I received this information in an e-mail. Thought I would pass it on.

This was verified true at: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/dell.asp

Both Snopes.com and TruthorFiction.com report this as true, according to the letter I received.

As far as I'm concerned, Goodby Dell. We don' need you.

Here's the letter:


Dell messed up.....

I am writing this because I feel every Firearms owner should know this story. I placed an order for a Dell notebook computer on February 13 on line with Dell. I was given a tentative delivery date of February 21st. I was watching the order through the Dell on line tracking system; I also opted for the automatic email notification of when the machine was to be shipped. Well the 21st came and went, I am a Pistolsmith I know things can happen. I made a phone call on the 25th,did a voice mail message for my salesman to get back to me and I was looking for the delivery date. The 25th came and went with no callback. On the 26th I placed another call this time to cancel the order.

After a few hours I got a call back, with this amazing reason for the delay. It seems someone in Dell had already canceled my order, when I asked why I was told Dell was afraid I was going to use the machine for illegal purposes. When I asked why someone would think that I was told it was because of the name of my business "Weigand Combat Handguns Inc.". Because I am involved in firearms I might be doing something illegal. Now keep in mind I was never called or informed of this decision the order was just canceled.


Many of you know me personally and know I run my business about as squeaky clean as possible. In addition being the President of the American Pistolsmiths Guild I am under additional scrutiny as to how I run my business, if I am not clean how can I be the President of an organization that promotes just that! I was informed by a Dell supervisor not long after all of this the reason I was refused was because of their post September 11th policy of screening buyers. I would like to respectfully ask the firearms community to do the following. If you intended to buy a Dell and because of this letter you do not, email Dell and let them know why.

Feel free to distribute this account to all you know in the Firearms community, I think they need to know. I for one am sick and tired of people assuming just because we are involved with firearms that we are doing something illegal. I also do not believe Dell deserves our business if this is how they intend to treat us.

God Bless

Jack Weigand

President American Pistolsmiths Guild Inc.

Already went through this the other day in another thread. But here is the crux:

Dell was trying to avoid selling computers to terrorists.

If you read the article you learn that Dell made a mistake because of their post 9-1-1 screening procedure to prevent computers from falling into the wrong hands. They said they would try to improve their screening method so that sort of thing doesn't happen again. They apologized and offered the man a computer free of charge for the mistake. What more can you ask of them?

quote:

Emphasis added:

One can hardly blame companies involved in the manufacture and sales of high-tech products such as computers for implementing some form of sales screening after the events of September 11. The important factors are how those screening procedures are implemented, and how those companies respond when their screening procedures fail.

That Dell's mechanism for screening questionable purchases failed, and that a blameless customer found his order summarily cancelled without notification or explanation is apparent, but the issue seems to be far less that Dell discriminates against gun owners and dealers by assuming that anyone "involved in <NOBR>firearms . . .</NOBR> might be doing something illegal" than they simply made some questionable decisions in implementing their screening.

-------

Still, it appears that once Dell was made aware of the problem, they acted responsibly. As <NOBR>Mr. Weigand</NOBR> explained on his own page about the 'Dell Issue' although Dell essentially left him hanging until he made the effort to contact them, they did check into the matter, told him why his order had been cancelled, and explained that the problem had been caused by a "breakdown in communications." Moreover, a Dell representative apologized to <NOBR>Mr. Weigand,</NOBR> informed him that Dell would review their screening procedures with an eye towards preventing a recurrence of this type of problem, and offered to send <NOBR>Mr. Weigand</NOBR> a free Dell computer at their expense. That sounds like a pretty fair attempt at problem resolution on Dell's part to us, not evidence of bias against gun owners and sellers worthy of a call for boycott.

What's more, the article is from November 2007 and Mr. Weigand's problem occured in February of 2002, only five months after 9-1-1! . Since we haven't heard of gun businesses having problems with Dell since, I think we can reasonably assume they were successful in changing their screening procedures.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
I'm so sick of 9-11 being used as an excuse for everything under the sun!!!! I don't care when it was dated DELL canceled the mans order for NO good reason. Does anyone really believe they where trying to keep computers out of terrorist hands?????? How many PC does dell selling in the middle east???? have they stopped sending computers to foreign countries. OR just honest gun shop owners!!!!!!!YA your right they where trying to solve a nonexistent problem while being totally politically correct

You know, on second thought I have to agree with you. Even though that was the end of the story 8 years and 7 months ago, Dell must be anti-gun and we should all start boycotting them retroactively. As soon as I post this response I am going to dig through my garage and find every keyboard, mouse, monitor, computer, and accessory I purchased from them over the last 8 years and send it back under protest with a demand for a refund. I will insist Dell contact whoever was the CEO 8 years ago and spank him. I will demand that the employee, the one who over-reacted when the federal government pressed Dell to do whatever it could to stop the export or illegal use of anything in the heat of post-9-1-1, have his retirement and health care benefits revoked and be forced to report back to Dell for his spanking. We shall not allow this effrontery to commerce in arms to go unnoticed. We must band together and show the world that even one mistake 8 years ago by a company that sells to millions of customers must not go unnoticed. Write your congressman. Write letters to the editors. Post on every forum. Put signs in your yard. Place it on milk cartons. The humanity, oh the humanity, ohh the humanity...


