nzmike

Ok, this is for those of you Axim owners from downunder like me who are wondering what the story is with the PPC 2003 upgrade here. Well, as usual, we are the "poor cousins" and after quite a few emails swapped with Trevor Townrow from Dell Australia he basically said the upgrade is not and will not be available in the near future in Australia (which basically means the whole Asia/Pacific region since it's all run from Singapore). He could name no date when he thought it would be available and when I asked if I could swap my PPC2002 Axim (ordered late May) for a PPC2003 one I was told it would mean a 20% "re-stocking" fee.

This makes me so ****ing angry - why, when we pay more for these sort of consumer electronics than the North American or European market do we *never* get any of these upgrades? Just because A/P is a smaller market why should we have to go without? And let's face it, A/P *is* a big market - it includes Japan, Korea, Singapore, HK, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries with *many* loyal Dell customers - so why do we get treated like sh*t by companies like Dell?

Why am I so annoyed? Well, I'm a freelance .Net developer and have been developing for PPC2002 quite happily for a while - now 2 of my clients are offering me new PPC2003 development work and the only way I can take the work is to get the upgrade... but to do that I either have to pay the 20% "re-stocking" (hah!) fee or part out for a new Axim. Don't get me wrong - I don't expect it for free, but I just *DO NOT* understand why if this deal can be made available to Axim customers in N.America and Europe why the A/P customers can't also have it?

Right, that's my rant over - if any of you A/P owners out there want to email someone to register your displeasure about this try trevor_townrow@dell.com. PLEASE NOTE that he *was* as helpful as I think he was able to be and I have no agenda against him - but somebody at Dell A/P needs to know how annoyed and ripped off we feel about this!

Mike.

ejay

Done. I have emailed Trevor too.

C'mon Aussies C'mon

sanwijay

Thanks for the info ... i'd contacted Dell Singapore and the cs reps there told me the same information as they'd told u. I felt being cheated by Dell because a few days after I bought my PDA, Dell sold PDA with PPC 2003 and even with lower price. It makes me really really madddddddd ... I asked them whether I could get a free upgrade and they said NOOOOOOOO cause first of all: the upgrade are not available for Aspac market and second of all: they charged USD 29 for their US cust. When I explained that the upgrade is FREE for purchase after May 23rd, 2003; they gave me a link to A03 upgrade and they didn't answer my Q. So I tried to return the device and they said that I couldn't do it since I'd passed my 30 days back. Btw HP is giving away free update for its IPAQ users !!!

nzmike

I have emailed Trevor back tonight saying that I will not accept no for an answer on this. I have asked for the name or number of the manager of Dell Customer Services in Australia or A/P and I will keep at this until we get the option of this upgrade... hell - I'll pay for the damned thing if it's their profits they're worried about - but right now I stand to lose $10 - $20,000 in lost development work because of this.

But please - if any of you are emailing Trevor (or anyone else at Dell) re this, be civil and constructive. The last thing we want is abusive emails flying around... if you want to rant (like me!) do it *here* not to anyone at Dell... we will only get this update by putting forward a constructive, persuasive and intelligent argument.
(Sorry - don't mean to lecture but it's important we do this right!)

I'm also thinking about putting a page up on my website for Aussie and A/P Axim owners to log into and register their details - if enough people get behind this I will then remind Dell A/P on a regular basis that we are still here! (And no, I won't sell your email addresses to anyone!) I'm flat out right now but will see what I can do in the next few days... I will post here when (if!) I get a reply from Dell.

Mike.

chercm

i support your idea !!!

nzmike

Just got a reply from Trevor Townrow - and I quote:

"Please address your concerns to Customer Service."

That's it ... no contact name or email or anything... they just don't seem to care anymore. I've had 3 Dell desktop PCs, 3 Dell laptops and now an Axim... but they clearly couldn't care less about loyal customers now they're the world's number 1 PC seller.... just proves BIG doesn't equal GOOD!

I wonder if anyone at Dell ever reads these forums? I guess they discount us as a whining minority. Of course Dell A/P could prove us wrong by posting some sort of reply regarding this issue on this forum but I'll bet my Axim (stuck on PPC2002!) that they won't!

Mike.

ejay

Mike. I sent a very constructive email to Trevor advising of the concern of AP customers, and the negative feedback that is coming Dells way.

He just advised me to address my concerns with Dell Customer Service. I advised him I already had and they would not give me an answer.

And so the wheel turns....

I am happy to support any action you feel will help.

I agree that ranting and raving will not help, but a constructive and well supported campaign hopefully will.

nzmike

Thanks eJay... looks like you got the same brush-off I got.

I was wondering whether we might be able to get a page on this site where people could lend support to our cause... might email the moderator to see if that was possible (or if you're reading this - how about it?!).

I have just completed the Dell online survey (the link is on the Dell.com.au home page) and left a comment asking for this update... again, if enough of us do this maybe they'll start listening.

If there was an Axim forum at Dell A/P I'd post on that... no use doing it on the US board as they don't know anything about anything ourside of the US it seems.

Mike.

ejay

Mike. I'm all for anything we can do. Just let me know what you think would be the best course of action. I know there are other AP axim customers here on this site who are in the same boat. We just need to get them on board.

bspence

This is the response I got from my rep:


Thanks for your inquiry.

Based on anticipated customer demand, Dell will not have a program in Asia Pacific to upgrade to PocketPC 2003 for existing Axim customers.

I apologise for any inconvenience may have caused.

ejay

What does that mean "Due to anticipated customer demand".
Does that mean ther will not be enough demand in the Asia Pacific Region to justify the upgrade? Or does thast mean the demand elsewhere in the world will be too high, leaving us the poor cousins again?????

ejay

Finally go my reply back from Dell and this is what it said:

"The Pocket PC 2002 Premium Operating System was the OS which offered to you during the point of Sales. You can see "BOS-010-Microsoft(R) Pocket PC 2002 Premium" in your quotation.
In fact we have not started to offer Pocket PC 2003 operating system during the point of your purchase. This is because Microsoft has just started to release its new operating system for handhelds, PocketPC 2003, on June 23.
I am sorry to tell you that for the Asia region, we are not able to
provide you with Pocket 2003 OS . Appreciate your understanding and thank you so much for your support."

Not happy..............

DefSac

http://www.petitiononline.com/dellaus/petition.html

I figure making a petition then sending it to them would be more productive than just emailing them seperatley and being referred to the support desk.

chercm

i have signed it

ejay

Me too