It seems that Dell has reversed it's decision to only offer Vista to it's customers.  Thanks to Hawkfyr for the thread link:

http://www.techspot.com/news/25004-dell-readds-xp-as-option-over-vista-on-new-pcs.html

However, it's too little too late for me. My situation was beyond the OS, shipping me the wrong OS was minor compared to all of the rest of the abuse they inflicted on me in this customer service nightmare, topping it off with calling me a thief!  

I made this thread to show how crappy Dell treats their average customer (I'm Josephine Average) because when all was said and done, I couldn't freaking believe that this company which  has such shoddy customer service is still in business!! 

Companies like Dell get away with abusing their customers because they have a large corner of the computer marketplace and know that if you don't know a great deal about computers and want or need  24/7 tech support, there aren't that many companies that you can go to.

 

Only through publication of stories such as mine will there be  any hope for the customers out there who are being abused by big businesses.   Companies who treat their customers badly need to be made an example of in order for them to see what really matters...the customer. Only then will change happen.

 

Any successful business requires rules, but when internal policies and procedures start to take on a life of their own and begin to freeze out the customer leaving them feeling abused and utterly defeated, that company has a growing problem.

My friends have repeatedly told me that I'm "dangerous" when I have a cause I feel worth fighting for and now that I've taken time to calm down, I have started to "campaign". I'm currently awaiting responses from a few places that  I have contacted about this Customer Service nightmare to find out if they are interested in running a story or review about the adverse affects that rigid and and unbending policies and procedures have on the customer.

Hmmm...maybe I should call Jerry Springer!    LOL  Can just see me duking it out with Michael Dell on PPV, haha

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi