Dell Cancels Gun Business Owners Order

RugerForum.com ^ | Feb 26, 2002 | Jack Weigand

[RJL]

I am writing this because I feel every Firearms owner should know this story.

I placed an order for a Dell notebook computer on February 13 on line with Dell. I was given a tentative delivery date of February 21st. I was watching the order through the Dell on line tracking system; I also opted for the automatic email notification of when the machine was to be shipped.

Well the 21st came and went, I am a Pistolsmith I know things can happen. I made a phone call on the 25th, did a voice mail message for my salesman to get back to me and I was looking for the delivery date. The 25th came and went with no callback. On the 26th I placed another call this time to cancel the order. After a few hours I got a call back, with this amazing reason for the delay. It seems someone in Dell had already canceled my order, when I asked why I was told Dell was afraid I was going to use the machine for illegal purposes. When I asked why someone would think that I was told it was because of the name of my business “Weigand Combat Handguns Inc.”. Because I am involved in firearms I might be doing something illegal. Now keep in mind I was never called or informed of this decision the order was just canceled.

Many of you know me personally and know I run my business about as squeaky clean as possible. In addition being the President of the American Pistolsmiths Guild I am under additional scrutiny as to how I run my business, if I am not clean how can I be the President of an organization that promotes just that! I was informed by a Dell supervisor not long after all of this the reason I was refused was because of their post September 11th policy of screening buyers.

I would like to respectfully ask the firearms community to do the following. If you intended to buy a Dell and because of this letter you do not, email Dell and let them know why. Feel free to distribute this account to all you know in the Firearms community, I think they need to know. I for one am sick and tired of people assuming just because we are involved with firearms that we are doing something illegal. I also do not believe Dell deserves our business if this is how they intend to treat us.

God Bless Jack Weigand President American Pistolsmiths Guild Inc.

------------------ www.jackweigand.com

[SAMWolf]

Dell Customer Care Forum

Seems that this is becoming a subject on the Dell Forum.

[SAMWolf]

Dell Customer Care Forum

Lets try that again.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

Thank you very much, Sam.....Let's Roll!!

[hattend]

Disclaimer at top of this article says it was "all a misunderstanding"

Sure, after the phone lines melted!!!

[hattend]

When I asked why someone would think that I was told it was because of the name of my business "Weigand Combat Handguns Inc.". Because I am involved in firearms I might be doing something illegal.

I wonder if Dell is concerned that that guy who allegedly killed the little girl in San Diego is also being charged with being in possession of "kiddie porn"? I wonder if he downloaded that porn with a Dell? Dude!

[E Rocc]

Wasn't Michael Dell about 15yrs old in the mid eighties?

The bio says he founded Dell Computer in 1984 at age 19.

The quote I saw was in Dinesh D'Souza's Reagan bio. Dell gave Reagan credit for establishing a friendly atmosphere for entreprenuers, which made the computer revolution possible.

-Eric

[AdA$tra]

OOPS! I just installed a brand new IBM X Series server for a client. MADE IN CHINA. We call it a ChIBM Server. True Blue.....but pay no attention the Big Red Star.

[Peace4EarthNow]

Bump for later reading....

Even more happy now that I bought a Gateway.

[mercy]

I just e-mailed them and explained that though I am presently a Dell machine owner (it's 4 years old and badly in need of replacement) my days of doing business with them are over. I appended to my message the thought that perhaps Mr. Dell ( a Jew) would prefer a world where one day dissenting Americans could be rounded up and placed in Ghettos where they could await later shipment off to gas chambers with no resistance. I further explained to them the reason and import of the Second Ammendment.

[OldEagle]

Tell DELL
http://delltalk.us.dell.com/messages/overview.asp?page=1&name=cs_general

[ctdonath2]

Verification of case here.

[AdA$tra]

Just spoke with my Dell sales rep. (I bought around $200,000.00 worth of Dell branded stuff last year) She says she personally has several firearms industry clients, and that Dell has NO SUCH POLICY in regards to gun owners/manufacturers/sellers. In fact, Dell is probably the most conservative friendly company in the entire industry. I fully believe Mr. Weigand's story as I have had several "misunderstandings" or "miscommunications" with Dell in the past. I have had similar communications problems while dealing with numerous large corporate entities. One simply has to work their way up the food chain until they find someone that can resolve the problem. My experience is that for every corporate idiot i have to deal with, there is someone, somewhere in charge of that idiot that can help you solve your problem.

