The story of my m17x r3 ... I'm fed up with it

Hi all,

Since the beginning I had my laptop I've had almost nothing but problems with it. It started right after I bought it. Sometimes my discrete video card worked, sometimes it wasn't detected, not in the BIOS, nor in Windows. I called Dell and someone came to replace the video card. That was solved, but, the tech broke the keyboard bezel so another one was sent to replace it. After that, my laptop worked perfectly; however, 1 & 3/4 years fast-forward:
My GPU failed again. At times the screen started showing artefacts after which the laptop froze and I had to shut it down using the power button. I called Dell again and the representative said that they would exchange the GPU. The next day I suddenly get an UPS tracking email. I didn't order anything so I was very confused about it. Since I thought that it maybe had something to do with my Dell service call I called Dell again and the representative said that it was the GPU they sent to me. I replied that it should be a mistake since the previous times always a Dell tech came by to replace it and I didn't feel comfortable doing it myself. He assured me that it was just normal and that the GPU in my laptop was marked as 'user-replaceable'.
Next day the GPU arrived. I opened it and nothing like thermal paste or so was included. Called Dell again and another rep apologized and told me that indeed the GPU was NOT user-replaceable. A tech was booked to come by and replace the GPU. GPU was replaced, and problem was still there. Called Dell again and another tech came to replace the motherboard and GPU. That solved the original problem. However, the Alienhead logo and the Alienware text on the screen did not light op anymore after that tech passed, as well as the USB 3.0 ports which stopped working once in 3 days or so after which I couldn't shut down the system properly anymore.
I had almost no time to let another tech come by due to my studies so I waited for Easter holidays to call Dell again. Another tech was booked. That tech concluded that the previous one had pulled out a few cables from their connectors (destroyed them) and did some other "wrong" things. Since the tech did not have all the parts another tech would be sent the next day. The tech left and another problem appeared... the screen went black when I moved the laptop and I had to "shake" it a bit to get the screen back... Now today another tech came, he was busy for quite some time but concluded that he did not have all the parts to fix it (If I recall correctly he would replace GPU, Mobo & some cable for the leds). The leds were fixed, but now the laptop doesn't boot. Only 8 beeps. Another tech should come tomorrow with other parts.

So in short, last two months or so I have litteraly called with Dell for several hours, had several techs come by and after each tech passed the laptops' problems got worse.
I hope the problem will be solved after tomorrow, but if it doesn't, am I somehow eligible for a new system? Initially I would never want a new laptop, but how the things currently are going I don't see it ever getting fixed properly. I paid around €2100 for the laptop (almost $3K) with 3 years of next day in home repairs with premium phone support (about 11 months left now). I've had very good experiences with Dell in the past (hence I opted for a Dell laptop again) but now I'm really fed up with it...

I'll keep this thread updated.
Liopleurodon

 

Have a look at the link in my sig for experiences of getting a replacement. A lot also depends on your country as different procedures are followed...

Good Luck

 

It does sound like terrible luck and I am quite surprised that you have not been offered a replacement at this point. The main thing in all of this is to remain calm although it sounds like that has not been an issue yet. We get so many people that make posts saying they lost it on the reps and big shock the rep refused to help them :S , and your much more likely to elicit sympathy from the rep if your calm and collected. I would phone back and just request due to all the problems that a replacement be issued as you have had multiple failures and you are no longer satisfied that this machine will ever work properly again. I find they are usually pretty good after the multiple failure point

 

Send us an e-mail to [email protected] and we'll escalate the case to the support group in Europe for them to help you better.

 

Thank you very much for all the replies!

I have sent an email to [email protected] about the issue.

 

The technician of today just left and all seems to be solved now
At least that's what I hope since the last few months I've had the same impression quite a few times before, but the problems only appeared afterwards.
Hopefully it is indeed fully fixed now, I'll report back in this thread if anything new comes up.

 

Glad to hear they sorted it out - although I would have been pushing for a replacement after the second failed repair! It really does surprise me that they keep sending incompetent techs out - surely they must be losing millions on all these additional "damaged" components due to incompetence?

 

Glad yours got sorted, they never fixed mine properly. Grey gradients flicker on the AMD graphics, have a second lcd panel separating and speakers rattle like crazy due to the palm rest being loose and screw holes striped out from their attempted repairs. This is after multiple motherboard, video cards, a keyboard because the actual metal broke, and a previous separating screen.

