Computer Financing Problem Leads Woman To Five On Your Side For Help

More than two years ago, Pam Finnell got what she thought was a good deal on a Dell computer. She financed it through Dell Financial.

"I thought it was a good computer, a good system and a good price," she said.

Finnell said she found an even better deal on a Dell computer. A company representative told Finnell to go ahead and order a second computer and simply refuse delivery of the first one, so that is what she did.

Shortly after, Finnell got her first invoice and paid it. A week later, she got a second invoice for a different amount, a different account number and a balance of $2,260.97.

"That's when we realized we had a problem," she said.

Finnell called Dell. Dell said it did not get the first computer back.

"We had the order numbers, the tracking numbers [and] the UPS numbers, so we didn't think it would be that much of a problem. Not two years worth," she said.

A year later, that part was resolved, but two different bills still kept coming every month. Finnell continued paying one while making repeated calls about the other.

"[It was] just pure frustration because each time you call, you get a different customer rep and you go through so much of the whole story all over again and then you get cut off," she said.

Finnell later called Five on Your Side, who called Dell Financial Services. Spokeswoman Laura Thomas said the problem is Dell Computer Corp. is a "separate" company from Dell Financial and the two were not communicating. Thomas straightened the whole thing out and sent Finnell a letter confirming it.

Finnell is just relieved that after two years, it is finally resolved and that $2,260.97 balance is gone.

"It didn't need to be this complicated," she said.

Finnell said this incident was definitely not worth the $200 she saved by getting the second computer and she would not do it again.