- Reaction score
- 3,485
- Location
- Manchester UK
Yesterday I was in the position, to contact Dell Support, as I required recovery media on a Dell Inspiron machine. Basically the hard drive is fried, hence no recovery partition available.
It was XP Media Center recovery which I required.
So, I ring Dell support, give them the service tag details as usual, now because I was unable to give them the ORIGINAL owners details, they refused to sell the recovery media!.
I mentioned, that my client purchased this machine from a company, who in turn got it from who knows who. Answer, sorry sir, our policies are that unless you can answer some of the questions pertaining to the original owner, there is nothing we can do. Due to the data protection act.
Now what are we as techs supposed to do here?
Contact our client, to find out which company they bought the machine from.
Then contact the said company, in the hope that they have the details on hand of their purchaser, then attempt to contact their client (never mind them breaking the data protection act).
That's if, the said company is still in business. If they have closed, then that line of enquiry is closed too.
If I received a call similar to the above, I know for sure I would not release such information about one of my clients, as I would break the DPA.
Or, what if said client, purchased the machine off a friend, who got it off a friend, who got it from their neighbour, so its 5th hand so to speak.
Dell's guidelines to me drastically need changing. I asked to speak with a supervisor / manager. I was refused this request, because again I could not confirm the original owners details.
All other manufacturers, irrespective of who they are, it's a case of fill in a form, enter a few details, ie serial number, coa etc, pay your fee, and await delivery of the discs.
Why are Dell like this?. I know we can get recovery media elsewhere, but if as we are supposed to do, and follow Microsoft's guidelines pertaining to recovery media, and all doors are slammed in your face, it really does make you think is it worthwhile.
Microsoft's customer care line, claim nothing to do with them, because it's a OEM, you have to speak to the manufacturer. If the manufacturer will not supply the discs, then you have to purchase Windows 7.
Add this to the cost of the initial repair, in this instance hard drive, labour, and windows installation, and your talking of over £225!
Rant off.
I have posted this here, as it is indexed by Google, in the vain hope that a Dell manager, or some one higher up their chain reads this, and does change their draconian policy.
It was XP Media Center recovery which I required.
So, I ring Dell support, give them the service tag details as usual, now because I was unable to give them the ORIGINAL owners details, they refused to sell the recovery media!.
I mentioned, that my client purchased this machine from a company, who in turn got it from who knows who. Answer, sorry sir, our policies are that unless you can answer some of the questions pertaining to the original owner, there is nothing we can do. Due to the data protection act.
Now what are we as techs supposed to do here?
Contact our client, to find out which company they bought the machine from.
Then contact the said company, in the hope that they have the details on hand of their purchaser, then attempt to contact their client (never mind them breaking the data protection act).
That's if, the said company is still in business. If they have closed, then that line of enquiry is closed too.
If I received a call similar to the above, I know for sure I would not release such information about one of my clients, as I would break the DPA.
Or, what if said client, purchased the machine off a friend, who got it off a friend, who got it from their neighbour, so its 5th hand so to speak.
Dell's guidelines to me drastically need changing. I asked to speak with a supervisor / manager. I was refused this request, because again I could not confirm the original owners details.
All other manufacturers, irrespective of who they are, it's a case of fill in a form, enter a few details, ie serial number, coa etc, pay your fee, and await delivery of the discs.
Why are Dell like this?. I know we can get recovery media elsewhere, but if as we are supposed to do, and follow Microsoft's guidelines pertaining to recovery media, and all doors are slammed in your face, it really does make you think is it worthwhile.
Microsoft's customer care line, claim nothing to do with them, because it's a OEM, you have to speak to the manufacturer. If the manufacturer will not supply the discs, then you have to purchase Windows 7.
Add this to the cost of the initial repair, in this instance hard drive, labour, and windows installation, and your talking of over £225!
Rant off.
I have posted this here, as it is indexed by Google, in the vain hope that a Dell manager, or some one higher up their chain reads this, and does change their draconian policy.
