Short Dell Stock, Insiders appear to be informing what is shipped so it can be stolen

This is a diary of what happened to me when I attempted to purchase a Sony DSC-N2 from Dell using their website.

1) Order placed 1/23/07,  Sony DSC-N2 clicked on.  Accepted their default shipment method of DHL

2) Order tracked with estimated delivery date of 1/26/07.    1/26/07 Arrives and I see the DHL truck. I flag him down as all the condos in my area look the same.  He says there is nothing.  He is gangy looking and has a scorpion tattoo on his leg.

3) The order did NOT arrive on 1/26/07.   I attempted tracking via DHL’s online tool.  Results appeared as follows:  (critical numbers blurred out until I get my replacement camera from Dell. 

What made me think something was wrong was that the estimated date was the previous day 1/26/07 while the status of the package said it was still in the sort facility.  That is a definite conflict so I called DHL and I was told the following. (Paraphrasing as the call was not recorded on my end )

DHL Person: The package is still in the sort facility and there appear to be a problem.  The package appears to be ripped  open and empty. 

Me: How long will this take to be resolved as an issurance issue?

DHL Person:  30 days.

Me: Is this something that happens with everyone you deliver for ?

DHL Person: No it pretty much only seems to be happening with Dell.  It appears they have someone on the inside that is telling someone else when something goes out.

—— Comment by author  ——–

Of course this can either be an issue with Dell or with DHL.  Probably its a problem with BOTH! With a guy on the inside of both you could steal an armored car worth of stuff!

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At this point I’m a bit upset because this sort of thing burns alot of time waiting and following up on things.   Not only that I’m a stickler for honesty.  I hate these kind of thieves.   I next call Dell customer support.  The guy I get is in the Phillipines and his English is NOT so good.  This is not a ding against Phillipinos.  His English is better than my Tagalog ok ?  Its about that Dell should know better!

He basically does nothing.   Assigns a case number and says he’s going to forward my call to another customer service guy up the chain of command.  Then gives me a phone number to call!  ( whaaaat? )

I call this number.   1-800-901-3355.   The guy answers and his English is perfect.  When I say I’m relieved the guy in the Phillipines was VERY hard to understand he hangs up on me.  Sorry….but I really was relieved.  I don’t care what anyone says about sensitivity here.  When you are a victim of what appears to be a gang related theft ring that has infiltrated a major company you get spun up.

I then call yet another number from the Dell website.  I can’t remember which one because there are so many stupid automated responses that there is a sheet of anger between me and the memory now!  The person I reach is in India and is more helpful.  She calls DHL and talks to “Sharon”.  She comes back on the line with me and says the generic “package damaged Dell will replace in 5 – 7 days.

Regardless of whether its DHL or Dell, Dell is using DHL as a default shipper of lowest cost.  They must know there is a problem. These gadgets are not cheap.   They most likely have an organ of the company completely devoted to security.   They either have a person on the inside doing this or they are ignoring a problem at DHL.  

I’ll avoid both these companies now.  Won’t deal at all if unless someone puts a gun to my head.   Does it make you feel comfortable that Dell has your credit card number or that DHL has your home address ?    Dell says they are going to replace the camera in 5-7 days but will they replace the 2 hours I just spent on the phone?  Will the compensate for the energy spent that won’t be available for coding the rest of this day? NO.  Real cost to me is probably on the order of 400 USD in time and energy spent gigging them to let them know about the problem.

1/29/07 Next step. DHL delivered the camera packaging.  The camera box was inside a brown box.  The brown corrugated box was clearly marked as being from Dell.  I opened this box and found the Sony camera box ripped open and empty.  Its obvious that who ever did this did it in a hurry.   I wonder what else they made off with?

Box was ripped open I assume by hand.   This is what a box looks like after its opened by hand.  It probably has fingerprints on it on the inside.  oops….I handled it a little looking at it.   They could probably catch this person if they took the time to check prints.   This is a lesson.  If I ever have a business one any employees are going to have to agree to fingerprinting before employment commences !  

1/30/07:  I received and email from Dell.  THEY SHIPPED VIA DHL AGAIN !  Great.  So if it by chance happens to be an insider at DHL I’m screwed.  I practically begged them to use either FEDEX or UPS.  Its supposed to be delivered in the today and I’m trapped here at home because I don’t want to let DHL have an additional day to lose / steal the camera should it actually still be in the package when / if it arrives today.   This is really queering me on DELL and DHL. 

— about 11:30 am I tracked the package using DHL’s online tool.  It showed it as delivered and signed for.  Eeeeek.   Not as far as I new !! I call DHL…. they say “The packages shows that as soon as it was delivered it went back out for delivery….after being signed for by some package ghost!”   This is pretty spooky when a these information systems can be diddled as badly as this one was a DHL.  DHL also tells me they will attempt to contact the driver and get him to deliver.   Seems suspicious.  Makes you wonder if the DHL driver was up to something. Next I follow my call to DHL with a call to Dell.  I want them to call DHL to make sure that they know I have not received the package even though DHL’s system is showing it has been delivered. They call and confirm that indeed what I am telling them is true.  Dell customer service tells me that they will ask DHL to send the driver back by.

The driver finally shows up at 12:30 PM.  He has a package but after the first episode with the empty box I open the box and verify there is indeed a camera inside of the box.   I guess the case is closed now.  

However the case is not really closed.  This issue will not go away for Dell / DHL unless they fix their respective systems and weed out the criminal(s).  I’ll never order from Dell or use DHL again. There are too many alternatives available to waste 4 hours calling and goosing people to get on the stick and find out what is going on.  I’ll specify any purchases on ebay will may not be shipped to me by DHL.  I’ll refuse to pay if that is the intended shipper.