My house almost burned TO THE GROUND, BABY!

I'm really disgusted with Dell. First, they sell me a laptop with a case that breaks easily (and which, by the way, they refuse to fix even though the whole laptop is under warranty---they specifically set up the warranty so that it didn't cover the case, but I digress). Then, while I was working on Cataclysm Reaction Part 2 on said laptop, I smell smoke. Then I hear a popping noise. I look in the direction of the nose---and the AC adapter for my laptop has caught fire! Well, technically, it was one of the cords, but you get the idea: FIRE!!!!

If I hadn't been right there to blow the fire out and unplug everything, my house could've burned---say it with me, people:

TO THE GROUND, BABY!!!

Joking aside, this was a truly dangerous thing that happened; it put me, my family, my house, and everything I own in very real danger. Is this what I paid $1100 for back in 2006???

And when I called Dell up to file a complaint and see if they'd send me another AC adapter (which I really shouldn't have to pay for), I get someone whose accent made him nearly unintelligible---call me racist, but it's really not my choice whose voice I can or can't decipher. And not only was he hard to understand, but he gave me no help other than to tell me a number to call tomorrow (even if they are having technical difficulties on their end, why should I have to wait?!) and he even hung up on me before I was done talking with him.

All this is leaving me very, very unhappy with Dell. I certainly hope they give me good service in response to this. That's part of the reason I'm posting this vid; I intend to let everyone know what their response is. If I can, I'll even refer the person taking my call to this video to let them know what's going on.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Dell
• laptop
• AC
• adapter
• burn
• damage
• error
• problem
• issue
• complaint
• TO
• THE
• GROUND
• BABY
• E1505
• product
• review

[longWriter]

Sorry about the delays with Part 2 of my Cataclysm vids---when the power adapter arrived, I spent all my time working on the Love is in the Air achievements---I really really want the Violet Proto-Drake.

I'll start working on the vids again right now. No ETA at the moment.

[Chellynne]

yeah, those cords need to be cleaned up. If you have to, have a couple different power stips and only plug in the ones you're using atm.

[longWriter]

@Chellynne That's what I'm doing now: never leave the laptop cord plugged in unattended.

I still think that cord shouldn't have burst into flames, though: I only had a switched-off TV, powered-off PS2 and Wii, and a VCR plugged into that strip besides the Laptop.

[SlowCheetah89]

having all those wires in that outlet like that is extremely dangerous. What surprises me isn't that the dell caught fire, but why nothing else caught fire as well.

[longWriter]

@SlowCheetah89 At the time, everything else that was plugged into that power strip was switched off, except for one VCR.

And I did have two different power strips. But I've taken one of the two power strips and plugged it into a different outlet.

[longWriter]

Good news, all: I tried again today, calling the number that the un-helpful guy from yesterday gave me, and they were much more helpful, this time. A new power adapter is on its way (ETA 2-3 business days), and I didn't have to pay for it, even though my warranty expired. Unless you count the 51 minutes on my cell phone, and considering how few minutes I use per year and how often Verizon makes me buy minutes, anyway, maybe I shouldn't count those 51 minutes.

[EvendimataE]

any brand can have a bad design.... my old old toshiba was so good the processor cant run todays application anymore but nothing is wrong with the unit except the dead battery which is normal for an old laptop. my uncles toshiba had a bad casing design craks everywhere.my fist acer was good but my 2nd died in just 2 years..my friends corporate issued dells are good.my sister's dell power supply always dies...so next time ill buy ill just pick whichever looks good to me.regardless of the brand :D

[nigahiga6400]

I will never buy a dell. I do not want to sit down on my comfy chair playing call of duty when all of a sudden it catches fire.

[onegreatamerican]

i smell lawsuit

[joemac356]

That's what happens when you leave them plugged in. They're transformers, and they need a "load" applied to the transformer. When it's plugged into a 110 voltage source and nothing is drawing current, it will sit there slowly burning up. It's not the fault of the adapter or the cord. If you read the paperwork, it will likely tell you not to leave it plugged in when not in use.

[noka1979]

same thing happened to me tonight, it doesn't matter if the cables are messed up on the ground, how scary is this, dell dont care, i have children in bed and this happened upstairs

[MrNephthys]

Wires, touch'd inside of the rubber case set a spark. gf

[MrNephthys]

@Lidrena honestly. my friend has a mac. looks to complicated :/

[KyuubiMozen]

Hagi told you to go f off eh lol that's fucked Longwriter. Glad you didn't get burned out of house of home though, didn't realize u were doing a few more vids i'll be sure to watch em

[Lidrena]

Fuck apple the mac is slow

[liamwowhead]

try acer and im really sorry and your not races and are plane lucky