Finances - watch your back - and watch the people's back you purchase from

I could write a lot on this topic, but I will try to stay focused and write what is only necessary.

My wife and I purchased 2 computers with 2 LCD monitors 2 years and 2 months ago from Dell.

At this time my wife was pregnant with out first child.

Dell sent the computers and we thought all was well.

Except for one thing.

It appears that Dell sent us the computers - without actually charging our credit card. Now in my experience, none of the computer companies I have dealt with do anything - they won't even make your machine - until after they get credit card authorization.

So, we had our computers for 2 years and 1 month, until we received a call from Dell, indicating that we had not paid for our computers and that they would send our account to collections if we did not pay for them immediately.

You can imagine our surprise at this turn of events.

We purchased computers from Dell and we trusted them to do what they need to do - that is collect the money. That is why people are in business.

We did not check up on them - to ensure that they actually charged the card. We gave them the appropriate information - just like we always do when we purchase computers and assumed they could handle the rest.

It turns out that simple responsibility was too much for them. They reserved money against the card, but never sought authorization. The problem was not on our side - the purchase was for $1036 dollars and we had over $9000 available on the credit card.

They claim they sent us letters that we owed them money - but we received none. But somehow - we received each and every one of their advertisements. Even since we moved during that 2 year period.

And I do not understand many things - like how they could even build the computers without authorization, how they could send them to us without authorization - and how - only after two years and 1 month - they contact us on the phone on December 26th 2004 - about a purchase in October 22nd 2002 - they could not have picked up the phone in that entire time!

But they can contact us on the phone now, when they want to damage my credit and send things to collection.

I was sorely tempted to let them send it to collections - and write a letter for my credit report - that would simply state that if you cannot collect money as part of a business transaction - you do not deserve it - and certainly contacting the customer after two years of silence on the topic and then threatening them - is not a proper course of action.

But credit is important - and I feel like I had been extorted to pay them for a problem which after all - was never my issue.

It seems though that in this day in age - you must make sure that if you make a purchase - especially a relatively large one - you need to make sure the idiots you are making the purchase from - actually charge your credit card.

Now, the only thing Dell has done has made it so I will never purchase a computer from them again - or any other product.

Too bad, I have knowledge from a friend - that Gateway's computers are not all that high of a quality.

Too bad also, that IBM has sold their personal computer devision to a Chinese company - leaving questions of quality maintaining at a high level or not (then again - IBM charged such a premium for their computer, I do not know if I would purchase their equipment personally).

I hear, though that Alienware produces good computers.

I suppose that the high point of this - it is a good thing that I know how to buy parts and build a computer on my own.

It seems the only choice I have right now.

I am not even sure who to complain to about this Dell fiasco.

We paid them $750 - just to get them off our back. But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I certainly didn't do anything wrong - but I certainly feel that I have been punished for problems not of my origin.

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