Dell Computer No Credit Check
I ordered an Axim X5 400Mhz from the Dell web site. I was told
that the total for my order was $384.14 (which included tax since I live in
FL). At the time of order I supplied a credit card for Dell to charge.
Yesterday I received in the mail an invoice
showing that there was a balance due on my account for $1.80. It appears
that although when I checked out on their web site I was told that my order
total was $384.14, Dell charged my credit card for a lesser amount.
I called Dell to ask about this and the CS rep insisted that the way to
solve this problem was for her to credit back to my credit card $1.80. This
makes no sense, but she insisted on doing this even after I tried to explain
to her that Dell didn't owe me any money.
Has anyone seen this happen before? I don't want to have my Dell customer
account be shown as in arrears for this silly billing problem.
Dell's own computers are fighting with each other. The estimating
computer didn't figure the same price as the billing computer. The
billing computer billed your CC at its calculation. And told that to
the invoicing computer. When the invoicing computer checked that
against the price the estimating computer told it, it said "Whoa!",
and sent off the invoice with a balance due.
The CS rep apparently got confused too. When she eventually routes
this through her adult supervisor, what is most likely to happen is
that the $1.80 due will be canceled, no credit will be issued, and the
order will be shown as paid in full at $382.34.
Given the tales of woe here regarding the caliber of initial level
tech support people, is it any surprise that the initial level
customer support reps are weak in math and accounting skills?
If you are *really* worried about this, make a copy of your
confirmation copy of the order pricing, a copy of the original
invoice, and a copy of the balance due invoice. Write a short letter
to Dell saying pretty much the same thing you said here, referencing
dates, names, order/invoice #, and mail it off to Dell, keeping a copy
for yourself. Now you are on the record, and the $1.80 ball is in
their court officially, as well as per your telcon with the CS lady.
Oh, and watch your CC for a while [with online query available on
mine, I check each a couple times a week, so *nothing* on my monthly
statement comes as a surprise].