Received my 3D M17x R3, now have some questions.

Ok i received my M17x 3d 2 days ago and have been playing with it ever since. However i have a few questions and some cause for concern that I hope you guys can help out with.

First I placed the order over the phone and forgot to add 3 year advanced warranty which includes accidental damage. I called a few weeks later to add it on to the order, and they said that I would have to wait till I receive it to add it on. Now i received the laptop two days ago and so i called them up to add it on and they have quoted me a price of $520, that is insane!!! The question I have is what should I do? should i haggle and go with dell, or go with an outside company. Also what is the best third party warranty service for the Alienware M17x, one that includes accidental damage, servicing if need be, and lost/stolen compensation.

Secondly this is the cause for concern, when I received the laptop the pouch it came in looked used, the alienware logo is faded. also the laptop did not have any screen protection between itself and the keypad, and the power on alienhead button did not have any protective film as many have noted it to have. also the service tag number and express service code stickers on the bottom are both peeling, as if someone tried to take them off. On top of all this the battery is loose, it does not fit securely into its bay.

Last but not least when I called to add the warranty on I was told that my service tag number does not match anything in there records, and they were convinced that I did not purchase the laptop from them until I gave them my order number, at which point they transferred me to customer care, who said he will associate the two together right away to avoid future confusion. I had asked the previous CSR if this means my laptop was used or refurbished he replied, I do not know, but it could be. Is there any truth to this?

Well these are the only complaints so far, I would appreciate any type of help thanks in advance guys.

 

you still have your refund window, use it and re-order w/ 3 year complete care.

that's what id do. you will be without a laptop for quite some time .

 

While I can't offer much help on the rest of your post, just wanted to share what I observed with my R3. My R3 also did not have the plastic between the screen and keypad, but did have plastic on the alien head above the keypad and on the lid.

I share your pain about the warranty situation. I went ahead and upgraded my warranty last night despite feeling the price was outrageous. I had a $100 credit from them because my system was delayed (in the end, only by one day) so I justified the price difference between warranty at purchase time and what they offered last night with that credit. In the end it comes out pretty much the same and I have full coverage until 2014 now.

Overall I think their customer service is the worst I've ever experienced, but their warranty service is supposedly unmatched, so take that for what you will. Best of luck clearing up your service tag issues.

 

does your battery fit into the bay completely without any wobbling. Everytime i lift my laptop from off the desk i hear the battery knock around a bit.

 

I haven't noticed any wobbling but I really haven't had the chance to handle it much since Tuesday. I can check tonight though. How much wobbling are we talking about here? Is the battery kinda rattling around when you pick it up I guess? I know this is probably a stupid suggestion (because you probably already tried this), but you could re-seat the battery and see if that helps.

 

Return it. You paid for a new unit not a used one with defects.

Dont know why Dell is playing these games.

 

100% agree.
We consumers need to send a clear message.

 

yea i tried taking it out and putting it back in several times and the problem still persists. I would say on scale from 1-10 10 being the highest the wobbling is around at 7, it just very loose.

yea i know i am thinking of returning it because even though it is a great computer, i paid for a new one not a used one. however when i purchased the laptop they had a 275 off promotion, now the price has gone up and I would have to haggle a lot more now and i dont know if they would go for it.

 

Then return it get a refund and buy from HIDevolution. They still have the R3 3D system for 1849 dollars.

And wireless display is also an option now.

 

what about their warranty service? can i get the 3 year advanced?

Edit: sorry scratch that just checked their website and they offer dell warranties. can i haggle with them? or are their prices firm?

 

Look at their site. You can customize it the same way as on the Dell site.

hidevolution.com - Alienware M17x R.3 R3 3D Custom Built to Order

 

yea sorry i edited my previous post i see that they offer the same dell warranties. do you think they would haggle? or are their prices firm?

 

Dont know about the haggle part. Config your system and contact them trough chat and see what they can do for you.

 

thanks for the help guys i will keep you posted with what i am going to do.

 

I would do exactly as Kunekaden said and send Dell a message by returning the laptop. That is unacceptable for a 2K+ laptop. Reorder with the three year warranty as it will be cheaper that way.

 

call the rep back, tell him you will have to return it to get this error corrected if he can't offer you the warranty at the correct price, I believe he will see the common sense in just giving you the warranty at order price, otherwise it's going to cost Dell a lot more in labor taking the system back and having to rework it into the system then go through the whole order process again, if he won't do it then escalate the issue, I can see them digging their heels in maybe a couple of months after your order but a few days ???? just silly

 

ok so i got some new info on my situation. After several phone calls and a bunch of complaining I was able to get them to replace my unit, and have them take the old one back. however prior to agreeing to this they told me if i want to amend my order i would have to return this laptop and order a brand new one. so i was transfered to sales. Now my original order is as follows 2820, 8gb of ram, 320gb hard drive, intel 6300 card, 120hz screen, and 460m graphics card, and am paying $1800 for this configuration after a lot of haggling. So after being transfered i told them that I would like to get the 2720 processor, wireless hd transmitter for 100, 4gb of ram, 120hz, 460m graphics card, and also three year advanced warranty. the total came out to 2700 before tax!!! the most they offered me as a discount was $200, and after declining that and speaking to other agents, they would not give me more then $50 off. I spent more then 3 hours on the phone with them and decided that it is not worth it to return and reorder, and so have opted to receive an exchange instead, which they said would take 7-10 business days to arrive. I am very upset that they would not budge on the price, and that they gave me such a hassle to get an exchange.

So i have no other option but to purchase a third party warranty service. Does anyone know any good ones? I am looking to spend 200-300 at most, and one that would cover accidental damage, and all that. I read a thread on here where someone posted about a good third party service, but i have looked all over the forums and have not found that thread again.

Also i am very upset with dell because I have spent so much time with these people over the past couple of weeks its insane, I have like 4 case managers that all call me at different times reiterating each other. It gets annoying when they feed you bull information, the day I received my laptop i got a call from them saying my order has been delayed a third time till the end of May, then I hear a doorbell and its fedex with my laptop. the csr was shocked and didnt know what to say and just hung up on me. lol

one quick question do you guys think i should keep the 3d glasses from this laptop when i get my new one?

 

I dont think they'll send you a new pair of glasses, so yes. Unfortunate that they wouldn't match your earlier price.

 

i know right, believe me i tried talking to over 5 csr's and they all told me the same thing. i was pissed to say the least. but according to customer care, who ultimately took care of the exchange, they will send me a brand new one, like the whole packaging not just the laptop itself.

 

Why don't you return it (since you are within your 21 day return period), and order another through Dell EPP? PM for a reps # and extension if you like.

 

yea i tried the return thing but they would not budge on the price. I sent you a PM i would greatly appreciate any help you can provide.

 

ok so to keep you guys updated on my situation. after talking to several alienware csr's and been given the run around I was able to have them price match my discount from my original order on to a new order with minor changes.

original order:
2820 processor
8gb of ram
320gb harddrive
6300 wireless n card

New order:
2720
4gb of ram will be upgrading to kingston hyper x 8gb
320gb harddrive
6300 wireless n card
wireless hd transmitter (no receiver)
and 3 year advanced warranty

altogether including tax i paid $2100. I will be returning this unit tomorrow, and as soon as they receive they will send me the new one. so all in all after probably 3 hours of talking on the phone i was able to get my desired order.

 

can anyone tell me if this is a good choice to buy i am going to order the ram online because it is overpriced on dell site also with the this i got free next day shipping. thanks to anyone that reply's

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