can fix it yourself? Is there anyone I could contact who could actually help me rather than explaining all the things they can’t do for me? It seems to me they broke the contract by failing to honor the warranty, and I’ve wasted a great deal contacting various useless employees who seem to be reading from cue cards. I’m thinking of taking them to small claims court and filing complaints with the BBB, but I don’t even know who to name, and I’d really appreciate your advice. While I really like computers, the most I ever open them up is never.

If Dell won’t replace the drive, ask the higher-ups for an explanation. Alternatively, you can always pay a tech-savvy neighborhood kid with candy to help remove and replace the drive to get around Dell’s apparent incompetence.

(Photo: The Consumerist)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.