September 13, 2002

The Devil's in the Details of Dell's Solution Provider Direct Program

Dell's solution provider direct program may not be as good as it seams Var Business is reporting...

Dell's Solution Provider Direct, which officially went live earlier this month, provides a way for VARs to order white-box PCs on behalf of their customers. Dell officials say the company has been flooded with inquiries to participate in the program,even from those who have openly criticized Dell in the past. But Dell and would-be partners are quickly finding out that working together isn't as simple as shaking hands. Not to be cliche, but the devil is in the details. The problem: Dell's proposed contractual terms.

Many would-be allies want the vendor to make changes to its proposal before signing on the dotted line. That's because the contract places restrictions on whom solution providers can sell to, what they can say about the product and what type of training they need. Furthermore, it provides no iron-clad guarantees that Dell won't use customer information to try to sell direct to solution providers' clients, though Dell insists the latter won't happen. Finally, Dell's 30-day refund policy offered to consumers is not available to companies that participate in the Solution Provider Direct Program, much to the chagrin of interested partners. (full story)

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