Dude, You're NOT Getting A Dell!
[quote] AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 2002 FEB 27 (NB) -- By Brian McWilliams, Newsbytes. Some gun owners are outraged over Dell Computer's [NASDAQ 
ELL] initial refusal to sell a notebook computer to a Pennsylvania man because his company deals in combat handguns.
According to Jack Weigand, his Feb. 13 telephone order for a Dell Inspiron notebook PC was automatically canceled days later by the computer maker's export department because his company's name, Weigand Combat Handguns Inc., raised a red flag.
"They told me they were afraid I would use the computer for illegal purposes. Somehow I was singled out," said Weigand, who is president of the American Pistolsmiths Guild and a gunsmith instructor for the National Rifle Association, in an interview today.
Weigand said he was informed by a Dell salesperson that the company implemented an order screening system following the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
"If computers are dangerous, the scary thing here is that I could have just walked up to Best Buy and purchased one," said Weigand, who holds a federal firearms license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearm's National Licensing Center.
After complaining to the Dell sales rep, Weigand received an apology by e-mail from a supervisor who offered to put his order through. But Weigand said he has no interest in doing business with Dell any longer.
In a statement, Dell chairman Michael Dell today confirmed that the company cancelled Weigand's order "to give us enough time to follow up with the customer and be assured that the sale would be in compliance with U.S. export law." According to Dell, the computer firm erred in not contacting Weigand and did not live up to its service standards.
On Tuesday, Weigand posted a description of his run-in with Dell at his Web site and in three online forums, including one for Ruger pistol owners.
The message, which was redistributed on Internet newsgroups and by e-mail, concluded with a virtual call to arms.
"I for one am sick and tired of people assuming just because we are involved with firearms that we are doing something illegal. I also do not believe Dell deserves our business if this is how they intend to treat us," said the posting.
Messages of support from other gun owners have subsequently poured in to Weigand's e-mail in-box and to online message boards.
"What's next, background checks on Dell Computers?" wrote one participant who called for a boycott of the company in a newsgroup for gun owners in Dell's home state of Texas.
According to Weigand, his encounter with Dell has touched a nerve with many gun owners.
"People in the firearms community are passionate about our rights. There's been a lot of talk about profiling lately, and this incident is viewed by many as an instance of that," said Weigand in the interview.
Dell's leader said the company does not discriminate against any business, "regardless of the products or services they sell, nor do we discriminate against individual consumers. We do, however, sometimes make mistakes, as we did in this case."
Weigand's firm, which he described as a two-man operation, performs customizing, such as adding scope mounts, on several makes of firearms. After Sept. 11, Weigand said he will no longer do business with customers outside the U.S.
Weigand's site is at <a href="http://www.jackweigand.com"; target="_blank">http://www.jackweigand.com</a>; .
Dell is at <a href="http://www.dell.com"; target="_blank">http://www.dell.com</a>; .
Reported by Newsbytes, <a href="http://www.newsbytes.com"; target="_blank">http://www.newsbytes.com</a>; .
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ELL] initial refusal to sell a notebook computer to a Pennsylvania man because his company deals in combat handguns.According to Jack Weigand, his Feb. 13 telephone order for a Dell Inspiron notebook PC was automatically canceled days later by the computer maker's export department because his company's name, Weigand Combat Handguns Inc., raised a red flag.
"They told me they were afraid I would use the computer for illegal purposes. Somehow I was singled out," said Weigand, who is president of the American Pistolsmiths Guild and a gunsmith instructor for the National Rifle Association, in an interview today.
Weigand said he was informed by a Dell salesperson that the company implemented an order screening system following the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
"If computers are dangerous, the scary thing here is that I could have just walked up to Best Buy and purchased one," said Weigand, who holds a federal firearms license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearm's National Licensing Center.
After complaining to the Dell sales rep, Weigand received an apology by e-mail from a supervisor who offered to put his order through. But Weigand said he has no interest in doing business with Dell any longer.
In a statement, Dell chairman Michael Dell today confirmed that the company cancelled Weigand's order "to give us enough time to follow up with the customer and be assured that the sale would be in compliance with U.S. export law." According to Dell, the computer firm erred in not contacting Weigand and did not live up to its service standards.
On Tuesday, Weigand posted a description of his run-in with Dell at his Web site and in three online forums, including one for Ruger pistol owners.
The message, which was redistributed on Internet newsgroups and by e-mail, concluded with a virtual call to arms.
"I for one am sick and tired of people assuming just because we are involved with firearms that we are doing something illegal. I also do not believe Dell deserves our business if this is how they intend to treat us," said the posting.
Messages of support from other gun owners have subsequently poured in to Weigand's e-mail in-box and to online message boards.
"What's next, background checks on Dell Computers?" wrote one participant who called for a boycott of the company in a newsgroup for gun owners in Dell's home state of Texas.
According to Weigand, his encounter with Dell has touched a nerve with many gun owners.
"People in the firearms community are passionate about our rights. There's been a lot of talk about profiling lately, and this incident is viewed by many as an instance of that," said Weigand in the interview.
Dell's leader said the company does not discriminate against any business, "regardless of the products or services they sell, nor do we discriminate against individual consumers. We do, however, sometimes make mistakes, as we did in this case."
Weigand's firm, which he described as a two-man operation, performs customizing, such as adding scope mounts, on several makes of firearms. After Sept. 11, Weigand said he will no longer do business with customers outside the U.S.
Weigand's site is at <a href="http://www.jackweigand.com"; target="_blank">http://www.jackweigand.com</a>; .
Dell is at <a href="http://www.dell.com"; target="_blank">http://www.dell.com</a>; .
Reported by Newsbytes, <a href="http://www.newsbytes.com"; target="_blank">http://www.newsbytes.com</a>; .
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Comments
After a week of hearing nothing, I called back up and was told the 'order' was cancelled as the machine's warranty did not include on site support. They never had the courtesy, though, to even call me up to say that no one was going to show up.
Finally, when I was on the phone, I was told that the warranty did not include on site support, they could not let me send the machine back in to be serviced (it was too old), and they could not send me parts. So I asked them when I should expect the new machine they were going to have to give me, because the computer is still under warranty and since they were unwilling/unable to get it serviced that they needed to send me another one.
That quickly got them to say, "Oh, we CAN send you that motherboard".
15 minutes later, I had a reference number and the mobo was on it's way (I had a horrible time getting the old mobo out and the new one in). Of course, even though I gave them a specific set of problems and parts that needed to replace (the HD and IDE cables also went bad), and they only sent the mobo.
It's like they don't want you to buy from them in the future.
Of course, I had just about the worst experience I could ever have from Apple. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
But I still haven't purchased a new machine since I bought my Pismo. I was able to get an iMac G3/500 Snow in a great deal, but that's more of the family computer, not personally mine. Customer support really does make a difference in the end though, and if the company can't deal with it, then you won't want to deal with them.
Last night he calls and asks how to set it up and what the CD's were (Dell Restore disk and WinXP restore Disk, among others) and even had the nerve to ask "what would be on this once I turn it on?"
I told him.."Sorry, can't help you out dude, you got a Dell"
<strong>I love it when people get a PC against my recommendation (when I know a Mac would have better suited them) and they call up a week later saying they want to throw the PC out the window and if I can come over and help them out. I get to be all snide and throw in remarks on how none of this would have happened if they had listened to me. I know, I'm petty.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yep, I do the same thing, too.
Well, that and offering to pay the price difference over the PC. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />