**DELL 70-200 IS** R E C E I V E D

[Sketcher]

This thread regards a Canon Lens (70-200 f/2.8L IS) which was sold by Dell for the price of the Non-IS version. The deal is no longer available and the purpose of this thread is to stay current on the order status for those who were able to get their orders in before the close. For details regarding the deal, scroll down to the bottom of this post as the updates are listed by date, the most recent being just below this paragraph.

*Edit - For those of you who receive your lens and choose to sell it, please do so over in the Marketplace and reserve this thread for Order status and deliveries.

Thank you.

*********


[02-04-04]
More lenses have arrived and a few are still noted as awaiting status change and/or delivery. Whether the bottleneck has cleared and the end of the disbursement is near or not is unknown. Different dates from the end of February to end of August have been noted at different times and the only real indication of the end will come when no one asks for their lens status anymore. What is known however, is that many Many MANY people who view and even participate in this forum have ordered this lens 'ala Dell and haven't posted or made thread inquiries here (this by the amount of PM and e-mail I've received). Do not worry you silent majority - your secret identity is safe. It'll be interesting however, to note the increase of "new owner" questions regarding the 70-200 IS over the coming months! ;). In my previous post I thanked Dell and acknowledged that the purchase was indeed worth the wait. Additionally, I thank Canon for their part in supplying this lens and for sole or shared responsibility in following through with this exceptional deal when so many other Dell 'mis-prices' have gone the way of the trash bin!


[01-30-04b]
The clouds parted, sunlight shone down upon the driveway. I'm sure I heard trumpets and a choir in the background (in retrospect, it was the kids' Veggie Tales Silly Songs providing the atmosphere). The Airborne driver walked up to the door and I invited him inside. When asked if he wanted to hang his jacket and have some lunch; take a break from the -24 chill he looked at me as if I was smoking, well... something. I won't bore you with pictures of the Van pulling up, driving away, box from Dell PA or the contents therein (though I did unashamedly shoot all of those pictures). Going to let the lens warm up to room temp before I fire it up though cuz my skin nearly stuck to the freezing surface as I took it out of the case! It's a good thing we had a kid this week (the wife's occupied making googly noises; doesn't notice the lens... yet). Thanks Dell, it's been worth the wait.

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!

Best Regards,

Sketcher


[01-30-04a]
Dare I say it out loud!? Package ARRIVED!! The arrival date was actually the 26th, but I've been quite busy so haven't had time to post. This baby didn't ring in at 6lbs though. 7lbs 5.5oz was the delivered weight on this guy! We've named him too. Noah James :). With the arrival of my son, I've temporarily forgotten about the labor of love known as the Dell Lens. Not to worry however as many of you have PM'ed/e-mailed informing me that your cards have been charged and orders are in transit. I just checked mine and my lens is on its way as well! Airborne tracking says it's due for delivery today. I'm home with the newborn so every outdoor noise has me checking for a delivery truck. Congrats to the rest of you on the soon to be new additions to your families! (Lens addition that is :D).


[01-22-04]
Some day, this thread will die a noble death... or should that be ignoble?? For now, another update from some lucky stiffs in another forum: Nothing new from Dell correspondence-wise, but more people over in dp have received their lens this past week. My attention is no longer piqued nor does my heart race at the mention of lenses shipping. My service to this thread is near perfunctory and your wish that this thread and those like it would go away is nearing fulfilment. Alas, eh!? WTH??? Wheeeeew. Almost gave in to complacency and indifference there. Not me Buddy! Windchill is a nippy -30 today, guess I just got a little brain freeze on the way in. No lenses for me yet. But then, my order page does show on or before 08-26-04....


[01-14-04]
Received another e-mail today - this one telling me that I had not responded to the previous notification and that the orders would be canceled if I didn't respond to this last attempt (In fact, I've responded to every whim, whisper, e-mail, voicemail or otherwise). I called Percy (again, not his name) and he assured me that my account was noted and that my orders were due to ship in the next disbursement from Canon. When asked why I'm still getting these warning notifications being that I've entered the inner circle of customer support via michael_dell@dell.com; he said there seem to be areas of the system that are still catching up and that I should receive an actual letter from Dell regarding the situation. No other news, nuance or nonsense at this time. As with Tom (belmondo) I'm content to wait until warm places freezes over, or cold places unthaw (for those of us in the upper midwest) as long as the price differential stands. Seeing as how there's not likely to be a $500.00 drop in price on Canon's most prized lens in the forseable future - I'll gladly maintain my place in line.


[01-07-04b]
Received a phone call from Dell Executive services regarding an e-mail I had sent to michael_dell@dell.com. I simply asked for my orders to be noted for Consent to Delay and inquired as to why orders in general were not shipping according to purchase date. Percy (not his name) said "Mr. Bond (not my name) I apologize for the inconvenience you've been subject to and I want you to know that there is one person handling these orders and he has escalated and marked your orders to be filled with the next shipment received from Canon. Unfortunately, neither he nor anyone else here knows when that date is but your lenses will ship when Canon sends them." He also said to make sure I respond to all e-mail and automated calls from Dell to make sure nothing stops the processing of my order at any point (just in case). He then asked me if there are any questions he could answer for me. I asked a bunch of questions and he never once mentioned that I could cancel my order at any time. In fact, he gave me his direct # and will call me back tomorrow regarding a couple issues I inquired about. I will not give out the name or number of this contact but I encourage any of you who are unsure of your order status to send a considerate, brief e-mail to michael_dell@dell.com. At least in my case, I received the answer I was looking for.


[01-07-04a]
Well, lenses are shipping and arriving all over the place still with no rhyme or reason as to the order of things. And now an official statement from Dell:

Due to a pricing error beyond our control, the Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS USM Camera Lens SKU A0166172 was incorrectly priced at the time you placed your order. Despite this error, Canon has agreed to honor your order for this lens at the advertised price.
The e-mail goes on to describe a 8 month fulfilment, they value you as a customer and you have to respond to the notice or they can't ship your order... The Web status pages continually seem to be in a state of maintenance with no accuracy in foretelling the future; the only true indication of shipping that of a charge to credit card, airborne tracking number or the thing actually showing up on the doorstep. As for the statement from Dell which many are receiving. Dell admits there was a pricing error beyond their control and that Canon agrees to fulfill orders at the advertised price. Not definitive by any means IMO. Talk amongst yourselves...


[12-23-03]
Just when you thought this thread had been left on the island of misfit threads! Surfing between the forums bears out that another round of shipments may be in the works. As noted by Jim01 and CDS their order status has changed from “Pending” to “Being processed and should ship by…” Important to note as well is that the Dellbot attrition modus operandi is still in effect. If you receive and do not respond to the Dell automated notification that your order is still delayed and that you want it continued – your order will be canceled @ three days after the notice. So, keep your registered number in good standing as I almost missed those notices not having had my cell phone operational at the time of the calls. There’s still no known methodology as to which priority the lenses are shipping because there are orders which were placed on the 21st and 22nd that have not been filled while a number of orders placed later have been completed. Ingram Micro ships strictly according to orders from Dell (Dell has three separate Ingram accounts which are used – Ingram wouldn’t comment on which if any account took precedence). According to Dell Customer Service and that heartless Dellbot my orders currently hold an estimated delivery date of “not before January 30th”. I’ll keep my cell ready for the January notice that my orders are delayed again ‘till February.


[12-03-03]
Glad to hear people on this side of the fence are finally receiving their lens! I'm envisioning Tom wildly screaming and a weirded out FedEx driver wondering what could cause a grown man to stage a sit down in a residential street. Alas, mine has not yet arrived. One good thing today however, is that after two years of self imposed debt control I'm finally completely out of credit card debt!! Wheeeeew!. Now, I don't know if I really want another $1,000.00+ hittin' a card. I mean, it's almost a euphoric experience having zero CC balance... Eh, what am I saying!? Where's my lens already!!!! Congrats Holly, Rob, Tom (Start a thread w/pics from your shiny new 70-200 IS's !!).


[11-25-03b]
Noting that some orders placed as early as 9/20 have not yet been fulfilled and some on 9/25 have, I tried to track down the sequence breakdown. I contacted Ingram Micro (where most of the lens orders are being shipped from) and verified that they ship First In First Out (FIFO). Dell has three separate accounts with Ingram Micro and and it is not known by Ingram which supply methodology Dell uses to supply the orders (meaning they ship FIFO according to the order list Dell gives them). This leads one to believe that order sequence IS determined by Dell even if it is at the mercy of a haphazard ordering system. Orders placed on the 25th are being received while orders placed on the 20th are still without status change. I checked on my particular order status and was informed by the Dell Notification team that my orders now indicate a 01-05-04 delivery date whereas noted a few days ago the Dell Notification indicated 12-23-03. For kicks I called Dell Sales and made the same inquiry and was assured that as far as they could tell my orders were good for a 12-23-03 delivery. As long as the momentum was good I might as well throw in a call to Dell Customer Support right!? Well, they said they couldn't confirm my order delivery date other than that the orders are active and that Dell expects to fill all the lens orders by the end of February. On the other hand... there could be a package sitting on my doorstep when I get home tonight... shudder the thought.


[11-25-03a]
A number of people have received their lenses this week and have posted such in the dpreview forum. The order dates of those who've received their lens this week range from 9/21 to 9/25 so there doesn't seem to be a reasonable method for determining when or where anyone might be on the list. Additionally, web order status for their orders was inaccurate even up to the day the lens arrived.


[11-20-03]
I've decided to continue this as an informational thread no longer to include a listing of all of the "Ordered/Received" status per customer. I'll update if I'm aware of new information or a cancel or receipt but I don't want to leave old status information posted if I don't have the time to surf all of the forums for individual updates. I will continue to reply to e-mail sent to sketcher@mchsi.com Best Regards.


[11-19-03]
lawdog over in dpreview posted the following after having talked at length with a Dell contact whom of which he believes to have credible information (or as he clarifies; credible in relation to any information coming from Dell). *Note - that this information has not been verified by additional source. Nothing stated changes the order status of what we have already been apprised so I've chosen to post it. lawdog writes:

1. Dell sold over 2,000 lenses.
2. There was a pricing error - Dell posted the price for the non-IS lens thinking it was the price for the IS version.
3. The price posted (and the mistake) came from Canon. In other words, Canon offered the wrong lens at the wrong price.
4. Canon asked Dell to cancel the orders, Dell refused.
5. Dell is committed to fulfilling all of the orders - aparently, Mr. Dell himself has been in negotiations with Canon to provide the lenses.
6. Dell is not the one losing money on the lenses - Canon is, which explains why Canon appears to be in no hurry to provide the merchandise.
7. The latest message from Canon to Dell is that it hopes to fulfill all lens orders by 2/28/04. This, of course, is not guaranteed.
8. Orders will be filled in the order they were received, so if you ordered early on (like me) you may get one in December.


[11-12-03]
Those of you who receive the voicemail informing you of an additional delay; make sure you respond by calling or e-mailing and receiving an e-mail confirmation that your order is maintained. If you listen to your full voicemail you will hear that if you do not respond by a certain date (in my case the deadline was 11/13) then the order will be canceled. So it sounds like two days notice is all that is being given. I called in to the customer service # referenced in the voicemail and requested that the rep e-mail confirmation that my orders were valid and maintained; which I received.


[11-11-03]
I and a few others received the new voicemail today informing us of the continued delay; however this notification stated that the order will be canceled if I do not call or e-mail a response indicating that I want to keep the order active. My new delivery date is "on or before" 12/23.


[11-10-03]
News is News: "Stage IV Survivor" over in DP posted that he received a voicemail today informing him that his order placed on 9/20 will ship on or before 11/19. I won't spin or extrapolate that info - just put it up there for those of you awaiting yours.


[11-01-03]
This is a copy/paste of my Dell Customer Service response to my inquiry; received this morning. Additionally, I truncated the dynamic order status page to direct link my original order pages and they do display "In Production" whereas the dynamic page does not list the orders at all. Just an indication of miscommunication through the status pages and not a pulse on actual order status.

"Dear Mr. XXXXX, Thank you for contacting Dell Customer Care. I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused. I have reviewed your order and show that it is currently in production and estimated to ship to you on or before 02/28/04. Your original estimated ship date was 10/03/03. We realize that this change is an unexpected one and greatly appreciate your patience in this matter. If there is anything additional that you need, please contact me via reply e-mail or feel free to visit our online Customer Care center at www.Dellcustomercare.com. Respectfully, XXXX-XXXXXXX."

[10-31-03]
Checked w/Manager because Order was gone from status page this a.m.. Order's still good on the internal page. He did some further checking and read off of an internal memo saying that all 540 lens orders will be shipped on or before February. Canon is pulling lenses from all available warehouses to fulfill Dell's order. He said the e-mail he was reading from was for internal use only so he could not FWD it. Who knows... another 'reliable' contact for someone else states over 600 lenses and mid-June. Each report claims the sky to be a different color; but none of the reports yet indicate that the sky is falling...


[10-30-03]
Looks like the Web Order Status information is getting some house cleaning as old, cancelled or erroneous orders are being cleaned out of the system. Rather than the three or four non-current items previously listed in my status page there is now only one; that of my current order for the 70-200 IS ordered on 9/22 due for a (voicemail) 11/14 delivery.


[10-27-03]
Dell Web Status on the 70-200 IS for my orders showed up "THIS ORDER HAS BEEN CANCELLED" earlier today and Customer Service and Sale's Reps all verified the order showed as Cancelled. However, just checked again and the Status shows as "IN PRODUCTION". I finally got ahold of my REP and he said he has no idea what happened to the order page, but said "Not to worry - my order's still good". I said "but, but, the web page... and customer service... and, and..". He said Dell is committed to the 540. They'll ship when they're received from Canon.


[10-18-03]
The Canon EF 70-200 F/2.8 IS lens for a very short time was sold by Dell for $1299.00. A "Digital Camera" discount reduced this price by 10% and an additional coupon (in my case a $30.00 Dell Home Camera Accessory Coupon) reduced the purchase price including shipping to $1139.00. Canon also has a $30.00 rebate for this lens if purchased between 10-01-03 and 01-31-04 so some can potentially get this lens for $1,109.00. B&H currently sells this lens for $1649.95 (pre-shipping) so you can imagine the feeding frenzy which took place. The aftermath is that 540+ orders were taken (of the over 1000 calls placed in the few days the SKU was availabe) and though many have received their lens, many are also awaiting their orders to fill. There is a lot of rumor, paranoia and incorrect information being floated around so please take the time to read this post, in context and balance it against your experience.[/b]


1. The 70-200 IS was listed for the above mentioned price for short time.
2. 540+ orders were taken before the SKU for that item was deactivated.
3. Dell originally had an agreement w/Canon for 40 lenses per month.
4. Dell renegotiated a deal w/Canon to honor the 540+ at 100 per month.
5. Many of the early orders up to an order date of 9/20 have been delivered.
6. Current indication is that all orders estimate shipped by February 28, 2004.
7. Orders stating "Released to manufacturing and in production", refers to an order being in process, not that a lens is being manufactured.


*This thread is intended for reasonable, informational response. **P L E A S E ** do not use this thread as an opportunity to argue about whether Dell is doing right or wrong or should improve business practices, apologize, make the world a better place etc... we're all just here hopin' for a deal to come through which for most, really is too good to be true :).

[Belmondo]

I'm not sure what good it does to post the voice-mail 'promised date.' From what I gather, most of us have been given dates in mid-November. The list of people who have actually received the lens is far more relevant---and encouraging.

I would be interested in exactly how you interpret their statement that the item has been discontinued. Do you suppose that applies only to potential future orders, or to existing orders?

By the way, the last time I spoke to my rep (a couple weeks ago), she said the actual number of lenses ordered was closer to 1,000. She didn't return either of my last two calls.

I agree that this is not a time for hysteria --- we'll have plenty of opportunity for that later.

I do appreciate someone attempting to be the 'voice of reason' on this issue, although as time goes by, you are likely to find something more of a mob mentality developing here.

Good luck.

[ThePhantomsGirlfriend]

I also appreciate the try at a "voice of reason".

Still...Dell is a SALES business. Or am I wrong, here?

When a business advertises an item (in store, flyer, price tags, etc.) there are rules they are supposed to follow. I've been in retail many times and places have had to follow those rules. If an item is advertised at a certain price it had to be sold at that price, or a rain check given if the item ran out.

If they did make a mistake - it is allowable to have a retraction where it could be clearly seen. I see them all the time at my local supermarket chain.

This is over a month after ordering. They also are not being clear. You are telling us that we are misinterpreting the line, "Currently, one or more items have been discontinued and require your attention. Please contact your sales representative for further details".

I've only ordered one thing. When I go to MY order page and I read that - what else can I take it to mean?

If you think we are misinterpreting things - then DELL needs to be clearer.

I would have understood had I gotten a voicemail or an email much earlier that was CLEAR. Right now I have NO idea of what is going on.

And you say if we rush to ASK then Dell is going to be upset? Why? They are there to sell products, and if I cannot ask a question about something that they are selling (and holding aside part of my credit line for) then they are a poor business place.

YOU say Dell is trying to be honorable. I hope so - but it sure would have been nice if they told ME. Right now they are totally leaving me in the dark. I'm supposed to be happy about that? Be quiet?

I also feel these forums are a place for discussion. I agree we shouldn't try to panic people - but where else are we going to share and discuss information?

I'm just giving MY point of view here and others may or may not agree with it or me. I just do not feel I need to quietly go into the night like a good littlegirl...

Holly

[Sketcher]

Holly,

Please re-read my post and note:

1. I do not defend the propriety of Dell's method of making this information available (or not available).

2. I state that Dell made a mistake.

3. I do not say that you should not call Dell, in fact I encourage it as noted by Dells own Status page; I just request that people do so responsibly rather than pick up the phone each time someone posts a rumor (which is being done more often than not) and then further complain that they cannot get through when the call qeueus are overloaded.

4. There have been plenty of posts in this and or other forums where people have received their lens or have been given a clear indication that all 540 orders will be honored/fulfilled/completed/shipped. There is not a lack of information if a person takes the time to look. I post it here to consolidate information and to dispel rumor and paranoia ---> not to argue about whether Dell needs to get on the ball.

5. The "Honorable Effort" I mention is in regards to Dell renegotiating their deal w/Canon to go above their allotted distributor agreement (which is nearly impossible for ANY other distributor to do) and make good on the orders which were taken before the SKU was deactivated. Dell's order policy very effectively allows them to cancel every one of the orders in which they have not charged a customer. Perhaps I should have used a different word here, but I use it in regards to a very specific effort, not to imbue a quality of saint hood upon a organization which clearly needs to improve its overall MRP/ERP/CRM implementation.

6. Yes this is a forum for sharing and discussion. This particular thread is asking for sharing and discussion regarding a particular topic, for specific reasons. As noted, there are many, many other threads regarding the Dell debacle in which other than what I'm requesting would be more appreciated.

(If you create a post asking for owners' opinions of a EF 50 1.4 in regards to how it performs in ambient light portraiture would you appreciate me jumping in with how I just heard about someone who used a 100-400 IS for macro work and then claim "internet free speech" to justify my inconsiderate action!?)

7. I'm not asking or inferring that you or any other good little girls or boys should go quietly into the night; I'm just recommending that as night comes it would be good to have a flashlight handy to light your path and safely find your way to bed. Stumbling, when not necessary is... well... not necessary.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Zoiks,...

Kick back and relax dudes... :)

If you ordered one,. stay cool and frosty :)... and wait for it to come in the mail.

This deal is a windfall for crying out loud. If we are lucky enough to receive delivery,. then we are just that .. really lucky! :D

I have recieved my voicemail updating order status with a delivery of 11-14.. I have no intentions of calling Dell untill after that date,. and then only IF I don't recieve it.

Like Sketcher says,. now is not the time to stir up the waters. Dell is clearly doing all it can to fullfill all orders to satisfy it's customers.

Don't make Dell regret this

Thanks Sketcher for your post.

[Belmondo]

It is interesting to note that Dell has not seen fit to proactively notify anyone of a change in their order status. No email --- no voicemails --- nothing. Whether or not any conclusions can be drawn from this still remains to be seen. I will hold to my original plan which was to quietly wait until I know something definitive. Then I will have an appropriate response. In the meantime, I have the 4.0L non-IS version of the 70-200, so I’m not hurting.

[rickm]

I buy tons of stuff from Dell using coupons, codes, and "mistakes". Mostly PC stuff but I've learned you can count on two things. One, they always come through and two, they never keep you updated. This "silence" is nothing new, unique, or unusual. This is simply how they do business. You can also call this 70-200 deal a mistake but the only who really knows is Dell. What better way to announce to photographers that "we are a source to consider too!" by loss leadering an item and gaining all sorts of attention.

Sit back and relax and wait for UPS to show up - it'll arrive.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I thought we all got voicemails with delivery dates?

Was it only a select few. I got mine.

[Sketcher]

rickm wrote:
I buy tons of stuff from Dell using coupons, codes, and "mistakes". Mostly PC stuff but I've learned you can count on two things. One, they always come through and two, they never keep you updated. This "silence" is nothing new, unique, or unusual. This is simply how they do business. You can also call this 70-200 deal a mistake but the only who really knows is Dell. What better way to announce to photographers that "we are a source to consider too!" by loss leadering an item and gaining all sorts of attention.

Sit back and relax and wait for UPS to show up - it'll arrive.


True that rickm. I stated in a post a while ago that Dell wouldn't hesitate to sell something for an unusual price if it meant they'd generate a significant amount of new interest (Especially since they've announced they're aggressively breaking into the Digital Media market). Imagin just how many new hits their pages have gotten from the 70-200 IS alone. There are a number of posts by people who've ordered additional product from Dell along with their lens or just because it's similar price to B&H or other and since they're already ordering... etc.

Good post rickm, thanks for ringing in. I'll put the "" back in to reflect the unknown, since we can only guess. ;)


CyberDyneSystems wrote:
I thought we all got voicemails with delivery dates?

Was it only a select few. I got mine.

You're right CDS. Everyone should have gotten a voicemail on the day their order was originally due to ship.

[GhillieSkins]

OK, this is going to sound really stupid but here it goes:

1. What phone # at Dell do I call to place my order? and do I ask for sales and mention I want the 70-200 IS ?

2. Do I have to be an existing Dell customer to receive it for a good price? what is the price?

Thanks.

[Belmondo]

I think you'll find that they no longer offer the lens. If any conclucsion can be drawn from the message that we get when we check our order status, they are no longer offering it. (actual quote: "Currently, one or more items have been discontinued and require your attention. Please contact your sales representative for further details". Since I only have one item on order, the meaning seams reasonbly clear.


Nonetheless, you should probably call dell at their 800 number and ask. I believe that is a number for telephone sales. It is:

1-800-WWW-DELL

Also, the supposed regular price was $1300, and they were offering a special 10% discount.

[Sketcher]

GhillieSkins wrote:
OK, this is going to sound really stupid but here it goes:

1. What phone # at Dell do I call to place my order? and do I ask for sales and mention I want the 70-200 IS ?

2. Do I have to be an existing Dell customer to receive it for a good price? what is the price?

Thanks.

Ghillie, not sure if your 'camouflage' is hiding your sarcasm or if you really didn't read FYI: Notes #1,2,3, 8 in the original post. Cliff's notes is that it is no longer available. The SKU does not exist. Calling Dell regarding this particular product WILL be a complete waste of time. Eventually Dell WILL carry this lens as a standard item; though not at $500.00 below online retail as this one was sold for.

*EDIT* I've added a paragraph to the beginning post to describe the debacle to those who are joining late and I've also removed some of my personal musings in favor of a more focused interest.


CDS, I love your Sig! :D

[Sketcher]

*updated*

Orders added.

[jfm741]

ordered 9/14...
Voice mail 11/14 (fingers crossed)

[Jim01]

sketcher wrote:
*updated*

Orders added.

Thanks for starting the thread, sketcher... good way to keep everyone up to date.

My Dell status is 'discontinued', too... and I e-mailed my rep this afternoon to inquire what, if anything, has changed.

I'm not panicing, just updating the thread.
I'll post when I have more info.

[bigtraveller]

I spoke to a guy in sales who was very sympathetic and said the order was not cancelled but he spoke to their ordering dept. and they said Dell were not getting anymore in so he really felt that even though the order was not cancelled I was never going to get it. Panic me never. I had some free time so I rang up a few more people until I got through to "a senior manager in customer care" I have his id number as they need to protect themselves!He said he knew what was going on (god only knows if he did). Their Distributor (Dell have very few) who had a contract to supply the lens is no longer supplying the lens. Dell CAN NOT get it elsewhere (his words not mine).
The order is current but as they have no stock and are not getting anymore (nor are they trying to) my order will be automatically cancelled soon.
Folks these were his words. Unless Sketcher works in Dell Headquarters and has the juice to sort this out he is just a well meaning but ill informed bystander he has no inside knowledge that I know of.

[gs121002]

My fingers are also crossed and I even threw a penny in the wishing well but in case Dell doesn't deliver, what are my alternatives?

1. B&H at $1,650

2. Another lens. Is the Canon 100-400 4.5 L IS a good choice at $1,400?

My objective is to have three L glass zoom lens covering the spectrum where I usually shoot.

Canon 16-35 f/2.8 L - Got it

Canon 28-135 3.5 IS - bought as an interum lens until:

Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L - Some day.

Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS - On order from Dell.
or
Canon 100-400 f/4.5 L IS - possible solution?

[Sketcher]

Updated.

Orders added.

1 lens received today in dpreview. It was ordered on 9/20 and received on 10/22.

[Belmondo]

This is not really news, but a bit more of the same stuff. I finally got an email from my sales rep, and she said they were sold out, weren't getting any more, but my order was still in place. In essence, she was saying the issue is dead as far as she's concerned.

I sent a note back explaining I have nothing but time, and I'm willing to wait a long, long time. It's hard to imagine that Dell has no intentions of ever again offering one of Canon's most popular lenses. I suspect a lot of us will be watching.

[stuartf287]

I was 1 of the 540 who ordered the lens @ the bargain price on Sept. 24 or so and my order has been cancelled by Dell. I was not notified of the cancellation and did not discover it until I checked the status of my order on Dell's website. I then spent a substantial amount of time trying to convince a sales rep that the order should not have been cancelled (Dell had confirmed my credit) to no avail. The rep insisted that once the order had been marked "cancelled" by Dell there was nothing that he or anyone else could do. He told me that many of the orders had been cancelled. To paraphrase the soup **** in Seinfeld, Dell has said "No Lens for You!" End of story.

[MediaMagic]

Well so far there has been no change in my status. Still no news. I said to hell with the drama and bought it from another vendor. However, I'm *not* cancelling the Dell order and will hound them as necessary to get it at the promised price. I just really needed the lens for events now as opposed to feb or march.

Renting one of those lenses a few times (while waiting for mine) would more than negate any savings I may have realized, so if the dell lens ever does show up, I'll just sell it for close to market value and get my "discount" that way. I feel better already.

David

[Belmondo]

MediaMagic wrote:
Well so far there has been no change in my status. Still no news. I said to hell with the drama and bought it from another vendor. However, I'm *not* cancelling the Dell order and will hound them as necessary to get it at the promised price. I just really needed the lens for events now as opposed to feb or march.

Renting one of those lenses a few times (while waiting for mine) would more than negate any savings I may have realized, so if the dell lens ever does show up, I'll just sell it for close to market value and get my "discount" that way. I feel better already.

David

Without saying as much, that's been my general plan as well. I'm driving into Los Angeles tomorrow and hope to come home with one. When and if the lens from Dell arrives, I'll peddle one or the other on eBay. OR, I might have it bronzed and mount it on the mantle.

[MediaMagic]

belmondo wrote:
OR, I might have it bronzed and mount it on the mantle.



That's the best idea yet!

too hilarious... the first though that popped into mind was one of those tacky deer mounts with a Dell rep.. you know the kind, head mounted on a plaque, hands mounted beneath holding the bronze lens.

David

[Sketcher]

Updated

Order Added: placed 9/20 -----> shipped 10/23

[gs121002]

Is anyone having trouble getting their Dell rep to call them back? I have left about 8-10 voice mails for Mat (x-82509) and never get a call back. Maybe if I said I wanted to by a new EOS-1Ds he would return my calls.

[Belmondo]

gs121002 wrote:
Is anyone having trouble getting their Dell rep to call them back? I have left about 8-10 voice mails for Mat (x-82509) and never get a call back. Maybe if I said I wanted to by a new EOS-1Ds he would return my calls.

I've gotten email responses over the last couple days, neither of which were particularly encouraging. I haven't been able to get through on a voice line either, however.

As far as the 1Ds is concerned, they're going to sell it to you for $2,500.00 but then tell you it's been discontinued. Wanna' buy a computer?

[ThePhantomsGirlfriend]

Yeah, they tried to tell me the 10D is also discontinued..... Guess Canon is just one big "discontinued" according to Dell!

I'll wait as long as it takes (probably forrever) for the lens - but I doubt I'll ever buy anything from them again. The customer service has been horrible. (and not just because of the lens)

Holly

[Gibmeister]

I e-mailed Mat and his e-mail came back "out of office until October 27th" (Probably needed a mental health break). That might be why he is not returning your calls. I ordered the Canon 17-40 and I am also waiting. Projected ship date is 10-28, ordered 10-2.

