A few months ago I wrote about my saga of losing time, money, and sanity with computer hardware woes and Dell. It took me over 10 months and countless hours of my time which would’ve been better spend building my business or even just sitting around with a glass of Cabernet, but in the end I got my issue resolved. It took all this time, energy, and getting two agencies involved to make it happen (county consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau). It astounds me how awful this experience was. If you’ve had a similar experience that has yet to be resolved (and from the Twitter posts I see, there are plenty of you) — Dell may owe you money.

Imagine that — there is truth in the saying “What Goes Around, Comes Around” and it is finally coming around, at least to some degree to our friends at Dell. In a recent CIO.com article called “Does Dell Owe You Money?” millions everywhere learn that the chance for payback has finally arrived.

If you’ve ever received shoddy service from Dell, now’s your chance for payback — literally.

Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley’s office, along with 33 other state attorneys, reached a US$3.35 million multi-state settlement with Dell and Dell Financial Services, for allegedly misleading consumers about financing terms, warranties and rebates.

Imagine that! It’s official, someone recognizes our pain!

The lawsuit began last year and highlighted the many ways in which Dell treated its customers poorly, including but not limited to never providing proper refunds, failure to provide prompt repairs, and misleading customers about financing terms. PC World plunged into extensive interviews and research regarding these allegations in mid-2007.

Let’s face it – computers are far from perfect and will break. There will be lemons. However, as consumers we expect a degree of reasonableness when it comes to our purchases. The web is full of people screeching about their woes with Dell. A quick search turns up:

And hey, that’s just the top three blog results. I know when I was researching my woes, the stories are legendary.   While I realize there will always be bad reviews and complaints out there even for the best of companies, I have to say that personally I had never been treated so badly (or at the least with total indifference — excluding my cats of course).

So, how can you determine if Dell owes you some money?

So how can you cash in? If you bought a Dell product between April 1, 2005 and April 13, 2009 and experienced any of the following, you may be entitled to a slice of the money pie:

— A problem with a Dell financing offer

— A problem with a Dell rebate

— A problem with Dell financing

— A problem with a Dell repair, warranty or servicing

Go to the Dell Settlement Claims webpage (or download the PDF form here), fill it out and send it in by April 13, 2009. It’s important to note that you may not receive restitution based on your claims but hey, it’s worth a shot.

Of course if you had your problem resolved, even if it was worse than double root canals, you are not entitled to anything for your pain, suffering, or lost business wages. While a bummer, I certainly hope this lawsuit helps slap Dell into action to change their ways. I would love to see the Dell of the past that had great products, good prices, and excellent customer service. Only time will tell if this long, lost, killed off friend can be brought back to life like the villains in Soap Operas.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, offers life coaching for lesbians to help you gain the clarity, confidence, and courage you need to have success on your own terms. Get the free eCourse “The 5 Crucial C’s You Need to Succeed in Life” at her website.