MOST HORRIBLE customer care experience EVER - not the first time!!

LOL... yeah, at least something is going good for me. I did manage to get the title correct for my thread! Ha! Thanks for the support. I am determined to get this worked out.

I'm still hating the fact that I can't get what I want unless I order through Alienware. Sure, there are some comparable systems out there, but nothing like m series in my opinion... and for the couple weeks that my last R2 was running decent... it was just phenomenal. And like I said, there are thousands out there that have excellent experiences.... why can't I be one of those? Are those people just not posting? Are they maybe amateurs and they don't realize there is a problem? Or am I just that unlucky to have TWO bad machines and the awesome luck of talking to the most unhelpful tech support and customer service agents.

It's like a conspiracy or something, lol!

 

We're pretty much the squeaky wheels of the Alienware owners. I assume most people are drawn to these forums specifically because they have problems. I definitely understand how you feel about the competition though. Other systems, like Sager, do offer competitive performance machines but just lack the style and flair you get from Alienware. Other brands put decent processors in their machines, but then have craptastic video card offerings which gimps the system considerably.

The latest idea in your previous post sounds pretty good imo. Get the decked out to the teeth R3, pawn it on Ebay, NBR, or wherever, and then put your order in for a M18. (If you can stomach to still deal with Alienware after all of this.)

 

Yeah, I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face. Either way I'm going to lose some money here which stresses me out because finances are really tight. I couldn't afford this PC in the first place, but I got loan for it because I thouht it could help me generat some income by filiming and editing weddings and parties and things like that. I haven't been able to make a penney off of it because it's been broken the whole time. I've 600g of video on my external HDD that's waiting to be edited and produced, then I have two U-haul boxes full of old VHS home videos that people have paid me to clean up and dub onto DVD with subtitles and stuff. I bought Adobe Masterworks CS5.5 and I can't even use it!!

Just going to be very upset if the machine doesn't bring in $2500+... it retails at like $3250 and with taxes, you're talking $3500, but you never get the actual value out of an item like that even if it is brand new still in the box.

And then again, I'm faced with dealing with Dell again with the m18x. My guess though is that the m17x and m18x is like comparing Windows ME to Windowns XP... or Win Vista to Win7, you know? It's like it was the test bed for the new one. The m18x is almost the exact same thing as the R2, but it's a bit bigger to give more breathing room for components - no over heating. They've finally got the bios and drivers worked out probably along with all the other major bugs. So, thinking logically in that respect... I'd be confident buying the m18x. Especially since now I know to buy the 4+ year advanced warranty right off the bat, LOL! AND I know how to fully test the rig within the 21 days of owning to make sure it's not going to fall apart like the others.

So that's the plan... so... anyone want to buy my unopened and decked out R3? Let me know soon enough and I can even have the name plate engraved for whatever you want!

 

What an utterly disgusting way to have been treated. I totally feel for you.

A new machine wouldn’t give you back the time you’ve spent or adequately compensate for the stress.

People who will consider a $3500 laptop are often those also in a decision making position within industry. Alienating (no pun intended) such customers will not pay dividends

I would seriously consider taking this legal. In my opinion, you’ve been robbed. It’s in no way fair or just.

Thank you for posting your story. I for one will certainly bear this in mind when we next purchase computers here.

Kind Regards,

Paul.

 

maverick, how do you write so damn much?!

I need a cliff's notes version for each one of your posts!!!

 

Thanks Paul... I'm doing what I can. How the heck does one take on a mega company like dell? I guess they rely on that kind of thinking through, right?

LOL... yeah man, it's a gift and a curse! And remember... that's the extremely short dumbed down version. Seriously.

 

Ok here's my update for today... lol... still no phone call or follow-up.

I just got an email with with a dispatch number and instructions for shipping something to them. It doesn't say what or why and the dispatch number doesn't pull up anything anywhere.

Wow. :/

 

Your story is exactly the same as mine......

 

Yup. They hate us.

 

Yes they do!
I got hung up on atleast 4 times yesterday. I asked the 3 people I talked to today if my account was flagged...and they all said no. One was like..why do you ask? I said; becuase I'm always getting hung up on and today it happend 4 times and employees that should start off polite have been rude from the get go.

He then said well we have been experience phone disconnects lately. I was like uh..more like 5 months.

 

I hear ya. Btw, I gave you +rep for the long story which I didn't read cuz my eyes are blurry for some reason today.

But yah, like I told skygunner, if you need a buddy in your dispute against dell, I'm yer guy. Lemme know via PM if there's any way I can help your claim.

