Dell's Mobile Activation Center launches, getting trapped in contracts gets a whole lot easier
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 7th 2010 2:29PM
posted April 7th 2010 2:29PM
We never thought that getting our mobile broadband devices activated was all that complicated, but apparently there are plenty of Dell customers that will disagree -- so many, in fact, that the company has rolled out something called the Mobile Activation Center. The whole thing is pretty much idiot-proof: after you purchase your mobile broadband-packin' notebook or netbook on Dell.com, you'll be prompted to activate the data card and select your data plan (adding to your existing account or setting up a new one). Rebates even get flipped back to your Dell shopping cart -- and you can never have too many rebates, can you?
http://i.engadget.com,my friend.
(sans ,my)
Never buy anything from Dell. I know way too many people who have had customer service problems with them, including myself. They are crooks!
@technoreaper
See, I'd say the opposite. The first computer I got from them was a lemon but they made up for it with the replacement. They gave me tons of stuff that I hadn't paid originally for free.
@Dafrety
How many years ago was this? Things have most likely changed now!
@technoreaper
Not years, months. Bought the original computer in 2008, got the replacement in January 2010.
@Dafrety
A friend of mine, who is VERY PARTICULAR, bought the most expensive Dell laptop he could. It broke and he had Dell techs come to his house to fix it, then it broke again and he had enough, so he wanted it replaced. They tried to offer him some Alienware computer instead, and were actually giving him a hard time.
I had bought a router and I experienced this awful customer service myself. The customer support people were total liars and possibly crooked/incompetent. I will never buy anything from Dell again after that.
@technoreaper Really? They bent over backwards to make me happy, and I've gotten next day at-home service from them even out of country.
Even on my old cheapo Inspiron, when the Nvidia video card failed they didn't have a direct replacement and asked if I wanted a lower performing ATI card. Said hell no, so they sent me a newer model entire replacement Inspiron w/ a better CPU and the works. WOOT!
Gateway on the other hand can go to hell.
@Ducman69
Ok, now I'm starting to think you guys work for Dell...this sounds like a complete fantasy.
Dell must have a lot of real geniuses for customers.
/sarcasm, obviously
@MRCUR
When you work in sales, you learn that no customer is intelligent.
especially when it comes to computers, of any kind.
I imagine Dell also created this in preparation for the launch of their Aero and Mini 5.
@bfuenmayor - That was my first thought when I say the post. Sure, they're using it for 3G cards right now, but I bet this becomes an important part of their Android phone experience if you will.
In my experience, most of the people that buy Dell aren't very tech literate. One guy called tech support because he didn't know how to connect to his unsecured wireless network. So it would explain why dell has to do this.
Dell is actually two companies. If you buy their cheapest products and you don't shell out for extended warranty, you will get poor offshore tech support and the runaround. But if you buy their high-end products (I'm talking Precision or high-end latitude or XPS with completecare, onsite warranty and everything), you get treated like royalty. In my experience, once you get the onsite service package, Dell's the only company where if you have a problem, they're there the next day. They have always sent techs to fix any problems I've had within 24-48hrs, So actually, Dell is a great company---as long as you shell out the extra ducats for the high-end products and the high-end warranty.
@Pausanias
That is so not true.
@technoreaper
It is true. I haven't had any trouble with my Dell monitor but my mate had some problems with the back-light intensity and HDCP on his, they sent a replacement in a couple of days which arrived before he had to return his (so he was never without a monitor). Never heard anyone who has dell machines through the workplace complain either.
@Pausanias Three customers if you count their corporate gold account support (for big companies like Schlumberger and the like).
Comes with complimentary blowjobs IIRC.
DELL MINI 5!!!!!!!!!!!!
IS IT COMING?????????????????????????