Print

Direct2Dell

Sign in
Sign in to post messages.
Chief Blogger
 Joined on 06/29/2006 Posts: 1,959
Points: 187041
Gold

Potential Vertical Line on Certain 17" Notebook Displays

09 April , 02:15 PM

Update: January 16, 2008—Mike Bukowski, a Technical Analyst from our Dell Customer Advocate team recently published a post that discusses other potential causes of vertical lines on notebook displays.  

Earlier this year, members of our Customer Advocate team posted a message that still resides front and center on a site called dellverticalline.com. That note says we were aware of some user complaints about certain notebook displays. Since then, the Customer Advocate team has coordinated with other Dell groups to help figure out what was happening with some 17" notebook displays.

Here's what they found: on some 17” LCD displays shipped with Dell Inspiron 9200, 9300 and Dell XPS Gen 2 notebooks, a one pixel wide vertical line may develop across the LCD screen over time. Systems that may be affected by this issue shipped from Nov. 2004 through Oct 2006.

Here’s what we’re doing: for affected systems, Dell is offering to replace any LCD that develops a vertical line within three years of purchase, at no charge for parts and labor. Also, Dell will offer refunds to customers who paid Dell to replace defective LCDs with this issue.

Dell values our customers, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

We will send letters to all potentially affected customers whose systems are out of warranty. We have already begun mailing them—letters will be sent to our customers at their last known address.

To summarize the key criteria:

  • This potential issue applies to Inspiron 9200, 9300 and XPS Gen 2 models only
  • Only these three systems shipped from Nov. 2004 to October 2006 are potentially affected

Not all systems are affected. U.S. customers who are experiencing this issue, or who have paid to replace an LCD for this issue can call 1-800-624-9896.

For customers outside the U.S., please contact Dell by phone:

  • Go to support.dell.com
  • Choose your country or region from the drop-down list
  • Choose Contact Us
  • Choose Technical Support
  • Choose Call Technical Support

Note: I've amended the previous two paragraphs with updated information. Rather than strikethroughs, I edited the original text to help eliminate any confusion.

Tags: ,
You must Login to comment.
  |  Del.icio.us   |  Digg   |  Reddit   | 

 
sidebyside
30 Jun 2009 05:25 PM

I have two Inspiron 9300's purchased on the same day during the time period in question (2005).  I never received a letter stating their was a problem.  Call to Dell withiin the 3 year time period have stated that they have not heard of the issue.  Calls later state that I have to pay upfront from them to proceed with the call.   The tech person today said that this blog was only for dell users and carried no weight with dell.  I read the post at the top and he only said he had never heard of the issue.  Since I have two computers and they are both failing at the same time, I'm really pleading for help.

 
WGV4
03 Apr 2009 08:22 PM

DUDE, DON'T EVER BUY A DELL.

MY 9300 GETS A NEW VERTICAL LINE EVERY WEEK AND DELL WANT'S $300 JUST FOR THE SCREEN PLUS LABOR AND SHIPPING. THEY SAID IT WAS A DEFECT LAST YEAR BUT SINCE IT TOOK A LITTLE LONGER FOR MINE TO GO BAD IT IS NO LONGER A DEFECT. HUH???????????
 
perfect0
23 Mar 2009 10:40 AM

Just had another one-inch-wide vertical white band on my laptop screen. Now they're two, and this second one is right smack in the middle of the screen. My Inspiron 9200 is practicaly unusable. Need I say more??? Well, I won't be able to very soon, this screen while be entirely white sooner or later.
 
perfect0
22 Mar 2009 08:19 AM

Does anyone here who has a Dell laptop with a 17" LCD screen NOT have had a vertical line issue or who has had relative "success" in having his/her LCD replaced with a part that has lasted? If so, what is the part number? I am now considering purchasing a replacement LCD myself for my Inspiron 9200. I'd greatly appreciate it if someone posted here. Thanks in advance.
 
ksgarza
17 Mar 2009 05:02 PM

Just received an email survey about my experience with Dell Support......needless to say, I didn't give them very good marks at all!
 
perfect0
16 Mar 2009 08:03 AM

Oh yes, I must repeat this, my "replacement" LCD lasted less than a year.
 
perfect0
16 Mar 2009 08:01 AM

ksgarza, I'm still hoping beyond hope that Dell wakes up to all of this. I was in Houston for eight years in academe. The university uses Dells. I had 3 Dell laptops. I was even thinking of asking a sibling of mine in the States to bring in an XPS laptop for me. But after the experiences not just my own but yours and others as well, it is very disappointing indeed that we who have been Dell customers all these years end up with, well, a laptop with weird lines.
 
ksgarza
16 Mar 2009 07:28 AM

Perfect0,

I'm doing the same -- using my 9300 with multiple lines through the middle of the screen -- which was supposedly "fixed" just 6 months ago. 

I have purchased 10 Dell's in the past, going way back to 1996-- I even brought the WebPc when it came out in 1999!  I considered myself a "Dell Person".  Even right now, between myself and my kids, there are 6 Dell's in my house. 

This is how they reward their loyal customers? 

I'm not ready to give up on this issue and I'm not ready to pay to have a 6 month old LCD repaired. 

 
 
perfect0
15 Mar 2009 12:24 AM

ksgarza, yes, I check this forum almost daily to see any development. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much. I'm back here in the Philippines and, yes, I'm still using my Inspiron 9200 as I write this, of course, using only about 2/3 of the screen as that's the only usable space left. I am so annoyed that, worse than refusing to admit that there's an issue, Dell rationalizes. Three cheers for Dell's quality...
 
davesbayview1
10 Mar 2009 12:53 PM

That's it, I will no longer buy anything from dell. I have spent a lot of money over the years at dell. Due to their lack of respect they have for customers like myself and not standing by their own products (Inspiron 9300) I WILL NO-LONGER PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM DELL AND I SUGGEST THAT OTHERS DO THE SAME UNTILL THEY FIX OUR LCD SCREENS. THE POWER OF CUSTOMERS LIKE MYSELF AND OTHERS WILL SEND THEM THE WAY OF CIRCUIT CITY!!! No
 
ksgarza
10 Mar 2009 07:16 AM

I have just joined the group who are "lucky" enough to have the vertical line issue on my Inspiron 9300 for the second time.  Mine was actually replaced just six months ago and now it's having the exact same problem. 

I have spent several days in a Customer Service nightmare -- all I am trying to get is an explanation as to why, if it was covered outside of standard warranty the first time, it would not be covered this time.  It's the exact same issue.  Even if it was replaced with a part not included in the recall, shouldn't a new LCD last longer than 6 months?? 

Each email I send and phone call I make has just made me more frustrated than ever.  The only response I get is that "it's out of warranty and you will need to call technical support".  I called them and they won't give me any explanation either --just the same "it's out of warranty" response.  Unreal......
 
perfect0
28 Feb 2009 07:25 PM

David_and_Mark, yes, I do agree that Dell has an issue. The issue as well here is that Dell does not obviously see this as an issue. I think that the objective now is to make Dell admit of such an issue. Or simply, be responsible.
 
perfect0
25 Feb 2009 05:18 PM

David_and_Mark, again, thanks for sharing your experience, albeit a negative one. Dell indeed has a big issue regardless of the outsourcing of customer service. I must agree though that the decision to outsource manifests the quality of Dell, a quality similar to that of its LCD screens. Need I say more what level of quality? I am a Filipino. And it is very disappointing that a proudly American company such as Dell has such quality.
 
David_and_Mark
25 Feb 2009 04:05 PM

Hi perfect0,

 

Thanks for responding. Note the post published today.

Dell does have an issue. It is an 800 lb. gorilla. But like

Carnegie and JP Morgan a century ago, they are merely a

big computer trust that really needs to be BUSTED.