[Sketcher]

Current Order Status has been changed to:

Web Status:
"This order has been Cancelled".

Automated Phone Status:
"This order has been Cancelled".

Dell Rep
It shows your order has been cancelled

Now on phone while Rep looks into it.

*Well, it was a fun ride while it lasted! :). I'll post the final news on my order once I get off the phone.

[Belmondo]

Gosh, what a surprise.

Can we go back to bad-mouthing Dell now?

[CyberDyneSystems]

:(

Yep,. I got the same message on my online account info :(

Ahh well,. I was happy with the Sigma anyways. Just HAD to try and take advantage fo the "Sale"



//"Allways shop the sales" My Mom :D

[Belmondo]

Sketcher:
May I PLEASE say something nasty about Dell now?

Oh well. Buying the f/4.0 as an interim measure didn't turn out to be such a bad idea.

[kn_guy87]

Sketcher,
That's terrible. :(
How did it happen?
Anyway, you mentioned that you had 2 orders, right?
Did one of them got canceled or both?
Ken

[Sketcher]

I still request that informational posts be the only correspondence in this thread; though you are free to do as you will. My request for civility was only in effort to keep the information easy to get at w/out having to filter through the ruckus.

Just because I didn't personally bash Dell doesn't mean I don't have opinions about their service (or lack thereof).

But, like I said; it was a crap shoot to begin with and many people did get their lenses. I'm disappointed, but life goes on.

BTW - Yup = both orders cancelled. :(

It was a fun ride while it lasted! :D.

Cheers.

[Belmondo]

As of 1:30 PDT, my order still shows as 'Item Discontinued.'


Discretion dictates tact at this point. For the record, I think Dell is a warm, wonderful company with high regard for customer satisfaction.

Tom

[Sketcher]

belmondo wrote:
As of 1:30 PDT, my order still shows as 'Item Discontinued.'


Discretion dictates tact at this point. For the record, I think Dell is a warm, wonderful company with high regard for customer satisfaction.

Tom

That's hilarious Tom :), well, It'd be great if yours comes through. Sorry if you end up like the rest of us.

Cheers

[Belmondo]

Actually, I'm not at all optimisitc that 'discontinued' means anything other than what it appears to. It stands to reason that they're probably doing their notifications chronologically (i.e. in the order received). I think I came into the whole sordid affair relatively late --- around SEpt 24, as I recall, so it's just a matter that they haven't gotten around to me yet.

No problem. I'm already brushing up my Christmas wish list to Santa Claus, and item #1 is a Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS lens. I'll just let good old St. Nick pay the difference.

Tom

[Sketcher]

Heh,

Tom, just make sure you don't reference the lens on your wish list and Santa will likely come through for you ;). (I've heard he's gun shy of dealing w/the 70-200 IS as well).

Someone over in FM mentioned they received their 1D after the website, customer care and their Rep confirmed the order was cancelled. Hmmm, too much to hope for!? I'm not even going to go down that road... Ahhhh crap - I missed my turn off!

[Sketcher]

Interesting... Checking the status shows my orders are back in production.

I finally reached my Dell Rep (Previous calls were answered by they queue - Rep wasn't available) and he has no idea why my orders showed up as cancelled earlier. He said not to worry - the lenses are committed for fulfilment as they come in from Canon. Oh the drama of it all :).

The Saga continues...

[CyberDyneSystems]

Aaarggghhhh

The suspense is killing me!!!!!!!!


:D

[Belmondo]

I just tore up my latest letter to Santa. I'm getting writer's cramp from all this editing.

Sorry you missed your turn.

Tom

[kn_guy87]

So it appears to be just a computer glitch.

you had us worried there

[DigitalDude]

Okay, here's the skinny.

Apparently Canon USA only gets 100 or so of these lenses a month, so Dell can't possibly to fill 100 orders a month.

Dell S.O.P. is to cancel an order that hasn't been filled after an indertiminate length of time after the "estimated shipping date" has passed.

Dell replaced all orders today (10.27) and the new ETA for all orders to be filled is 7/04!

Dell will fill all orders as placed, in time.

Your rep can't do much...They pretty much just get the mushroom treatment.

Cheers!

[Belmondo]

DigitalDude wrote:
Okay, here's the skinny.Dell will fill all orders as placed, in time.


That sound relatively promising. July '04 is a long way off, but I can wait, I suppose.

Just curious, though, who is your authority on this? Did you get this from someone credible? Does anyone else have independent confirmation on this?

We've gotten so many stories by this time, it's hard to know who (or what) to believe.

Thanks for the information. I just hope it's accurate.

Tom

[Sketcher]

DigitalDude wrote:
Okay, here's the skinny.

Apparently Canon USA only gets 100 or so of these lenses a month, so Dell can't possibly to fill 100 orders a month.

Dell S.O.P. is to cancel an order that hasn't been filled after an indertiminate length of time after the "estimated shipping date" has passed.

Dell replaced all orders today (10.27) and the new ETA for all orders to be filled is 7/04!

Dell will fill all orders as placed, in time.

Your rep can't do much...They pretty much just get the mushroom treatment.

Cheers!

DigitalDude, you have mail.

[ThePhantomsGirlfriend]

Okay, my status just changed within the last hour to:

Currently one or more items are not available. Every effort is being made to complete your order.

Before that - about an hour ago it still had the "item has been discontinued....needs your attention" message.

I ordered on 9/23, had a ship date of 10/3, then got a voice mail for delayed shipment of 11/14.

Who knows?

NOW, if I could only find a 10D. Seems everyone everywhere is out of them. Best Buy has none - I've called every store within three hours of me. Even checked with the one by my mother. Camera stores have none. Some online ones SAY they have them - but have seen reviews stating people ordered when they were told they had them, only to find out otherwise....

Come here little 10D - Granny wants you!!!

Smiles,
Holly

[kn_guy87]

From our famous Dell person: "Brenda" -
a sale lead from Dell Home Office department
Yep, She said mid 04

Ken

belmondo wrote:
DigitalDude wrote:
Okay, here's the skinny.Dell will fill all orders as placed, in time.


That sound relatively promising. July '04 is a long way off, but I can wait, I suppose.

Just curious, though, who is your authority on this? Did you get this from someone credible? Does anyone else have independent confirmation on this?


Tom

[Belmondo]

Just walked in the house and checked the email.

This is from my Dell sales rep:

Tom,
Unfortunately, these lenses are not going to ship out. I just received a notice that all of these orders are going to be cancelled. We just do not have any in stock. There is nothing I can do at this point. I am sorry, we just don't have any. They will all cancel out and we will not be getting anymore in stock. Thanks, (name)

Sounds pretty definite to me.

For the last time:

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS len. I promise not to change my mind again.

Thank you,
Tom

[Jim01]

Damn, sorry to hear that was the latest news.

I just checked the online status for the first time in about 4 days...and, it's changed from the 'discontinued...please contact your Dell rep...' to the following:
____________________________________________
This information is current as of Wednesday, October 29, 2003.

Order Status
Delayed Items
All Items

Currently one or more items are not available. Every effort is being made to complete your order.

SKU: A0166172 Quantity: 1
Description: EF 70-200 MM F/2.8 L IS
____________________________________________

Maybe there's still hope... I'm gonna say a prayer...

Jim

[Sketcher]

*Update*

My 2nd order was removed from the order status page (when I called back to replace my order w/coupons a new order had to be created and the original had not been cancelled until today). Other orders which I had cancelled or changed are finally cleaned out of my order status page as well so it looks as if their status information is finally getting some house cleaning attention.

My current order placed on 9/22 due for a 11/14 delivery still stands and is listed as "Released to Manufacturing and is in assembly". so that's a good thing!

[Belmondo]

sketcher wrote:
My current order placed on 9/22 due for a 11/14 delivery still stands and is listed as "Released to Manufacturing and is in assembly". so that's a good thing!

Hopefully. For your sake, I hope it means what it appears to. Unfortunately, it's really no less ambiguous than their reference to the item being discontinued. We know they're not making the lens --- at best, they've ordered it and are waiting for it to arrive. At worst, they're as confused as they've ever been.

For whatever it's worth, the status on my order has not changed: (i.e. the item is currently unavailable and they're making every effort to fill my order.) This is actually a change from the last email I received from the rep saying in effect that there's no hope.

Dell is a very disorganized place right now.

[Sketcher]

The status "Released to manufacturing and is in production" refers to an Material Requirements Planning (MRP) status that an order is in a certain stage of process. This status indicator is used irregardless of whether the item is actually manufactured by Dell or if it is purchased and resold by Dell. Unfortunately, the statement can be misleading and cause confusion; in some cases even spawn rumors which further the mis-information. "Currently one or more items are not available. Every effort is being made to complete your order", this statement accompanies my status as well depending on which detail page is being viewed for this order.

These two statements are the correct status for all current orders which are backlogged and scheduled for fulfillment.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I liek the word "fulfillment" :D

[Sketcher]

[10-31-03]

This morning: Order no longer shows up on status page (as of 1035hrs Central US). I'm not calling, I've got other things to do. I'm sure someone will post news eventually.

[Belmondo]

No change in mine -- apparently meaningless inforfmation, though.

[Sketcher]

[10-31-03]

Checked in w/Manager because Order no longer showed on Status page this morning. Order's still good on the internal page. He did some further checking and his information is that All 540 lens orders will be shipped on or before February. Canon is pulling lenses from all available warehouses to fulfill Dell's order. He said the e-mail he was reading from was for internal use only so he could not FWD it.

[Sketcher]

[11-01-03]

This is a copy/paste of my Dell Customer Service response to my inquiry; received this morning. Additionally, I truncated the dynamic order status page to direct link my original order pages and they do display "In Production" whereas the dynamic page does not list the orders at all. Just an indication of miscommunication through the status pages and not a pulse on actual order status.

