Poll: "Predict Dell Support"

[cjolley]

So the left hinge on Becky's laptop broke.
It is the too thin cast metal piece on the display that screws to the laptop body.
I looked around on the web and found replacement hinges for about >= $45
They are mostly pulls from old laptops.

Then I called Dell to see what a new hinge would cost expecting about $79.
The guy told me I needed the hinge service kit and that it was $6 (including both sides).
I asked him to make sure it was the right thing and we talked for some time about the problem and he assured me it was.
So I ordered it: total cost $15 including shipping.

After I got home from work I had second thoughts and spent 20 min on the phone with tech support who eventually assured me it was the right part after extensive discussion of the mechanics of the hinge and how it was broken.

So, the poll is: What will be in the bag.


@FT That's what Becky and I think, but they told us it was the actual hinges themselves about 50 times.

PS I voted #1 just for good luck.

[Fat Tone]

The screws

[cjolley]

So vote already.

[DGhost]

I ordered a replacement LCD panel from dell while I was in Iraq. I was actually amazed at how cheap it was (like $500 for a 17" 1920x1200 LCD - pretty good deal all things considered) compared to buying one off of ebay or another vendor. downside was they shipped the wrong panel out. a few emails/phone calls later and verifying part numbers, they had the right one on the way free of charge. even included a shipping label to mail it back to them.

Kinda sucked I got the wrong part initially, but they did a pretty good job of making sure i got the right one...

[ND66]

I say screws.

After all it says "hinge service kit", not hinge, not hinge replacement.........


Oh wait, I think you missed one in your poll!!!!!


A piece of Duck Tape!!!!!!!


What else would $6 buy from Dell?????


.

[Fat Tone]

So vote already.

Strange I couldn't see a poll at the time.

[ZokesPro]

I've worked for Dell Spare Parts for a few months and for 6$ it sounds like you'll be getting 2 small screws. Yup, at 3$ a pop. There's a good chance that you might get the good parts, all depending on the description you gave them but according to the price, I highly doubt it. Good luck, you'll need it.

[cjolley]

Strange I couldn't see a poll at the time.

To create a poll one hits "submit" THEN gets to enter the questions.
Odd, but that's the way it works.
You replied while I was typing the questions.

I've worked for Dell Spare Parts for a few months and for 6$ it sounds like you'll be getting 2 small screws. Yup, at 3$ a pop. There's a good chance that you might get the good parts, all depending on the description you gave them but according to the price, I highly doubt it. Good luck, you'll need it.

Possibly a "silent recall"?

We can for sure get our money credited back if it won't repair the hinges. Based on our conversations we could simply stop the charges on our credit card and return the part.
But it's the time factor that bothers me, we don't want to have to wait another week before we can safely use the laptop. We only start it up now if it is nessesary for fear of breaking the display completely off.

[ND66]

What is model of the laptop?


.

[cjolley]

A four year old Inspiron 600m

BTW they replaced the system board and HD without a squawk 3 weeks before the 3 year warranty ran out.

BTW2:

Item Number TU493
Item Description Service Kit,Hinge,Liquid Crystal Display,Notebook,600M
Quantity 1
Total Price$5.95
Subtotal: $5.95
Shipping and Handling: $8.00
Sales Tax: $0.50
Total: $14.45

Screw it. If that bag contains anything but screws and possibly some locktite, I'll eat my hat.

[ZokesPro]

Possibly a "silent recall"?

We can for sure get our money credited back if it won't repair the hinges. Based on our conversations we could simply stop the charges on our credit card and return the part.
But it's the time factor that bothers me, we don't want to have to wait another week before we can safely use the laptop. We only start it up now if it is nessesary for fear of breaking the display completely off.

Silent recall? Hmm, or what Dell calls a "known issue". If it is a known issue, unfortunetely there's no way of knowing cause they aren't supposed to tell the clients that it is, if ti is. But at 6$? If the machine it out of warranty than maybe if could be the hinge, not sure, never had to deal with that particular situation at Spare Parts. It would make sense, and the part listing for LCD's and hinges is relatively straight forward and explicit. Not sure though.

Item Number TU493
Item Description Service Kit,Hinge,Liquid Crystal Display,Notebook,600M
Quantity 1
Total Price$5.95
Subtotal: $5.95
Shipping and Handling: $8.00
Sales Tax: $0.50
Total: $14.45

Hmm that helps alot! (and it brings back memories too! lol ) But the only problem I have with that kit is what's included! Sometimes (rarely) a "kit" can include just screws (but then it's usually labelled as a screw kit), or the wrong part (which only happens when the kit can be broken down into several kits to make that "one" kit, which only happens with some very specific machines). But 98% of the time Dell's kits are easily interpreted and a hinge kit actually includes hinges, which is good news for you!

BTW, I want to change my vote. I think you'll get the part you need.

[cjolley]

...But 98% of the time Dell's kits are easily interpreted and a hinge kit actually includes hinges, which is good news for you!

BTW, I want to change my vote. I think you'll get the part you need.

You tell me that AFTER I promise to eat my hat if it's not just screws!?

[ZokesPro]

You tell me that AFTER I promise to eat my hat if it's not just screws!?

Well I was previewing my post and you just so happened to post the sku in another post, so yes!

Will you be needing some BBQ sauce with that hat? j/k

[cjolley]

Will you be needing some BBQ sauce with that hat? j/k

I'll change my promise.
If that kit contains actual user replaceable hinges, our next laptop will be a Dell. Guaranteed*.


*It might be anyway. It's been a great laptop.

[ZokesPro]

I'll change my promise.
If that kit contains actual user replaceable hinges, our next laptop will be a Dell. Guaranteed*.


*It might be anyway. It's been a great laptop.

Have you seen the newer ones?? Inspiron 1520, Intel CPU T7100, 15.4" XGA LCD, 2GB DDR2 667 RAM, 120G 5400RPM SATA HDD, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT for $1,299CND!!!

Excellent price for such a machine.