Any return-right for online purchase by a non-Swiss consumer?

Complaints Corner
21
Try doing a factory reset of the software, re-installing the OS. If it still randomly freezes, then it is almost certainly hardware related and should be sent back for RMA as soon as possible.

22
Thanks. Finally I've reached their support, and Dell tech support will take it for a repair (it is under their "premium" support). The turn around time should be about two weeks. I hope the issue reproduces in their lab.

The laptop run a long Windows memory test overnight without a problem, but when used it froze/hang twice.

Were it not under warranty, I would disassemble it and re-seat every electrical connector/socket, and would put a Windows 7 image to check if it improves things.

23
I'm fully on OPs side here.

It makes no difference really if the item is Dead On Arrival or Defective On Arrival. The item is supposed to be fine from day 1 and not day 1 + two weeks service time.

Also keep in mind that Dell is well known to replace returned items with refurbished ones. So what could and probably will happen is that OP bought a new device for 2000 Sfr and ends up with a second hand refurbished machine. Is that all right? Why not buy a refurb to start with?

Absolutely unacceptable in my book. EU law protects customers from such business malpractice and this is obviously a case where Swiss are at a disadvantage.

24
Dell support is typical waiting game / hotline inefficiency.

Day one: their cust. service redirected my to some guy in Germany, who emailed me instructions how to run their built-in test. Done and emailed results. No response.

Day two: phoned their Swiss cust. number, waited half an hour, no response. Dialed their UK tech support (given on the Swiss support site), got a tech in Ireland. Finally he said he must transfer me to my "region", which happened to be probably France. I got an agreement that they'll send me an email to ship the laptop back for warranty repair.

Day two afternoon: got an email in German that they want a tech to speak to me to go through troubleshooting.

I've reinstalled its factory image and blocked all Windows and device drivers updates before I even enabled an internet access on it, but it still freezed a few hours later.

Edit: one needs German, French and English to deal with their myriad call centers.

25
Day 4,5,6. Asked me about my address. They couldn't communicate to Swiss Post an address that has a building letter instead of a building number. Back and forth a few times, called numerous times, sent emails with details and Google Maps link.

Day 7. I convinced them to send me labels for the Swiss Post. I've sent the laptop for a repair.

Day 8. Their local support center that just does the logistics in CH confirmed the receipt of it.

Day 10. "TNS on behalf of Dell" asked by email about my feedback.

Day 21. Somebody from Dell called me asking if my laptop repair was OK.

Day 23. Still waiting for the laptop. They said they'll have it repaired in two weeks.

26
"For a complete list of the ways in which technology has failed to improve the quality of your life, press "1" now."

27
Day 29. No info whatsoever. Is there any law-mandated maximum repair time for goods under warranty?

28
Law: Code of Obligations https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classifi...009/index.html

Time frame: Reasonable. (Not specified in the law, but it is the spirtit of it)

Reasonable: 14 working days.

When the time starts running: From the time you proof-able stated a due time.

Proof-able: Registered letter.

29
Have you not called them to find out?

30
I had sent an email to the last contact today morning and they have called me back from their German office this afternoon.

After an explanation consisting of "we created a situation with our supplier" they promised to call me back with the status update tomorrow :-)

31
After one month: I've received the laptop back. Loaded a Microsoft language pack and Mozilla Firefox, started a video, and it froze within an hour.

Called their service in Germany: there was no repair, just a check. The will call me tomorrow.

Edit: Just in case someone else considers this laptop: it is Dell XPS 13, 2016 model (Intel Kaby Lake).

32
Swiss DELL support really sucks.

They have NOT fixed the freezing issue. It happened again within one hour.

I've called them and they confirmed that "their provider" did no repair, but just a check. They must have forgotten the laptop because it took them ONE month to send it back (after I had reminded them).

I've finally found a workaround solution yesterday - by disabling "C-States" in its BIOS. So far it hasn't freezed, fingers crossed.

33
It's likely to work, but you may be sacrificing battery life as C-States are a part of the power saving features of the CPU (putting parts of it into sleep or deep sleep when not needed).

34
So the said Dell XPS 13 decided not to boot anymore.

The one year "service" has lapsed already, but thankfully it is still covered by normal 2yr warranty.

Will keep you updated if Dell improved its processes in the meantime and to how many different countries and languages I might get redirected this time :-)

35
Your experience sounds horrible for such an expensive equipment and seems like its not over yet.

I have exactly the same model (purchased in India), and it's worked fine, so yours is possibly a selective problem. Just wrote in to say that when I got my 15-month McAfee antivirus subscription registered (included in the laptop cost), I faced difficulties since McAfee basically said that I couldn't register it "twice".

Since that was the first time I was registering, I asked for an explanation from the official Indian Dell reseller, and was told that the company first registers the PC in its name and then transfers it to the buyer. Could not work out why they needed to activate the antivirus too, but gave up after a while since I was being re-routed to call centres all over India, USA and Australia, and did not have that much time to chase an explanation for what might have been my unfounded fears.

Still wonder occasionally though if I got a less than brand new machine, even though I paid for one. But thankfully it works perfectly.

36
Good experience this time:

Dell's local hand, Computacenter, mailed a box for shipping the laptop back to them. The box arrived on Aug 2nd. I shipped the laptop, and two weeks later it came back repaired.

They replaced the motherboard:

Problemes: Dispositif ne se met pas en marche.

Pièces remplacées: carte mère remplacèe.

But this one?

Problemes: Systeme non compatible ou d'un probleme avec l'activation du systeme d'exploatation

Pièces remplacées: Unite réparée sans utilisation de la pièce

37
I think it's just that there were two reported problems and each needs a solution to be detailed along with any replacemet parts used; so the second issue, a non-specific OS problem, was deemed to be resolved without any additional parts required, assuming that it was a by-product of the first.