Dell Order Issues
On 11/20 I purchased an AW3420DW from Dell and have since had numerous issues getting the item or figuring out the status of it. When ordering I figured picking the express shipping option would get the item here as soon as possible but boy was I wrong.
To start off the order sat in production until 12/2 when it was picked up by Pilot Freight Services (never heard of them before). It then sat with no updates on the tracking until 12/7 where it arrived relatively close to me but still a good 2+ hours away. It then continued to sit until I received an email this morning to call and schedule a time for delivery. So I call, even though I'm a bit confused as to why I'm calling, and they tell me they aren't sure if they even have the item and will have to check...and he hangs up.
Is this a normal experience when ordering from Dell? This is my first time ordering anything from them. I've also never had to schedule deliveries before like this. I'm used to UPS or FedEx where they just bring it as soon as possible. If they need a signature and I'm not home they come back the next day. The real kicker is when ordering it gives you an estimated delivery time at check out. Well, that date was 11/27 for me. At this point, I'm just praying the monitor works so I don't have to replace it and experience this all over again.
Has anyone else experienced this from Dell?
Posted Dec 11, 2020, 2:52 PM UTC
That sounds a lot like my experience of ordering an XPS in November. The order was delayed four times and I finally canceled it only to have it show up on my doorstep yesterday with a surprised FedEx driver who wondered why I was refusing to accept the delivery of a box that was clearly labeled a Dell XPS laptop.
, unfortunately Dell's supply chain is under immense pressure and shipping services particularly in the United States are slammed right now. If I were really set on buying a Dell laptop today, I would go to a local big box retailer and buy what was in their stock.
Yeah, at least I'm not the only one. I totally agree things are crazy and I'm not holding that against them but when they have estimated shipping dates listed in the sales process those need to be realistic. Don't tell me I'm going to receive something by a certain date only to delay the heck out of it after I hit purchase. I'd like to know up front that it will take a few weeks. Thankfully this wasn't an urgent item and Dell did refund me on my shipping costs.
Unfortunately for us buyers if Dell revised their estimated delivery dates on their website to more accurately reflect the realities of shipping right now, there might be more than a few potential buyers who decide to shop elsewhere. Why buy a laptop that won't arrive for a month from Dell when you could turn around and buy one that arrives next week from HP; or grab that Lenovo for sale at your local Best Buy.