Personal Injury Resources

Customers claim Dell used bait-and-switch. Since Dell does just-in-time manufacturing, this is a class action claim based on either a problem with Dell manufacturing talking to Dell web operations or something more willful.

Two San Francisco residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against computer manufacturer Dell, alleging the company regularly uses bait-and-switch techniques, and promises favorable financing terms that it doesn't deliver.

The suit was filed Feb. 14 in San Francisco County Superior Court by Rosemary M. Weber and Jonathan V. Holtzman, both San Francisco residents.

In the lawsuit, Weber said she called Dell in July 2003 to order a laptop computer she had seen advertised for $599. She also decided to buy a printer for $89 and opted to finance the purchase with Dell, though she did not learn exact terms of the financing. When her bill came, the complaint said, Weber was surprised that it was for more than $1,300.

Plaintiff Holtzman alleged that when he purchased two new computers from Dell in November 2003, the company shipped him ``lesser-quality computer systems at the price at which Dell agreed to sell the higher-quality systems.'' His repeated efforts to resolve the problem failed, the complaint said.

Also named as defendants in the lawsuit were Dell Financial Services and CIT Bank.