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Miscellaneous laptop discussions : Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS
Whewwwwwwwwwww!!!!
by Lilgroovy - 3/4/05 10:28 PM In reply to: Gaming Machine by RalphdbThank you soooooo much for posting this information. I'm totally into playing games on console and PC's. Getting ready to...or should I say, have the itch to get a high performance PC for gaming online. Alienware was my first choice, but not nooooooooooo more, whew! I would've be totally pissed if I went and spent that kinda money and did not get the service. Too funny I have a Dell and my intuition was, "DON'T DO IT! Stick with Dell". That would of been a HUGHE HUGHE, mistake. Plus I have worked in the Electronics business, selling electronic compoents to contract manufacture and some OEMs. I would'nt, even think, to tell a customer "no". If they wanted replacements for damaged or lost componets. I would sent samples or send them back to the factory, tell them it was defective, whatever it took so the customer was happy that they bought from the company or think of it this way, "That is my bread and butter." My pay check! Maybe Jaun and Management at Alienware need a little 101 Customer Service. The customer will always remeber the ones that are easy to work with and that, I truly believe, is Dell all the way.
My last word
by cfsnco - 3/5/05 12:46 AM In reply to: Whewwwwwwwwwww!!!! by LilgroovyI think the reason many bought AW is(was) because the case looks cool. When you spend $2,700+ g's your buying the internal components and the Service AND Support. warranty or no warranty. going forward, people need to ask themselves at the end of the day
Do I feel lucky? well, do I?
another interesting question, how many so called gaming PC's are being overclocked?
Question to cfsnco
by rsturk - 3/13/05 7:23 AM In reply to: My last word by cfsncoDid you ever resolve your problem the options tabs in MS Excel? If so what was the fix? thanks
rsturk
My Experience w/ Alienware
by sysadm - 3/5/05 11:50 AM In reply to: Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS by hickmanjI just was scanning my CNET email when I saw Alienware and jumped into reading ALL the posts before responding. My son begged for a laptop by Alienware for graduation(2003)---I was hesitant because of price and the fact I had never heard of them. I insisted on the longest warranty they offered (3 years) since he was going to be in college for at least 4....
The purchase process was the worst. We ordered and waited...and waited...and waited. No computer, no contact. My son finally called--what's up? Where's my machine? They said they couldn't verify my credit card!!! Everything went through fine and we didn't get any errors but I had to FAX a copy of my credit card AND my driver's license to them. Finally it shipped but we still didn't get delivery!!! So we called again! Where's the machine? Sitting at the Fed-Ex distribution center in our city. I finally had to DRIVE there to pick it up-----The Alienware shipping department neglected to put THE STREET NAME IN THE ADDRESS!!!!!! I called them again, demanding refund of shipping charges (I didn't like the fact they ONLY offered FED-EX). They refused...after much arguing with a guy that didn't speak very good English, I was able to get a 50% refund of shipping.
I do have to say that my son had to send it in for a repair--good thing we saved the boxes. It took over 2 weeks and I can't speak to what the repair was as I don't remember but can't say that I'm real impressed with them. Any new purchase my son makes will be on his own!
I am responsible for purchasing machines for my company and I've run the spectrum on brands and have settled on IBM. Have only had one problem with a tower that the mother board kept blowing--they've replaced it twice (blew again!) and I did finally go through the formal complaint process to demand a new machine to replace it. It has taken almost 3 months and replacement machine is supposed to be on the way.
Timely Info on Alienware
by juditte - 3/5/05 12:20 PM In reply to: Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS by hickmanjJust read this whole thread. Have been considering Alienware for new machine. They have lots of bucks spent on cool ads - maybe should plow more into customer service instead. Definately putoff buying from them for now.
Have laptops from IBM and Dell. A few probs with the Dell but send it in, they send it back. Just time out is all - no real probs except hold time on phones. Never a prob with the IBM.
Am responsible for 10 desktops fr Dell, Polywell and whiteboxes. No real problems but better to learn to fix stuff yourself for sure unless you love sitting on the phone. Have had gripes with everyone I've ever dealt with from all hardware and software companies from time to time. Really depends on the individual you get answering the phone- some much better than others. I've done my share of yelling when I got really bad, stupid or snotty service. This is just one of the hazards of buying anything, anywhere.
