My Entertainment for the Day

[kittytech]

My exciting afternoon can only get more exciting from here; I'd hope. On Saturday, I received a new desktop computer from Dell, and I've been spending the weekend setting it up. Yesterday though, I discovered that the product key for Office 2007 wasn't entered into the system, which surprised me because I thought my last system had it already set up. Well, I'm sort of in a strange situation here. I don't have a clue where it is in the documentation I received, and because of Microsoft's rules, Dell can't ship me any software anymore. I don't currently have my Kurzweil 1000 software installed because nobody from the company is returning my calls about getting me a replacement disk and/or my license number.

So, I figured I'd give Dell a call and have them give me the code. That should have been easy, right? Wrong. I got someone who asked me what my problem was, and I explained the situation to him. He then spent the next 5 minutes telling me that for only $149 a year I could have excellent technical support, and would I like him to add it to my account. Um, ... no. He then put me on hold, only to come back a few minutes later to tell me that he couldn't help me, and that I would need to call Microsoft to get my code. He gave me two numbers and I hung up.

When I called Microsoft, I got the usual automated system, and was finally able to direct the prompts to get me to a human. It sounded for all the world like I'd been directed to some place in the UK because I even had the weird phone ring thing that they get over there. When the man answered, he asked me for my product key. I said that I didn't have it, and that was my reason for calling. At that point, the call was disconnected. I don't know if the guy simply hung up on me because I didn't have the information he needed, or if the quality of the connection was bad so it was just terminated. In either case, this is a heck of a lot of trouble to go through for one stupid product key.

So, after all that excitement, I just don't know how I'd survive anything more exciting!!! GRIN!!

Comments

[dahlia-and-balu.livejournal.com]

Dell customer service is notoriously horrible. But the Microsoft call was probably disconnected by accident.

I've always had to enter the Office product key myself.

I can save you

[chocolab.livejournal.com]

Ok I got this off of a website and it's supposed to save your microsoft keys and other keys so you have them. go to www.magicaljellybean.com I'm going now. I'll post on how it works. Sorry you had crappy luck with customer service, I find if you try and call early you get better help.

Re: I can save you

[kittytech.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll give this a try. The problem is, I'm not sure if my old computer will actually boot up to get me to the site, and this system doesn't have the key yet. But, if I can get another Ethernet cable connected to the router and make the old machine work, this is definitely an option.

[johnmill79.livejournal.com]

Oh, such awful service! I don't know, sometimes I think Dell is getting better, and then other times I just am not sure.

[arinoch.livejournal.com]

A few questions that might help straighten things out for you. Are you trying to authorize Office 2007 or 2003? What version's your other computer running? Do you recall if you explicitly purchased Office with the new machine? Do you have, that you're aware of, a CD for MS Office? Having worked for Dell, answering these questions will pretty much tell me exactly what Dell's supposed to have done for you.f

[kittytech.livejournal.com]

Office 2007 was most definitely purchased for my machine, and I did eventually find my disk. When I spoke with someone else from Dell later she said that Office should have definitely been authorized since it was ordered, and she wasn't sure what the problem was. My old machine is also running 2007. Fortunately, I'm coming up to Canada on Wednesday, and I'm going to get my product key read while I'm there so once I get home I'll be able to authorize it.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

Yah, now all computers that are out, they no longer add software to the computer, they expect you to go buy it from the store or online. I can't believe the hassle you have to go through just to figure out the product key! Argh!

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

This sounds like my experience with the crazy people at Dell.