Problems with Dell:I have purchased from Dell before and was quite happy, but I have just tried to order two basic laptops for my sons for Christmas and have now given up and will be looking elsewhere. I placed the order on October 28th. I received a reply saying my order had been received and would be looked at within the next 48 hours. Four days later I received another e-mail asking for documentation for the finance. I sent these immediately, then nothing. Two weeks later I began calling "customer services". I was told the order was with finance - just wait. I tried faxing, e-mailing, phoning for the past week and still nothing. Today I tried to give it one last try and after being transferred to four different people was told: "Your order has been cancelled as you did not respond on time." Well that just took the whole cake. I am utterly disgusted with their so-called customer service. I will never deal with them again. - Heather

Nice to know that things haven't changed - we had a similar experience in 2001, where the delivery date kept being put back to the point where an original delivery date of two weeks became two months. Of course, Dell had already taken our money at this stage. Eventually we cancelled the order, and it took another 30 days for the refund to process. - Owen

Dublin retailers' bleak Christmas

This is only going to be a "tight" Christmas for the retailers when compared with the heady excesses of the last decade. None of these companies are exactly going to be banging on the Samaritans' door in the near future, and it's a bit Irish to ask the consumers to "buy Irish" - at extra cost to themselves - while swan about town in their Mercs. - Paddy

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