I would love to support the smaller companies more but sometimes they are too thin and I have to go for the better known quantity to keep from wasting time and money.
I do hope the solution here gets posted. It would be nice to see Alienware publically redeem itself. In my business we really do always try to satisfy the customer and come up with some satisfactory compromise no matter what it says in the fine print. Reputation is worth the most if you wish to stay in business.
Alienware... hmmm....
by danparkcityut - 3/6/05 12:31 PM In reply to: Timely Info on Alienware by juditteI'm looking for a laptop right now. I'll probably buy one within a week, but it will definitely NOT be from Alienware. Alienware has alienated yet another potential customer.
I have already had one bad experience with Dull, so they aren't a player either.
Maybe there is more to a name than just a moniker. After reading this entire thread, I'm suspecting that whoever chose the name "Alienware" knew perfectly well what they were doing...
Some Guidelines for Notebook Purchases
by www.fieldcraft.biz - 3/6/05 7:45 PM In reply to: Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS by hickmanjI know the horse has already bolted, but it is important remember a few guidelines for notebook purchases, even if only for next time.
#1. Listen to the salesman - if he tries to push shelf stock on you without interrogating you for your exact needs, go elsewhere. People that keep high value shelf stock in an industry that sees hardware redundancy cycles of less than a quarter generelly don't stay in business long enough to honour their warranties - if they are at all honest to begin with...
#2 When you have settled on a model that does EXACTLY what you need, Have the salesman physically show you haw to change the memory, where the expansion memory slots are, and most importantly how to remove the hard disk. If any of this is "too hard" find another model. Some notebooks are designed to prevent access for reasons of monopolising technical services.
Why is this so important? Most notebooks have only a single hard disk and when the operating system inevitably crashes one day, you need to be able to remove the hard disk, and plug it into a computer with a working operating system so you can recover your data. If the notebook has no easy access to both memory AND hard disk, or if the hard disk has no jumpers to allow it to be slaved into a desktop; forget it! Find another model.
#3 Contract issues. Under the Trade Practices Act in Australia:
a) it is illegal to limit "warranty". While you can set limitations on "extended warranty", "warranty" in Australia means "statutory warranty" and can only be limited by Act of Parliament or court precedent.
b) it is illegal to limit liability. Liability is determined exclusively by the courts and cannot be limited by a consumer contract in Australia.
c) you have a right to open up a computer (without damaging it) or otherwise have an independent qualified party open up the computer to verify that you really did get what you paid for, and to ensure your right to choose your technician without being limited to the vendor's often over-priced technical services. "Warranty void if removed" seals are condemned by the ACCC as misleading and may even be actionable. The next logical step for the vendor is locking seals or non-standard casing designed to prevent access without damage - however such flagrantly anti-competition practices can land a vendor or manufacturer in hot water.
d) a single error on the contract or even a "to the maximum extent of the law" or "as permitted by applicable law" clause can invalidate an entire contract - Australian lawyers make squillions out of this aspect of contract law. The more complicated a contract of sale the less likely that it is valid - at least in Australia!
I suspect that large companies employ invalid contracts to discourage participation in class actions by misleading consumers about their rights. The propagation of agreements with illegal warranty and liability limitations in Australia proves that end user agreements are not intended to stand up in Australian courts but to prevent the user form going to court in the first place. If you live in a democratic society that values the strength of its economy, you too will have strong consumer rights: so if you have an issue talk to your local consumer watchdog. If there is a breach of local law, organising other people with the same issue makes for a class action with a lot of spending power.
How do I know all this?
1. On the technical side I make it a policy to recover data first and worry about the OS later. I avoid formatting the hard disk at all costs because I have not purchased a hard disk yet that has no bad sectors - and bad sector flags are good for operating system longevity. As a result, I enjoy operating system stability and longevity that few other people dream of!
2. On the legal side; I am NOT a lawyer, but I did spend some time working with a computer shop, where I had to rewrite their contract of sale because the director was too stingy to hire a real contract lawyer - so I spent a lot of time negotiating with the very people who make and enforce consumer protection laws in Australia. (The things we do!)
So before listening to the corporate puppet, take the time to contact your consumer watchdog and find out exactly what your rights are. If your government is in the habit of taking bribes (OK "campaign contributions" if you must) from corporations, try voting with your feet and your taxes by immigrating to a real democracy!
I am currently updating my own EULAs as my earlier EULAs are modelled after the typical large corporation EULA which may have some problems. If you want to see what a real EULA looks like, download the DrawBridge demo or the Australian Postcode demo from my site. If you want to see the ultimate in EULA complexity (IE insanity!) download one of the other demos from my site!
Beware of corporate psychosis...!
Timothy Casey B.Sc.(Hons.)
www.FieldCraft.biz
My letter to ALienware's President
by TODDBAUM - 3/6/05 8:04 PM In reply to: Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS by hickmanjI recently had a similar problem with Alienware on a $6,500 Area-51 system. It started right away with video issues and here is a copy of the letter I sent to the President of Alienware which finally got some response. Anyway, I received my computer back, but now I am having issues with Windows Fatal Errors related to a 1394 port. Just buy from Dell. Hope the letter below explains my problems with Alienware well enough.
#####################################################
December 23, 2004
Mr. Alex Aguila
President:
Alienware Corporation
12400 Southwest 134th Court, Bay 8
Miami, FL 33186
Re: Invoice *********
Customer ID: ******
Dear Mr. Aguila:
I am writing this letter to you as a plea to help me resolve a problem I am having regarding not only a product I purchased from your company, but the customer service I received while trying to resolve this problem.
On July 19, 2004, I ordered an Area-51 Intel 3.4MHz HT Extreme Edition with 2GB RAM and fully loaded with all the best high end components. I was never informed until weeks later that the Nvidia 6800 Ultra PCI Express video card I selected was on backorder. The sales representative should know the current inventory of components, and not even let me order a system with a component that was on backorder. However, I was so excited to own an Alienware Area-51 which you describe as "The Best Custom Built Gaming PC for the Ultimate PC Gamer" that I waited three months in eager anticipation before the system was shipped on October 14, 2004.
Upon installing the system I noticed a problem, my system came with a Nvidia 6800 Ultra PCI Express video card with only a DVI port, but the NEC LCD monitor (1960NXi) did not come with a DVI video cable only an AGB cable. I called Tech Support and they told me I had to contact NEC for the cable, which I did and purchased the correct DVI cable for less than $30. On a system such as this, Alienware should have provided the proper DVI cable.
Unfortunately, within a week of installing my system, I had various issues with system crashes, lockups, garbled video images and "Blue screen" critical errors when playing games. I contacted Tech Support and was told that I needed to update my Nvidia drivers which I did, but the problems persisted. On many occasions after this, I spoke with Tech Support who had me perform various changes to my system startup and video settings which never resolved the problem.
On or around November 27, 2004, I was told that I needed to reinstall Windows XP Professional because my systems version was corrupted. So I backed up my system and with Tech Support on the phone tried several times to use the restore disc that came with my system, but the CD was bad and was unreadable. Tech Support told me that I needed a replacement XP disc and I was transferred to Customer Service and was told that a replacement disc would be shipped to me in a couple days. I never received the XP CD that was promised to be sent.
On December 12, 2004, I told Tech Support that I am still having the same video issues while playing games. The tech told me that the XP replacement CD was never shipped and that he would make sure a replacement CD was shipped immediately. At present, I still have never received the XP replacement CD and I have a $5,500 Ultimate Gaming PC which won’t play games without a system crash, lockup, critical error or video glitch. I would have returned my system within the first 30 days for a full refund, had I known the extent of this issue and the lengthy and haphazard resolution process.
I know the issue I am having centers on the Nvidia 6800 Ultra PCI Express video card, but I don’t know if it software or hardware related. I would like have an Onsite Service tech come to my home and resolve this issue in the near future. Like you, I am the President of a company and cannot afford to spend hours and hours talking to Tech Support endlessly without coming to a quick resolution to the problem. According to Alienware my system went thru the following phases to ensure a quality system:
“Phase 10: (Production: Phase #1)
Your system is undergoing the first stage of the Alienware® 200-point quality control process. This stage includes the installation of the operating system, drivers and any applications that are specific to the system you ordered. Our Alienware® Integration Technician will also install any demos, benchmark utilities, and burn-in software necessary to correctly monitor your system's performance. These functions are performed by AlienFactory, proprietary software designed by Alienware for our valued customers.
