Hi! I am the not-so-proud owner of a Dell L702X laptop. I've owned the computer for a little over 2 years and at 13 months of ownership, I noticed that the power cord was starting to break right around the light ring, close to where it plugs into the computer. Now this laptop sits on a desk, as it always has, and the power cord has remained pligged in, so I'm not sure what causes the cord to break in this particular spot. I've done a lot of looking online and I've noticed that tons of other people have the same issue and there are even videos on YouTube showing people trying to fix their broken cords. I recently had a chat with an individual at Dell and was told that the Dell tech team was aware of the issue, had fixed it, and was replacing the adapter. That said, I was told by support that because my computer was out of warranty BEFORE the issue was even fixed, that I would have to pay to replace the cord - a $100 charge after spending $2,000.00 on the computer. Anyone else think this seems wrong? I'm pasting a copy of the chat with the support guy for your viewing pleasure!
11:07:18 AM Kimberly Tatum Initial Question/Comment: .
11:07:23 AM System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
11:07:24 AM System Connected with Harshavardhan_A
11:07:33 AM Harshavardhan_A Hello Kimberly
11:07:37 AM Kimberly Tatum Hi!
11:07:37 AM Harshavardhan_A Welcome to Dell Parts and Accessories Chat! My name is Harsha Vardhan (1800 289 3355 at extn. 4161443) and my e mail id is harshavardhan_a@dell.com.
I am pleased to be your Dell Sales Chat Expert!.
How may I assist you today?
11:08:13 AM Kimberly Tatum I have a Dell XPS L702X laptop and I am wondering if your company has ever issued a recall on the power cord?
11:08:58 AM Harshavardhan_A I am glad you chatted in and will be happy to help you today
Hope your day has been great so far
11:12:12 AM Harshavardhan_A Are you looking for a new power cord?
11:12:24 AM Kimberly Tatum The reason I am asking about the power cord is that the cord breaks in the area where the light ring is. I've done a lot of looking online and thousands of people have posted that their cords have also broken in the exact same spot. This leads to a tiny wire inside the cord breaking and the computer no longer recognizes the power source. This leads to the famous "plugged in, not charging" message on the battery.
11:14:27 AM Kimberly Tatum I purchased this computer a little more than two years ago and this has been the biggest disappointment I've had in a Dell product. A previous desktop computer I purchased from dell, approximately 12 years ago, still works perfectly. This laptop has been nothing but problems from the moment I bought it. And at $2000.00, you'd think it would have been a wonderful purchase.
11:14:48 AM Harshavardhan_A I'm really sorry for the inconvenience caused
11:15:44 AM Harshavardhan_A Dell 3 Prong AC Adapter - 90 Watt 3.28 ft Power Cord 11:16:23 AM Harshavardhan_A Could you please help me with the power cord model you have? Is it 130W or 150W?
11:16:36 AM Kimberly Tatum Dell 150-Watt 3-Prong AC Adapter with 6 ft Power Cord for Select Dell Inspiron / Latitude / Studio / Vostro / XPS Laptops / Precision Mobile WorkStations Dell Part# 331-7224 11:18:03 AM Harshavardhan_A Is that the one you have now? 11:18:08 AM Kimberly Tatum Correct
11:18:41 AM Kimberly Tatum These cords are breaking where the light ring and the black plastic meet.
11:19:43 AM Harshavardhan_A When did you purchase the adapter?
11:20:36 AM Kimberly Tatum The adapter came with the computer. I purchased the computer a little over 2 years ago; however, the cord began seperating after about 13 months of use.
11:21:23 AM Harshavardhan_A Let me check if we got that issue fixed 11:23:09 AM Kimberly Tatum My biggest concern with the cord seperating is that the internal wires are being exposed. As I have a child in the house, I am concerned that she may get shocked of she touches the cord. Since there are so many people posting about this problem online, it seems that this problem with this particular power cord could present a real safety hazard.
11:24:28 AM Harshavardhan_A I understand that. let me check with the concern team if the issue got fixed
11:24:35 AM Kimberly Tatum ok, thanks
11:28:38 AM Harshavardhan_A Thank you for waiting
11:28:43 AM Kimberly Tatum No problem
11:28:53 AM Harshavardhan_A I have just contacted the technical team and see that the issue has been fixed and the adapter which are coming out now dont have this issue
11:29:31 AM Kimberly Tatum Are the defective adapters being replaced?
11:30:13 AM Harshavardhan_A Yes
11:30:40 AM Kimberly Tatum How do I go about getting mine replaced?
11:30:53 AM Harshavardhan_A Is it under warranty?
11:30:56 AM Kimberly Tatum No
11:32:22 AM Harshavardhan_A If it was under warranty we can replace it for free
11:34:51 AM Kimberly Tatum So let me get this straight, I spent $2000.00 on a computer that came with a faulty power cord. You acknowlegde that your company found the cord to be faulty and are now replacing it with a cord that is free from defect. This problem wasn't resolved while my computer was under warranty, so now I have to pay a smll fortune for a non-faulty part that should have been included with my computer in the first place? Something about this doesn't seem right, does it?
11:35:46 AM Harshavardhan_A I understand your concern but I'm not the authorized person to setup returns. Technical support can do that
11:36:11 AM Kimberly Tatum Fine. Give me the name and number of a supervisor I can contact.
11:37:56 AM Harshavardhan_A You may reach out to our technical specialists at 1800 624 9896 or by copying the link below on a new browser window:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/contact_technical_support?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml
11:38:21 AM Kimberly Tatum Thanks
11:38:55 AM Harshavardhan_A You are welcome
11:39:00 AM Harshavardhan_A Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
11:39:07 AM Kimberly Tatum No, that's it.
11:39:25 AM Harshavardhan_A Thank you for choosing Dell. have a great day
I called tech support and was told that they had no idea the cord was faulty (even after I was just told they DID know) and that it would cost over $100.00 to replace the cord. I feel like I've been peed on without the courtesy of it being called rain. This will be my last purchase from Dell. Aside from the cord break, the power cord falls out of the computer all the time, the touch screen drivers cause the cursor to randomly jump to the left side of the screen and click, so I had to disable the drives (money spent for a touch screen that can't be used), etc, I purchased a Dell desktop computer about 13 years ago or so and it is still working fine to this day. I spend $2,000.00 on a laptop that hasn't even made it to the three year mark. Think it may be time to go back to Acer. :(