This laptop was built poorly to begin with. A scew fell out in the hinge area, which prompted a second screw to fall out. When the laptop was opened the next time, the hinge at the back cracked off in a perfect straight line. My wife contacted Dell right away as it was our teenage daughter's schoolwork laptop and she was now unable to open it at all. The service rep said if it was hinge related it would be covered under warranty. We were very grateful. My wife sent the laptop off in perfect condition except said hinge that had snapped off and I was later contacted by Amrit with Dell and was told by him that the hard drive failed and that that was the cause of the hinge breaking. This made absolutely no sense. I went around and around about it with him until he realized that was not the issue with the laptop. He then told me there was multiple external damage to the laptop and that I had to pay to have it repaired. I explained to him that the laptop was in great condition except for the damaged hinge and that there were many, many similar reviews with the same hinge issue online. He said that didn't matter. Anyone can write anything about anything online and that there was nothing they could do and that we had to pay $119 to have the laptop repaired. I asked to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor, Gaurav, repeated that there was external damage but that he would try to get a better price so he put me on hold and came back and said that he could get it down to the low price of $200. We went around and around about how a "better price" could RAISE my cost by $81. Again, this made no sense. He then backpeddled and stated that he was looking at it wrong and thought more parts had to be replaced. So then he came down to $88 for the repair and offered a $20 refund that would go into effect after I paid for the repair and it was completed. I did not agree to pay the $68 and asked to speak to his supervisor. He said there was no one else to talk to, that he was it. I told him that I would leave a horrible review but agreed to pay the $88 with the $20 refund. When he heard the word "review" he then told me that there was someone higher than him but if he sent it to them, his offer of the $88 repair with the $20 refund would no longer exist and did I want to take that risk? I responded, "Yes." I received a phonecall from Allen with the Advanced Resolution team. I explained everything from the first two conversations. He said there is nothing that they will do other than charge me for the repair at the full price of $119. I did not feel that the $119 was a satisfactory resolution in any way, but he was holding my laptop "hostage"- in that he would only send it back broken and in pieces without payment. The laptop is my daughter's school laptop and she had already been without it for a full week because the dell repair process takes so long (shipping and repairs and return shipping) and it had not yet even been fixed and she was really behind in her regular schoolwork at the school she attends daily. Likewise, the online classes she currently takes from the local high school kicked her out of her classes due to her being inactive for so long. So we needed her laptop back ASAP! We actually purchased two of this same laptop and we have already sent the other laptop in for repairs TWICE in less than a year. We could not be more disappointed in the quality of Dell laptops but especially in the non-existent customer service. The laptop was extremely well cared for and in perfect condition other than the known faulty hinge design. And we already paid a premium price for it. Dell should have repaired this laptop 100% free of charge due to their poor design. We will NEVER purchase from this company again and will warn as many people as possible not to waste their hard-earned money with Dell as well.