My husband and I have a Dell Financial Services account together and it's been okay. Nothing terrible happened but also it's not the greatest account we have ever had either. It was easy for us to get the account and the rates are a little high but we keep our balance low and only buy things when they are in need or we find a great sale. As long as the balance is kept low and our account is in good standing it's been an okay card to have. Over time they have increased our limit but we still try to keep our balance very low. Because our balance is low our monthly payments aren't too high. Their website is easy to navigate, but we do have issues paying our bill online sometimes. When we click on the pay bill tab and it will take us back to the home page. I have to click pay bill a few times before it actually takes me to the right page. Just time consuming but nothing I can't handle. We actually had an incident where there was a purchase made on our account that wasn't ours. We called Dell and the police right away to have it taken care of because we thought it was fraud. They handled it well and froze our account while they looked into it. It ended up being another customer of theirs that had the same name as my husband and Dell put it on our account instead of his by accident. Even though this was an error made by Dell that completely stressed us out, we were glad it was just a mistake and not fraud and that they took care of it. I would only recommend Dell Financial Services if you want to get a great computer or TV that's on sale and you plan on paying if off fast.

roxycody

Texas

I was in desperate need of a new laptop and was talked into getting the Dell Preferred Account Card when I purchased my laptop. I've always been responsible with my credit cards and generally have had no problems. Generally I will make a purchase and immediately pay off the balance so I don't have to deal with interests rates and all that. Since this laptop purchase was a little more expensive than the stuff I usually purchase I did have to make some payments on this credit card. I ended up paying a few hundred dollars more than my laptop actually cost due to the crazy interest rates, had to interact with EXTREMELY rude customer service, and got random charges on my account which were never made clear to me what they were actually for. Getting a Dell Preferred Account Card is super easy and quick. I think one thing that draws some people to this card is the fact that they allow you to make very low monthly payments which if you are struggling with money, seems convenient. Except the fact that they have VERY HIGH interest rates so just paying the minimal amount with the interest added onto it gets expensive. I've had friends tell me the amount they actually ended up paying for their Dell products when they payed the minimal amount each month and WOW. Personally, I paid my laptop off in about 5 months but then I still ended up paying a few hundred dollars more than my device actually cost. My interest rate went from 25% to 27% for some unknown reason. The problem wasn't just the interest being added on to my bill but I would get random charges. They weren't big charges, just an extra $10, $15, $20, on my bill. I would call customer service [which was torture!] and they would never really give me a clear answer. When I paid my balance off I got a charge for paying it off in full. Ah, their not so polite, customer service. That was SUCH a joy to deal with. They do not speak English, which isn't uncommon with a lot of companies. They just feed you their scripted out lines. What bothered me was generally you can ask to speak to someone who speaks English. But when I requested that they refused. I literally could NOT understand 90% of what they were saying to me. The representative also wasn't understanding me, I'm pretty sure. That is the reason I could never get a clear answer as to why random charges would appear on my account or why I got a charge for paying my balance off in full. That was my last purchase from Dell. I will NEVER purchase another product through them because of their Dell Preferred Account Card and the insane amount of hassle it was, plus all the extra money I paid.

evlmidget

Undisclosed

I have purchased from dell for 3 years now. If I have any trouble they are very prompt on getting it resolved. For example I had a package delivered to the wrong address and I called Dell they sent out a replacement asap! As soon as the original was found they were helpful in the return of the extra product. Ive never had a rude rep. online or on the phone. I find the online chat very helpful and fast. They will also send you the chat session and call you asap if the chat session cant resolve the issue you have. For example I wanted to return the venue 8 pro tablet(windows 8 isnt for me it was a beautiful tablet though) We started the chat session and the the rep want to call to let us know of other options they sell and offer discount for us to keep trying the Venue 8 pro. Thought that was impressive. And you also get a % back to use at a later time( usually with in a week) Customer Service Very polite and solves issues you might have Available Rates Not the greatest rate

mjjjflick

USA

Dell is a popular name in personal computers. This hardware manufacturer is unique in that it doesn't sell computers in stores- it only sells via its online store or over the phone. Rgeardless of how you purchase your Dell computer, you have to pay in full before shipment is made. If you don't have the money or credit, Dell may help you through **Dell Financial Services**, the financing arm of the computer making giant. **Financial Service Commentary:** Dell Financial Services offers financing for andy of the products sold through its online store, and this would include computers, printers, ink, software, electronics, etc. Customers start the process by filling out an online application for credit, then they wait for a response. Dell confirms or rejects credit applicants very quickly, and they usually have an answer back to you almost instantly. Once approved, customers can use their Dell account up to the stated credit limit to make future Dell purchases. I have an account with Dell Financial Services- an account I first opened up many years ago when I was purchasing a new computer and decided to give Dell Financial Services a try rather than use a credit card. Upon receiving my first statement in the mail, I quickly realized the many shortcomings with this service. The most obvious is the rate of interest. It varies from one customer to the next but it is several points higher than my other credit cards. The interest rate is similar to that of a store credit card, and this explains, in part, why the approval process is so fast. Dell is taking a certain amount of risk by approving customer credit so easily, so it makes sense that the interest rate would have to be a little higher than average. Probably the most frustrating aspect of Dell Financial Services is its payment structure and fees. Customers have to be very careful with Dell Financial Services because if the payments you make are too small, the overall interest paid will be overwhelming. For example, let's say your quoted interest rate is 21% and your initial charges are $900. This would work out to $15.75 interest for the first month. Dell Financial Services computes minimum payments as 3 percent of your balance (with a minimum of $15 regardless of balance), and that means a very small portion of your payments will go toward reduction of principle. Going back to my $900 initial balance, the minimum payment amount is $27. If a customer continues to make nothing but minimum payments, they could easily end up paying back double the amount of the original purchase, due to the high interest rates. And paying on- line or by phone only magnifies the financial issues further because Dell often charges extra for these conveniences. These added fees and high interest rates make Dell Financial Services one of the least economical ways to finance the purchase of a computer.  Dell offers customer service support for its financial services, but the service for Dell Financial Services isn't what it should be. Getting through to customer service over the phone isn't too difficult, but I have had some trouble communicating with some of the reps. The reps try to help, but some of them cannot communicate responses effectively. This is why I recommend using the on- line chat if you have questions about your billing statement or financing. It takes a little longer to get connected, but the communication is better.  **Bottom- Line Viewpoint:**   Dell makes good quality computers, but Dell Financial Services is a sub- par service that doesn't live up to the Dell standard of quality. The interest rates are high, customer service is somewhat difficult, and integrity is questionable. I appreciate the lightening- fast approval but consumers pay for this swiftness through high interest rates and no incentives. I recommend instead using your MasterCard or Visa instead and then paying off the balance as quickly as possible. You will still get your Dell pc and you will save money in the long run.     Customer Service Customer service is lacking and inconsistent Available Rates Many available rates, but all are high