 

OMG... it's not just me! I got that same response several times. And seriously yeah, it's been for about 5 frikkin months at LEAST. What a joke. I wouldn't mind getting hung up on every now and then if I didn't have to repeat everything a million times. They want you to start over from the begining every single time. You've been on the phone with them all day, you know EXACTLY which dept you need and they still question you. You're like "dude, it's tech support problem - transfer me." and they always say "Sorry sir, I need to know exactly what's going on so I can put it in my computer so that it will go to the correct team and they will be able to see everything I type in and be able to help you much faster." LOL yeah ok.... then why is when you transfer me, they still ask me what my problem is. I've even asked, "Can't you see it all on your screen there? I'm tired of repeating myself today." And the generic response it... "Oh yes sir, but I can better help you if you tell me exactly what your problem is in your own words."

Still, I prefer that over the idiot who says "I need to put you on hold a couple minutes while I read up on your file." You wait for 15-20 minutes and he/she pops back on to say... "sorry sir, I'm still trying to get to the bottom of your issue, please stay on the line and I'll be right back." THEN they hang up on you.

It's time like these that they really are truely lucky that they don't have little outlet stores like Verizon or Sprint... because seriously, I'd have gone to jail about a dozen times for beating up their techies. I hope to God I never happen to run into a CEO in the air port or something like that because he will get beat up and then they can keep their money and their lousy computer and I will sit in jail for the weekend with a smile on my face. At that point, it'd all be worth it, lol!

DISCLAIMER - I do not intend on resorting to physical violence nor do I condone such actions so don't start squakin' at me. I only beat people up over important things like stealing the last hot pocket and stuff.

*sigh* Got find humor anywhere we can get it, right guys?

 

I appreciate that man. In all seriousness... all joking aside... they keep this up the way they are and it's only going to be a mater of time before there is a class action lawsuit against them. They have to start somewhere and it only takes a few people to make it happen. I've dealt with the Better Business Bureau before on similar matters (nothing compares to this though) and I know that they would eat this up. You guys and anyone else that has been violated - please shoot me a PM or better yet and email and I will personally contact you. If it goes that far, someone needs to be there to rally the troops. I know it sounds crazy, but seriously... I'm not the only one and you guys are not alone either and there are many other posted horror stories as well. There is something obviously wrong here.

email me at [email protected] and put "FIGHT DELL" in the heading so that I can easily pick it out of the junk mail if it goes there. Thanks!

 

Wow. Your story makes me want to cry. I really wish I didn't have a R3 on the way.

 

PM me if we're ever gonna get this ball rolllin'.

 

While the frustration level may be high, we have forum rules here. Any more language filter bypasses will result in this thread being removed.

 

I had a very comparable issue with them as well, took me 2 months to get My machine, 18 hours of my cellphone minutes, about 6 weeks of on.off the phoen with these guys. Unfortunately I couldn't find a comparable laptop that I wanted, I like the backlit Keyboard and I will not buy an ASUS which pretty much just leaves Clevo and they aren't back lit.

My current machine is now having some bad issues with its SSD and the drivers, at this point I may call them up, return the system, suck it up and buy an Origin(Clevo Reseller) and then contact the BBB and look into a lawsuit. I'm getting real fed up with Dell's Crap. I own a Game Dev. Company and Was going to purchase PCs for our Office but I would never make a huge commitment like that, I would have to step down as CEO and become a Full time "Dell Arguer" just to get brand new systems running.

 

SORRY! I didn't realize I had used any major curse words anyways.

Yep, I think it's time we banded together. Your story matches everyone elses. The same thing over and over. I'm calling the BBB today. I will let you all know how it turns out and what you need to do to be involved. Again, please save my email address [email protected] and put in the header "DELL BBB" or something like that all in caps so that I can find it in my junk mail.

I totally feel for you man, you've obviously read my thread and you see that we are all going through the same stuff. Their customer service is bottom of the barrel at best. I too am starting my own business and I intended on outfitting everything with AW laptops for my database and sales... pretty much everything. Just a small business so nothing too big, but still another 5-6 top notch machines and I will not be buying from Dell. I too am in your shoes when it comes to the backlit keyboard... this is a must for me. My eyes don't adjust well in the light so I have to keep my office kind of dark... I don't always need to look at the keyboard but when I do - I don't want to strain. There was an MSI that was just released that has the backlit keyboard, but it looks really generic to me. Is it too much to ask to get a cool looking AW that works?? And I'm fine if stuff breaks down on it as long as they replace it withouth wasting half my day and raising my blood pressure to the point of no return.

