Dell Warrenty Different Hard-drive

[Nick Buchny]

Hey Everyone,

So long story short I'm an idiot.

I took apart my dell laptop the other day and now the screen is acting up (I believe it's a loose cable although I don't want to take it apart again to figure out what's going on.) In the process I broke one of the clips holding a cable inside and a case clip.

The laptop is still under warrenty but I'm having a hard time locating the original hard drive, so if I contact support they will know I've opened the laptop when they see it is a different model hard drive.

I'm not sure what to do at this point, I'm trying to locate the original drive but can't find it anywhere. I have the 1TB drive from my brothers Dell purchased at a similar time although it's not the exact same model.

Any advice?

 

[popatim]

I think they will know you opened it up when they see the broken clips.

 

[Nick Buchny]

So do you believe that they won't repair the screen in that case?

 

[USAFRet]

If you broke it, that's not covered under a warranty.

 

[Nick Buchny]

yes, I'm aware, but if I put all the original components into the laptop they'd have no way of knowing that I opened it right? So they can't prove it, it could have been faulty manufacturing that caused it. They are going to send a technician to my place to service so I guess we'll see what he says.

 

[USAFRet]

yes, I'm aware, but if I put all the original components into the laptop they'd have no way of knowing that I opened it right? So they can't prove it, it could have been faulty manufacturing that caused it. They are going to send a technician to my place to service so I guess we'll see what he says.

If you had opened it, I could probably tell that you did.
Scratches on the screws, etc.

Additionally, if you've had it more than 2 days, and NOW the screen is acting up...why did you not report this earlier?
'How did this get broken?'

 

[Nick Buchny]

yes, I'm aware, but if I put all the original components into the laptop they'd have no way of knowing that I opened it right? So they can't prove it, it could have been faulty manufacturing that caused it. They are going to send a technician to my place to service so I guess we'll see what he says.

If you had opened it, I could probably tell that you did.
Scratches on the screws, etc.

Once again scratches on the screws isn't 100% proof that I opened it, a grain of anything could have gotten in there and scratched up against the screw head, or it could have happened at best buy or the dell facility.

I'm hoping that my laptop won't be serviced by someone who is out to just show up and say sorry no. I found the original hard disk so I'm going to put that back in and I suppose I"ll see what happens.

 

[USAFRet]

No, it's not 'proof' that you did it. It's an indication that someone did it.

All you can do is see what the Dell guy says.
They will probably fix it.

 

[Nick Buchny]

Yes, I hope he will fix it. Or at least he will fix the screen and leave whatever else is broken as it is. Do you work as a service technician? How extensive does damage usually have to be for the service repair guy to reject to repair it.

 

[ss202sl]

The real question then, is whether opening the laptop voids the warranty. I don't think it does, so whether or not you opened the case shouldn't matter. You broke the clips, and as long as you're not asking to get the clips replaced I think they'll fix it. The drive again isn't a big deal because it's an item that users upgrade all the time.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, I hope he will fix it. Or at least he will fix the screen and leave whatever else is broken as it is. Do you work as a service technician? How extensive does damage usually have to be for the service repair guy to reject to repair it.

Service tech? No.
But the dividing line for warranty work is:
1. User caused or Dell/factory caused?
2. What 'warranty' did you pay for?


"In the process I broke one of the clips holding a cable inside and a case clip. "
This is user caused. Little different than throwing it out a second story window, and expecting warranty service.

Anything is fixable. Just depends on how much $$, and who volunteers to pay that.

 

[Nick Buchny]

Yes, I hope he will fix it. Or at least he will fix the screen and leave whatever else is broken as it is. Do you work as a service technician? How extensive does damage usually have to be for the service repair guy to reject to repair it.

Service tech? No.
But the dividing line for warranty work is:
1. User caused or Dell/factory caused?
2. What 'warranty' did you pay for?


"In the process I broke one of the clips holding a cable inside and a case clip. "
This is user caused. Little different than throwing it out a second story window, and expecting warranty service.

Anything is fixable. Just depends on how much $$, and who volunteers to pay that.

Yes thats fair. This is still under the Dell limited warrenty that covers their faults.

Their tech is coming to my place for sure, I'm just debating whether or not I should put the original HD back in or just leave the swap I did and be honest about what happens in hopes that the guy is nice and helps me out. I didn't drop it or anything, just got curious when taking it apart and didn't fully understand what I was doing.

 

[Nick Buchny]

The real question then, is whether opening the laptop voids the warranty. I don't think it does, so whether or not you opened the case shouldn't matter. You broke the clips, and as long as you're not asking to get the clips replaced I think they'll fix it. The drive again isn't a big deal because it's an item that users upgrade all the time.

Yeah while I agree with that I'm afraid the tech will say "you just damaged the screen/cable while doing the replacement so it's not covered. Or something along those lines..

 

[bignastyid]

" I didn't drop it or anything, just got curious when taking it apart and didn't fully understand what I was doing" and why should Dell have to pay for this? Also by lying to get warranty service you are committing fraud.

 

[Nick Buchny]

" I didn't drop it or anything, just got curious when taking it apart and didn't fully understand what I was doing" and why should Dell have to pay for this? Also by lying to get warranty service you are committing fraud.

They are a multi national billion dollar corporation... the service tech gets paid either way, I'm not drowning a bag of puppies.

Second of all I'm not lying, they haven't asked me if I dropped the laptop, they simply asked what the issue was and I stated it.

 

[bignastyid]

" I didn't drop it or anything, just got curious when taking it apart and didn't fully understand what I was doing" and why should Dell have to pay for this? Also by lying to get warranty service you are committing fraud.

They are a multi national billion dollar corporation... the service tech gets paid either way, I'm not drowning a bag of puppies.

Second of all I'm not lying, they haven't asked me if I dropped the laptop, they simply asked what the issue was and I stated it.

They can afford it, so that makes it ok to defraud them?

 

[bignastyid]

Given that illegal activity is against the rules of conduct I'm closing this thread.