Dell, the number one seller of computers in the United States, has agreed to $1.5 million in restitution related to their finance promotions, rebate offers, repair, and technical support policies.
However, time is running short to for consumers to make their claims... they must be filed no later than April 13, 2009.
Some history on the lawsuit
Various states prompted an investigation into how Dell managed it's sales and service following a high number of customer complaints, across a wide range of issues. Several consumers had applied for zero percent financing deals and were then given plans with much higher interest rates.
In other cases, consumers had issues with obtaining service on their Dell computers that were under warranty coverage. Many of them stated that rebates they were promised never arrived. And, at least one customer made a purchase with zero-percent financing over 18 months; she paid every bill on time, but her last payment was credited late due to a Dell error. Dell then sent her a bill for $668.00, equivalent to the interest for the entire eighteen months.
This article courtesy of billeater.com, a website with hundreds of money saving tips for consumers.
What Dell Agreed To
Under the terms of the settlement, Dell agreed to a number of improvements in their service, particularly in the following areas:
- BETTER DISCLOSURE IN FINANCING AND CREDIT OFFERS
- 30 DAY RESPONSE TIMES FOR WARRANTY AND SERVICES
- REQUIRED PAPERWORK FOR REBATES PROVIDED AT PURCHASE
- BETTER WRITTEN POLICIES FOR CANCELLATIONS AND COLLECTION ACTIONS
Consumers are eligible to receive compensation provided they purchased a product from Dell between April 1, 2005, and April 13, 2009. They must also have a complaint related to the agreement, and must file their claims with a postmarked no later than April 13, 2009.
The issues did represent only a small portion of Dell's over 10 million direct consumer sales in the affected states during that period of four years. “Dell had previously addressed the issues directly with many of the customers involved and many were satisfactorily resolved prior to the states’ involvement,” according to a company spokesperson.
States involved in this settlement include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Consumers can find claim forms from the website of their State's Attorney General.
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