I will be in touch with everyone who wants to be involved. If you have any input or ideas - please contact me asap. Thank you.

 

Ok, I have sent you guys messages on what to do.

My complaint was filed a few minutes ago. I look forward to hearing from you. It's a really easy process. Just don't forget the reference number I sent you.

 

No more talk about the filing to the BBB or a possible class action lawsuit in public. Any posts will be deleted by the mods. Please respect my wishes and do not post such things on my thread because I do not want it to be removed. This thread needs to stay here so that future buyers will be able to see both sides of the spectrum when purchasing from dell/alienware.

Also, no more cursing. This is a family site. Respect it. That means no more bypassing the filter with symbols like @ and $, ok? Again, I only want to follow the rules and keep this thread clean and productive. Thank you.

If you want any information regarding the BBB filed and the reference number, you need to send me a private message or an email. I think that an email is the best bet. Thanks again for your understanding and cooperation.

-Mav
[email protected]

 

wow. Don't know why I haven't seen this thread before but I share your frustration. I had a real bad time with Dell/Aw CS and tech support on my M17xR1....

Like you I had to repeat myself countless times etc...got techs to come change parts left and right. Until finally they replaced it. They made a mistake on the hard disks drives size but at that point I was just happy that the machine was working and upgraded my drives myself.

Never bought another Alienware and never will. Sure they replaced the machine but it took me too much time and energy. I use my laptop for work so I don't have time to be jerked around.

Now I deal with smaller companies where I can speak to someone that understands me and knows me. I can actually call him directly!

It costs a bit more but it's better for my blood pressure and my sanity lol...

 

Then I need to shop where ever you're shopping, lol! Yeah sounds like the eact same run-around. I'm suprised you settled with smaller hard drives though I understand not wanting to fight. I have those days where I just have to let it go... then wait a couple days and start over again, lol! It gets very frustrating. That's not even the word. It's not often you see veins pop out all over me, but my ol'lady can always tell when I got off the phone with them or my mother because that's when the veins are all popped out, LOL!

 

Well my time wasted with them was costing me more money than the time I could have been working! 4 months later, when the new replaced computer was delivered and worked with only the hard drive size being an issue issue I said that's it. I could have fought with them again but I had a functioning computer and in my mind I just wanted this thing to be over. It was.

We, the users, were the beta testers for the first M17x that Dell sold. It took months of different drivers, bios versions etc to fix plenty of issues like http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/434691-m17x-dpc-latency.html That a company can release a product like that with so many issues from the get go was beyond me. Sure, now it works great but it took a looong time and plenty of people here scratching their heads. Unacceptable.

After plenty of laptops from plenty of companies I prefer the ones that have maybe less of a "look" but just work. So now, I have my laptops built by boutique shops where I choose my parts, let them build the laptops, test the hell out of them and examine every single corner of them. Then and only then is the laptop shipped to me. It's the next best thing to me building it myself.

They never match AW designs and looks but what is supposed to be a fun time is now just that. Fun again. Never again will I pay 2k-3k to a company that aggravates me on top of it all.

 

why didn't i see this thread before i ordered my m17x...

my alienware arrives in approx 3-5 days...i don't think il be able to sleep *crys*

 

It's ok Nature, just like colcase said.. the R1 and R2 were basically test platforms for the R3. Your R3 should work just fine by this point. Just be prepared for customer service to suck if you have any problems. The purpose of this thread is to prepare people for that. The main idea being; to not give up.

Coldcase, I don't blame you one bit and I totally agree with you on how early machines end up being test beds. Beta machines. It's like it's cheaper for them to sell the untested machine and replace parts/systems than it is for them to just test it themselves. It's like new MMO games. They do the same thing and Sony is notorius for it. They release a game after only the basics have been tested and then you're stuck with the first several monhts to a year being full of bugs. They release the stuff too early without proper testing so that they can make that buck. It's sad. That's pretty much how Star Wars Galaxies was/is. An 8 year beta test, lol! They changed the entire system three times and to this day there are bugs that have been there since launch. They just kept changing it until they got it right rather than having a good long open Beta for everyone to really work out the bugs. The good thing is that now SW: The Old Republic should be able to make a solid game using the experiences of SWG. This is a game that was already supposed to be released and kiddies are mad because they're talking possibly another 6mo to a year. I'm glad. Give me a polished awesome game and take your time. Don't rush and give me a piece of crap that had more down time than play time.

 

How disappointing to see this.

