That is NUTS! Where will the silliness end.

Offering theft insurance for laptops was a bad idea to start with. I briefly worked in an insurance agent’s office and he told me he was ripped off so many times by people claiming their motorcyle was stolen that he decided to stop insuring motorcycles. Then there’s the people who’ve had their cars stolen and claim they had all sorts of valuable stuff in the trunk (covered by their home insurance).

I’ll bet Dell put that “violent confrontation” clause in there to avoid going bankrupt over fraudulent laptop thefts. Under these conditions the customer would be forced to file a police report instead of just a claim over the phone with Dell.

Hi Tim,

Could be. But shouldn’t the terms be spelled out to the buyer? The person is spending $3K for a Dell system. Or is Dell only interested in making money by not paying off claims?

It would be like buying a used car from Slimmy Jim’s used car lot. And Slimmy wants to sell you a ton of protections, clear coat, under coating, lifetime servicing, free air for your tires ……. all at a price of course. BUT we all expect that from used car dealers.

I would expect Dell to be held to a higher standard if they wish to maintain a solid customer base.

Ron

Hi subwolf,

I wish I knew. I think stories like these really hurt Dell and their public image. They can install Linux on every computer they build forever, and it won’t change the publics perception.

Customer service at Dell seems to be dying or maybe is already dead.

You’re right, it’s definitely bad customer relations. Dell has sold their customers (and these are their more profitable ones, ie. $3K laptop!) a very deceptive warranty. Most people would think it covers theft “in general”, but actually, it only covers acts of theft involving violence, which are probably a fairly rare occurence. Lots of people would think “theft insurance” as part of a warranty was a good deal (and may have bought the warranty because of that), but in the end, the majority of laptop thefts (which occur when the owner is abstent) will not qualify. The customer get burned by the thief and Dell in the same day! It makes Dell look like a company you can’t trust, even if you’re someone who’s not interested in extended warranties

Dell should leave theft out of their hardware warranties and let insurance companies handle it. Of course, there may be quite a few Dell employees out selling insurance in the near future…

Heh Tim,

Agree - sell computers, not insurance.