Company Updates

Our Statement on a Recent News Story Regarding a Dell Laptop

By   |  

[UPDATE 2/9/2017]

Regarding the recent Dell laptop incident, we have concluded our full investigation. The battery involved was not manufactured by Dell and was not an authentic Dell battery. Remember it is important to follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions for all electronic devices. Incompatible, counterfeit or third-party batteries may increase the risk of a safety related incident.

Here are some additional battery safety tips to follow for devices with lithium-ion batteries:

Go the source. Only buy replacement batteries from the device manufacturer. For Dell devices, authentic Dell batteries purchased directly from Dell are designed specifically to work with your Dell computer and contain intellectual property that helps ensure safety while improving performance, increasing battery life and reducing charge times. Dell cannot verify that replacement batteries purchased elsewhere will operate safely. Visit Battery and Adapter Selector to be sure you get the battery designed specifically for your Dell laptop.

Check your resources. Per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), some websites and secondhand dealers not associated with reputable manufacturers and carriers have been found to be selling incompatible, counterfeit, or poorly manufactured batteries and chargers. If you are unsure whether a replacement battery is compatible with your device, be sure to contact the manufacturer.

On the mark. For added safety, always look for a genuine Mark of Safety on the battery from an organization such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

UL Listing and Classification Marks

We also urge people to properly dispose of all end-of-life electronics. Check out Dell’s ReConnect partnership with Goodwill to recycle PCs and accessories. For more information on device recycling in general, go to www.gowirelessgogreen.org/what-you-can-do/recycling-wireless-devices.aspx.

*****2/4/17******

We were recently made aware of an incident that occurred involving a Dell laptop. Firstly, we are grateful there were no injuries during this incident. Dell places the highest priority on safety with millions of laptops being used around the world every day. We’ve coordinated with the owner of the laptop and await the product’s return. From there, we will conduct a complete investigation to validate its origin and understand its full history including whether all components such as the battery are manufacturer-approved.

Customer Advisory

As a reminder regarding all devices, be sure to follow the safety advice within the manufacturer’s product manual. Using an incompatible battery or a third-party battery may increase the risk of a safety related incident. Replace the battery only with a battery purchased from Dell that is designed to work with your Dell computer.

About the Author: Laura Pevehouse

Laura Pevehouse was profiled as one of five “social media mavens” in the March 2009 issue of Austin Woman Magazine and named an AdWeek’s TweetFreak Five to Follow. She has been part of the Dell organization for more than 15 years in various corporate communications, employee communications, public relations, community affairs, marketing, branding, social media and online communication roles. From 2014-2018, Laura was Chief Blogger/Editor-in-Chief for Direct2DellEMC and Direct2Dell, Dell’s official corporate blog that she help launch in 2007. She is now a member of the Dell Technologies Chairman Communications team. Earlier in her Dell career she focused on Global Commercial Channels and US Small and Medium Business public relations as part of the Global Communications team. Prior to that, she was responsible for global strategy in social media and community management, as well as marcom landing pages, as a member of Dell’s Global SMB Marketing, Brand and Creative team. When she was part of Dell’s Global Online group, Laura provided internal consulting that integrated online and social media opportunities with a focus on Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. She managed the home page of Dell.com, one of the top 500 global web sites in Alexa traffic rank, and first brought web feeds and podcasts to the ecommerce site. In her spare time she led Dell into the metaverse with the creation of Dell Island in the virtual world Second Life. Laura has earned the designation of Accredited Business Communicator from the International Association of Business Communicators, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Louisiana State University. Before joining Dell Financial Services in 2000, she worked at the Texas Workforce Commission and PepsiCo Food Systems Worldwide.