 

mave its like 2am over here and is seriously got a nightmare about your whole situation.

if i ever come across any sort of problem with the m17x r3 which i find irritating or worth fixing then im gonna try and refund the whole thing i seriously don't want to go through anything like that seriously I wouldn't make it out alive.

btw whats gonna happen mave? keep us updated man.

 

They didn't actually say that. Those are my words. They did not say that I couldn't do it, but out of respect and to save the forums any grief that could come their way, I have asked others to not use this thread as a "rally" thread or anything like that. However, I will keep you posted on this matter and if you have been wronged - I have posted all the information you need. Just shoot me an email and I will personally email you everything you need to get started. It doesn't take long.

And Nature, just test the heck out of it in the first 21 days so you have no worries.

I will keep everyone posted as it goes. I have filed my complaint with the BBB and they have accepted it to be a legit case and they have forwarded my claim to Dell. Now it's just a waiting game. They have 30 days to respond. We'll see what happens and I will keep you posted.

 

Well, it's Monday and I haven't a peep from them. Still sitting here with a busted shell, one video card and a pile of refurbed parts so once again I am calling them.

I went directly to customer service to deal with them and they of course transfered me to the refund dept. I explained my situation exactly and made sure that they were the ones to help me before I was transfered. I told him that I placed my order almost 7mo ago and that I had a defective REPLACEMENT system that broke down within 30 days of owning it and we're over 2 mo out and it still hasn't been take care of. So the guy knew everything and he transfered me anyways!!

I get to the refund dept and I explina everything and waste 30m of my time and his time and he says, we are the refund dept - you need to talk to Tech Support. We can only refund your system within 21 days. Then I explained my situation and told him how tech support was not helping me and that customer care transfered me to them. He spoke with his supervisor several times and apologized sincerely, but still said that Tech Support was the only group that could help me. I am now waiting to be transfered. He's doing a warm transfer directly to a tech support supervisor. And here we are on hold again... *sigh* Already an hour into this today and I've gotten NOwhere at all and transfered twice.

So they transfered me to the software dept... another 30m wasted and he;s finally transfering me to North America tech support.

 

And they blew me off and said they couldn't help me unless I purchased their tech team support for $250... really? I've already wasted $3100... now you want me to spend more money? OMg these people....

So, over an hour and I got transfered to four people and got NO help. Will be tryinng again later. Gotta love it.

 

They transferred me to someone in customer care that said to get help with out of the box problems with AW CC & AW OSD, I would have to pay 249.99. I must have explained and refraised that ......why would I want to spend a penny more at this point for a service that should come standard?

 

Well, I just got home and sat down to make my next call to Dell to try and resolve this matter and imagine my suprise when I checked the voice mail to see that someone in the corporate offices called regarding my claim to the BBB. Very interesting indeed.

 

Which corporate offices are you talking about? BBB or Dell?

 

Were you refferring to my issue or did that do that to you as well? I'll fall out of my chair if you tell me they did it to you too, lol! But yeah, that's what I said... I told him the last thing I was doing was spending more money on something that has costed me more time and money than he could ever know. The phone bills alone for going over my minutes is enough to make you want to knock someone's head off their shoulders. He said he was really sorry and he really wanted to help me but he couldn't unless I paid for it - then he said I could get hardware support up to four times a year... four times a year!?!?! LOL, seriously!?!? How generous, LOL!

The call was from Dell's corporate offices in their customer care dept. They called me at 4:30 while I was driving and I didn't get home until after 5pm and they close at 5pm... so I missed it, but he left the phone number and direct extension to his desk. So he'll be hearing from me everyday until this is resolved.

 

I don't know if Dell had the option before or not but, did you see that now you can order North American support, when purchasing a new system, as an addition to your warranty? LOL

Gotta figure that someone is aware of how poor the support is from India. Or course, you gotta pay quite a bit extra to talk to someone on the North American continent.

 

Yeah, I had the option then but I couldn't afford it... not to mention, I didn't plan on having so many problems. I figured I could handle dealing with an accent if I ran into some BIOS issues or my blu-ray drive broke... I didn't expect to be on the phone with them 5 days a week for 3hrs at a time arguing and fighting for a new system.

Besides, I don't think you should have to pay for that support. That's ridiculous. The guy I spoke to didn't seem to know what he was doing anyways so I know what to expect from the North America team as well.

