By Matt Broersma, 23 February 2004 09:00
NEWS PC giant Dell has hit upon a way of ensuring its customers are not planning to use hardware bought online for nefarious purposes such as designing weapons of mass destruction - it simply asks them outright.
As part of the export compliance process on Dell's US and UK websites, the site asks the buyer four questions: who will be the product's end user, what is the intended use, whether the products will be exported (and if so, to what countries) and whether the products will "be used in connection with weapons of mass destruction, i.e. nuclear applications, missile technology, or chemical or biological weapons purposes".
A Dell spokeswoman said the questions were a routine part of the sale process and were required by any US corporation to comply with export regulations. Companies are not allowed to sell products destined for countries that face export restrictions. Dell says it will not process an order which "specifies an address of a freight forwarder, warehouse, distribution centre, airport or hotel".
Other computer makers generally make do by referring buyers to a "terms of sale" page, with terms such as "you agree to comply with all Export Laws".
Dell's terms of sale on its UK site are more specific. The company reminds buyers that the product may not be sold to countries with export restrictions or to "a user involved in weapons of mass destruction or genocide without the prior consent of the US or competent EU government".
On the company's US site, Dell further defines "weapons of mass destruction" as "without limitation, activities related to the design, development, production or use of nuclear weapons, materials, or facilities, missiles or the support of missile projects, and chemical or biological weapons".
Dell is also careful to shield itself from liability in cases where its products are used in a "high-risk activity", including "the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communications systems, air traffic control, medical systems, life support or weapons systems". Dell said its telephone-sales operators are not required to query customers on the intended use of their products.
Matt Broersma writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
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1. anonymous
Lets face it Dell doesn't do DEALS for anyone!
2. anonymous
Dell is a lost cause. They stopped beihng a viable business when they tried selling cheap PC's with no support and then wondered why business was in the ditch.
3. anonymous
WOW! up-to-date news! this has been on the Dell website for years!
And as for you guys who complain about them not beining competitive in the business market, you need to get yourself a better account manager to cut you better deals, the best times to buy are at the end of each month and then end of January (Dell end of year) as they are trying to cram in as many sales as possible to meet their quota's
4. David Watson
No surprises here. The U.S. Government has been asking visitors to its shores the same question for many years on its visa waiver forms.
Are you here to commit an act of terrorism? Some people have obviously been ticking the wrong box.
I suspect Dell's telephone 'support' has also been masterminded to confound those wishing to use their machines for...well anything really.
5. Dave Howe
"a user involved in weapons of mass destruction or genocide without the prior consent of the US or competent EU government".
Hmm. so its ok to be genocidal - but only provided the UK or US government says its ok?
6. John Storry
Dell build to order...really, well it's a shame they don't deliver then!
How can any self respecting hardware supplier expect to be taken seriously when it takes them on average, in excess of 5 weeks to deliver? When an order does finally arrive, the chances are that items are wrong, missing or have been substituted.
For a company with a reasonable product, Dell has little idea about customer service!
7. Kay
A classic case of covering their 'backside' by asking silly questions. Any person who may consider using the computers for creating weapons is hardly going to admit it on the form. To me it sounds like the standard 'did you pack your own bags question at the airport no one in their right mind would answer ' ... no I let this charming arab man pack them for me, although I don't remeber my case being this heavy on the way out, Osama I think his name was.
8. anonymous
Then they should stop sale to Israel and USA's MOD!!!
9. Tim Jackson
A 'competent' EU government?
Which one would that be then?
(Ed note. We make the very same point in our Leader article on the story).
10. anonymous
Seeing that no one found weapons of mass destruction - because there arent any, one cannot be accused of buying a Dell to design them !
11. Osama Bin Larfin
Curses on their grandmothers
How can I complete the manufacture of my weapons of mass destruction when the accursed Mr Dell will not allow me to use my computer to track the consignment of enriched uranium which I Q Khan is sending to me?
Osama Bin Larfin
12. John Corne
Whats all the fuss about? Apart from the phrase "Weapons of mass Destruction", computer companies have ALWAYS had these disclaimers. At DEC in the early 80s it was compulsory for all staff however far down the pecking order to go on "Export Awareness" training.
13. anonymous
Anyone who has ever flown to the states and filled out a green visa-waiver form will know the U.S. seems obsessed with asking questions that anyone up to "no good" would obviously not answer truthfully.
I can't remember all the questions but questions but they are phrased along the lines of: "were you ever in the Nazi party?" or "Do you intend to commit moral turpitude?". I'm sure the cards have been updated post 9/11 to include even more pointed questions.
Apart from the fact that no terrorist is going to answer this type of question honestly - there is a good chance that they would either just steal your Dell PC or buy one using your stolen credit card.
14. Joe Whitehead
FUD
<hirer> Ok, just one more thing before we hire you. Just sign this loyalty oath, and we're all done here.
<traitor> Sure thing.
Silly then, and silly now...
15. anonymous
Dell 'Is doing the terrorists a big favour' by not doing business with them.
Trust me, I bought a computer from Dell. They overcharged me for junk (one example being €107 for a crap Logitech Qickcam that I'll be lucky to flog for 20), a CRT monitor that can't handle anything over 60hz
Their customer support is brutal - post a question you get irrelevant AI generated rubbish, insist that the message actually be sent to someone and they'll send it to someone in India who can't speak English.
And they send you a whole load of junk mail and spam - it's like the trial of Jove to get them to ****ing stop.
I'm sure the terrorists are so scared that Delley Welley dosen't like them.
And also the cannot export to anyone involved with "genocide without permission of the US or competent EU government"?
So, you can sell to someone who IS commiting genocide if "competent" western govt. approves?
Also for "competent EU government", my guess is that that does not include dun Rumsfelds "Old Europe"
It's all a load of fetid cr*p.