Argh. Trying to get my laptop fixed is more of a saga that trying to get X running.

When I first got the laptop, the enter key kept sticking down. I carefully pulled it off, to check if there was anything stuck under it, but in the process this tiny little bit of plastic that hinges the key broke.

I found that the left shift key was the same size, so I pulled it off, and took the spring from under it, and fixed the enter key.

I managed to use some superglue to sort of fix the plastic spring, so I could put the shift key back on. It worked somewhat, ie the shift key stays on, and works, but the key is all skewiff.

I logged a ticket with dell, both with customer care, and tech support, since the problem was there when the laptop arrived.

Nothing happened for days, until I was eventually called up, at about 8pm, by a Chinese lady who had difficulty speaking english.

I explained the situation again (I had put all the detail in the ticket, to avoid this), and was then told that it would be transferred to tech support.

Nothin happened for another week, until I was called up again, at 8pm, by another Chinese lady who had difficulty speaking english, a different one from before, and I got to explain the situtation again.

Nothing happened for another few days, until I was called up by Unisys support, for confirmation of the address of the laptop, for the repair to be done. I explained that I work in Maitland during the week, and am at home on the weekends, because assumedly the work will be done during the week.

The parts had been sent to Gosford, which is where the laptop was sent to, but then because it's not there for the repair to be done, the ticket had to be sent back, to be started all over again.

I was called up again the next day, to organise a time for the repair to be done, probably in the "early afternoon", well, it'll need to be, because it's a Friday, and I leave at 3pm.

The next day, I heard nothing, no one turned up, so I went home at 3pm.

I wasn't in at work yesterday, because of the move, when I got in this morning, there were 2 messages on my phone. One from the tech, wanting to confirm the address, because he couldn't find it, the other from Dell, saying they'd have to reschedule the fix, between 10am and 12pm today.

I called Dell back, got through the stuff, and they said the guy would be out this afternoon, between 3pm and 5pm, or tomorrow.

I went out to lunch a bit after 2pm, and got back at 3pm, there were 2 messages on my phone. The tech was here, wanted to know where I was, and another from him, saying he must have missed me.

Immediately called the tech back on his phone, but he didn't answer, so I left a message, and he hasn't called me back.

This is pathetic. I'm glad I didn't pay for 3 year support, I would be fuming, if this is the kind of support I get. It's taken me almost a month to get this fixed. Thankfully I can use it in the meantime.

I'll have to reconsider buying Dell equipment again.

Update: Woo, I just got an email, a survey about Dell's support. I had a good time filling it out, expressing that I was dissatisfied with the support I had received.

It had a free text field at the end, asking about things I think they did well, and things they could do better. I used this to mention that I would appreciate calls inside business hours, from people who can fluently speak english, and technicians who turn up at the arranged times.

I've not actually heard anything from Dell support today.

Another Update: Dell tried to call me on my mobile in the afternoon yesterday, but I had no reception. When I got the messages the guy had left, he hadn't left his name, or a number, so I couldn't call him back. He called me again while I was in the pub last night, I was able to arrange for him to come this morning.

He was supposed to be here at 8.30, so I rushed to work, and he didn't turn up until 9am. He fixed the laptop, scratching some of the plastic in the process, saying "I hate working on new ones, I rather working on ones that have been bashed around a bit". Obviously he thought he'd make up for the fact that I haven't bashed it around.

It's finally fixed, hooray.