"Dear Mr. XXXXX, Thank you for contacting Dell Customer Care. I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused. I have reviewed your order and show that it is currently in production and estimated to ship to you on or before 02/28/04. Your original estimated ship date was 10/03/03. We realize that this change is an unexpected one and greatly appreciate your patience in this matter. If there is anything additional that you need, please contact me via reply e-mail or feel free to visit our online Customer Care center at www.Dellcustomercare.com. Respectfully, XXXX-XXXXXXX."

[Sketcher]

[11-10-03]

Update and another order added.

[Sketcher]

[11-11-03]

Update and another order added.

[Sketcher]

[11-12-03]

Update - Orders need to be called in to be kept active, otherwise they will be automatically canceled.

[Tonique]

I got an automated phone call on 11/11/03 saying that my order will be cancelled on 11/13/03 if I don't call back at a number I wasn't ready to write down. So I called dell customer support, which, after having me telling my whole story and verifying my ID with 10 questions told me to call sales. Same with sale tells me to call support, then sales, then support, then after 2 hours I started being upset and finally someone from customer care (Margareth) told me my order won't be cancelled.

Next day on 11/12/03 I get a call from a Dell girl asking if I want to cancel or leave my order on with an expected delivery date of 12/20/03. I said leave it on. My order is still in production today 11/14/03.

Just tought you might like to know that.

[toglenn]

I havn't seen anyone mention this in their posts but according to the B&H web site, all those that purchase a 70-200mm IS between 10/1/03 and 1/31/04 can get a $30 rebate from Canon if bought from an authorized Canon dealer.

I wonder if they take a rain check on Dell backorders?

toglenn

[Belmondo]

Actually, the rebate doubles if you buy two qualifying lenses, and triples if you buy three. If this lens is the third qualifying lens, the rebate is $90.00.

The numbers add up, and if you've bought a couple other lense already thinking this will be your third, failing to get it in time could cost some significant dollars.

One has to hope Canon will take this into account.

[Sketcher]

[11-20-03]

I've decided to continue this as an informational thread no longer to include all of the "Ordered/Received" status per customer. I'll update if I'm aware of new information or a cancel or receipt but I don't want to leave old status information posted if I don't have the time to surf all of the forums for individual updates. I will continue to reply to e-mail sent to sketcher@mchsi.com

Best Regards

[gs121002]

Any positive news on the Dell 70-200 L IS yet?

Has anyone received this message from Dell?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Get detailed order status for all your Dell purchases.

Choose one of the following...

Your entry does not match any orders on record. Order information is available in this tool for three months after the order ships. Please check your order number and verification data and try again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I know I entered the correct order number however, when I click on the bookmark I made earlier of the order status, I get:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This information is current as of Thursday, November 20, 2003.

Delayed Items

Currently one or more items are not available. Every effort is being made to complete your order.

SKU: A0166172 Quantity: 1
Description: EF 70-200 MM F/2.8 L IS
----------------------------------------------------------------------

What goes? The Dell dude refuses to return my calls.

[Jim01]

Sketcher,
Just an update to report that although my old voice-mail message from Dell promised shipment ~14 Nov., '03, I have not yet received the lens or any updated messages of any kind.

When checking my order status on the Dell website, it still states that they are trying to fill the order at the earliest possible time.

Jim
___________________________________________
Sketcher wrote:
[11-20-03]

I've decided to continue this as an informational thread no longer to include all of the "Ordered/Received" status per customer. I'll update if I'm aware of new information or a cancel or receipt but I don't want to leave old status information posted if I don't have the time to surf all of the forums for individual updates. I will continue to reply to e-mail sent to sketcher@mchsi.com

Best Regards

[Sketcher]

[11-25-03]

A number of people have received their lenses this week and have posted such in the dpreview forum. The order dates of those who've received their lens this week range from 9/21 to 9/25 so there doesn't seem to be a reasonable method for determining when or where anyone might be on the list. Additionally, web order status for their orders was inaccurate even up to the day the lens arrived.

-Thanks for your update Jim01

[Sketcher]

[11-25-03b]

Noting that some orders placed as early as 9/20 have not yet been fulfilled and some on 9/25 have, I tried to track down the sequence breakdown. I contacted Ingram Micro (where most of the lens orders are being shipped from) and verified that they ship First In First Out (FIFO). Dell has three separate accounts with Ingram Micro and and it is not known by Ingram which supply methodology Dell uses to supply the orders (meaning they ship FIFO according to the order list Dell gives them). This leads one to believe that order sequence IS determined by Dell even if it is at the mercy of a haphazard ordering system. Orders placed on the 25th are being received while orders placed on the 20th are still without status change. I checked on my particular order status and was informed by the Dell Notification team that my orders now indicate a 01-05-04 delivery date whereas noted a few days ago the Dell Notification indicated 12-23-03. For kicks I called Dell Sales and made the same inquiry and was assured that as far as they could tell my orders were good for a 12-23-03 delivery. As long as the momentum was good I might as well throw in a call to Dell Customer Support right!? Well, they said they couldn't confirm my order delivery date other than that the orders are active and that Dell expects to fill all the lens orders by the end of February. On the other hand... there could be a package sitting on my doorstep when I get home tonight... shudder the thought.

[Sketcher]

[12-03-03]

Glad to hear people on this side of the fence are finally receiving their lens! I'm envisioning Tom wildly screaming and a weirded out FedEx driver wondering what could cause a grown man to stage a sit down in a residential street. Alas, mine has not yet arrived. One good thing today however, is that after two years of self imposed debt control I'm finally completely out of credit card debt!! Wheeeeew!. Now, I don't know if I really want another $1,000.00+ hittin' a card. I mean, it's almost a euphoric experience having zero CC balance... Eh, what am I saying!? Where's my lens already!!!! Congrats Holly, Rob, Tom (get some pics posted already!).

[Belmondo]

Sketcher:
For purposes of clarification only....After my order was deleted from the online tracking system by Dell, I was convinced (apparently erroneously) that I was not going to get the lens, so I went ahead and bought one from 17th Street. I actually paid full boat for it (approx $1,600.00) When the lens arrived, the pictures were unacceptably soft (read: out of focus), so the lens that arrived today was simply a replacement for that defective one.

Since all that took place, I got the automated message from Dell last week stating my lens from them will be shipped in January, on or before the 7th. I confirmed from my sales rep that the order is ‘still in production,’ and she assured me it is, even though it still doesn’t show up on their order tracking system.

When the smoke settles, I’m going to have two of these babies, so maybe I’m going back to Plan A which is to have one of them bronzed and stick it on the mantle over the fireplace------

----or, I’ll sell it on eBay.

Thanks again for keeping us all up to speed. Tom

[Jim01]

Sketcher... Dell Website Order *Status Update*...
Something is happening!

I checked my order status online tonight... and, it's been changed from
'...we are attempting to fill your order...etc..."
(remember, I ordered on Sept. 23)

To:
"...Pending Items...
Your item(s) is being processed and should ship by the estimated ship date.
SKU: A0166172 Quantity: 1
Description: EF 70-200 MM F/2.8 L IS"

I've got my fingers crossed!

Happy Holidays to All!

Jim

[CyberDyneSystems]

Well,. I had LONG ago given up hope....

But based on the above post I thought I'd take a look-see....

:D

Your item(s) is being processed and should ship by the estimated ship date.

SKU: ******** Quantity: 1
Description: EF 70-200 MM F/2.8 L IS


:D

[Belmondo]

My order doesn't show up in their online order tracking system, but the last time I spoke to the sales rep, she assured me my order was still alive. I emailed her yesterday for an update, but she didn't reply. Hmmmm. Regardless, I'm not expecting delivery until mid-January.

Good luck to us all!

Tom

[Sketcher]

Jim01 and CDS,

That's good news!! Mine still shows delayed. However, on the 19th I had apparently received two DellBot calls and had to respond by the 23rd (today) in order to prevent the orders from being canceled. My cell phone battery died and I was using a different phone so didn’t know the calls had come in. Just by chance I happened to plug my phone in to see if I had the right adapter on hand and noted the voice messages symbol was lit. I got my call in this morning and just now received confirmation that my consent to delay was noted. Wheeeeeew! The Dellbot and notification team however both note my orders are not due for delivery before January 30th.

Thanks for the update Jim01, CDS.

BTW, did either of you get an additional Dellbot call?

[CyberDyneSystems]

This is why I was/am convinced I will be dropped,. I never received any of the Dell-Bot calls... BUT my telephone was out of service for several days.

My fear was that since they got no answer,. I would be dropped,.. notr have I called Dell in any way. I'm just letting fate take care of things.

[Sketcher]

Not that there's an explanation which would satisfy; but there have been 7-10 lenses between the forums which were ordered late in the game (24th, 25th) which have been received whereas mine (22nd, 23rd and a few others noted on the 21st) have yet to be filled. I called Ingram Micro not long ago and they said they ship strictly on an order schedule which Dell provides (but Dell uses three different accounts w/Ingram to ship orders). Go figure. BTW, I have no problem with relegating the outcome to fate; I do have a problem however allowing fate to be decided by a bot or crappy MRP system. Grrrrrr.

BTW TOM, my information doesn't come up on the Order Status Page either but it does show up under my customer number if I log in to my Dell Member account or if I input my customer # and order # into the individual order fields.

[Jim01]

Joy To The World!
____________________________________________
"December 25, 2003 @ 0205

Thank you for shopping with Dell.

This e-mail is to confirm that your software and peripheral order was shipped on 12-24-2003. If any items were back-ordered, you will receive another e-mail notifying you when they ship.

Based on the shipping method chosen at the time of purchase, your order is expected to arrive within 1-5 business days..."
____________________________________________

Sketcher... no DellBot call was received.
Thanks again for starting and maintaining this thread.
I'll keep ya'll informed.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All.

Jim

[gs121002]

Michael Dell really is Santa!

