I'll start by saying that an engineer came round, replaced the graphics card, booted it up -
And it was still broken.
The engineer left, then came back a few days later with more parts, which he installed and then everything seemed to be OK.
Cut to after Christmas, I go back to uni and the laptop starts acting strangely again. This time it just keeps switching itself off randomly and refusing to boot first time - or second time. After a while it just wouldn't boot at all.
When it first started this, I rung Dell. The support staff were their usual helpful selves - completely ignoring me when I said it's not the card or the screen, that there must be a loose wire, over heating or motherboard issue - as there were no system logs of anything failing nor was it (when it did boot) coming up with an unexpected shut-down notice.
So, over the phone we do the usual thing - I press the buttons, take out the battery, hold down buttons, tell him what I think. The guy on the phone basically ignores me and says he will send an engineer round with a new graphics card, as apparently that is my issue.
I'm getting a severe case of deja vu right now, but, hey, perhaps it is the card. What do I know about computers, eh?
The engineer comes round, whips off the case, replaces the card and is gone in 15 mins flat - without checking to see if it actually works. I go to boot it as he goes out the door - it loads right up to the desktop, then bam, switches off.
I ring Dell immediately, and they say they will ring me back. They don't, of course, and at this point I have spent a fortune on phone credit. So I decide I'll go to my parents for the weekend as they have a landline.
Cut to yesterday. I ring them up and I get the most obnoxious tech guy ever. As usual, he ignores me when I say it wont boot - so we go through the whole process of his script again. Here is an example of our conversation:
"Yes, ma'am. So when you get to the Dell screen, hold down fn and tap F8, OK?"
"It doesn't get that far, it won't boot."
"I understand that, ma'am. Turn it off and on, then when we get to Dell.."
"No, it doesn't get that far..."
"Ma'am, do it anyway."
"*cheerfully* Ok! *push* *tap tap tap tap tap tap tap*
*tap tap tap tap*
"No, it's not booting :3 *tap tap tap tap tap*"
"... You can stop now."
He'd then put me on hold for about 5-10 mins, come back and DO IT ALL AGAIN. This time with a slightly different key combination.
"So, ma'am we are going to test the screen. Turn it off, and on, and then when it gets to Dell.."
"IT DOESN'T"
Times this by about 5, then I just finally snap and ask for a supervisor.
"I'm sorry ma'am. Is there no-one else I can talk to there?"
"SUPERVISOR NOW."
"Yes, ma'am D:"
I get the supervisor, and he immediately makes me stop my futile button mashing and tells me he is very sorry - that they can either send an engineer over tomorrow with a full range of new parts, or pick it up tomorrow and have it sent away to be fixed, to be back to me on Thursday at the latest. I agree that I want it properly looked at, and want it taken away tomorrow.
Tomorrow comes, and here I am waiting for someone to pick it up. I get a call...
"Hello is that findmealone? This is Dell computers we have an update on your issue."
"Yessss..."
"So we have the date for pick-up as Monday. Is that ok?"
"Nooooo. I was promised today. I have next day service on this product."
"Oh. Well it's down for Monday. Will someone be home?"
"No. It's today. To be back on Thursday."
"Oh no, that's not possible, ma'am."
"I think I'd like to speak to the supervisor I talked to yesterday who promised me the service."
"I will get him to ring you back, ma'am."
And so I am sat here waiting for the call. What do you think, guys? Am I ever going to get a working laptop?
EDIT: They didn't ring in the morning, so I rung them today at 2. They apologised and said they'd look into it and ring me back before 4. It's 3:45 now.
EDIT2: Parp, they didn't ring me back. What. A. Surprise.
EDIT3: Oh apparently they'll have someone contact me on Tuesday to arrange a re-pickup. That's right. Someone on TUESDAY will arrange a pick up, which could be any day.