Critism

In the 1990s Dell switched from using primarily ATX motherboards and PSU to using boards and power-supplies with mechanically identical but differently wired connectors. This meant customers wishing to upgrade their hardware could encounter unforeseen problems. However, company practice in this respect changed in 2003.[86][87]

In 2005, complaints about Dell more than doubled to 1,533, after earnings grew 52% that year.[88]

In 2006, Dell acknowledged that it had problems with customer service. Issues included call-transfers[89] of more than 45% of calls and long wait-times. Dell's blog detailed the response: "We’re spending more than a $100 million — and a lot of blood, sweat and tears of talented people — to fix this."[90] Later in the year, the company increased its spending on customer service to $150 million.[91]

In May, 2008 the New York Supreme Court ruled that Dell and Dell Financial Services "engaged in fraud, false advertising, deceptive business practices, and abusive debt collection practices." The relevant lawsuit aimed primarily[citation needed] to highlight and seek restitution for a lack of technical support given to customers by Dell. The court plans to hold further proceedings to determine how much money Dell has to pay out to customers and how much profit Dell made unlawfully, in New York