The New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo has filed a lawsuit against Dell Inc. for - according to the suit - deceiving customers by engaging in illegal "bait and switch" advertising. The lawsuit alleges customers were offered zero percent financing and then switched to a higher rate after the computer was purchased.
"At Dell, customer service means no service at all," said Cuomo in a statement. "Dell's consumers were intentionally misled, and they had to pay for that privilege. I hope this lawsuit sends a message to companies large and small that delivering a product is simply not enough---the promises they make must be delivered as well."
Dell, the second-largest PC seller in the world with a 15.2% share of the overall PC market, is of course denying the accusations claiming Cuomo's charges are "based on a small fraction" of Dell's consumers in the state and during the period the lawsuit covers - 2003 to 2006 - the company has actually lowered customer complaints by 12%.