I spoke to a very knowledgable guy in Costa Rica tonight. He said he has been with AW since before Dell bought them out. I could tell that he genuinely wanted to help me but his hands are tied. Even he thought I should just take the R3 and sell it and then buy whatever I want because he said arguing with Dell about it won't get me anywhere. I told him I filed with the BBB and said that was probably a good idea if I felt like I wasn't being treated fairly. He said that he doubts Dell will bend though. He still told me that the R3 was a great machine, but he understood how it was a downgrade from what I have now and that they would try to compensate with upgrades and extended warranties. I've never gotten them to offer an extended warranty EVER. He was talking about extending it by 3 years for me. I said that wouldn't help me since I was selling the machine. He said it would be a stonger selling point... but I've already listed it, lol and it's already getting what I wanted out of it so I'd rather have them compensate me elsewhere. I'd be content with a gift card for the amount of the warranty... then I'll apply that to an m18x and call it a day. The other thing is that I have the Orion messenger bag for the m17x... I don't think the m18x will fit, so I need to get another one of those.

Still though... even after all of this - I don't know if I want to buy another AW. It's so hard not to because the R2 and m18x offer exactly what I need/want. I really want the aluminum shell and dual cards and backlit keyboard. Those things are very important to me and I think the R2 was a great test bed for the m18x... so I have a good feeling that the m18x won't have the same problems.

It's something to think on - that's for sure. I have to wait for a few days for my replacement to post and the go from there.

They will absolutely NOT give me an m18x as a replacement. Go figure.

 

Mav,

I said that when we were the ones buying the M17x R1. The new ones although less prone to problems are still giving problems to people. Look at you

When I see all these problems still going on and mostly the HORRIBLE customer service you guys continue to get I am very happy with my decision to not buy AW again.

I would like to be able to get a new one someday and be confident in the reliability and most of all the customer care part. But right now it's the same crap 3-4 years later that I see with you guys and the new models. Guess they aren't learning or don't give a damn.

On a recent built for a clevo laptop, my rep called me and said they weren't happy with the temps of my GPU card even after several repasting. So they are replacing the GPU with a new one and test it again. Laptop is not leaving until everything is top notch. That's service and what I expect when I pay that kind of money. So yeah call be a demanding sob lol...

Oliver

 

Yup to me as well. I spoke to a India person with a British accent in the customer care dept. that kept telling me there's nothing I could do without buying North American phone support for 249.99....lol.

 

Nah, that's not demanding at all in my opinion. That's just how it SHOULD be and you have bigger man-parts than I do because you were able to step away. I just keep looking at all these other laptop builders and the laptops they offer and nothing screams out at me like the AW's do.

Seriously, if I was smart - I'd find a gateway or ebook and call it a day. My wife had a cheap $300 gateway that was up to par with my original m15x and it NEVER had a problem with it. She abused the heck out of it too... left it down for the kids to tear up. Never cleaned the screen. Dropped it out of bed onto the floor after falling asleep with it in her lap. I very specifically remember her getting into my lifted 92 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel and as soon as she went to shut the door... the system slipped right out of her lap on slammed onto the pavement. It only had a single dent in the corner where it hit and it didn't hurt operations at all. It finally died three years later (a year longer than my first gen m15x and my Dell XPS) and it only died because it was hit by a massive power surge caused by lightning. That power surge wiped out three computers in my house on that day.

Now she has an ebook that cost another $300 and it runs decent for what it is. Low end. But again, it takes a beating - that's for sure.

I'm guessing that the machines you're talking about are uber in the same sense.... though I doubt you've tested them, lol! I'd like to see some rich guy buy a brand new m17 and just throw it around to test its durability with the alum case and the plastic case and see which one hold up longer and how well it functions afterwards, lol!

Wow... can you believe these people??? They've deff mastered the "wow" factor, LOL! I seriously just cannot believe that we have to go through this stuff over and over. It's just unreal.

 

Well folks... finally, it seems that things are being worked out. I spoke with the Customer Service Executive today and after some negotiations and several emails back and forth - we have come to an agreement and I will be sticking with Dell for the time being.

As of right now I gave my word that I wouldn't disclose the details. I was not asked to keep anything under raps - I offered. Because my issue involved the BBB and 6mo of constant agony they were able to make a special exception for me and to put it bluntly without disclosing too much... they have satisfied my needs and honored the warranty to the best of their abilities and even one step further.

Though the road was long and rough and I am still skeptical... I can no longer say that Dell didn't at least try to help me. If something goes wrong after this - then I just must have the most horrible luck or all of their systems flat-out suck, lol! I don't think that is the issue. I have always said that I think these machines have more potential than any other in the market. I just feel that they are rushed into production and that tech support is limited on what they can do to help - assuming you find a knowledgable rep that chooses to help you.