 

Lesson to be learned here. Learn how to change your own gpu!


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

That is indeed true, labour costs alone for the technicians may already have been a quarter the price of my laptop or even more.
Apart from the incompetent techs, another reason I thought about may be that parts are not thoroughly enough tested before being installed as refusbished. The motherboard I had for about a month or so where the USB3 ports would break once every 3-4 days was probably a refurbished one too; and may be installed in another laptop again because such intermittent faults are difficult to detect. (This is just a speculation from my side.)

I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps you can try emailing to [email protected] as L_Porras suggested to me to get a solution?

 

Sad news!

A few months later; my video card has failed again... Problem is more or less the same as the one that came with the laptop:
Sometimes my HD6990M is not detected. Nor in Windows, nor in the BIOS. Hoping that my system BIOS somehow might have been corrupted I reflashed it again but to no avail. Since my GPU is not detected in the BIOS either I assume that the problem is not software related?

I don't know what to do. Should I just call Dell again so a new tech comes who hopefully gets it fixed; just to wait a few months more before it breaks down again? University is starting again soon and having my laptop break down during the year is really annoying.
Or should I try to escalate it by emailing to [email protected] as suggested with my previous problem?

 

Sad to hear for sure .

All you can do is raise a support call - again. They will have record of what has been done and a mobo as well as the GPU is on the cards now. You can find that a kind of 'three strikes' generalisation cuts in and you can ask for a replacement - but it will probably be a refurb from the outlet if one of a similar or better spec is available.

Check out the posts in my sig link

Good luck.

 

Thanks for your answer.

I live in northern Belgium (Dutch-speaking), so the Dell reps I speak to are from the Netherlands. When I call, they will probably not see the whole context of the issues I had/have (I presume they will just see the amount of support calls or so, and not dig deeper into it?). I'm not too fluent on phone either; and the Dutch speak with a different accent... so I'm afraid they'll just book a new repair if I call.

I could do a support call via the email form on the Dell website; but that is only designed for very simple issues. Not much space is given there to type my whole 'story'.

But you would try to get a replacement? Wouldn't it be best then to escalate by contacting [email protected]?

 

Hi, I would say on the basis of your first post and this failure you are certainly entitled to ask for 'consideration' of a replacement. If you've had a few HW failures already then he will have to escalate it to a decision maker. Dell are very good on keeping a full history of a machine, they also want to be able to spot 'abusers', if that is the right word? Even when a machine moves countries the same service tag and records follows it.

I do believe that speaking to a tech is crucial. So easy to blow you off in an email, much more difficult to do it to a pleading, upset (but NOT angry) owner. What I did in Brazil was to get a local speaker to act as translator. Within 30 mins I had an engineer on the way with a replacement HDD, and the machine was registered in Canada! Probably not an option for you.

Just focus on asking, 'Please help me, this machine has been a nightmare, isn't it about time you looked at replacing it. I don't think I am being unreasonable, I need a working machine and these constant failures are messing with my life!' Or something similar and even point to the multitude of threads where this has happened.

Exhaust all your options with the local support line before calling in the AW email address - usually they only get involved with the US and Canada . You need the local support to refuse you first.

Do you have good consumer protection laws or a state regulatory body? Not that you have to go this far but sometimes a country having this stuff makes warranty claims smoother. Another example was Hungary. They simply refused point blank to even look at a machine that did not have it's original memory proving the chassis had been opened! The sort of stuff you expect form a cheap OEM, not Dell, but support is outsourced worldwide and those companies are watching their costs. You get what is locally acceptable in many cases .

Good Luck

 

I just called. The guy on the phone told me I had to return my laptop to the depot first so they could thoroughly examine it.
He said that I only might get a replacement if they discover my laptop is 'beyond repairable' in the depot.

I should have pushed it and told that they couldn't let me do this since I have a next-day-in-home service but didn't think about that while on the phone.
Having read other people's stories it seems that they often do more good than bad at the depot so I hold my breath. Either way they'll have to examine it really good because the fault isn't there most of the time so odds are they'll think nothing is wrong with it...

Luckily I'll be on holiday next week so I won't miss my laptop for too long.

 

That sucks, guess I have to add Belgium to my shi* list of poor Dell partners .