 
 
perfect0
25 Feb 2009 05:30 AM

David_and_Mark, thanks for the post. I am perplexed that Dell still denies that it has an issue. This is hoping beyond hope but just maybe that time will come when Dell will...
 
perfect0
21 Feb 2009 08:37 PM

Thanks for the post, toneman. I think we consumers should understand that when a company like Dell says their products or parts have a warranty, they actually mean a very short range of time for responsibility and accountability. In my case, putting a warranty of 90 days on a replacement part clearly means that Dell is a company that has nothing to do with its consumers after 90 days. That's what I call quality. I should note that the next time I even consider buying a Dell product.

Warranty apparently protects the manufacturer rather than the consumer. Oh well...
 
toneman007
19 Feb 2009 11:18 AM

Just to let you guys know part #J9676 is also affected. That is the 17" wuxga 1920x1200 screen. Mine was purchased in April 2005 and just yesterday, Feb 18th 2009, I got the first blue line about 2" in from the left hand side. Called tech support, warranty expired, gave me the "older than 3 years" routine and won't fix it without charging $500. Took the display apart, checked cables, etc. and nothing can be done. Guess it will just get worse now. Am sorry for those also with this screen who may have thought, like I, that they got a good one after all this time.

Now I'm just gonna buy a screen from Ebay for $100 with a 120 warranty, fit it myself, hope it lasts past the warranty. Once that goes it's bye bye Dell, hello HP. No option but to vote with my feet. What's the difference between a screen that they will cover up to 3 years and a screen that goes after 3 years and 10 months? A faulty part is still a faulty part, just dumb luck as to how long it will last. If it was a part that would blow up and injure someone, it would be recalled no matter how old. Nonsense from Dell.
 
perfect0
16 Feb 2009 02:20 PM

Todd, thanks for the reaction to my post. I was referring to the LCD that Dell replaced on my 9200. It lasted a year. And if you mention that Dell has a 90-day warranty for that LCD replacement then I guess my efforts here are futile. I still believe that that part was a lemon. And, as you say, that there are so many possible factors/causes of a vertical line on a Dell laptop LCD screen, I guess I was just "lucky" enough to experience a vertical line issue twice. And for the others here who posted in the past that experienced this "luck" twice as well were just as "lucky" as me.
 
DELL-Todd S
16 Feb 2009 10:58 AM

@perfect0   I did not state that Dell's LCDs have an average life of one year.  There are so many factors that affect lifespan of electronics that to make any sort of blanket statement about average life or expected life is misleading.

We were covering those LCDs for 3 years from the date of the purchase of the system, and all our replacement hardware has a parts warranty, normally 90-days, to cover them as well. 

 
perfect0
14 Feb 2009 06:50 PM

Todd,

I understand Dell's point of view that the vertical line issue may have various causes. It's difficult to understand though that--given that you mention that parts have an average life--the "average" lifespan of an LCD screen that Dell uses...is ONE year? That certainly does not sound "average" to me. Again, I, and also maybe those among us that Dell indeed replaced our LCD screen, believe that Dell replaced a lemon with another lemon. And, in any angle that one looks at it, Dell did NOT really (and responsibly) resolve this issue.
 
davesbayview1
10 Feb 2009 11:38 AM

Their reply:

DELL-Todd S sent you the following message:

----------------------------------
Subject:vertical line issue

 

If that part was not built by the same manufacturer and, thus by default, built using the same subcomponent how can it be the same problem?   You, and others, may be experiencing similar symptoms but as Mike's post explains there are a lot of different reasons why an LCD can experience vertical lines.  That's probably the most common symptom of a failing LCD.

I'm sorry, I can certainly understand your frustration but the term "average life" of an electronics component is just that, the average.   Some can last longer, others may not last the average length of time.  There are so many variables that go into life spans of electronics that it's impossible to definitively say "XXX component must last YYY period of time". 

You may want to look into parts resellers such as www.discountelectronics.com here in Austin.   They sell a lot of component parts for Dell systems and you may be able to find a replacement LCD for much cheaper.  And that's just one that I'm familiar with locally.   There are probably other parts companies local to you that may be able to help.

AGAIN DELL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEGE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND THEY TRY TO DEFER RESOLVING THIS ISSUE BY STATING THAT THE AVERAGE LIFETIME MEANS THAT, AVERAGE BUT IN ORDER TO GET THIS AVERAGE THEY ARE SAYING SOME LAST 10 YEARS UNDER EXTREME USE WHILE OTHERS ONLY LAST 2.5 YEARS UNDER REALLY EXTREME USE. OUR INSPIRON LAPTOP 9300 LASTED ONLY 2.5 YEARS UNDER MINIMAL USE! THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER.

JUST BECAUSE IT WASN'T BUILT BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER DOES NOT MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. FURTHERMORE, DELL SHOULD REPLACE THESE ALSO!!

 
davesbayview1
10 Feb 2009 07:43 AM

My Recent conversation with dell awaiting reply:

WC222 was not on the recall list but, this has the same problem and there are other part #'s with the same problem (http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2007/04/09/10675.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage) follow link and read on. The solution to this is replacing the LCD screen. Reseating does not resolve this problem, these parts are defective. What makes me more upset is the run around I got trying to resolve this issue. First, I was told there was a recall on this issue but no where on the dell site can you find such a recall. Then I was told there was a 3 year period from purchase invoice date to have this problem covered and mine fell after that date. Then I was told that my part # wasn't one that was recalled even though it had the exact same problem. I was finally offered a discount to replace this LCD screen but it would still cost me over $300 to have it repaired. I could buy a competitors of similar features for around that price. There are plenty of people with this same issue and Dell has given us all the business.

I am happy to see that someone from dell has responded but if dell is going to continue to receive our business they need to replace our LCD screens. They should last a lot longer than 2.5 years especially since we paid almost $3000 for this product. The average life for a laptop back light is on the order of 30,000 hours that's the equivalent of running this laptop for 33 hours a day for 2.5 years. This is unacceptable and should be recalled and replaced.
 
perfect0
10 Feb 2009 02:33 AM

Todd, 

I'm thankful that Dell DID replace my LCD about a year ago. But...

I am experiencing exactly the same issue all over again. The three-year warranty that you mention appears to refer to the warranty of my laptop. For us--those you mention that were affected by this issue--it is obvious that by this time all of us, our units, that is, are beyond three years. I am disappointed that the warranty you mention does NOT refer to the warranty of the part that Dell replaced. I hope you understand how disappointed those among us who had their LCD replaced that the "new" LCD barely lasted over a year. I think that by any one's standards, an LCD screen for a laptop that lasts beyond barely over a year is, to put it straight, ANOTHER lemon of a part. Shouldn't we who were affected by this issue deserve a part that is of a better quality? I understand that there are many reasons for a vertical line but I think that I am NOT the only one who has experienced this issue ALL OVER AGAIN. Frankly, a dud was replaced with a dud, a lemon was replaced with a lemon.

I'd be happy to hear from you again. I'm sure others who have posted here, and many others who have yet to post here, are eager to hear what Dell has to say.

Again, I appreciate that someone from Dell finally has posted here. For that alone, thanks. For TRULY resolving this vertical line issue is still my hope. And I will be very thankful. And maybe happy enough to purchase another Dell...
 
DELL-Todd S
09 Feb 2009 09:20 AM

Hi everyone,

The Dell LCD replacement policy was limited to a series of LCDs built by one manufacturer using one specific subcomponent.   Those were only used in a certain percentage of the systems manufactured during that time frame.  I can understand the frustration but if your system wasn't built using one of those specific parts it won't be covered.