I still stand by what I have always said... their customer support/tech support is probably the worst I have ever dealt with. That does not mean that the warranty itself is bad because it is probably the best on the market. Again, you just need to find the right person to help you and in my case - it took me over 6mo and a letter to the BBB. However, I don't think that the high up execs at Dell are aware of the bottom end service and so I think it's very important that if you have an unresolved problem, then you need to contact the BBB. When doing so, please be calm and tactful. Do not threat or make demands, simply tell your side of the story and then you will be contacted shortly after. Again, do this only after you have exhausted all other routes. Tell the high end customer care person in Dell headquarters how you feel and what the problem is and they will resolve your problem. I cannot guarantee that you will get everything you want or that you will be satisfied 100%, but I will tell you that they will do whatever they can in reason to help you.

Again, I learned the hard way and I repeat my situation was an exception because I was unlucky to have so many bad variables that in the end, I was lucky enough to be taken care of very well for my troubles. Lol, they didn't pay me off or give me anything free but they were able to set me up with a system that I was comfortable with accepting.

Please, feel free to ask any questions and I'll help you as best I can. To summarize everything...

• I went 6mo with constant problems and had two brand new machines crash completely on me and ended up being filled with refurbed parts.
• I called everyone I could for help and no one could help me because I fell into a grey line where CS and TS couldn't figure which service would better suit my needs.
• In frustration, but respectfuly, I contacted the BBB and was soon contacted by someone in Dell that could fill in that grey line and help me.
• This person worked fast and precise and fixed my issues in a fashion that has - to an extent given me an ounce of faith in Dell. Though, I will always be leary... I no longer have a hatred for the company. And again, I still have no respect for a good portion of the service team, but I DO have faith that Dell CAN turn this around and fix the problems that I an many others have been experiencing for months.

Moral of the story... what sometimes seems very simple - can sometimes actually be very complicated. And vice versa. I had an exceptionaly bad time because I fell into some extinuating and very uncommon circumstances. This put me in a place that was hard to help. Point is, be stern but polite. Don't accept something that you will not be happy with and most of all... do not give up.

Hopefully, in light of recent events... this can help Dell to better serve you in the future. My incidents weren't uncommon - other have experienced everything I had, but their issues were more easily resolved because they didn't experience ALL of those issues. Where other have experienced the problems I did, they were typically isolated... for instance, my video card problem - several experienced that. Several experienced the hang ups and 4 hour long conversations that go them no where. Several had to have a replacement machine, but what made my case so different is that I was unlucky enough to expericne all of these issues and more. That is why I pushed it as far as I did. That is why Tech S. and Customer S. bounced me back and forth. And that is why I had to contact the BBB.

Again, in the end it all worked out. You can tell by my posts that I was not a happy camper. I'm still upset, but at least now I know that someone wants to help me and that someone is working on fixing my problem at this exact moment.

It's moving in the right direction. I will try to help as much as I can and update with as much info as I can. I hope that - if anything, by reading this thread... you are now prepared for the worst case scenario and you are now equipped to handle it. Good luck and again, feel free to ask me any questions.

 

Hey guys, I got a couple messages asking about the "gun to my head" reply wondering why Dell could have possibly done to make me change my mind about them. I want to clear up a couple of things that I guess I failed to explain in my posting.

First off, I have NOT changed my mind about Dell. I still believe that they have THE most horrible customer care/tech support I have ever dealt with. I am not saying that they are bad people but I grew tired of the generic responses about policy. They need to correct some issues regarding the "grey area" and how they treat people with multiple recurring issues. This can only be fixed by starting on a corporate level. What I meant by my post was that I have spoken with people that truely want to help and do not feed me lines about policy. This gives me a slight taste of hope. I have faith that Dell can come out of this slump.

That is only opinion that has changed. Before, I thought all was lost and I felt rather hopeless. I love the Alienware brand and products and I was displeased to see that it had gone to crap. I had lost all faith in the company and I soley blame Dell. I'm not saying that everything is now peachy and you should expect different service when you call... I'm just saying that I now have hope that, one day, it CAN change. I cannot say for certain that it will, but I am saying that I am going to give it one FINAL shot. That's it.

