The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Naomi Seligman 202.408.5565

CREW Launches DELLception.org - Keeping a Watchful Eye on Dell's Dishonest Business Practices

WASHINGTON

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) launched a new site - DELLception.org
-- targeting Dell, Inc. for misleading and deceptive business
practices. CREW's goal is to bring greater public awareness to Dell's
refusal to keep its promise of "Next Day Service" to its customers.

CREW also filed a complaint with the District of Columbia Attorney
General, asking for an investigation into the experience CREW executive
director Melanie Sloan had with Dell when the company refused to honor
its "Next Day Parts and Labor On-Site Response." D.C., as well as other
states, prohibits these deceptive trade practices. In a January 2009
settlement with 34 state Attorneys General (not including D.C.), Dell
agreed to pay $3.35 million to resolve allegations of deceptive
advertising and its failure to honor warranties.

Ms. Sloan said today, "According to its website, 'Dell puts you back
to work fast.' But for many customers, including me, that simply is not
true. If Dell won't honor its warranties, CREW, with help from the
public, will hold Dell accountable. When a consumer pays for next day
service, she should receive next day service."

Ms. Sloan continued, "If people in 34 states had enough problems
with Dell for state attorneys general to step in, and Dell still
refused to honor my warranty after the company settled that matter,
then other people likely are having problems with Dell right now.
Honoring a warranty is a matter of ethics and at CREW, we take action
when confronted with unethical conduct. We hope D.C. Attorney General
Peter Nickles will share our concern that Dell is engaged in deceptive
marketing practices by failing to honor its warranties and launch an
immediate investigation."

DELLception.org
brings together the latest news on Dell's refusal to honor its "Next
Day Service" warranty and the latest actions by CREW to hold Dell
accountable. We encourage those with similar bad experiences with Dell
to post them on DELLception.org.

Click here to visit DELLception.org.

Read CREW's letter to the D.C. Attorney General in the related documents section on the right.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach.