Area-51m R1, worst customer service

Question

Hello,

I own an Area-51m R1 I9-9900k and RTX 2080. About few weeks after receiving the unit, I noticed online videos stuttering while playing on all internet navigators. After few months back a forward with the support, they decided they'd do a motherboard replacement, it took about a month to send since we were in epidemic times.

The replacement was successful till some days ago. While gaming ( on not very demanding games), I was getting randomly while screens for few seconds (about 3 seconds), the luminosity went up to max (impossible to change it after that occurred, function key to control luminosity was working, you could see the luminosity bar going up and down but no physical change) and the game itself turned white, with sound and interactions possible without seeing any image. Till now no big deal, I tried to convince myself it's was the game's fault and didn't want to bother the support.

But few days ago, I started having some random black screens, (the image just cuts off with the screen lighting still on, keyboards still lit up. touchpad working) the black screen lasted for about 30 to 40 seconds, then the backlight of the screen turn off, then starts again with image. Giving me a 5 to 10 seconds time to interact with my laptop, the same things happened again in a infinite loop of:

Screen turn black with backlight on > Screen turns off > Screen turns back on normally > Repeat
The timing is respectively as so:
15 to 45 seconds (sometimes even longer) > 3 to 6 seconds > 10 to 15 seconds > Repeat

I thought, well this is probably some graphic driver's issue, so I patiently, waited for that 15 seconds each minutes where i could interact with my unit to try and update the drivers, it took me about an hour> nothing changed.

I thought, well, maybe that's windows. Did the updates > nothing.

Knowing that I was getting random restarts everytime.

Then i decided, we'll maybe it's in the windows copy itself, let's restore it. I reinstalled windows. and during the installation, I was getting the same problem.

This is a $3700 unit, and it's my second time having issues. I'm so mad.

And this problem I had since Monday but on Thursday it made my unit unusable. Created a ticket to the support on Thursday, no answer on Friday. So I'm spending the whole weekend not doing much, not working since I'm working from home, and not gaming.

I know the repair is gonna take awhile so I can't do my job. I'll have to borrow a friend's laptop.

Knowing the amount I paid for my unit, kind of a shame to get those problems, for a laptop that's supposed to be the best on the market.

Should/Can I request a replacement unit? If Yes how can I do that?

Because I'm not a big fan of my laptop being opened every time, even by Dell.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

Beside the fact that I ordered the laptop during promotional time where they promised a free games with the Tobii eyetrack, that they refused to give me, I recently had the WORSE customer service experience.

At receiving the laptop I had issues with some lag on videos on internet, they suffered from stutter, and even with all the attempts to solve this the problem remained until they changed the mother board.

Two months after the replacement, I started having random blackscreens, that wasn't posing so much issues as whenever I restarted the laptop, the problems were solved.
Few days forward, the problem became more and more of and issue where the laptop was stuck in a loop : Random black screens with backlights ON -> Laptop screen turning off completely -> Image coming back on ( for only 10 and 20 seconds -> Again blackscreen and so ON.

I'm stuck in an other county than my country of residence because of this COVID-19 situation.

I created a ticket on June 5th, was assigned to some random girl that din't help that much with my problem answering with some scripted emails, and closing the ticket without even solving my problem.

I contacted the media support that were so helpful, arriving to the conclusion that Motherboard, the graphics card and the RAID0 needed to be changed, but couldn't do much to help me due to my location.

I contacted the local support that told they can't help me if an INTERNATIONAL repair ticket wasn't opened.

I contacted my country of residence's support, they couldn't help, the media support couldn't help and the local support of where I'm at couldn't help.

It took roughly 8 days till I finally get a phone call of someone that guaranteed they will do their best to help, and promised that they'll send a technician at my location on June 16th.

By 16th of June I waited all day to get a phone call or for someone to knock at my door. Nothing. I called the next day to realize that some parts weren't available and that I needed to wait till July 2nd. I haven't been noticed about this delay until I called.

I sent an email to express my anger because my Area-51m R1 costed me 4000 dollars, and that was my WORK laptop, and without it I couldn't work.

They just said they couldn't do about it. I sent another email few days after to see if I could speed up the process, and was informed that the estimated date changed to July 3rd.

On July 1st I called to confirm the arrival of the technician on site for the next week, since the missing part was programmed to arrive July 3rd, and that was on a Friday, so impossible to get a technician for the weekend. I told myself Ok let's just program that for next week.

July 3rd I check the website and the parts were STILL missing ( no one noticed me, and no estimated date, just a standard message that says :"Sun, Jul 5, 2020, 5:01 PM : Parts are not available. We apologize for the inconvenience.We are processing your request. There was a delay." )

So I called the local call center, only to be informed that the estimated date was July 16th.

I sent a message to the agent that contacted me a day later, he said that now the estimated date is July 17th ( knowing he promised he'll send a technician June 16th, then July 2nd) .

It's been a month today since my laptop broke down. And I can't work from home because of that, and I have to wait even longer to get my laptop repaired.

I was wondering if there is a way to request a whole laptop replacement? And if they'll be a compensation for all this delay time? And if not should I take this to court?

I was expecting a much better service for a laptop that cost 4000 Dollars, and i'm pretty sure if I call on July 17th they'll says it'll be August or like that. Thank you all for reading, and sorry for the bad word, i'm just so disgusted about his whole situation.

A51-06 · Answer

I’m so very sorry sir How the Agents didn’t help you with your case.

I hope you don’t have to deal with this case ever again sir.

The display issue might be because of the discrete GPU acting up.

Try pressing F7 or F6 to switch from internal to discrete to check which is faulty.

or it might be the display entirely.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

They already did their diagnostic and I followed every things they said. They suspect either the Raid 0 connection, the motherboard or the gpu, so they ordered a replacement for all those parts. A ticket is already opened.

What I’m angry at is the time it’s taking for the parts to arrive so they can swap them, cause meanwhile I can’t work and it’s been a month since i opened my first ticket.

First contact was made june 5th, international ticket was opened June 12th, estimated delivery date was June 16. When i called on june 16th they said the date changed to July 2nd. on july I called they said the date has changed to july 16th and the latest contact i had with someone he said the estimated date was july 17th.

Im pretty sure next time I call it will be estimated date august

A51-06 · Answer

Hope it all goes good for you!

Darksh4d0w · Answer

your thread. Read the Forum Code of Conduct which you agreed to when joining this Dell funded Forum. DELL-Chris M> ( I won't say what the problem was, so now it look like more of a complaint, than asking for assistance, since they try to merge this to my older POST so it doesn't show 'WORSE customer service' but 'random blackscreens' instead ) Beside the fact that I ordered the laptop during promotional time where they promised a free games with the Tobii eyetrack, that they refused to give me, I recently had the WORSE customer service experience. At receiving the laptop I had issues with some lag on videos on internet, they suffered from stutter, and even with all the attempts to solve this the problem remained until they changed the mother board. I'm stuck in an other county than my country of residence because of this COVID-19 situation. I created a ticket on June 5th, was assigned to some random girl that din't help that much with my problem answering with some scripted emails, and closing the ticket without even solving my problem. I contacted the media support that were so helpful, arriving to the conclusion that Motherboard, the graphics card and the RAID0 needed to be changed, but couldn't do much to help me due to my location. I contacted the local support that told they can't help me if an INTERNATIONAL repair ticket wasn't opened. I contacted my country of residence's support, they couldn't help, the media support couldn't help and the local support of where I'm at couldn't help. It took roughly 8 days till I finally get a phone call of someone that guaranteed they will do their best to help, and promised that they'll send a technician at my location on June 16th. By 16th of June I waited all day to get a phone call or for someone to knock at my door. Nothing. I called the next day to realize that some parts weren't available and that I needed to wait till July 2nd. I haven't been noticed about this delay until I called. I sent an email to express my anger because my Area-51m costed me 4000 dollars, and that was my WORK laptop, and without it I couldn't work. They just said they couldn't do    about it. I sent another email few days after to see if I could speed up the process, and was informed that the estimated date changed to July 3rd. On July 1st I called to confirm the arrival of the technician on site for the next week, since the missing part was programmed to arrive July 3rd, and that was on a Friday, so impossible to get a technician for the weekend. I told myself Ok let's just program that for next week. July 3rd I check the website and the parts were STILL missing ( no one noticed me, and no estimated date, just a standard message that says :'Sun, Jul 5, 2020, 5:01 PM : Parts are not available. We apologize for the inconvenience.We are processing your request. There was a delay.' ) So I called the local call center, only to be informed that the estimated date was July 16th. I sent a message to the agent that contacted me a day later, he said that now the estimated date is July 17th ( knowing he promised he'll send a technician June 16th, then July 2nd) . It's been a month today since my laptop broke down. And I can't work from home because of that, and I have to wait even longer to get my laptop repaired. I was wondering if there is a way to request a whole laptop replacement? And if they'll be a compensation for all this delay time? And if not should I take this to court? I was expecting a much better service for a laptop that cost 4000 Dollars, and i'm pretty sure if I call on July 17th they'll says it'll be August or   like that. Thank you all for reading, and sorry for the bad word, i'm just so disgusted about his whole situation.

A51-06 · Answer

Its an issue that needs to be solved and not to be merged with an even older post that you made which also hasn’t been solved either.

I do not work for Dell But if I did, I would personally fix this as soon as possible.

From,

Area-51 ALX 2006

Darksh4d0w · Answer

They merged it again.

A51-06 · Answer

I think it's time to just ask the moderators like DELL-Chris M because you can't keep making posts forever and ever until something really bad happens. I hope your issue is fixed.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

Update: Last time it was estimated July 17th. I called on Friday, and as I called It now it's July 24th. Pretty sure next call they gonna say August.  It's been 37 days now.

A51-06 · Answer

Jeez, sorry about the delay man.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

I don't think so cause it's been changing every few days since June 16th :

Initial date was june 16 then june 17, then july 2nd, then july 3rd, then july 16th, then july 17th, then july 24th, now it's july 27th, pretty sure in a day or two it will be on august.

They're just trying to milk the situation and abuse my laptop Premium support warranty remaining days.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

Just called again this morning, now it's the 27th of July...

A51-06 · Answer

Maybe it’ll be the last delivery change right?

A51-06 · Answer

Call them and speak to the manager because only he can do anything about it really.

i had a area-51m with the RTX 2080 and the i9 but since it was the white model you can probably guess what happened.

i spoke to the manager and he gladly accepted my unit and I didn’t even have the premium support on my laptop anyways. He sent me a black version with 64gb of ram instead of the original 32.

Darksh4d0w · Answer

They refused to put me in contact with the manager, and when I asked for a unit replacement, they said i'm not eligible for that .. even Chris the forum admin said that I couldn't get a replacement, although I already had a motherboard exchange-

They said if the problem isn't fixed THEN they would consider it

Alienware

Area-51m R1, worst customer service

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