Letter to Dell... aka Dell SUCKS!

True Story, and Actually Sent to them...I do not expect a response- but if I get one, I will post it here.

To Whom It May Concern,

Although I can appreciate your company's efforts to screen out the true concerns vs the fix-it-yourself type of problems- I would suggest you work on your filters- as the only thing I said about "international" in my email was the fee I was paying my phone company to get jacked around by your MANY departments.
I called to buy 2 monitors. The same monitors I could have purchased from your website, but I wanted to find out about shipping options, as our friend ordered a laptop from Dell in Sept of last year and waited 98 days for it to arrive.
After 40 minutes on hold and two transfers, a sales rep told me that we could call "this" (800-727-1100) and put in this extension ( x7266402) and they would hook us up with APO shipping (keep in mind I at this point in the evening had told your people were were in Germany 5 times). Hesitant as I was to hang up and end up back on hold, I did so. Only to be told by your phone system that if we call from outside the US, we can not enter an extension number. So back to the beginning of the queue I went. After another eternally long time on hold to talk to the sales department, I was transfered to the dept. that handles military, student and employee programs... More Holding... Only to be told by the rep that answered the call that he had to transfer us to another department. I was then transferred to Corporate Customer Support, who upon being told that I was trying to buy monitors transferred me to Corporate Sales. Corporate Sales, of course sent me back down to the Sales Dept. At which time I started taking names. I spoke with what sounded like an Asian Woman named "Ann". I told Ann I wanted a Manager. After more holding, she said her Supervisor was in a meeting with the managers.
Ann Transferred me to Rod, back in the military/student/employee sales Department. Rod transferred me, *while I was in mid question* to a man who identified himself as being in the Government sales dept. as they handle the APO shipping. This man sent me to the "Specialized Government Sales Team" (His words, not mine), where I spoke with Scott. I told Scott what I wanted.
I was them told a number of MORE troubling things.

He claims Dell has 2 laptop computer models and 2 desktop computer models that can ship APO. Not monitors, and though I pressed him for the reason as to why, he had none. No Explanation. Perhaps youdo not train your employees to never say "I don't know" to a customer. Tends to anger them.
He pressured me to have it shipped to someone in the states, which for times saving sake, I agreed to (I had already been on the phone with Dell for over an hour and a half). He also told me the monitor I was looking at on your site for 549.00 was 599.00 and wondered where I was getting the figure of 411.00. While I am always willing to help, I really thought that YOUR reps should know what is on YOUR site... But I explained it to him anyways.
Scott then informed me that those monitors were on back-order. (?!)
Scott then told me it would be over $60.00 in tax as we were having it shipped to California and had to pay their tax... When I never wanted it shipped there in the first place. So now I am facing backorder, 62.00 in taxes and paying shipping again to have it sent to me here.
Odd thing that, as after my husband, listening to this phone call, became completely flustered, and I told Scott to never mind, I put the order in online. I think your story about "Contracts about exporting" is a bunch of crap- as I know for a FACT that you have sent a shipment of monitors here- to this area of germany- to an APO address for a USAF purchase. I honestly believe it is a post office issue... or a matter of us not spending as much as the feds, it is hardly worth your trouble... but since that sound rather lame, you make up fancy words and jargon to impress the masses. Doesn't work on me.
Most of the time I was on the phone, I was shuffled and holding, only to be shuffled and passed off to someone else. Toward the end I think people were making stuff up. (Specialized Government Sales Dept?!) For a customer that wants to buy a monitor for his home? What's with the many transfers to Corporate sales, tech support... and Corporate SERVICE dept for a monitor I apparently can't buy?!
I am incredibly displeased with Dell's idea of customer service and phone support. I would like to know what you are going to do to fix these OBVIOUS and NUMEROUS flaws in your customer service. There is absolutely no excuse for this.

I have now just received an email from your sales team telling me that my order has been cancelled. Good. I can't imagine why I would want to give my money to a company that has an obvious apathy for the troops serving our country. dell.com/oconus is a joke, it is a half hearted attempt to provide second rate itens to customers who have an obvious lack of options due to their environemnt, and your company makes it obviously clear that you have no interest or care. There is no way in hell I am using your "Straight to Queue" number... lest I spend another hour and a half getting crapped on by your ignorant representatives.
I will be sure to make a few phone calls ad write a few letters to the USAF- Knowing one other person here, in a very small community, who had trouble with your corporation, I imagine there are quite a few... Make enough noise and someone will take notice- maybe the people who re-write those nice government contracts and checks. I will also be posting about this incident on both of my websites.
Don't bother sending me a letter of placation and apology. It is wasted on me, unless it is signed by someone who makes real decisions.