Or, better yet, instead of overreacting, I think I'll just go out and shoot some doves.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
I'm so sick of 9-11 being used as an excuse for everything under the sun!!!! I don't care when it was dated DELL canceled the mans order for NO good reason. Does anyone really believe they where trying to keep computers out of terrorist hands?????? How many PC does dell selling in the middle east???? have they stopped sending computers to foreign countries. OR just honest gun shop owners!!!!!!!YA your right they where trying to solve a nonexistent problem while being totally politically correct

If you don't want anyone's help trying to avoid another terrorist attack here at home then I'd like to hear your plan. Gonna go out and weed them out yourself? Stop this bullshit about some perceived infringement on YOUR freedoms....it's a different world and those freedoms we grew up enjoying have been put in jeopardy by terrorists (and misguided liberals hell bent on befriending them.....but that's another topic).

Do you let your 6 year old daughter walk to school alone like we used to when we were kids just because you don't want the serial pedophiles infringing on your freedom? Think.

Dell has always been a anti gun, anti hunting, pussy ass Company. Maybe its owned by a bunch of faggot libturds. Fawk Dell !

Yeah, screw Dell if they're anti-gun....that wasn't my point. I say just don't buy from any company that is anti-gun, etc......unfortunately, there's a lot of them.

quote:

Originally posted by JD Miller:
Dell has always been a anti gun, anti hunting, pussy ass Company. Maybe its owned by a bunch of faggot libturds. Fawk Dell !

wth?
Dell being anti terrorist makes them antigun?

kneejerking reaction .. of a 7 year old problem ..

the events are true -- the rational .. well, aint ...

A guy ordered a computer
Dell canceled the order through what they acknowledged was a mistake.
They apologized.
They changed their procedures so as not to repeat the mistake
They gave the guy the computer FREE

Can anyone find another, similar occurrence involving Dell within the last 8 years?

How many gunsmiths, gun makers, or gun stores would do what Dell did to make things right?

And what does the NRA have to say about Dell?

quote:

Dell and Our Right to Arms - 3/1/2002

"When NRA became aware of this situation, we contacted Dell, and the company has been very responsive to our concerns. It also quickly contacted Mr. Weigand to offer an apology and an explanation as to why his order had been cancelled. Dell representatives have shown a genuine concern over the implication that it takes a position in the debate over firearms, and it has gone to great lengths to assure NRA, and Mr. Weigand, that the company is not interested in taking sides in this political discussion."

"NRA will continue to explore these issues, but it would appear that Dell as a corporation does not support an anti-gun agenda, as some have been reporting."

I stand dully corrected I was remiss and did not read the snopes report. I withdraw my previous rants

Thanks Grenadier.....the truth just keeps getting harder to come by.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
]

wth?
Dell being anti terrorist makes them antigun?

.

Where the hell you been Jeffy?

Its been a known fact for years and years that dell was and is anti gun , anti hunting even before 9/11 happened.....



.

quote:

Originally posted by JD Miller:

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
]

wth?
Dell being anti terrorist makes them antigun?

.

Where the hell you been Jeffy?

Its been a known fact for years and years that dell was and is anti gun , anti hunting even before 9/11 happened.....
.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
And what does the NRA have to say about Dell?

quote:

Dell and Our Right to Arms - 3/1/2002

"When NRA became aware of this situation, we contacted Dell, and the company has been very responsive to our concerns. It also quickly contacted Mr. Weigand to offer an apology and an explanation as to why his order had been cancelled. Dell representatives have shown a genuine concern over the implication that it takes a position in the debate over firearms, and it has gone to great lengths to assure NRA, and Mr. Weigand, that the company is not interested in taking sides in this political discussion."

"NRA will continue to explore these issues, but it would appear that Dell as a corporation does not support an anti-gun agenda, as some have been reporting."

prove it

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
prove it

Wow..... My gosh.


.

just trying to be nice, but firm .. the NRA says there's no truth to dell being anti gun, though the guys DID receive a free computer due to AN overzealous emplyee