Phase 11: (Production: Phase #2)
Your system is undergoing the second stage of the Alienware® 200-point quality control process. This phase is the most crucial stage. We perform a series of grueling tests that push the hardware components in your system to the very limit. This phase is especially important because it is here where the system either passes or fails. If it does fail, it will automatically go to one of our diagnostic technicians to identify any problems before we ship it to you. If the system doesn't pass our performance metrics, we will build it from scratch again. Perfection takes time.”
At this point, I have a system that works, but I cannot use it for what is was intended and advertised by Alienware as "The Best Custom Built Gaming PC for the Ultimate PC Gamer." And even though I purchased the best Tech Support package (3 years Onsite 24/7 parts and labor), Alienware will not let me return my system (RMA) or have Onsite service come to replace my video card. I am in a Alienware Tech Support Black Hole. I need someone at Alienware to follow through on their promises to send me a Windows XP Professional restore CD which may or may not resolve my issue. I would like to have an Onsite Service Tech come to my home to replace my Nvidia video card as soon as possible. Obviously, I want to keep this system, even after two months without a resolution to my video problems, so my family can enjoy pushing it to its gaming limits.
THE END
your letter to the president
by ranata - 3/6/05 9:39 PM In reply to: My letter to ALienware's President by TODDBAUMwhat happened did, he answer and are you fixed yet?
ranata
Alienware response
by TODDBAUM - 3/7/05 5:37 PM In reply to: your letter to the president by ranataI received a call from "Chris" from Alienware and they allowed me to return my system for repair without opening the system. It took about 2 weeks to repair and get back to me and everything seems to working okay. Apparently, I was correct and they had to remove the bios chip from my Nividia video card. I am having an intermittent problem unrelated to the video card now with the 1394 port. I still will never buy an Alienware again.
What the .u.....
by FrenchyHey - 3/7/05 5:13 AM In reply to: My letter to ALienware's President by TODDBAUMDid you get an answer to your letter?
Men I am telling you I will now stay away from Alienware. I can't belive such an attitude.
Michel Derome
RMS Clerk
Canadian Forces
Alienware Don't waste your money...
by TODDBAUM - 3/7/05 5:39 PM In reply to: What the .u..... by FrenchyHeyYou are right. Heck when you buy the Ferrari of computers, you expect a fast system with superior customer service and technical support. I received neither.
getting HP instead
by keybordp - 3/7/05 6:41 PM In reply to: Alienware Don't waste your money... by TODDBAUMI'm getting an HPZD8000
I priced Alienware laptops
they were pricey
I'm getting better computer from HP for almost 1/2 the money. I don't think anyone reading CNET reviews bill buy from Alienware, and CNET is pretty big. They better fix their customer service or they will die.
Alienware Support is a Farse - Don't Buy from This Company
by uhugushiku - 5/23/05 12:02 PM In reply to: My letter to ALienware's President by TODDBAUMMan, I wish I'd read here first.
I spent $3200 plus bucks on a new system. Great. Heavy SOB but wonderful looking at first.
First Issue....I bought it for the car and discussed this with them before final purchase. Oh, but they neglected to mention that you can't get an inverter that will work with it that plugs into a lighter. So I'd have to run cables directly to the car battery for the higher wattage inverter. But that's not even the big issue.
I purchased it and it only worked for about 4 days. Then crash, lock, crash, lock, etc. Video card fan quit working and fried video card. During debug with the lovely people of India who just use a stupid book and have no real clue what your problem is, I had to do a reformat, xp install etc. No luck. In all about 8 hours so far with tech support before they figured out it was video.
Then they ship new parts. Takes a week.
Parts get here but they forget to notify local techs to come install it. Won't let me do it because it voids the warrently.
So then I have to get back on with them about it over and over and now techs have info but no time for me.
So far this has been the worst computer experience of my life. Someone find me a technology free island I can go hide on before I climb the tallest building outside of Miami Beach, FL Alienware HQ with one of my rifles and get my picture on the news. You know the one, where I take out a bunch of buttheads that don't care about anything but your money just before SWAT takes my head off.
DO NOT BUY FROM ALIENWARE.
Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS
by jcrobso - 3/8/05 10:26 AM In reply to: Alienware - DO NOT PERFORM YOUR OWN REPAIRS by hickmanjJust this last weekend I was asked what I though about Alienware laptops. I told the person come hear and read all of the posts and them make up thier mind. John
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