No one twisted my arm to post that. No one even suggested it. I did that of my own free will. I did not post the details of my resolution because from what I understand, my situation was an extreme case and I highly doubt that they will do for everyone what they have done for me. Obviously, many many people have had the same problems I have had - the one differecne being that it was a group of people each experience one or two of my problems. From what I've read and what others have posted, I seem to be one of the very very few unlucky people that experience ALL of the bad crap at once. Again, not trying to downsize the magnitude of any one problem or similar horror story - I'm just saying that most of the people I'e read about have had one major problem that reoccurs and then of course the fights on the phone. I've run into just about every problem you can with the R2... TWICE. And I've been dealing with it for almost 7mo. And I know that alot of you think I post really long messages describing in full detail, but you don't even know the half of it. This is the summed up version. You really think that I could post everything little thing that went wrong?? Yeah right! I grit my teeth every time I post the big updates, lol... not sure I could handle the stress of rehashing every bad second with Dell.

In the end, I just want to be clear on this. My feelings cannot change over night. My feelings will not change until I have a machine that works as intended and that will take me months to figure out. I'm just saying that finally my issue is being resolved and that I was showed the courtesy and respect I deserve with the Customer Support Executive. If something can be learned from my rough experience, then I am hopeful that eventually, everyones problems can be worked out and some day maybe it won't be such a hassle to get things take care of.

I hope that clarifies everything for you all. Again, please feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Someone once told me that it was "...amazing how quickly someone's attitude changes when they're treated kindly and get their issue resolved." They were right. I still have the same feelings, but after all these months, I've finally been able to let go of the anger.

So here's to hoping that this all works out - not only for me, but for you too.

PS - Someone asked if they paid me off, LOL! Again, I posted this of my own free will. I wish to God that someone would pay me off - but I don't think it's happening today and it hasn't ever happened. They just set me up with a new system and we worked out an agreement on the situation. That's it. That's all I ever wanted. Sure, I talked about a class action lawsuit and you can bet your pretty little tush that I'd have pushed it to the fullest extint of the law, but when they offer to make it right - you can't really fight it and say they didn't try to fix it. It took effort, but in the end I found someone willing and able to help.

 

I personally think you should say what they did for you. You trashed their customer service for several forum pages. ( and rightly so in my opinion ) Would be nice to know what you got. I feel like I have taken a journey with you and ridden the ups and downs.

Reminds me of WoW and downing an end boss but not announcing the loot. I want to know what shiny stuff you got. If you don't feel comfortable posting it, please pm me. I hope to all that is good and decent the set you up with an m18x extreme processor, factory over clocked unit. plus I am nosy and want to know what they did for you because like I said I feel like I could put myself in your shoes and I wan to see the deal they offered to make it right.

 

Yeah man, you bring up a very valid point. You're absolutley right too. I like the analogy too even though WoW is for schoo boys, LOL! J/k j/k man

I did some research into the situation and I just noticed today that at the bottom of my emails - it very specificaly says that everything is confidential. I'd quote the exact line... but not sure I could get away with that either, lol! I know they troll these forums - I would too if I had a mega corporation, just so I could learn about things just like this within my own business.

Anyways, as you mentioned... I have fought a very long hard battle and I didn't win, but I found an agreeable compromise. I do not want to risk that after everything I've been through. I mean, I don't they could do much... not even sure if they can do anything, but I'd rather not test it. Again, this has been a battle that I do not want to escalate. I want to be done with it and enjoy my system.

Now, I agreed not to disclose any details, but what's out there is already out there and I made it very clear on what I would and would not accept way before it was settled and I agreed to anything. With that being said - if you've kept up, and you know what I wanted.... and you know that I am now at least content, then that leads to only one conclusion. They remedied the situation.

I hope that you don't still feel jipped.... I know it's vague, but I know that you can put two and two together to make four.

 

Firstly, If I could rep you more than once, I would.

Sterling effort and insight into how to deal with Dell when things go wrong. I am also so pleased for you that you finally have a solution that is amicable between you and Dell. Thats the only outcome that anyone in such a situation ever wants...something agreeable to both parites.

Unfortunately, sometimes it is the case (as it was for you) that things do not go smooth in the process...you have had it bad for 6 months or so and its only fair that Dell make ammends.

I too have had my fair share of Dell replacements - 5 in all in the last 10 months (all R2's) so I know exaclty what you have been through. It is like a mini nightmare that you dont escape from.....constantly there no matter what....thats why its so good to hear a good outcome for a change.

I thought my own issues were bad.... You may be aware of the sleep/brightness problem on the R2 as I have a stickied thread on the topic that has been ongoing now for just as long as your case really.

I too have approached Dell about resolving this and whilst it wasnt easy to get going, once you get to speak to the right people, I must say that they do take care of you.

The problem seems to be being able to get past the minions to speak to the chiefs....if you can do that, your half the way there.