[myself6]

Here is what I found on their forum page.


"Hold your horses, mister. Dell does not take an official position on firearms ownership, nor does Dell deny sales to firearms related businesses. The recent issue with the order from Mr. Weigand, of Weigand Combat Handguns, was an isolated incident. What happened, in my understanding, is this, a waiver should have been sent to Mr Weigand, so that the sale could proceed, but it was not sent. Consequently, the order was cancelled, because this form was not signed and received. It was a screwup at Dell, but that's all it was. With a cursory search, I was able to find that Wilson Combat has purchased several systems and peripherals from Dell."

"Simply put, this situation was a mistake, and DELL IS NOT ANTI-GUN. Dell is not neccessarily pro-gun either. Dell has no official stance."

Matt
Dell Technical Support

We shall see if this is true or not.

[Registered]

[myself6]

...And This...


"Dell does in fact screen customers, and yes, 'Weigand Combat Handguns' was flagged. What should have happened, was a waiver should have automatically been sent to Mr. Weigand, and upon it's return, the sale would have proceeded normally. The waiver was not sent, and the person who told Mr Weigand that the sale was denied, obviously did not know about the process of what happened. Mr Weigand then assumed and proceeded to tell everyone possible that Dell denies sales to firearms related businesses.


I am a Dell employee, and I am a gun owner, an NRA member, and an active defender of our 2nd Amendment rights. My posts here are in an unofficial capacity, but I can say again DELL DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY OF DENYING SALES TO FIREARMS RELATED BUSINESSES. Dell does not have an official position on firearms ownership, and does not, to my knowledge, support ANY organization on either side of the debate.

Everyone jumping the gun here, so to speak, is going to make us gun owners look bad. Get the facts, then make your decision. Don't jump to conclusions, that's what the anti's do. Let's not lower ourselves to their level"


This is the story from a low level tech and should be verified by upper management for Dell. Id say the Tech sounds for real but is naive about political warfare and thinks "not lowering ourselves to thier level" is the way to win wars.

[joebellis]

Email address for the Executive committe at Dell:

Michael S. Dell - Chariman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Kevin B. Rollins - President and Chief Operating Officer
Elizabeth Heller Allen - Vice President Corporate Communications     
William J. Amelio - Senior Vice President and President Asia-Pacific/Japan
Paul D. Bell - Senior Vice President and President Europe, Middle East and Africa
Jeff Clarke - Vice President Relationship Product Group
Martin J. Garvin - Vice President Worldwide Procurement
Michael A. George - Vice President Chief Marketing Officer and Corporate Strategy
Thomas B. Green - Senior Vice President and Secretary Law and Administration
Randall D. Groves - Vice President Enterprise Systems Group
John Hamlin - Vice President U.S. Consumer Business
Russell L. Holt - Vice President Enterprise Systems Group
Joseph A. Marengi - Senior Vice President Americas
Paul D. McKinnon - Senior Vice President Human Resources
John Medica - Vice President Client Product Group
Randall D. Mott - Senior Vice President Chief Information Officer
Glenn E. Neland - Vice President Worldwide Procurement
Louise M. O'Brien - Vice President Corporate Business Development
Rosendo G. Parra - Senior Vice President Americas
Charles H. Saunders - Senior Vice President and President Asia-Pacific/Japan
James M. Schneider - Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Lynn A. Tyson - Vice President Investor Relations
James T. Vanderslice - Vice Chairman
Thurmond B. Woodard - Vice President Global Diversity

[Verax]

Ok. Cool. My mistake...I thought he was much younger.

[RightOnline]

"OOPS! I just installed a brand new IBM X Series server for a client. MADE IN CHINA. We call it a ChIBM Server. True Blue.....but pay no attention the Big Red Star."

Wrong, dude. I KNOW where they're made, I know who designed 'em, I know the head of the engineering teams, etc., etc., etc. Don't confuse the location of a part vendor with the location of the actual product manufacture (hint: it AIN'T China).

[RJL]

Well Done, Registered comes through again!

[Registered]

Thanks! Don't buy the excuse that Michael Dell is floating on the Dell forum. The order was not being shipped overseas, but rather directly to a US address...so why would export law have ANYTHING to do with this guy's order? It wouldn't. This is a pathetic attempt by Dell to hide behind law rather than acknowledge the fact that they sell PC's and are PC. This is unbelievable.