There are always ways a bad company can get out of providing good warranty service if they want to. Like I said, you should not accept the first techs decision but ask that it is escalated to a supervisor. Then ask for a replacement. This is terrible service you are receiving compared to what Dell like to pride themselves on - 'Award winning service and support'.

Small print in the warranty will give them some excuses to keep asking you to return it. Like you say, what chance does the depot have of finding a problem that (for example )only happens after 30 minutes of gaming? Since this is sold as a gaming laptop it is not 'fit for purpose' while within the warranty period. Now you have accepted sending it back accept that they will return it as 'no problem found'. Almost certain of this. Then you start again, they hope you give up or get abusive so they can simply refuse communication.

Unfortunately I have seen this level of service in some countries but I am surprised at a 'European' country. I have been concerned that since Dell started to try to be price-competitive something had to give. Even US customers are starting to be screwed over with a second rate service .

 

Not per se Belgium; it is the Dutch support department (Netherlands) I've to speak to. People living in Wallonia (south of Belgium) most likely will get redirected to the French support department.

Yesterday my laptop was delivered back. Almost three weeks instead of the "usually 4 to 6 business days" I was told on phone.

It seems to be working fine now so I hope no new problem comes up. They have changed the GPU, GPU heatsink and motherboard. I lost count on how many GPU's I've already gone through.

 

That's great news, they basically gave you a new machine.

Thanks for the clarification. Give it a good thrash, hopefully you'll be fine at last .

 

I'm suddenly thinking that the MB might not have been replaced after all. It was listed as replaced on the paper that was returned with the laptop. However; my BIOS settings were the same (CPU turbo boost off, ...).

Either way, hopefully it has been repaired by a senior tech using new parts now.

 

Was just browsing the web and suddenly the screen went grey with lines over it...

Rebooting into windows is not possible anymore. (black screen after the windows logo)
I went into safe mode and disabled my dedicated gpu, so currently working on my iGPU.

I've seriously had it! Again they installed some crappy refurbished card into it. It can't be because of 'overstressing' my laptop.
Last time I probably even played a game on it was a few months ago!
I need this laptop for my studies (I study computer science). I'm totally and utterly fed up with this.

 

Well that just sucks big-time . Did the email get any response?

I went through a few hoops before they finally replaced the whole unit. Maybe somebody there will realise how much this is costing in engineer time and bad reputation?

I suggest you call it in (after some deep breaths!) and ask to speak to a supervisor straight away. You want a call escalation. That way you don't end up going through the whole drama twice. I find saying 'please help' a lot gets the tech 'invested' in making you happy...

Fingers crossed, and it does seem strange that the machine came back with your bios settings! One of the first things they are supposed to do is default the bios, and of course a new one should already be like this.

 

Shocking service...
Complain and ask it to be escalated to that email link on first page.
Demand that this is not good enough service and you want equivalent replacement.

Keep calm, cool and be firm with your expectations and request no less.
Good luck.

 

No, previous time I didn't send an email.
But this time I did.
Phoning again would probably just get me another repair booked I'm afraid.

Hopefully I get an answer to my email soon.

 

Having read through this, my own issues pale in comparison. It almost sounds like your R3 is a bad egg with so much being replaced and it continuing to have issues.

It may be a longshot but you could ask them to replace the power supply too - who knows how much damage an intermittent power supply can cause. Not intermittent in the sense of going bad every few seconds or minutes but if it's not quite right - it could be causing some issues too maybe.

Anyway, I hope you get this current set of issues sorted quickly from them

 

Some good news (finally!).
Luis Porras escalated the issue to the European team, however, I presume the email went missing since I didn't hear anything for 2 (3 now) weeks.
I searched through the old Dell emails I had and found an emailaddress of the Alienware EU technical support and after a few mails back and forth I've been granted a replacement system!

I've asked for a description of the specifications since there are some things like the keyboard which I want in UK QWERTY layout (easier access to keys like []{} which I often need for programming (compared to Belgian AZERTY), while still having a bigger ENTER key than the international QWERTY layout ).

 

Congratutz op,
That's great news.
Kudos to Luis as well.

 

Indeed, Luis said he would fix it himself if he could. But sadly there's that distinction between Dell Northern America and Dell Europe.

My case is now forwarded to the "swap team" and they'll contact me for the specifications.

 

I was offered to pay €350 extra for the CPU to be upgraded to 4910MQ and GPU to R9 M290x; which I of course accepted.

The new system should enter production soon.