There are a lot of reasons why LCDs can show vertical lines and one of our Community Liasons, Mike B, posted a good explanation of them here.  

If your system was built using one of the affected parts, and you are experiencing the failure within the 3 year enhanced coverage time frame, our technical support groups are all aware of the policy at this point.  With the initial rush of customers affected by this policy it made sense to have a special way for customers to contact a specialized group for help, but at this time our front line support should be able to help our customers.   If your system was manufactured using one of the affected parts and you've contacted tech support for help within the 3 year time frame and were denied service feel free to contact me and I'll put you in contact with our contacts in the support organizations to get your issue resolved.

 
DC123456789
02 Jun 2009 06:10 AM

I started having  the problem with vertical lines 1.5 years ago, but couldn't find any inforrmation about a recall then. Now it is getting really bad.

I have not received a letter from Dell about a recall like the initial Dell post says. Now my laptop is out of the 3 year warranty now and Dell wants to charge $500 for replacing the screen. This seems unreasonable. I didn't find the right blog post on the right forum within a few months window and therefore I have to pay? I have seen some posts on other parts of the forum from customers who have had their screens replaced after the 3 year mark so it doesn't seem to be impossible. Is it just a matter of who you happen to get on the line at the technical support call center?

 
perfect0
09 Feb 2009 04:17 AM

Wow. More and more among us are posting here. I wonder now if Dell will ever open their vertical line email address again.
 
jr81452
07 Feb 2009 07:57 AM

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

Oh goody, I get to join a club. That is, this ridiculously large club of people who have vertical lines on their 17" 9300 displays. Mine showed up about a month ago and I have been trying to figure out the problem ever sense. I stumbled upon you all by pure luck. I checked my part # (MC887) on dell’s site and it appears I am also NOT one of the people who will be getting a replacement. I guess I will also be one of the people NOT buying another laptop from dell unless they fix this problem. But wait, I can’t be having the exact same problem as everyone else because my part number is different. Way to stick it to your customers’ dell. Maybe I’ll get lucky and one of my 5 other dell systems will have a “not a lemon” issue.

 

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

Well I guess I’ll pony up and buy another lease agreement for my lcd. Maybe this one will have a longer term before it expires. In any case I know one problem I wont have from now on, dell customer “support”. I’m going to get a local guy to build my rigs from now on. At least that way he can take me out to dinner before he gives me the shaft.  

 

let me know if you decide to do the right thing dell

Jason
 
perfect0
07 Feb 2009 06:08 AM

Thanks for the post. I wonder if we could generate enough pressure on Dell to have it do another "recall" just as it did with the LCD vertical line issue last year. But this time around, Dell should replace the LCD with a TESTED part number that will not have the same issue all over again
 
Mr Weebles
06 Feb 2009 09:42 PM

I'm having this same issue with my Inspiron 9300. When I called tech support they first tried to sell me a $49 "tech evaluation" until I explained this was a known problem. The tech transferred me to hardware support, who looked up my info and lo and behold ... my system wasn't covered.

So even though it's the same type of system shipped during the time frame specified, it has a different part number and won't be covered. What a shock.

Anyway, he explained that it would cost over $400 to fix but he could offer me a discount of $140. When I explained that for just a little more money I could get a new laptop he said "I can talk to my manager and get you a discount of $190." How convenient ...

What a scam. Dell knows these displays are garbage but only covers select systems. I spent a lot of money over the years with Dell but I won't spend another dime with them.

Dell should be ashamed.
 
perfect0
05 Feb 2009 03:52 AM

I hope that this thread isn't dead. I'm still hoping others post here, those like me who have been affected by this vertical line issue...
 
mrfxit489
24 Jan 2009 08:02 PM

I just want to ask if Dell has recalled any of the 17" LCDs that were not in the original three part number recall ? Mine is part #MC887 Made by LG it has had vertical line problems about 6 months now. Don't want to miss the chance to have it replaced on recall.. Build date 12-05 Insporin 9300
 
perfect0
15 Jan 2009 09:52 AM
May someone post here who has NOT had a vertical line issue, be it from the original part installed or a "successful" replacement part? May I know the part number(s)? I'd want to know so that if and when (wishful thinking) Dell replaces my LCD screen, I know what part numbers to avoid? Thanks. Hope there are more people posting here on this issue...
 
davesbayview1
14 Jan 2009 10:46 AM
Vertical line issue on dell inspiron 9300 and other dell laptops. Dell had a recall on certain part #'s with J9662, T4976, W4554 this same issue also exists with part # WC222. However, They claim this Part was not part of the recall which it should be included because this is the exact same problem as the others. ALL DELL CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING THESE SAME ISSUES NEED TO CONTACT DELL AND POST MESSAGES HERE FOR OTHERS TO SEE. Together, we may be able to get dell to fess up to this issue and take responsibility for this defect. DELL WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY NOTIFIED CONSUMERS OF THIS RECALL HOWEVER, IF YOU FOLLOW THIS LINK YOU WILL SEE NO SUCH RECALL ON THEIR OWN SITE. http://support.dell.com/support/batteryrecall/index.aspx/en/main?c=us&cs=&l=en&s=gen
 
perfect0
13 Jan 2009 09:04 PM
FYI: I just confirmed that the original LCD screen part number for my Inspiron 9200 was T4976, one of those affected by the vertical line issue. I am certain that when Dell designated its distributor here in the Philippines to replace my LCD screen for free, the replacement part was T4976 as well. Replacing a dud with a dud? Yes. I'm experiencing exactly the same issue. Resolved? Nah
 
perfect0
13 Jan 2009 05:21 PM
That is right. Albeit that Dell "resolved" the vertical line issue via email, Dell never really publicly or officially admitted that a number of the parts it used, particularly several part numbers for 17-inch LCD screens it used on its laptops, were inferior parts...parts that have a "lifetime" of barely over a year before the vertical line(s) appear(s). I think that part of the "request" that we consumers affected are experiencing should be that Dell publicly admits the fault and responsibly (even to the point of being pro-active, that it contact all affected consumers--and REALLY resolving the issue by replacing such defective parts with a TESTED part--and not merely wait for the consumers to complain). I am still hoping that many, if not all, among us affected by this issue pressure Dell to responsibly resolve this issue. It is disappointing that, save for this vertical line issue (and the battery recall), Dell tarnishes its relatively good products with practically ignoring its mistakes.
 