Airborne showed up on my door step Cristmas eve and said Merry Christmas from Santa as they handed me my Canon 70-200 L IS. The wait was worth it and it is in time for the Canon rebate.

Thanks Michael... er.. I mean Santa.

Gary in San Diego

[CyberDyneSystems]

OH MY F#^$&% WOW! :D :D :D :D :D :D

Thank you for shopping with Dell.

This e-mail is to confirm that your software and peripheral order was shipped on 12-24-2003. If any items were back-ordered, you will receive another e-mail notifying you when they ship.

Based on the shipping method chosen at the time of purchase, your order is expected to arrive within 1-5 business days.


Too Cool Brewster!

[CyberDyneSystems]

But wait,.. there's more!

Shipment Summary:

Current Status: In Transit
Est. Delivery Date: 12/29/03

Shipment History:

12/24/03 10 : 45 am Picked Up by Airborne. Shipper's Door


No idea why it will take 5 days for Airborne to make the delivery when the trip is only a 6 to 7 hour drive... :D

But who's complaing.. I can do 5 days standing on my head after waiting nearly as many months!

[Burninfilm2]

Hi Sketcher, I am one of the frustrated, but patient Dell customers waiting on a lens. I placed my order on Sept 21, but understand that really doesn't mean anything in Dell's great scheme of things. When I check my order status, all I get is "The item is currently unavailable & they are making every effort to complete my order". From some of the posts on this forum, it seems like some folks are getting a different response showing the order in production and some dates.. Do you know if there is a better way to look up my order status that will give some more info to me??..Thanks...Bob

[Sketcher]

burninfilm2 wrote:
Hi Sketcher, I am one of the frustrated, but patient Dell customers waiting on a lens. I placed my order on Sept 21, but understand that really doesn't mean anything in Dell's great scheme of things. When I check my order status, all I get is "The item is currently unavailable & they are making every effort to complete my order". From some of the posts on this forum, it seems like some folks are getting a different response showing the order in production and some dates.. Do you know if there is a better way to look up my order status that will give some more info to me??..Thanks...Bob
Hello Bob,
Unfortunately, none of the Date indicators on any of the pages are relevant to your lens actually shipping. The Order Status you mention is from the Single Order Status page. Some members note that viewing the status from Multiple Order status page does not show their lens order. The logged in Account does show the additional detail of "In Production" but it does nothing to define the actual status and estimated ship date of your order other than to indicate that your order is still in the system and active. Viewing the orders through your Dell Logged in account however will allow you to view and print off an actual Order page but the dates are as mentioned, irrelevant. Really, the only bit of information which purports any semblence of accuracy is the e-mail and status that your lens has actually shipped (or, the charge against your credit card in the amount of the lens). Welcome to the Club! (Or, you poor soul... you don't know what you've gotten yourself into do you!? :)).

[Burninfilm2]

Thanks..Guess I'll just wait patiently. I am excited about this lens..my third "L" and have had several inquiries about my 100-400, should I decide I don't need it anymore..My wife is convinced that the new lens should replace the older one too...... but she just doesn't understand about "L" glass.....enough is never enough!!!!!!!.....hahaha..Bob

[CyberDyneSystems]

********* ! IT'S HERE ! **********

My first White lens! (not my first "L" though :) )

I will eventually be posting my side by each comparison Vs. the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8

...but right now i can tell you this,. the *IS* is enough to convince me this is the lens I am going to keep!

Casual plinking in my dark apartment this afternoon reveals that with IS OFF,. I get a noticeably blurry 200mm image at 1/4 second shutter. (keep in ming I have VERY steady hands...)

However at the same 1/4 second shutter, with IS ON,. the image is amazingly sharp with little if any sign of camera shake!

I was amazed that the difference is readily viwable through the viewfinder.

[larshkj]

Looking forward to your comparison CDS.

Happy New Year everybody!

Lars

[Sketcher]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
********* ! IT'S HERE ! **********

Congrats CDS! Looking forward to seeing your first shots. Grumble... :)

[Burninfilm2]

Today was my latest scheduled delivery date...No lens...No new date...no joy..

[Jim01]

burninfilm2...hang in there... there's always hope.

It ain't over 'till it's over...

My lens is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I hope I get home in time to receive it!

I'll keep everyone informed. Don't give up hope. I believe everyone who ordered will get their lens.

Kudos to Michael Dell and all his employees!

Please, everyone have a Very Happy and Safe New Years!!!

Jim

burninfilm2 wrote:
Today was my latest scheduled delivery date...No lens...No new date...no joy..

[Tom W]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
********* ! IT'S HERE ! **********

My first White lens! (not my first "L" though :) )



Dude!!! You got a Dell!!!

OK, just funnin' you. But I have 2 Dells and no "L"s. I ain't fair! By this time next year, I hope that my "L"s will equal my Dells, though I don't expect the same price that you got on this one. :)

[Burninfilm2]

Thanks for the encouraging words. Have called my Dell rep for two days in order to get a new delivery date, but have not been able to reach her so left messages. The web site is of no help, still calling it a delayed order and telling me that they are trying to fill my order.
I also believe that all orders will eventually be filled, so will be patient and think about how much $$ I saved and how nice it will be to have it when it does arrive..Thanks again...Bob

[Jim01]

Sketcher... and all...

Guess what was delivered today (Dec. 31st)? About 0930...my next door neighbor signed for it. She got home from
work about an hour ago and brought it here.

It's awesome...it's heavy...it's kinda tan and black... it's heavy...it's big.

Thanks Dell!

I've taken a couple of shots with it but, viewed them only on the camera's lcd. I'll start experimenting with it tomorrow morning...er...afternoon.

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Jim

Sketcher wrote:
CyberDyneSystems wrote:
********* ! IT'S HERE ! **********

Congrats CDS! Looking forward to seeing your first shots. Grumble... :)

[Sketcher]

Congrats Jim01!,

Grrrr, grumble mumble frikl frak @#!%%

[IanD]

My first White lens! (not my first "L" though )
Was feeling left out about not having a white lens. Was thinking of 2 possible solutions-
1) Start a petition to Sigma :)
2) Buy a can of white spray paint

Bought the can of spray paint. Wish me luck
:) :) :)

All of the about tounge in cheek.
CDS,
Really interested in seeing the differences between the 2 lenses. Well maybe not, cause I just bought a Sigma 70-200 f2.8....lol
Ian

[Belmondo]

I got another automated voicemail message from Dell today saying the ship date was being moved back to February 17. I really get a kick out of their procedure for confirming the order---if you don't call back, they'll assume you don't want the lens, and they'll cancel the order. They leave a number for you to call but read it so quickly, the average person wouldn't have time to write it down, much less grab a pencil and paper before doing so.

Fortunately, the call came in while we were out of the house, so the message was recorded on our voicemail. I was able to listen to it a couple times and eventually got the number. When I called it, I got a recorded message saying to call during normal business hours (this was around noon PST). I called the number back and sat on hold for nearly a half hour before I had to leave the house. Fortunately, they also left an email address (which I'd prefer not to trust), so I 'confirmed' my order that way. I'll try the phone routine again tomorrow when I know I can devote some time to it.
:twisted: :evil: :?

[Tom W]

If it makes you feel any better, I bought a Serial-USB adapter for my GPS at Dell Saturday using the free shipping option. It arrived today, 2-4 days early. :twisted:

OK, Just Kidding!! :P

Please refrain from throwing objects at me - I really do hope that everybody gets their lens. I wish that I had been able to get a shot at this as well.

[Sketcher]

[01-07-04]

Original Post updated.

Bunch a people gettin' their lenses.

Grumble.

[Sketcher]

Another update to original post.

[toglenn]

Here’s an update that I was not expecting. My Dell 70-200 f/2.8 IS was cancelled “at my request” even though I had made two phone calls and four e-mails pleading not to cancel the order. I was upset and after plotting various ways of reprisal, I decided to just let it drop and go on with my life.

Then today, I got a phone call from Dell concerning my order. I explained my displeasure over the treatment of my order and he apologized and gave me an explanation that I didn’t fully understand but did ask me if I wanted to reinstate the original order, which of course I agreed to.

So now he told me I could expect shipment within two weeks and I’m back on the Roller Coaster. I hope this is also happening to others that have had their orders cancelled without merit.

Toglenn

[Belmondo]

Having long since assumed that any future correspondence with Dell would be by email and/or robot voice mail, I was quite surprised to get a call from a living, breathing person who was actually in Texas and not New Delhi.

For the third time in the last week, Dell was confirming my desire to leave my order stand. (---once by automated voice mail, then by email, and finally, this phone call). The young lady informed me that the current projections for filling all orders were running as long as another 8 months. That puts it out to almost exactly a year from the date of order, if true. She had no idea of the actual number of orders, nor where I fell in the queue. Also, she didn’t have a clear idea of how the shipping order was determined, although she guessed that purchases would be delivered in the order received.

I don’t know if Dell is intentionally trying to discourage people or what. Otherwise, I can’t imagine why they’d give us so many opportunities to reconsider our orders. Anyway, I’m quite content to wait until hell freezes over as long as the price differential remains the same between what we’re paying and the going street price.

[Sketcher]

[01-14-04]

Original Post updated.

Thanks for your update Tom.

[toglenn]

Received my Dell 70-200 IS from Dell on 1/13/04. This is the first time I have seen the lens and was surprised as to how heavy it is.

I just sold my 75-300 and now wonder if I should have kept it. In comparison photos, the 75-300 appeared just as sharp as the 70-200 without the extra bulk and weight. As for the f2.8 vs. the f/4-5.6 I guess it will come in handy but I'm not sure if the extra bulk is worth it.

Has anyone compared the 70-200 f/4 with the 75-300 as to size and weight? I'm wondering if the f/4 might be better suited for my needs.

As for bronzing the lens and putting them on the mantle, isn't that like winning the Gold Metal and having it bronzed?

toglenn

[Tom W]

Received my Dell 70-200 IS from Dell on 1/13/04. This is the first time I have seen the lens and was surprised as to how heavy it is.