Bryan-Carey

Houston, TX

A few years ago, I purchased some Dell products adn was lured in with perks if I signed up for a Dell Financial account. The account helped me purchase a computer and a few other items which I needed. However, when it came time to pay for them, Dell set me up with an outrageously high interest rate. A couple years back, I was in an unfortunate and unplanned situation where my husband passed away and had no insurance. I quickly went to a two person budget on a one person salary. I called all my creditors and asked for some leniency while I worked out my situation and tried to get back on track with my new situation. It clearly wasn't my fault and I was doing everything I could to keep up with payments despite the fact that I could no longer afford to do so. Every creditor was willing to work with me except for Dell. Not only did they refuse to give me a month off of paying, a lower interest rate, or even waive some fees, but a few months later - after I couldn't make my full payments - they raised my rate to a whopping 28%. I've since had to enter into a debt management program which has helped me get back on track with paying all my bills on time. However, Dell was the only company who refused to work with the debt management company. They continued to harass me multiple times a day, and insulted me repeatedly when I tried to explain my situation. I'm not trying to get out of paying a bill. I just hoped for some compassion for a unavoidable situation and Dell was the only company who didn't give a crap. Their lack of compassion has caused me to vow to never purchase from them again. I've even convinced my company to stop purchasing Dell products as well. So for that little bit of money that they are trying to squeeze out of me, they lost thousands in the long run. Whatever you do, DON'T get into any agreements with Dell Financial. In the unfortunate event that you can't pay your bill, they won't care and they'll just make it worse.

iriemama

Cincinnati, OH

Dell Financial has their customer service based out of the Phillipines. They use one of those smarmy "scripts" to work from, ending every short conversation with "I'll be happy to help you with that, Mr. Smith," or "I can understand your concern, Mr. Smith." This alone becomes very annoying, simply because it's so DUMB sounding.  But what is really maddening is whenever my company buys a computer system from Dell - about once every 6 months or so - I call Dell Financial and request the *complete *pay off amount if we pay this bill by a certain date.  We then pay that full amount.  It never fails that one month later I receive a bill for at least another $60 in "Late Charge Assessments," "Billed Finance Charges on Purchase," and "Billed Deferred Finance Charges on Purchase."  WTF?  So I have to call the Phillipines again and talk with "Ian" or "Linda" or "Kris" for about 30 minutes - put frequently on hold with their obnoxiously loud "hold" music - to have these charges reversed.  I know some larger companies would probably just pay the additional fees, but I refuse, especially after I've already received a full payoff amount from them.

TahoeMamaBear

Incline Village, NV

I love Dell. I buy from Dell outlet, because, personally, I'm convinced those are great deals. The most recent time I thought, let's see if they can get me financed for my $600. Sure enough, I was approved. With a 20% APR. And no further information. I got a letter in the mail a couple days letter repeating the rate and letting me know I could turn down this offer if I called within three days. Except it is not clear from the letter what one would be turning down: there's no indication of a monthly payment or of how many months I have to repay the thing. Or any other helpful hints. The phone number given in the letter gets you to Dell central where you have to navigate multiple layers of the menu to get to finance in the first place. Then I was on hold. At that point, the line was so bad I had to hold the receiver away from ear, because the cracking static over the upbeat music was just brutal. I could hardly hear the rep when she picked up. I was informed that I'll get another packet in the mail that will satisfy my curiousity regarding the terms of MY loan, and that at that point I'll still have a chance to turn it down. So far, my experience tells me to put it on the credit card next time.

Hound

Lincoln, NE

Dell is an easy account to get, but the interest rates are very high.  However it can come in handy when you need electronics or ink for your computer.  As long as you keep your balance low and keep it in good standing,  it is not a bad card.  I use it for buying ink and I bought my computer with it.  The payments are low but that is because I have not really made any large purchases with the account.  Online access is availabe, which makes it easy to pay on the account, but if you do not have willpower it also makes it easier to spend.  Dell has widened it's inventory. Now you are able to buy game systems, televisions, games as well as computers.  Accessories can add up,  they have ink, computer bags, mp3 players, phones, label makers, you name it in electronics and dell probably carries it.  If you computer goes crazy or your television is on the fritz, Dell is a handy account to have, especially nowadays in a recession.

mandieal40

Atlanta, GA