davesbayview1
13 Jan 2009 04:00 PM
The following are all the recalls for public information that dell is providing on their website. No where on it does it notify us of any recall regarding the vertical line issue in the lcd screen on the inspiron 9300 or others. Dell, all we want is for you to do right by your loyal customers and replace our lcd screens due this known (DELL) problem regardless of the model number of the part. If we are experiencing these vertical line issues then this is the same problem as the other part numbers! 2008 Notebook Battery Recall On October 30, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that certain notebook batteries manufactured by Sony have been recalled and Dell is listed among other system manufacturers in that announcement because it received some affected units - fewer than 300 worldwide. The battery packs were manufactured by Sony on Nov. 9, 2004 and April 11, 2005 and were shipped shortly thereafter with Latitude and Inspiron laptop systems or as service replacements. Sony has provided additional information to Dell relating to the company's 2006 recall of Sony lithium-ion batteries, expanding the number of potentially affected units by approximately 15,000. Dell has revised its existing recall Web site www.dellbatteryprogram.com to address both issues. Dell asks customers with affected models to check the site, even if they previously checked their battery as part of the original recall. Dell will voluntarily replace affected batteries at no charge.[Announced October 30, 2008]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Notebook Battery Recall - Update On August 14, 2006, Dell announced a recall of batteries manufactured with Sony cells. As part of the recall process, Dell continues to require its suppliers to revalidate the data which led to the recall. This has resulted in a revised list of battery serial (identification) numbers. To ensure that all potentially affected batteries are identified and returned to Dell, the company is requesting that customers recheck their batteries at www.dellbatteryprogram.com if they have not yet ordered or received a replacement battery. Throughout this recall, Dell's primary concern continues to be the safety of its customers. [Announced September 29, 2006]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Notebook Battery Recall Dell has identified a potential issue associated with certain batteries sold with Dell LatitudeTM , InspironTM , XPSTM and Dell Precision Mobile WorkstationTM notebook computers. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies, Dell is voluntarily recalling certain Dell-branded batteries with cells manufactured by Sony and offering free replacements for these batteries. Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire. For more information click here. [Announced August 15, 2006]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2005 Notebook Battery Recall In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dell is voluntarily providing the Customers who purchased certain batteries for use with some models of Dell LatitudeTM , Dell PrecisionTM and Dell InspironTM notebook computers with a free replacement battery. For more information click here. [Announced December 16, 2005]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AC Adapter Recall In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dell is voluntarily providing the Customers who purchased certain AC Adapters that were sold for use with some models of Dell LatitudeTM , Dell PrecisionTM and Dell InspironTM notebook computers (Part Numbers 9364U, 7832D and 4983D) with a free replacement AC adapter. For more information click here. [Announced October 8, 2004] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1700/1700n Printer Recall In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dell is voluntarily providing the Customers who purchased the 1700/1700n printer (from June 8th, 2004 - August 18th, 2004) a free replacement printer. [Announced September 7, 2004] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auto-Air Power Adapter Recall In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dell is voluntarily providing the Customers who purchased the Auto-Air Power Adapter (Part Number W1451) a free retrofit kit. For more information click Here. [Announced July 1, 2004] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Battery Recall Program (2000, 2001) Notice: The dates contained in the Revised Notice supersede and control over those contained in the Compromise, Settlement Agreement and Release. Also, the attachments referenced in the CSAR are not included but can be requested by contacting lead counsel. [Announced July 1, 2002] Inspiron 5000, Inspiron 5000e - Announced May 3, 2001 Latitude CPiA, Latitude CPi R, Latitude CPtC, Latitude CPtS, Latitude CPtV, Latitude CPxH, Latitude CPxJ, Inspiron 3700, Inspiron 3800 - Announced October 13, 2000 You are here: Dell USA > Support Home Page
 
perfect0
12 Jan 2009 10:16 PM
Again, thanks for posting again. Hope this isn't just a 2-man fight. Any others in the same plight? Better yet, any one who has had success replacing their replaced LCD with a new one?
 
davesbayview1
12 Jan 2009 07:06 PM
I battled with dell again today and now they tell me that the part # on my laptop is not the one on the recall list J9662, T4976, W4554 they say mine is WC222 has anyone else had this issue and had theirs replaced? If this is the same issues with another part # then dell should recall this part # also!!!
 
perfect0
10 Jan 2009 11:15 PM
Just an addition to the latest post. For those among us that Dell did replace the LCD screen, only to experience exactly the same issue all over again since the part used was exactly the same part number and brand: the 3-year warranty should be for the PART. Dell is IRresponsible for replacing a part that lasted only one year; and that has been my experience.
 
davesbayview1
10 Jan 2009 07:21 PM
This 3 year recall should not be from invoice date of purchase. It should be 3 years from dell's notification to the owner via mail, email and phone call notification. They sure as heck have no trouble sending emails on the sales they have going on. I receive at least 1 a day trying to get me to buy from them.
 
perfect0
10 Jan 2009 06:50 PM
Again, thanks to the latest post. I'm still more and more "victims" post here. And yes, it would be great that a lawyer who's also affected by this issue can help all of us on our behalf. Maybe another Dell vertical line issue can be set up.
 
davesbayview1
10 Jan 2009 06:07 PM
I am also having the same issue on my inspiron 9300, they keep bouncing me around and yes there was a recall but we also were never notified if we were we would have had it fixed. I only came across this site just the other day. I don't always come to these sites unless I have an issue with something. There must be a lawyer out there who is going through this same issue! There are enough people going through this same issue that dell should extend the recall and notify owners affected by this via mail, email and phone call. They sure as heck can send out their advertisement everyday. Together we can hopefully get them to solve this issue. Does anybody at dell even care? If so, please contact us, you know who we are!!!
 
perfect0
08 Jan 2009 02:25 AM
It's good to know that there is at least one other person experiencing the same issue that I have. I'm still hoping that more and more people post here. Better yet, more and more among us send endless email and calls to Dell so that it would be responsible enough to resolve this.
 
aroles
07 Jan 2009 08:05 PM
Tonight I called Dell about my vertical line issue on my Inspiron 9300...this is my third call and it goes nowhere : ( I have soooo many vertical lines now that I can barely see my screen. My computer is out of warranty, but when I first called Dell it was still within the three year range...now it's not. Does anyone from Dell actually read these forums? This problem seems to be widespread. Dell...stand behind your products don't make it so difficult to get good service!!!!
 
perfect0
04 Jan 2009 03:10 PM
A Dell representative finally has responded to my numerous email messages. Unfortunately, I've gotten the same (and lame, I must say) excuse: that the unit's out of warranty. I responded that Dell (or at least, its representative) does not seem to understand the REAL issue. For those of us who had their LCD screen replaced in the past, we've experienced EXACTLY the same issue all over again: a vertical line. I was able to later have a representative finally comprehend what the issue was all about, but he responded that I now communicate with the out of warranty department. It is ODD that--despite a Dell representative agreeing with me that the warranty at issue here is NOT that of the unit (which is obviously beyond its 3 years) but that of the LCD SCREEN (which is barely over a year old from the time it was installed onto my Inspiron 9200)--I was still being referred to its out of warranty department. First, I am continually frustrated that Dell did not really resolve the vertical line issue by replacing my LCD screen last year with exactly the same part number and brand (replacing a dud with a dud?). Second, and what is really very frustrating, is that Dell is not even responsible enough that its customer support staff really understand what is being communicated to them. Communicating with its supposed customer support is practically like communicating with an automated system. The responses from Dell representatives are mechanical to the point of having no sense at all. I am still hoping that others in a similar situation would speak up as well and let Dell know how irresponsible and inept it has been. And maybe Dell will finally really resolve this issue.
 
perfect0
25 Dec 2008 07:34 PM
I hope that those among us that have been affected by this issue bombard Dell with our email messages. It's been a month now since I've been sending Dell email messages. I have yet to receive a reply. I'm really hoping we can pressure Dell enough for a resolution.
 
verticallines
24 Dec 2008 02:03 PM
At first, their customer support told me today that my LCD was "not affected" by the faulty part. Then, they changed the story and said it is too late (more than 3 years after purchase). But they have NEVER contacted me about the defect. They should announce a recall.
 
perfect0
20 Dec 2008 08:16 AM
For anyone that has had the LCD replaced at one's own cost and has used a different LCD brand...may I know which LCD that was purchased? I just want to check how expensive it is to replace mine. My 9200's screen already has this permanent 1inch vertical line that is most annoying
 
perfect0
14 Dec 2008 04:53 PM
Thanks, grg22, for posting a comment. I wonder what it will take for Dell to realize that its supposed solution to the vertical line issue (replacing the LCD with exactly the same brand and model of the LCD) was not a solution at all. I'm hoping that the consumer complaints will swell once more to a point that Dell will listen (again--but this time, respond fairly to consumers like us).
 
grg22
14 Dec 2008 03:17 PM
I sent my laptop for repair to Dell. When I got it back, the LCD worked without a vertical line ... for three weeks. Now it shows, on the opposite side of the screen and entire two inch BAR of inverted colors, together with 8-10 vertical lines. In short, the repair made everything worse. My laptop is now truly unusable. Because the repair was made under the vertical line replacement program, Dell refuses to replace the defective LCD. First come the usual excuses "it might be your graphics card" (This is unlikely as now the lines are on the opposite side of the screen) Highlight is the following verbatim quote from the Dell hotline "we have already given you a chance". Dell considers repairs a random game, where the customer always loses. The repair is handled by Flextronics. Most likely the original LCD was replaced with a refurbished LCD. Do not spend a penny on a Dell repair. It's not worth it, and they don't stand behind their repair, nor behind their laptops.
 
perfect0
07 Dec 2008 04:21 PM
I have an Inspiron 9200. I purchased this laptop when I was still based in Houston, Texas. I was fortunate enough to have my LCD replaced about a year ago here in the Philippines. A subsidiary of Dell here in the Philippines, Accent Micro, came to my home and replaced the defective LCD. Unfortunately, I am experiencing again the vertical line defect. Now, it is a one-inch thick vertical stripe. I remember speaking to the service person while he was replacing the LCD, since I noticed that the replacement LCD has exactly the same part. I was wary having realized this and asked him why Dell was replacing a defective part with exactly the same part. He told me that this new part albeit the same brand and specifications was not defective. I think now he is mistaken. It is frustrating that I, among so many others affected by this defect, experienced this once. But for us to experience it again, well, is, disappointing. UPDATE: I have been sending email messages to vertical_line@dell.com but have yet to get a reply. Is this email address still one that exists and one that Dell attends to?
 
dogprod100
01 Dec 2008 07:25 AM
Last week I've wrote to Dell vertical_line@dell.com and I have not yet receive any answer. Is this link still active ? My message " I have some vertical line on my screen since mai 2008, our cutomer service in Belgium said it is not possible to do something and now I can see on a forum that's a general problem of the Inspiron 9300. My warranty was good till april 2008. Can you send me a new screen, I can repare it myself with an appropriate plan."
 
angel4595
18 Nov 2008 06:54 PM
To Kenny - posted on 10/08/2008 - THANK YOU!!! 6 rude people 1 hang up and 3 hours later.... I am getting an "exception"... and they are shipping me my box and plan to replace the LCD screen at no charge to me. Please take Kenny's advice. After reading his post.... that was call #6 and that was the last call I needed to make. Thanks again Kenny! Angel
 
Dean Prestholt
30 Oct 2008 08:36 PM
I too have a defective 9300 LCD screen. I purchased it on 4/29/2005. I have 3 lines on my screen. I have gotten nothing but a run around with dell support. I have purchased 7 dells over the years, and that's while I was a Hewlett Packard employee! But I'm afraid this will have to be my last unless dell steps up and does the right thing and repairs their shoddy equipment. Although even if they do step up I can't guarantee that I will purchase dell again after all the abuse I've taken so far. Very disappointed! Dean
 
Enrique Ortiz
25 Oct 2008 08:59 PM

Eduard,

would you please let me know if tech support evert talked or mentioned about the issue of your LCD's part number? Thanks
 
Enrique ortiz
24 Oct 2008 09:19 PM

Edward, could you please tell me if they ever asked or mentioned about your LCD screen part number?
 
Edward
24 Oct 2008 03:10 PM

Finally got transferred to tech support by not entering my express service code, but still got transferred to operator first. the gentleman from tech support is getting me set up with sending me the box
 
Edward
24 Oct 2008 02:45 PM

well called a second time this time i didn't give the service code and the operator is transferring me to tech support.  Will give update after speaking with them
 
Edward
24 Oct 2008 02:39 PM

Well the guy got back and said i had to call technical support directly.  except he gave me the number that i had originally called when i got him.  Am going to try to call the number again and hope it works.
 
Edward
24 Oct 2008 02:30 PM

purchased 9300 end of nov.  1st lineappeared aug/2008.  I now have 7 lines.  currently on the phone with the guy who was supposed to help me get connected with premium Tech Support, because comp is out of warranty.  This guys is currently giving me run around, saying that this website and its claims are not supported by dell, and has put me on hold.  I will post again regarding the status of the call after he gets back.
 
DELL-Todd S
24 Oct 2008 02:39 PM

Edward,

Tell him to go to www.Dell.com and scroll to the bottom and click on the link "Read Our Blog".   That will take you to www.Direct2Dell.com.   Not sure how much more official anyone would really want.

If they continue to give you problems post here and I'll see if I can help you.

 
Jeffrey
20 Oct 2008 12:29 PM
I purchased a 9300 08/05 and vertical lines atarted appearing 6 to 8 months ago. I have 16 lines now in assorted colors. I found this blog today and called the number at the top and was on hold much longer than i talked to anyone. The outcome, 33 minutes later, dell is sending a box to return my computer for a new LCD. The box is supposed to arrive in 1-2 days and my computer is supposed to be returned 5-6 days from when I ship it. It was suggested that I remove the battery and harddrive before I ship. During the process on the phone, because my comp. is not under warrenty, I was sent to the pay for tech service. When they answered they listened to my problem and transfered me to the tech department that handled this problem. No payment.
 
Doug
20 Oct 2008 10:51 AM

My laptop is an Inspiron 510M with a 15" SXGA+ TFT Display

I bought it in December 2004 and a red vertical line appeared after about 2 years. Now there must be about a hundred of all colours. There are also wide white bands appearing.

People say it must have been dropped but it hasn't. Of course its well out of warranty and I'm not very happy but its good to see that Dell are doing something
 
Mick
15 Oct 2008 11:10 AM

Dell responds well once you get through the game of convincing them they need to stand behind their products. Called on the 8th, got my box on 9th, shipped on 10th, got a call on 13th that the service was complete. Showed at my door at 7:45.

Have not reinserted the disk drive yet, but I suspect it will be fine, and I do admire their speed.
 
Bhavesh
15 Oct 2008 08:53 AM
Hi, I bought Inspiron 9300 in Nov. 2005. From last 5-6 days i have started getting thin vertical lines. Now i have 3 lines which started with 1. Two yellow and one red. I called Dell support but i was told that my part no.is MC887 which is not affected by this problem. So i looked for the problem on net and found this link. Please help me. I am in India just now for some time. I bought it from USA. I bought dell because i had heard it's service is good but It's really sad that i am getting this kind of service after paying 2000$ for a laptop. Today again i called Dell India and i got my complain escalated and i spoke to the manager. And guess what i was told "it's been working for 2.5 yrs. so what more do you expect?" !!! I am really frustrated with the way he spoke and kind of service i got. Hope the blog helps address this issue and dell executive take congnizant of the same. Thanks
 
Ron Booth
14 Oct 2008 06:59 PM

Not sure what part numbers qualify for this replacement program but I was told mine did not. P/N WC222 If Dell knows about this problem why are they not covering all displays that malfuction in the same way.

My ship date was 01/19/2006 so I am under the 3 years but with the same result as older laptops.
 
Enrique Ortiz
14 Oct 2008 01:18 PM

Todd:

Isn´t it a shame for Dell to see how this stream of irrefutable proofs on Dell´s responsability on this issue of vertical lines keeps on coming?

You first asked me to email to that address directly related to vertical lines issue. They answered after more than three weeks. Meanwhile i had a chat at Latin america Dell support, and firstly the agent didnt even know that Inspiron 9300 was involved in the replacement program (?!?!?). This sr. later claimed that my part number screen was not included but didnt handle aany proof of that. (When i bought this laptop I previously DID handle a proof that i payed for it. Thus the unbalance in this comercial relation between Dell and client is been promoted by Dell).