I just sold my 75-300 and now wonder if I should have kept it. In comparison photos, the 75-300 appeared just as sharp as the 70-200 without the extra bulk and weight. As for the f2.8 vs. the f/4-5.6 I guess it will come in handy but I'm not sure if the extra bulk is worth it.

Has anyone compared the 70-200 f/4 with the 75-300 as to size and weight? I'm wondering if the f/4 might be better suited for my needs.

As for bronzing the lens and putting them on the mantle, isn't that like winning the Gold Metal and having it bronzed?

toglenn

Here's a deal for you: I'll trade my 70-210 f/3.5-4.5 Canon and $500 USD for your 70-200 f/2.8L lens. :D

[tpinchback]

about how many pounds does that lens weigh?

[Sketcher]

about how many pounds does that lens weigh?
The 70-200 f/2.8L IS

3.2 lb without tripod collar
3.5 lb with tripod collar

according to B&H's spec page.

[CyberDyneSystems]

52 ounces... without collar.

For reference the Sigma 50-500mm is 58 ounces, :shock:

[Sketcher]

[01-22-04]

OP Udate.

[CyberDyneSystems]

[01-22-04]
Some day, this thread will die a noble death... or should that be ignoble?? For now, another update from some lucky stiffs in another forum: Nothing new from Dell correspondence-wise, but more people over in dp have received their lens this past week. My attention is no longer piqued nor does my heart race at the mention of lenses shipping. My service to this thread is near perfunctory and your wish that this thread and those like it would go away is nearing fulfilment. Alas, eh!? WTH??? Wheeeeew. Almost gave in to complacency and indifference there. Not me Buddy! Windchill is a nippy -30 today, guess I just got a little brain freeze on the way in. No lenses for me yet. But then, my order page does show on or before 08-26-04....

For what it's worth,. I for one will monitor this thread untill the day I see the following in bold type;

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,. Sketcher

Good luck! :D

[TeraGram93013]

May I add my heartfelt thank you for your service and vigilance?

I will never, ever, look at Dell the same way again.

My eye is jaundiced to them now. They shall receive none of my money.

Ever.

Too bad for them, too... I'll be needing a new laptop in the next year or so.

[Jim01]

[01-22-04]
Some day, this thread will die a noble death... or should that be ignoble?? For now, another update from some lucky stiffs in another forum: Nothing new from Dell correspondence-wise, but more people over in dp have received their lens this past week. My attention is no longer piqued nor does my heart race at the mention of lenses shipping. My service to this thread is near perfunctory and your wish that this thread and those like it would go away is nearing fulfilment. Alas, eh!? WTH??? Wheeeeew. Almost gave in to complacency and indifference there. Not me Buddy! Windchill is a nippy -30 today, guess I just got a little brain freeze on the way in. No lenses for me yet. But then, my order page does show on or before 08-26-04....

For what it's worth,. I for one will monitor this thread untill the day I see the following in bold type;

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,. Sketcher

Good luck! :D

As will I, CDS. I fully expect all who ordered to eventually get their 'precious' :>)

As a matter of fact, since mine was received on Dec. 31st, Dell may be receiving another 'monthly' shipment of lenses from Canon sometime soon. Regards to all.

Jim

[ShootTechPan]

May I add my heartfelt thank you for your service and vigilance?

I will never, ever, look at Dell the same way again.

My eye is jaundiced to them now. They shall receive none of my money.

Ever.

Too bad for them, too... I'll be needing a new laptop in the next year or so.

On the contrary, Dell is holding Canon to their pricing mistake. They could have easily just told us that it was a mistake on their website and cancelled our orders or told us the item was no longer carried by Dell. It's not like it's in our Rights to capitalize on a pricing mistake just because we tried to place an order on their website. Instead, they're trying their best to fulfill them. While I think Dell shouldn't try to pare down the order count with the "DellBot" automated order cancellation system :) , I actually think Dell's doing a good thing. They can't force Canon to deliver more lenses. I've bought Dells in the past and will continue to do so based on this experience. Just my 2c.

And thanks for keeping this thread alive and organized, Sketcher! Don't worry about the sour grapes crowd.

[Sketcher]

For what it's worth,. I for one will monitor this thread untill the day I see the following in bold type;

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,. Sketcher

Good luck! :D
It's worth quite a lot friend. I appreciate the sentiment. Ready yourself now CDS, there may be some bold type coming your way! ;).

[Belmondo]

Ditto:
I got an email from Dell. Supposedly the lens has been shipped and is enroute. After all this, I just can't get excited, although I will be glad to see an end to this little drama.

Tom :shock:

[SoCal69]

FYI, I received an email from Dell last night telling me my lens is on the way via Airborne Express Second Day! For those keeping track of dates, I ordered on 9/24/03. I think I was on the tail end of the orders before they pulled the item from the website.

[Sketcher]

Original post updated!

[Stephane]

My two lens are on the way also, it was such a incredible deal i decided to buy two!!! :oops:

[Sketcher]

[01-30-04]

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!! The Airborne driver walked up to the door and I invited him inside. When asked if he wanted to hang his jacket and have some lunch; take a break from the -24 chill he looked at me as if I was smoking, well... something :). I won't bore you with pictures of the Van pulling up, driving away, box from Dell PA or the contents therein (though I did unashamedly shoot all of those pictures). Going to let the lens warm up to room temp before I fire it up though cuz my skin nearly stuck to the freezing surface as I took it out of the case! It's a good thing we had a kid this week (the wife's occupied making googly noises; doesn't notice the lens :lol: ... yet).

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!

Best Regards,

Sketcher :)

[Tom W]

[01-30-04]

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!! The Airborne driver walked up to the door and I invited him inside. When asked if he wanted to hang his jacket and have some lunch; take a break from the -24 chill he looked at me as if I was smoking, well... something :). I won't bore you with pictures of the Van pulling up, driving away, box from Dell PA or the contents therein (though I did unashamedly shoot all of those pictures). Going to let the lens warm up to room temp before I fire it up though cuz my skin nearly stuck to the freezing surface as I took it out of the case! It's a good thing we had a kid this week (the wife's occupied making googly noises; doesn't notice the lens :lol: ... yet).

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!

Best Regards,

Sketcher :)

Having followed this thread for months, I'm very happy to see that you've gotten your lens.

I do wish, however, that Dell would offer a similar deal to their loyal computer customers again (me) so that we could take advantage of such a fine offer!!

Congratulations!! :D

[CyberDyneSystems]

YAAAAY!!! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


At long last!

Congrats Sketcher! :wink:

[SoCal69]

My two lens are on the way also, it was such a incredible deal i decided to buy two!!! :oops:

In hindsight, I guess I should have ordered a few...one to keep and others to resell! D'oh!

[Jim01]

[01-30-04]

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!!! The Airborne driver walked up to the door and I invited him inside. When asked if he wanted to hang his jacket and have some lunch; take a break from the -24 chill he looked at me as if I was smoking, well... something :). I won't bore you with pictures of the Van pulling up, driving away, box from Dell PA or the contents therein (though I did unashamedly shoot all of those pictures). Going to let the lens warm up to room temp before I fire it up though cuz my skin nearly stuck to the freezing surface as I took it out of the case! It's a good thing we had a kid this week (the wife's occupied making googly noises; doesn't notice the lens :lol: ... yet).

I GOT MY LENS!!!!!

Best Regards,

Sketcher :)

WOW, Sketcher...you've outdone us all.

Not just one 'precious' delivery...but, TWO!

Congratulations... on both events!

My best regards to both happy parents.

Regards to all,
Jim

[daaaveman]

Congrats Sketcher. A lot of people have been pulling for you. Congrats on the baby. Stand way across the room and take lot of great pics.

[Tin Man]

Ordered 09/23/2003

Called Dell to cancel order 11/23/2003
Bough from local store $1649 11/27/2003
Dell called 12/27/2003 to confirm order and I told them that I had cancelled the order!
Yesterday the box from Dell at door step Guess what the LEN is inside.

Any one interested:)
:?

[ShootTechPan]

I gotta give props to Canon on this one, too... They easily could have delayed the lenses until after the Cash in with Canon Rebate was over (1-31-04) but it sounds like they shipped out most of you guys' lenses before the rebate ended. Don't forget the $30 rebate multiplied by other Canon rebate items you may have bought :D (rebate form, though not linked at the front page anymore, is still at http://www.usa.canon.com/html/rebates/camerapromo/pdf/Canon_Rebate_Tear_Pad_10=03.pdf )

But... there's a problem.
Airborne's website shows:
Current Status: No status available. Please call 1-800-AIRBORNE for more information.

My lens is shown as shipped on 1-29-04, too. But Airborne claims that they haven't physically received any package from Dell (there's a tracking number, but no scan-in). Dell says they've shipped it. We'll find out on Monday, I guess.

Did anyone else have trouble tracking their shipment?

[SoCal69]

Mine also shipped on the 29th. Tracking on Airborne Express website indicates it was at their sorting facility as of 1/30.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Airborne's tracking is crap,. I went through the same nail biting,. and the tracking didn't say a peep untill a few hours AFTER the lens was delivered :)

[Tom W]

Airborne's tracking is crap,. I went through the same nail biting,. and the tracking didn't say a peep untill a few hours AFTER the lens was delivered :)

I had some memory and accessories shipped from Dell to me via Airborne. They were here about the same time that they left Dell, according to their tracking. FedEx and UPS seem to have it under control.

[Burninfilm2]

Lucky guys all of you.. My order status still shows unavailable and when I can finally get a date from someone at Dell it is given as on or before August 26..Hopefully it will be here before then...Congratulations..Hope you enjoy the new lens..Bob <><

[ShootTechPan]

Airborne's tracking is crap,. I went through the same nail biting,. and the tracking didn't say a peep untill a few hours AFTER the lens was delivered :)

Cool, thanks for the comfort, guys :D Looking forward to it!

