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42 Posts
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9496
February 29th, 2012 21:00
UPDATED: Should I sell my Alienware?
Scroll to the bottom for the update.
I have a m17x R3. It has a Nvidia 460m (1.5GB) GPU. The GPU has been causing BSOD errors and freezes my computer at a frequent basis. This made it necessary to get tech support involved. I have read all the horror stories about Alienware/Dells support. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with this problem. Nevertheless, I called tech support and they determined I needed a replacement GPU.
Alienware/Dell made the order on Friday (02/24/12). I was told the technician and part would be at my place by Monday (02/27). So I spent all day Monday at home, waiting, for the tech to arrive. The part arrived on Monday and was picked up at a FedEx shipping center by the technician. I thought, great, it's all going according to plan...
The tech never showed up to my place that day. So I called tech support at the end of the day to get a follow up. Alienware/Dell said the tech will be at my place the next day (Tuesday). I waited at my house on Tuesday, all day. No call or visit from the tech. I called, again, at the end of the day on Tuesday (02/28) about the status of this technician.
Alienware/Dell advised me a tech would be at my place on Wednesday (02/29). Wednesday came and gone. The tech was a no show. I called for an update at the end of Wednesday. Guess what they told me? A tech will be at my place on Thursday (03/01). Do you see a trend here? I wasted all this time waiting around the house for no reason. The worst part is this laptop is only a few months old. I have NEVER needed to call tech support for any computer I had before buying Alienware/Dell.
Should I sell my m17x now while I still can? I'm real concerned this is only the beginning of my problems. Does it get better?
AuroraALX
20 Posts
0
March 1st, 2012 08:00
sell it.. when i get my replacement Desktop , which i got to wait 2 months for will be sold on ebay to the highest bidder.
I have been a customer of dell for 10 years and not only that my company i work for has bought from them for the last 8 years and spend in access of over £190,000 so thats around $270,000 ..and they too will at the end of this financial year quit buying dell , 2 servers blew in the space of 4 days at my work last month and they was not cheap servers .
we have now found a new partner which i will not name.
I cant wait to be shot off dell ..making me wait 4 weeks to be told system is beyond repair and then another 2 months wait on the system ..oh and them not being able to understand you and repeating yourself over and over and not to mention the freaking phone bill .
bigpak
7 Posts
0
March 1st, 2012 11:00
sell it, I am done with dell, there customer support is HORRID, and alienware computers need to be renamed, because right now, these are nothing like the old alienware computers!
rla1999
215 Posts
0
March 1st, 2012 12:00
I keep hearing all these horror stories about Dell's customer service. What you went thru is horrible and unacceptable. It's too bad because the Alienware machines I have owned the past two years have been great. I keep buying and selling them to always have the latest and greatest. But I guess I must be lucky since I have never had any big issues.
I REFUSE to wait for them to update their drivers, especially video drivers. I always download the latest NVIDIA. Have you tried doing that with yours? BSOD sometimes occurs due to software or driver incompatability.
Also, it's been my experience from owning many laptops and desktops that, more often than not, the problem I have found with BSOD has been memory slots not working. I thought it was something else but it came down to that. It has happened to me at least three times where I would take memory sticks out one at a time to see which slot was not working. You would just be left with less memory. It may be that and not your Video Card. Unless you are 100% sure that it is.
Rouge Recon
42 Posts
0
March 1st, 2012 14:00
Ria, thanks for the advise. The tech determined it was the GPU after I gave him remote access to my station.
I'm most disappointed with running into a problem this quickly. I don't understand how the service can be this bad when I take a second to look at the amount spent on the product.
Rouge Recon
42 Posts
0
March 1st, 2012 19:00
The tech showed up on Thursday (03/01) at 5pm (Pacific Time). I was given about 10 mintues notice that he was coming.
So he opens up my laptop, takes out my GPU, and attempted to install the replacement GPU (ATI) card. Apparently, the card they sent the technician isn't compatible with my laptop. The tech then calls Dell about the issue. Dell replies that I was never meant to get a replacement card. They go on to say that a technician will contact me within a 24 hour window for assistance. The tech reinstalls my GPU and leaves.
To say that I am enraged is an understatement.