Crazy... Still on hold on both lines. My IT department is gonna hunt me down - tying up two lines for hours just waiting for Dell to get around to answering...
I also sent a PM to Jimmy with my info. If anyone has any suggestions on dealing with Dell Support (canada) on a standalone LCD purchase ( UltraSharp 2007FP Flat Panel with Height Adjustable Stand) please do share!

Well..  after over 90 minutes waiting someone answered.  He couldn't help - as he is printer support (he answered the TV/Projector extension?)...  He transferred me (believe me I objected, and KEPT INSISTING I need Canadian support (yes- I have been in this situation before)).  New wait time was shorter - 12 minutes and I was speaking to US support - who of course couldn't help me, though they were at least professional.  I spoke to Biyush and his manager Kamal.  They wouldn't do anything. 

So now I am back in queue for Canadian support (800-387-5752).  I chose desktop this time.  Of course, that tree is 3 choices - Optiplex, Vostro or Dimension.   I have a Dell Ulrasharp monitor!?   I paused long enough that my call went to reception (Michael), who didn't let me speak - just transferred me to my current queue - which is a french queue that has now been 16 minutes. 

 

Someone please!  Did I commit a Dell crime by ordering a monitor as a standalone unit?

While waiting on hold the call got disconnected.   Line went weird - kinda like static, then just dropped.  A few hours of my morning gone.  Two other people were by my desk, laughing at the bad luck of waiting on hold for so long only to have Dell cut the line.  I was too embarrased to let them know I had spent the whole morning on hold.

 

Going in for another go...  I know that there are lots of great people in Dell support.  It seems my biggest challenge is actually getting to one of them.  Hold times, getting cutoff, sadistic phone trees - these are all obstacles that are WAY too common when calling Dell Canada support.

Hello Askywalker,

 

My recent experience mirrors yours.  Transferred 5x, spent over 2 hours combined and no closer to getting issue resolved.  I used to be a big Dell fan.  Based on my experience with warranty so far, Dell may have just lost a customer.

 

Please post your findings if you have any luck and I will do the same.

 

Cheers

I just received my replacement monitor.  It took X transfers and ~4 hours.

 

Call #1: Called customer care due to ensure I had correct reference number.  In this case it is my original order number.  A customer number may also work.  Serial number won't.

 

Transferred #1 to Projectors & LCD TV's.  On hold for ~79 minutes (no joking!).  A very nice person name Vinod answers my call.  He politely tells me I have the wrong department.  I need to contact the desktop support option.

 

Transferred #2 to desktop options.  Didn't make it past the last option, where it only allowed you to enter one of three desktop models.  No monitor option, no option for operator, I hung up.  86 mins passed since transfer #1.

 

Call #2: Answered in 4 mins.  Ken was very nice to talk to.  I asked to be transferred to a supervisor.  He assured me that he could help.  He said he would double check the dept he was going to transfer me to, to make sure they could help.  Said he would stay on the line.

 

Transferred #3.  No more Ken, but listening to a very familiar on hold recording.  It was the projectors / LCD TV message.  I remember it well from the first time on hold!.  Ayiaz answered after waiting 35 mins on hold.  He was very nice and assured me he would help.  He politely informed me I had been transferred to the wrong department!  He said he only handled printers and accessories.  I asked to speak to his supervisor.  He said his supervisor was busy with another call.  I assured him I would wait.  A Supervisor named Doss answered.  He let me know that he could not help me in any way as they only looked after printers & accessories.

 

Transferred #4.  Michelle said should would be very happy to help me and apologized for my problems thus far.  I was totaling ~50 minutes now, since first talking with Ken.  After another ~10 minutes, Michelle was telling me that all the reference numbers I have given her did not reflect a monitor.  She said she was sorry, but could not help without a valid number.

 

Transferred #5.  This time Michelle transferred me to customer care to help me get the correct number.  Totaling ~60 minutes since talking with Ken.  Waited on hold for 5 minutes.  Someone answered and sounded confused.  They said I had the wrong number and would have to call back.

 

Call #3.  Got a very polite person named Ken (different Ken).  I asked if he could help me determine the correct reference number so I could finish my goal.  I gave him the same number as Michelle.  If pulled up my info immediately.  How could this be?!  I asked to speak to Ken's supervisor.  He said "Please Hold".  Next thing I hear is the Projector / LCD TV department "on hold" recording!!! (Transferred #6) Not again...  Total of 15 minutes lost.  I hang up.

 

Call #4.  Customer service (800-847-4096 for Canada) and get a very polite fellow named Mark.  I ask for a manager.  He transfers me to... wait for it... Technical support. (transferred #7).  Mathew was very pleasant.  At this point (and honestly, many times leading up to this point) I was very direct, but professional.  No one is going to help some screaming lunatic.  I explained my day so far.  It started out at 7:30 am and it was now 11:00 am.  I did not spend every minute of my time on the phone and took a few small breaks in the middle.  I was exhausted and asked to speak to Mark's supervisor.  I will shorten this part.  Mark found my file using my original reference number, he gave me a case file right away, he would put me on hold and come back on the line every minute or so to inform me what he was doing for me.  Within 15 minutes of talking to Mathew, I had an email confirmation stating my replacement monitor was on its way.  I received my replacement monitor the next business day!

 

There is a reason why I went through the effort of document this.

 

#1.) I used to be a huge dell fan.  PC's, laptops and monitors.

#2.) My experience was almost comical.  At one point I was either going to through the phone across the room or have a breakdown.  But I was NOT going to give up.

#3.) If I knew this was the tech / warranty support I would get by purchasing a monitor on its own from Dell, I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE it!

#4.) I will never purchase another dell monitor as a stand alone again.

My experience was about as ridiculous as yours.  Believe me - I feel your pain... 

 

Their Canadian support is really bad, and their phone trees are a complete mess. I got the same 'printer' department, transferred to U.S., and had 90+ minute wait times..  I was disconnected several times, and spoke to supervisors who were all very nice - but couldn't help...

 

I used to be a major Dell supporter - and as the IT guy for our fairly large organization, I gave Dell a lot of business. I stopped purchasing Dell servers and systems after a bunch of these problems a year and a half ago.  These last couple of warranty issues have reminded me how good that decision was.

 

I even took about 10 emails to get my LCD shipped back to Dell.  No waybill or return info.  My emails couldn't have been simpler - 'I didn't get the return information for UPS - please send it'....    A ridiculous number of phone calls and emails over the course of a week before they finally realized that I was right and they sent a new one via email.   Dell seems intent on wasting as much of our time as possible.