Then i decided to write to an address ccaled unsolved cases, provaided by that same former agent. They responded prety quickly saying that my part number was nor covered as it was part number X4766 (?).

And then a few days ago the agent of the original email address directly related to vertical lines issue responded, two weeks later, This sr. came with the same irresponsible and aloof answer we all know. "Sorry but you are not included in defective part number lot....and added that they could

not reveal my part number (?). Ha ha, what a game these guys are playing, first they dont know I9300 is inlcuded, then they reveal my part number, and then they say that they cant reveal it?

If you ad all this to all those strange games played by Dell to all the unsatisfied clients then we start to see how much a ridiculous game this is, one played on plain view of all of us.

So, Tood, what does all this mean? Shame on Dell?

ps Lasse, you are not unlucky, I have the impression that Dell IS the unlucky one.

 
Lasse
14 Oct 2008 04:52 AM

Seems I have joined the unlucky group of Inspiron owners with vertical line, mine showd up 3 months after the 3-year frame ended. Dell acknowledged the problem (ater 50 minute phone call to CS) and said "Sorry nothing we can do to help you...." except sending an offer for an exchange LCD for a measly $600 USD, if I do the job my self. It will be more than $800 if they gonna do it. When I mentioned "Good Will" I just heard a muted laughter.

No way I'll spend 600 bucks, Dell just lost all my future business and Yes I will tell all my friends to stay away!
 
Pedro Garcia
13 Oct 2008 03:01 PM
Thanks to Mike Bukowski post on January 16, 2008. My LCD was replaced... after fighting with DELL customer service as well as with Tech support.. since they were playing ball with me and my calls... Sadly after only 2 months the LCD has the same exact problem.. so my questions is: did they really replace it? or they just tried to fix it somehow... now, the want me to pay for the replacement of the second defective LCD after only a couple of months of being replaced... what's the deal here?.. are they using quality LCD for replacement or used LCD that have not shown the problem? what's next? to who should I talk in order to get my problem fix for once and for all.. I have been using DELL Products for well over 12 years and never had so much trouble as this... Thanks for all your help
 
Carrie Weyer
10 Oct 2008 01:45 PM

I have these vertical lines too.  My Inspiron 9300 was shipped to me on 6/12/2005.  This puts me just outside the 3 years.  Am I completely out of luck, or what?
 
Cassandra
09 Oct 2008 09:19 PM

I'm yet another victim with a bad 17 inch Dell Inspiron LCD, which appeared after the three years were over. Sent an email to the infamous vertical_line@dell.com. It took Dell about 2 weeks to reply the following standard message:

--- quote ---

Hello Sweetie,

        I have looked into your request for assistance to repair your vertical line problem with your computer, regretfully Dell will repair the LCD  for up to 3 years from the invoice date.  This computer invoiced on 02-02-05, you may want to check with our out of warranty repair department 1-800-288-4410 to see if they can offer some assistance.

Thank you,

Mister X

--- end quote ---

Obviously, this message is useless, because based on the suffering of former Dell customers in this blog a call will only cost me 3 hours of my life, set me back by 49$, experience Indian small talk, and learn that I have to spend 400$ for a repair.

It may be a good idea to call this number, though, just to keep their lines busy, and make the feel the opinion of the street - the opinion of underclass customers, which in the eyes of Dell are all of us who are not managing a corporate account.

Obviously, the LCD issue is a manufacturing defect, and Dell acknowledges that. Obviously, Dell is not legally required to replace it.

But, also obviously, nobody would buy a Dell laptop if the expectation was that the screen will die after 3.5 years. Therefore, if the management of Dell pays any attention to its brand name, it would take responsibility for its manufacturing defects. It is sad that this does not seem to be the case.

I will give Dell one last chance to help me with my Dell Inspiron laptop. I will keep you posted.

 
 
Mark Matteson
09 Oct 2008 11:10 AM

Called Dell today they told me that my Inspiron 9300 was out of warranty on 12-07 I am having vertical line issues with mine who should I talk to at dell? The build date of mine is 12-05.
 
Lloyd Charlier
08 Oct 2008 03:52 PM

Let me see if I got this right...

Dell announces on January 16th, 2008 that they are acknowledging a problem with LCD displays manufactured between November 20004 and October 2006 and they will replace the displays in question if less than three years old.  So for those folks unlucky enough to have purchased a laptop between November 2004 and January 2005, they're better informed but nonetheless out of luck?

Closer to home, we have two XPS Gen 2 laptops currently in use at my company (purchased August 2005 with three year warranties) and one of them just now developed this problem.  It would have been nice to have been forewarned of this potential problem sometime during the 7 months following its discovery in January 2008 before our warranties expired.  Great...
 
Mick
08 Oct 2008 03:30 PM

~ Todd Smart

Thanks for the advice Todd. It took 3 separate calls to two different customer service lines. They kept saying, "but the blank screen is a different problem that the green lines issue, so it is not covered inder the 90 day warranty". I escalated to "managers" 2 levels up. Gave my express service code so many times I have it memorized,  had to play the "I am a long time Dell customer" card (true). On the phone about 2 hours total. I might have gotten angry, but I was just watching the stock market circus anyway. Supposedly, the shipping container is on the way.

~Jong Park

...are they saying the expected lifetime of a laptop LCD is about 2 and 1/2 year?...

The sales/tech staff at Circuit City is pushing hard that any 17" laptop should be purchased with a long term service contract because "they have a lot of problems". They are probably just after the comission on the contract, but it is possible that other manufacturers have some of the Dell-vertical-line problems, and have just ducked the publicity.
 
Chris
08 Oct 2008 01:43 PM

I bought my Inspiron 9300 in January 2006, and got my first line late in 2007.  I sent an email after finding this blog back in March this year, or sometime like that.  Since then I've sent a further 3 emails, whilst in the meantime I now have over 100 lines and 2 wide bands where the colours are faded, but no replies to my messages.  Are Dell ignoring emails from concerned customers even after having acknowledged this fault?
 
leslie grate
08 Oct 2008 10:47 AM

Hi Darlene, Jorg, and Jong.

Sounds like we are all in a similar boat.  Two of my friends have similar Dells, and they are now worried, and some of my buisness partners here in California have Dells also.  They use their's lightly so they might not see the problem until later, and they don't have the 1920x1200 screen.

My laptop repair place said the replacement LCD screen is about $285 to buy, will take about a week or two to get, and he would charge me $350 to do the whole thing.  he also says (which i already knew) that Dell is always changing internal parts, so he would want to relpace the screen with the same part number to avoid problems.  He also said he didn't know about dell replacing screens, and he was of course familiar with bad screens of all kinds.

Todd: I see you are monitering this blog, thank you for doing that.  But do you have any suggestions for us?  For me?  At this instant i am assuming that Dell is going to keep doing nothing about my screen since it is not the "right" part number.  Is it worth it to purchase an extended warrenty?  If i do purchase a couple of years more coverage will that cover replacing the screen?  will that cover the future screen?

Jong: I like your idea to get the screen number and start keeping a list.  I'm hoping Todd can provide data from Dell about the failure rate on these things, otherwise we can start building our own data base.

 
 
DELL-Todd S
08 Oct 2008 05:49 PM

@ leslie

If your LCD has failed, and isn't covered under the replacement policy, I don't believe that it would be covered if you extended your contract.  You may want to talk to technical support or extended warranty sales but I believe that (assuming your service contract has expired) you have to warrant that your system is currently free of problems before you can extend the contract.  That usually involves having it recertified as part of the extension.  You can go to our support site, http://support.Dell.com and click on Warranty Information and follow the links to find contact information for the warranty department and they can provide you with specifics.  I have never worked for that department so I would add that the above is what I believe is correct but I could be wrong.  I recommend you contact them.