[Sketcher]

Thanks to everyone for the Congrats and well wishing for both my arrivals this last week! (kid and lens). Good luck to those of you who are still awaiting delivery.

As far as Airborne status goes... I don't so much know if the actual delivery status is as much Airborne's as Dell's ability or lack thereof to get the information updated in a timely fashion. Many people have reported canceling their order only to see it arrive soon after.

I prefer to ship out of our shop via FedEx because their status is usually accurate w/in minutes of every scan point but when we register and send FedEx packages out the door there can be a couple hours of lag before their system shows the tracking # in transit. Has to do with whether the FedEx numbers are pre-labeled by us or direct assigned by the mobile unit.

Anyway, Best Regards to everyone and thanks for the company during the long haul! Hmmm, now to actually do some shooting and participate in some photography related threads! :lol: That's a new one! ;)

Jeff

[ShootTechPan]

Looks like Dell screwed up (again). I got an email saying it shipped and the Order status shows shipped with a tracking number, but Airborne says that Dell just created an airbill without ever turning over a package.

If it had shipped it should have arrived today, so I'm guessing Airborne is right and Dell is caught with its pants down.

Did this happen to anyone else, or am I just lucky?
(ordered on the 24th.)

[SoCal69]

Well, Dell indicated mine shipped 1/29. Airborne's tracking page shows last location on Sun. Night in San Marcos, CA. Was supposed to be delivered by 5 today, but nothing! I have an email in to Airborne, but no response. Also received an invoice from Dell today also. I am assuming it shipped, else why would Airborne's tracking show it in San Diego. Lets see what tomorrow brings.

[Belmondo]

Mine was delivered today. I came home mid-afternoon, and there it was...just sitting there on the front porch. The thought of a $1500 lens just sitting there in the open does cause a bit of concern to the person paying for it, but all's well that ends. For me, the saga of the 'unbelievable bargain' has finally, and mercifully, come to an end. For those of you still waiting, be patient. It's coming!

[SoCal69]

Mine was delivered today. I came home mid-afternoon, and there it was...just sitting there on the front porch. The thought of a $1500 lens just sitting there in the open does cause a bit of concern to the person paying for it, but all's well that ends. For me, the saga of the 'unbelievable bargain' has finally, and mercifully, come to an end. For those of you still waiting, be patient. It's coming!

Yikes! That would definitely concern me as well! Can you tell us when Dell shipped your lens?

[Belmondo]

Chuck:
They emailed the ship notice to me at about 2:00am on Friday (1/30).
I'd be willing to bet yours shows up tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Tom

[ShootTechPan]

Heh so my credit card just updated with the massive charge from Dell... so I guess then it's official. Up till a few hours ago it didn't show any charges, so I thought the lens really wasn't coming since Dell would have put the charge in on the 29th.

I've used this lens before for jobs and it's truly fabulous. MTF charts show it's a bit softer than the 24-70 2.8L currently on my camera at 70mm, but I don't think I'll be using it much at 70mm. I've been astounded by the sharpness at 200mm.

I'll probably get the 2.0X teleconverter to go with this lens since 200mm isn't that long on a film body when I ShootTechPan :) You guys really ought to try that stuff. Medium format resolution on a 35mm film slice... (albeit black and white only, $12/roll and ISO 25).

[SoCal69]

You would think Airborne would do at least a half decent job of keeping their tracking page updated. The last update on mine is well over a day old now! I'm surprised Dell would continue using any shipping service with such poor tracking services.

[SoCal69]

Finally, the long wait is over... I have it in my hot little hands! Now I'm just waiting for an opportunity to go out and put it through some paces!

I must say i was not overly pleased at Dell's packing job. The lens (in box of course) was thrown into a box with 10-20 foam peanuts...leaving mostly empty space for the box to slide around.

For those of you still waiting, I know your time comes soon and we can finally put an end to this drama! I for one will still monitor this thread and home to see many more posts about lenses being received!

[tamash]

I've been reading Sketcher's posts with interest ever since placing the order for this lens on Sept 24. I'm happy to say my first L lens arrived
a couple days after I saw this last post and I couldn't be happier with it.
Just before it shipped, the Dell site was reporting an 8/26/04 delivery date ... so hang in there if you're still waiting on this one; it looks like they're starting to move through the backlog again.
- Bill

[Burninfilm2]

Hey Bill, Where did you find a delivery date? All I can ever get is the delayed order screen and that Dell is doing their best to fill the order. I have been successful, once, in getting the August date, but only after a long time on the phone and several transfers. Oh well, mine was ordered on 9/25, so perhaps it will be in the next batch shipped. Bob <><

[Belmondo]

I must say i was not overly pleased at Dell's packing job. The lens (in box of course) was thrown into a box with 10-20 foam peanuts...leaving mostly empty space for the box to slide around.

Since I already have one of the lenses, I'd worked out a trade with the local camera shop. I took the package over to him as soon as it arrived, and let him open it. I also noticed that the lens was free to slide around in the shipping box as you observed.

When he opened it, there were pricisely three foam peanuts in there. No kidding! Three of them.

Fortunately, Canon does a good job of packaging the lens, and it was just fine.

[SoCal69]

Just before it shipped, the Dell site was reporting an 8/26/04 delivery date ... so hang in there if you're still waiting on this one; it looks like they're starting to move through the backlog again.
- Bill

I also saw a date on the order status page of 8/26 just prior to receiving the email that the order has shipped. Although this time, no phone calls or emails telling me about the new date and requiring my confirmation to keep the order active.

My guess is that they have been pretty good about getting enough lenses to fulfill these orders (particularly in January). I don't remember how many days the lens was listed, but I believe it was for about 3-4 days (9/22-9/25??) and it sounds like they are getting to the last of their orders now.

[Sketcher]

Too few peanuts... I complained about the excessive use of peanuts when I opened my package!! LOL. I must have gotten Tom's portion. :lol:

I think the lens was listed from the 19th to the 25th. At least from the order posts I originally maintained; those are the dates reported. Mine was ordered the morning of the 22nd (9/03)

According the my last phone call with Dell Corporate services, the SKU for that lens will be reactivated and appropriately priced once normal disbursement can be established.

*Edit - Original Post updated.

[Belmondo]

Too few peanuts... I complained about the excessive use of peanuts when I opened my package!! LOL. I must have gotten Tom's portion. :lol:

I think the lens was listed from the 19th to the 25th. At least from the order posts I originally maintained; those are the dates reported. Mine was ordered the morning of the 22nd (9/03)

According the my last phone call with Dell Corporate services, the SKU for that lens will be reactivated and appropriately priced once normal disbursement can be established.

Score one for the little guys!

[Jim01]

Too few peanuts... I complained about the excessive use of peanuts when I opened my package!! LOL. I must have gotten Tom's portion. :lol:

I think the lens was listed from the 19th to the 25th. At least from the order posts I originally maintained; those are the dates reported. Mine was ordered the morning of the 22nd (9/03)

According the my last phone call with Dell Corporate services, the SKU for that lens will be reactivated and appropriately priced once normal disbursement can be established.

Score one for the little guys!

Congratulations to all the new 'recipients'! Happy for you... and looking forward to hearing good news from those still waiting for theirs to arrive.

Regards,
Jim

[Tom W]

Score one for the little guys!

Dude!!! You got a Dell!!!

And I have two Dells and no "L"s. :D

yet...

[ShootTechPan]

I will never, ever, look at Dell the same way again.

My eye is jaundiced to them now. They shall receive none of my money.

Ever.

Too bad for them, too... I'll be needing a new laptop in the next year or so.

EDIT: Just so you guys know, here's the pattern to look for: Dell sends you a shipping confirmation and provides a tracking number. This tracking number actually works on the Airborne website, but it comes up with an error:
Current Status: No status available. Please call 1-800-AIRBORNE for more information. Est. Delivery Date: 2/2/04

Don't hold your breath. This package will probably never arrive. It's those bastards at Dell screwing over the little guy and then hiding behind a computer/warehouse error.

It's now been confirmed that Dell has lost my order. They've charged my credit card for it, sent me a bogus tracking number, made me wait at home for a package that was never shipped. I've wasted hundreds of cell phone minutes explaining this to their brain-dead Customer "Care" reps.

I suspect this actually is an intentional ruse by Dell to reduce the number of lenses they need to send out. After all this all they are offering me is a refund.

You were right, TeraGram93013.

I'll never buy from Dell again.

[SoCal69]

ShootTechPan:

That's too bad about the lost shipment. Are they not offering to send another one? Either Dell or Airborne should be replacing it.

I doubt it was intentional. Yours is the first I have heard of this happening and I doubt that Dell would really worry about shipping a few extra lenses when they obviously shipped so many already. I would insist that they ship another to you. If they delivered the lens to Airborne and Airborne lost it (surely someone has a record of a pickup) then Dell can seek reimbursement from Airborne.

Let us know how it works out. GOOD LUCK

[Tom W]

ShootTechPan - if you used a Credit Card and you are in the US, you have the right to dispute any charge on your card. Call the credit card company. They will most likely tell you to contact them in writing concerning the disputed charge and the reason that you are disputing it.

You do not have to pay for items that you don't receive, and you are only responsible for $50 of any fraudulent charges.

And quit using your cell phone to call support!

[Sketcher]

ShootTechPan - you have PM.

[ShootTechPan]

Thanks guys for the advice....

Unfortunately, when I'm working, the cell phone is the most appropriate for non-work issues. And Dell's customer care line's hours are so short, I gotta call in the daytime.

Believe me, I've spoken to several customer care managers who all say they can't possibly replace the order. Yes I know this doesn't make sense since they are still shipping to other customers. But I think they either 1. want to pare down the number of orders or 2. are just too lazy to actually pull a few strings at the warehouse.

I'm not worried about getting my money back. I'll sue them to hell if that's an issue.

The reason I posted isn't really to vent... I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else. I know there are some still waiting for their stuff to arrive.