I just tried to spend $1,800 for a Dell D620 Laptop and was refused service specifically because I was overseas with an APO address. (The APO means I’m living overseas courtesy of the military) But this happens much more than most people think. It happens on eBay, Amazon, larger retail stores and even with companies, like Dell, that do monstrous amounts of business with the government. Even Apple refuses to ship to APO customers. I have some very, very strong things to say about this, but I’ll keep it civilized.
After I configured exactly what I wanted, I placed my order on Dell’s website, filled out all the required info and got the following:
Dear Mr. /Mrs, Justin XX:
Thank you for your Dell online order.
Unfortunately we had to cancel the order because the website you used is not designed for our APO/FPO customers. We also are unable to honor any promotions offered through that website. The available payment method are Dell Preferred Accounts and by credit card.
We would like to inform you about our Dell Federal Employee Purchase Program which provides Federal Government Employees exclusive savings on pre-configured Dell Dimension desktops and Inspiron notebooks.
Please visit us at: www.dell.com/oconus and enter your membership ID number. If you do not have this number available, please select Department of Defense from the offered options, then you can replace your order with a valid APO/FPO system
configuration.If you wish to purchase items listed under “Accessories”, please call our dedicated phone queue to check on availability (800-293-3492 or 512-728-3500 ext.46220). Not all software and peripherals are available for shipment to APO/FPO addresses due to distribution agreements with the Software and Peripheral manufacturers.
For details about the program, please visit Frequently Asked Questions.
Thank you for being a Dell Customer,
Dell Employee and Education Personal Purchase Programs
Toll free: 1-877-248-3731, Opt 2, Opt 1
Hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm CST
I read this message several times and couldn’t believe it. The website didn’t complain at all about my address - even asked if I was exempt from import tax… So, after I get upset, I move over to the designated website (www.dell.com/oconus) and found the following paragraph:
Overseas APO/FPO Ordering Instructions
All overseas APO/FPO orders can be placed online but you must follow the restrictions defined in the Frequently Asked Questions section or your order will be canceled or put on hold. If this occurs, a Dell Sales Representative will contact you to adjust your order.
Going to the FAQ shows nothing about exactly why APO/FPO orders are canceled. The only thing that it shows is an incorrect message about how certain types of software cannot be sent overseas. This is incorrect because I’m a US Citizen, on a US base, using software for my personal use. I am not exporting it to anyone, nor are they exporting it to me. Besides, the software (”No Digital Music or Digital Imaging Software is available for shipment.”) was something I was unconcerned about (and hadn’t included in my order in any way) because I already have the software I need or Dell doesn’t offer what I want preinstalled.
Now, after looking over the website, I hate to say this, but that website is a neutered version of the Dell website. Wait, I’m sorry - it’s the same Dell website that I ordered from, just with different choices and prices. If I choose the link that states I’m a DoD Employee it offers exactly 1 desktop and 2 laptops. I don’t want either one of the 2 laptops offered because they’re preconfigured to how Dell thinks I would want them. Now, if I say I’m a federal employee (kinda sorta - right?) I can configure the laptop I want, but the kicker is - the SAME laptop with the SAME parts is just about $300 more expensive on the Oconus site. Now - why in the hell is Dell offering this as a discount to Federal Employees when it’s actually more expensive? In all fairness, I clicked the “ad to cart” button and received a whole 12% off, bringing the total to $100 more expensive than the standard website. Throw in the fact that I’d have to pay for shipping, whereas the regular website made the shipping I wanted free, I’m still paying more for the discount on the APO website. Not to mention the lack of extra options.
This situation also happens on a lot of websites with other vendors. Employees everywhere are offered discounts via their HR dept. This is normally sold as a perk, but if you look into it, the employee discount is normally a higher price than the normal price sold on the Dell website (or other company). Dell and the gang get around this issue by offering Sales on their normal website. This is why Dell’s template says that I wouldn’t be able to get the discounts offered on the dell.com website. Don’t know about you, but this is a shitty way of getting around False Advertising.
It’s really too bad that specific companies are starting to refuse service to overseas service members. This problem has grown so bad that there are websites and companies that specifically cater to APO customers. That’s right - a whole business niche catered to the US Military. The government also attempts to maintain a database of which companies ship overseas, but it’s usually out of date, not to mention, incorrect. As a for-instance, Amazon is listed as a retailer that ships overseas, but when you look at half the crap being peddled on Amazon, half the individual retailers refuse to ship to APO. eBay has the same issue.
Long story short, I’ve decided that if Dell doesn’t want my money and wants to send me to another site where I’d have to pay more - they don’t need my money and I don’t need the laptop. Now, I’m looking at spending $3,000 with IBM for a full desktop replacement machine. This problem has gotten so out of hand that many families are refusing to purchase items through specific retailers. Personally, I don’t buy anything off eBay, Amazon and now Dell. The list will continue to grow.
Oh - and Dell, if you somehow end up reading this, I don’t want to hear about how you do technically ship overseas. Your form already proved that - my problem is you randomly cancel orders whenever you feel like it due to an address and the fact that you THINK that your discount program applies to me. I am not the first person whom you’ve canceled an order due to APO and I certainly won’t be the last.