 

 
Jong Park
08 Oct 2008 03:24 AM
My Inspiron 9300 started to show vertical lines (now I have 2 vertical lines) couple weeks ago. The system was bought in January 2006 and therefore it is about 2 and 1/2 years old now and I originally bought 1 year warranty. I called Dell US about this isssue, not knowing this thread and dellverticallines.com, to ask how much it cost to replace the LCD. They gave me certain numbers (about 350 US dollars I think). They did not mention anything else. After googling about the vertical lines in Dell laptops, I found out this is a systematic faliure in Dell production line--faulty part issue they proclaim. I contacted Dell again to ask about the vertical line issue. Now they tell me that there were some faulty LCD parts in Inspiron 9300. But my LCD part is not one of the three they identified as problematic. Shouldn't they at least conduct more research on the other LCD parts those possibly cause vertical line problem? How could Dell be so sure about my LCD part is not causing the vertical lines? Assuming that my LCD is not a faulty one, are they saying the expected lifetime of a laptop LCD is about 2 and 1/2 year? I am going to speak out loud about this LCD probelm. Every potential laptop buyers should be aware of this problem: Dell laptop is made to last only 2 and 1/2 year. I am quite disappointed with the responses I got from Dell. By the way, my LCD part # is RH357, an LG product. Does anyone experience vertical line problem with this LCD part?
 
Jörg
07 Oct 2008 05:32 PM

Hi to all  from Germany,

same Problem here. Inspiron 9400, pruchased 06.2006, equipped with an WUXGA (1920*1200) LCD. Service here pretends to know nothing. All in all I think a simple Laptop at e.g. WAL-MART or ALDI is less wear and tear to my nerves.

More Usable would be range of S/N of defective LCD`s, but this way is of course cheaper.

By, Jörg

 

P.S. Posting my contain traces of sarcasm.
 
Mick
07 Oct 2008 04:11 PM

I got the first line in my I-9300 in early 2008, it was mildly irritating, it was not my primary computer, and likely I would have just put up with it. But then the lines increased,2,3,4..., and with the other reports, it seemed likely that I could loose the use of the computer. 

I found out about the Dell warranty on this issue, and happily took advantge of if in July. Service was fast and satisfactory. Then in September, a few times, after long on-times, the screen just went black. I thought I had messed up the Power settings, and the screen was just timing out and sticking that way.

Now, the computer has (from cold start) about 5 minutes of life before it boes black. So, now rather than an irritating computer, I have essentially a dead computer. Thanks Dell! Anyone know if there is any warranty on the vertical line repair job?
 
DELL-Todd S
07 Oct 2008 08:53 PM

@ Mick

The repairs will carry a 90-day parts warranty.  I would suggest you contact Tech Support as soon as possible and they can give you more information.

 
Darlene Sterling
07 Oct 2008 03:17 PM

I have an Inspiron 9300 purchased in July 2005, and it is only used 6 months of the year. My first vertical lines started appearing Feb/08. I started my quest for help regarding the vertical line issue in July\08. I was told I had to transfer ownership of my computer to Canada from the U.S., which I did on-line. This would take 20 to 24 business days. It took from July 29 to Oct. 4/08. Now they tell me my LCD screen is not one they have listed for replacement! Give me a break! I have 54 lines on my screen, of course it's your faulty LCD. I have dealt with Indian, Malaysian, and English speaking technical support who have all given me no help, and in some cases, cannot even communicate in English. In fact, today I was told by the Dell support agent that my issue was unique because I had many vertical lines on my screen, and the problematic LCD's only had one line. And these are the guys that are our technical support help? If anyone can direct me somewhere that I can get help I would be forever grateful.

 

 
 
leslie grate
06 Oct 2008 10:51 AM

Sigh, like many of the others above, and like many of those yet to come, my 9300 has just suddenly had it's first vertical line.

Like Jim Shaffer above, mine is form Nov 2005 and has the 17in wuxga screen.  It worked perfectly until 5 days ago.  I've just called the dell phone numbers, and i have a "Case Number".  But the final person i just spoke with says my screen "... is not one of the 3 part numbers they are replacing....". He says these parts are J9662, B9476 and W4554 (maybe i got the W wrong).  The one I have is WC222 and they are not replacing them.

Now clearly there is a defect in their process as i too have seen thousands of laptops in the past 4 years and NONE have had this issue.  Yet how many of us have reported on this?

Todd; where is Dell's statitistical data on these screens?  How are you justifying replacing only a few of these screens?  I went to this url to see more on the screen/model numbers and it has been dead all morning:

http://direct2dell.com/error.htm?aspxerrorpath=/themes/blogs/direct2dell/post.aspx

Any suggestions for what those of us with the "wrong display" can do?

Thanks

 
 
Enrique
03 Oct 2008 09:22 PM

unsatisfied clients keep on comin....
 
Jim Shaffer
03 Oct 2008 01:31 PM

For anyone wondering if I got any satisfaction by emailing the Dell rep who called me with a picture of the sticker on my screen assembly, showing a part number which does appear to be part of the recall list and which does not at all match the one on my invoice and in Dell's records...  today (12 days later) I got a phone call from the same rep, who just wanted to reiterate that they had determined that my unit wasn't covered by the replacement policy.  He really avoided the issue of the sticker on the screen.

So, that's it for me and Dell.  If modern LCDs were known for failing in a short amount of time, and if Dell hadn't admitted that they had a lot of LCDs fail in the same manner mine did, I could've considered it a fluke.  But it seems too coincidental.  Also, I have no confidence that Dell's inventory control is adequate.  When I bought this laptop, it was shipped with a power supply that was too small to let the CPU run at full speed.  When I called to complain, I was told that it was the model of power supply that was supposed to ship with this model of laptop and it would be adequate to charge the battery!  It took me two calls to get them to realize that when I wanted to use the laptop plugged in, I wanted it to run at the full speed I paid for so they needed to give me the proper power supply!

 
 
Enrique Ortiz
02 Oct 2008 01:53 PM

You know Todd, clients have come and still are coming as you can see with this particular complain, and that, that is the irrefutable proof that Dell is not taking good, responsible, sacred care of their products and of their clients, and that, not taking care, as many other companies around the world do, represents a major part in the reason why America and the World are on their knees right now.

 This world realy needs another form of making bussines from now on. I still think America may be a good leader into this new adventure. There are around the world as well many other bussinesmen and clients that are now envisaging a new form of doing business.

If you try to see what is the bottom line expressed by many of those coming into this board youll find that it is related to what i'm saying here...we all mean that we need a new form of relationship between the goods provider and the clients.  New business means going beyond that paradigm of not investing in clients and in a good excellent production standars. That itself is the secret, if you ask, for the survival or better, for the thriving of a company in the future world of bussines that already is here to stay. All trials to return to the old pardigm in business will only bring a backfiring as we all need each other for building a new world of prosperity.

please have a good day

ps. and please send a copy of this letter to Mr. Dell if you can or let me know his email and I'll send it to he.
 
alaina
01 Oct 2008 09:56 AM

I wasn't aware that my vertical line problem was shared by many others... So last year I bought a new laptop.  Had I known there was a 'warranty' on it... I would have just sent it in.  (I bought my Inspiron in April of '05)  Now I am stuck with two laptops and one with half of the screen covered in vertical lines but otherwise, it works fine.  The three year 'warranty' is ridiculous.  If its Dell's fault, its Dell's fault, it shouldn't matter how long a consumer has had it.
 
Enrique Ortiz
30 Sep 2008 08:57 PM

Thank you Todd, all of these models are indeed included, thats clear, i wont argue with that, but, i still believe that Dell is not adressing the issue that other screen part numbers are also affected by the vertical line problem.

You see, I only use my inspiron 9300 an average of a couple hours daily  and that is 365 days/year  x 2 hours/ day x 3 years = 2190 hours for this three year period.

Now 2190 hours / 24 hour a day = 91.25 days of continuos fuctioning. In round numbers lets make it 120 days. Is this cipher even close to the expected duration of an lcd screen ? I dont think so, i dont have the figures but i suspect that this 120 cipher is very far from the ideal number.Does Dell is taking into account this situation?
 
DELL-Todd S
01 Oct 2008 08:03 AM

@Enrique

When we first became aware of the potential issue with LCDs our engineers did FA (failure analysis) on them and that led us to the initial listing of models potentially affected.  As we did more analysis and tracked down the root cause we added additional models which Lionel posted about in his updated blogs.

When the analysis was done it was determined which models and subcomponents were affected and which ones were not.  The lifespan of electronic equipment is subject to so many variables it's impossible to say that XXX component should last YYY hours/days/years.  We can't promise a specific system, or specific LCD screen, will last a specific amount of time.  That is one of the reasons why we offer extended service contracts on our systems.

I wish your LCD wasn't having issues and that you were receiving a longer period of usability from it, but if your contract has expired and your system was not manufactured using the LCD that we are replacing there really isn't anything we can do to help you.

You may want to look into other avenues of replacing the LCD such as auction sites, computer refurb and sales sites, etc.

 
Enrique Ortiz
29 Sep 2008 01:41 PM

With all due respect Todd but something is not right here. There is a list on the letter on the top of this page that mentions the models with the problem we are discusing and they are "Inspiron 9200, 9300 and XPS Gen 2 models only"....and the problem is that these models, not even one of them, are not included in the list unfolded by Dell Latinamerica technical support (as you can see in the quote i make here of the online chat i quoted in a former comment by myself...)

09/25/2008 02:20:20PM

Agent (LACS TC Luis Rubio): "el programa al cual ud se refiere no cubre su modelo" [translation by me: the program you are alluding doesnt cover your model](??)
09/25/2008 02:21:01PM Agent (LACS TC Luis Rubio): "es para inspiron 6000, 8600, latitud d800, d810 precision m60 y 70 con una pantalla en particular" 

 

(transaltion by me; it includes only inspiron 6000, 8600, latitud d800, d810 precision m60 and 70 with a single particular screen.

And today i asked my friend to contact again Dell Latinamerica to see what list the could provided on the kind of laptops affected by the vertical line problem and this is what she got...

09/29/2008 12:08:28PM Cristina Davila: Tenemos problemas en casa con un par de laptops, en la pantalla han aparecido lineas verticales de un pixell de ancho.
Se dice que Dell esta reparando las lcd. Cuales modelos estan incluidos?"(translation: bla bla bla vertical lines have appeared on my laptops. It is said that Dell is repairing lcds. Which models are included?
09/29/2008 12:10:12PM Agent (LACS TC Luis Aguilar): "entiendo, donde usted leyo dicha informacion?"(translation: i understand, where did you get such information?
09/29/2008 12:12:27PM Cristina Davila: "enu na pagina web de Dell" (transaltion: in a Dell web page...)
09/29/2008 12:12:31PM Cristina Davila: "http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/09/10675.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage"
09/29/2008 12:13:59PM Agent (LACS TC Luis Aguilar): "permitame un momento" (transaltion: allow me for a moment)
09/29/2008 12:18:27PM Agent (LACS TC Luis Aguilar): "estoy verificando si su pantalla cae en la categoria de los defectuosos." (translation: I am checking out if your screen is included in the category of these problem or deffect)
09/29/2008 12:20:17PM

Sesión Terminada (end of session....that means the agent cut the session without a list or even a comment or an explanation or anything else)??????

Something is definitly wrong here. Or is there an explanation for what i am showing here?

 
DELL-Todd S
29 Sep 2008 01:54 PM

@Enrique

The connection closing could be caused by a few different factors, any of which could interrupt the internet connection and close out the chat.  It doesn't necessarily mean they closed it out on you.

If you look at this link it shows the models that are affected by the policy. 

 
DELL-Todd S
29 Sep 2008 08:56 AM

@Katherine

Only certain LCDs used in the Inspiron 9300 model were manufactured using the specific sub-component that we are replacing.   I'm sorry, but if your contract has expired there isn't anything we can do to help you.

You can purchase a replacement LCD panel from us or look online at computer resellers or auction sites where people are selling computer parts to see if you can find one cheaper.

You can find manuals on our support site, http://support.Dell.com, to show you how to install a replacement LCD. 

 
Enrique Ortiz
28 Sep 2008 01:10 PM

in my last coment i made a mistake of not coping the quoting from Mike's post that you recomende me to read Todd. and i intended it to be included between the signs <>.. I will bring it here again bacause only in this way the final lines of that former comment will make sense. So the quote is this....

<If you are experiencing any problem with lines on your LCD and your system is not one of the potentially affected units, or in the date range outlined in Lionel's earlier posts, please contact technical support to troubleshoot and identify possible fixes. See below for details on how to do that.>

If i understood correctly, Mike is inplying directly in his phrase that:

a) only certain units are potentialy affected. He is saying that only certain models were affected.

b) in this phrase the way the word OR (that i highlighted) is used implies that all units of all models outside the date range are automaticaly free of problems WHILE all units of all models included within the date range, as is mine, are affected.

If this was not the case then Mike's phrase would read somthing like....

....and your system is not one of the potentially affected units, nor in the date range outlined in Lionel's earlier posts, please contact technical support to troubleshoot and identify possible fixes. See below for details on how to do that.>

 
 
Katherine
28 Sep 2008 10:34 AM

Todd Smart:

How come only certain models of the LCD for the 9300 are being replaced?  I have a 9300 and when I called Dell the say the part number for my LCD did not qualify to be replaced.  I first started with one single line and now I have 14 and still counting.  My three year warranty just expired few days ago, is there anything Dell can do for me?

Thanks

Katherine
 
Enrique Ortiz
26 Sep 2008 01:50 PM
on Mike's alternative explanations for other causes for the vertical lines i would say that a) my inspiron 9300 is always on the top of a desk, i never carry it to any other places, and theres nobodey else at home, nor children, that uses it or carries it outiside or to any other place. So never been bumped, jarred or droped. b)as for debris, i never eat or drink close to the laptop, and undust it every couple weeks. c)as for external stress...the place where i live is totaly temperate and my system never been subjected to heat or cold in a car (it never been taken in a car, its been only at home), and atmosferic pressure is normalin y region. then quoting Mike... <> I would say to this that my system aparently, but never proved by DEll, is not one of the potentially afected units, (but indeed it is affected and is not been subjected to any of the risk factors he mentioned earlier), but my system indeed was purchased on the correct date range (he mentions that there may be problems for systems purchased out of datte range but that is not my case) So MikeĀ“s explanations doesnt apply to my system, isnt, it? and there are other things not even explained.
 
Enrique Ortiz
26 Sep 2008 01:19 PM

Todd thank you again for your comments, i'll chek on MIke.

The reason i said that what the support guy told me was at least suspicious is because he initialy didnt include in his list the inspiron 9300, check this out please (quoting the copy of the chat we had)....

<<

09/25/2008 02:20:20PM

Agent (LACS TC Luis Rubio): "el programa al cual ud se refiere no cubre su modelo" [translation by me: the program you are alluding doesnt cover your model](??)
09/25/2008 02:21:01PM Agent (LACS TC Luis Rubio): "es para inspiron 6000, 8600, latitud d800, d810 precision m60 y 70 con una pantalla en particular"  [translation by me: he unfolds his list of covered models and makes clear that for these models only, it includes only a particular kind of screen](note: he