So, after my 6 month battle, my problems/issues have been addressed and like yourself, I wont post details of how, but suffice to say that my concerns have been addressed in a satisfactory manner. It took me 6 months of testing and posting here, dealing with Dell and agreeing to guinea pig their intended fixes but at the end of the day, enough was enough.

I am happy with the outcome of my own personal case - that is not to say that the issues for current R2 owners are automatically cured and I will continue to fight on for them on that cause.

Repsect to you, you deserve it after all you have been through.

Best of luck with whatever they offered you as a solution...

Regards
Steve.

 

I stand by that quote as well - that is why I offer any insight that I may have in anyone elses situation(s). Best bet is to sed me a PM or email at [email protected] and I'll what I can to help.

You're exactly right Steve... getting to the Cheifs is the hard part and once you're there, they will typically volunteer to help you however they can and try to make it up to you. I am extatic that your issue is now handled as well. I have been speaking with another customer via PM's and we have spoken about your case. I know that you say that my issues were tough and ridiculous but my God man... I had no idea that you had that many replacement systems. I surely hope that your problem was taken care of with respect and that you were well compensated in, at least, a nicely upgraded machine. The point is that we all continued to fight and it all came crashing down at once... my guess is that there are many others out there like us and I've heard rumor that there are some policy changes happening and that teams are being reworked from inside the company so maybe just maybe... we helped fix problems for future buyers. In the begining, we were questioned if our claims were valid and we got treated as whiners by both Dell and the online community... now finally we have solved our issues for the time being and hopefully helped inspire some change from within.

I've noticed that there were about 4-5 of us posting almost daily of these issues and we all called everyday... several times a day and now the threads aren't really being updated like they were. They all stopped right around the same time. Coincidence? I think not. I think we're finally getting somewhere. So back to the line I quoted. I'm here for anyone that needs advice and help.

To anyone else going through this or for someone in the future that may read this... just don't give up. It's ok to get mad. It's ok to even hang up on someone that is treating you like a spoiled child. They'll do it to YOU, lol! Just always try to remember to be nice when you talk to someone new. Exhaust ALL options and continue fighting until you're speaking with someone that can make a difference. If your issue is really that bad - they should fix it and if they don't... well, that's why the BBB exists and they will help you. I will help you. Just remember to be courteous and reasonable - no one can help you if you can't follow those two rules.

So, we're out there and we'll help.

Steve, again, I appreciate your words of kindness. Glad it finally worked out. Feel free to shoot me a PM anytime.

 

Forgot to ask you: How much was your R2 worth? How much is maxed out m18x worth?

 

Congrats Mav. You deserve it. Glad you were able to get to someone who cares at Dell.

 

Well, here we are almost two months into not being able to use my computer for work or school. Day 13 since my new machine was ordered and nothing has come of it.

The rep in charge of this will not return my emails or take my calls. I was promised a bag with my new machine and I still have no order number for it 13 days later. The first rep said I would receive my machine in 7-11 days.

On top of that, my dell.com portal has not updated since day one. It says there is no information available for an estimated delivery date. I called and called and no one had any information for me. Finally, I recieved a generic response saying that I couldn't get a tracking number until it shipped, LOL! DUH! I called again and they said their systems were down and they had no information for me, but that my system should have been shipped out by the 16th. He also said that my order was "expedited", lol! I know for a fact that others have order my exact same build on or after my build date and they already have their machines... so much for expedited order, huh?

So, no order for the promised Messenger bag 13 days later and no word on when I will receive my expedited order. No returned emails either. So, here we go again. Wooohoo! I'm just over joyed. So much for making it "right" with the customer.

On a side note, not only have I not been able to use my machine for work in two months and it sat for the first 6 weeks totally bricked before it was ripped apart and stuffed with refurbed parts... but to top it all off, I put a bluray in the machine today to pass some time as I did some paperwork and it will not read the disc - or any disc for that matter. It says it's working fine and I've updated all the drivers. Yet another defective part. About the only thing I can do is check my email on this machine. 7 months of this. :/

And you all know that I tried giving them chance after chance. I even popped on here and tried to speak highly of them after all the BS. I tried guys. I really did. And it got me no where. I will keep you posted. Their systems were down today so someone is supposed to call me back tomorrow. *sigh*

 

Call right now!! Their systems are up!! I just got a few emails confirming some dispatches. I am also looking into an upgrade and they were able to pull my last 3 service tags and all that mess that went along with them. I'm now holding for a supervisor....lately I end my calls with confirming with a superviosr and getting their name.

 

That's funny, cuz if I ever ask for a supervisor, I get the name and email and extension, but conveniently that person is never there and/or never responded to any emails...