My M15X Rant

Hello! I purchased my Alienware M15X six months ago from the Dell Outlet as a refurbished system and it was labeled as Previously Ordered New. Upon receiving the system, I was boasting with joy and gleam. The day still remains vivid in mind as I thought that this would be the ultimate laptop. I was right, the M15X was the ultimate machine, with some fatal flaws that made me sell the system for a loss of $200.

On the second day of receiving my M15X, I was browsing youtube and watching music videos and other videos and upon clicking a video I was interested in, my computer made a "beeeep" sound and gave me a blue screen. I thought this was odd and continued watching youtube videos. When clicking on a different video, I got the same result. I tried once more and yet again, I acquired the same results. Perhaps it was Adobe Flashplayer's fault. But I have never on my time on these forums seen someone complain about youtube video's bluescreening on them. The problem was solved by disabling hardware acceleration.

A month or two later on, I was playing with the LEDS and switching the color around. I switched to a different LED color but the system would not budge and displayed the previous LED color I had before I changed it. I found this odd but restarted my system and it was reverted back to the LED color I had chosen. I thought this might be a one time only thing but it was not. Upon further testing, the vast majority of the time, the LED'S were uncooperative and refused to switch to the color I had chosen in the Command Center.

Upon installing Skype and Ventrillo, I could not get my microphone and camera to work no matter how hard I tried. I asked and posted a thread about my problem here but to no avail. The camera and microphone was inoperable and needed a replacement. Knowing how atrocious the Dell technicians and customer services are I did not call and just held it out. I don't use my camera and microphone very often but I knew that having these two components would be vital for me in the future.

You do not want to even get me started with the M15X fans. Those things are as loud as jet planes and come on full blast at startup and might not even stop going at full blast until 10 minutes after startup. And yes, I was on BIOS A09 and it was not fixed. Some of you will say that this issue is rare and uncommon but everyone who owns a M15X will agree that when the fans do come on, they are as loud as a jet plane. I would startup my computer and the fans would be on full blast until I reached my desktop, browsed the internet, and only 10 minutes later would it shut down and resume to normal.

I'm not going to lie, this is more of a rant than anything. But I wanted my opinion and story out there for others who were buying a refurbished system from Dellienware. I will never purchase another product from Dell again. And I'm more happier that I sold my system than I'm happier when I received that piece of garbage.

I do not expect anyone's apologies or hugs or kisses but I did want to post this for the sake of getting something off my chest and getting my story out there.

 

I dont get why you didnt call dell and had them fix the problem?

I've never experienced anything but good service.

 

Because of the countless threads on these forums complaining about the service. Besides, they would have to replace the LCD and motherboard and perhaps even graphics card and the fans (Pretty much the whole computer) and they could have broken additional parts and components. It basically was a catch-22.

 

The only reason you only read about the bad service is because that is the only stuff people write about. Most likely 90% of the service is good.

I've had parts exchanged 2 times, without any complaints from their side.
Just the other week they exchanged my palmrest, LCD, HDD and mobo. It didnt solve the problem, so they keep on trying to fix it.

 

sorry to hear
but you do realize that a greater number of people will always be vocal when it comes to complaints. satisfied customers will not normally post.
there are many on this forums which can tell you how good the customer service was. i myself had a great tech come over when my gpu failed.
faults do happen and unfortunately you got a lemon, what is most unfortunate however is that you paid a premium for customer service and never even used it.
ah well

 

@ xeroxide Who said I would pay extra for Dell's garbage customer service/warranty? I got the standard, one year warranty. I would never pay a dime extra for their service.

@ Kratzen 90%!? Where in your right mind did you get a figure like that? I was in the Alienware section just a minute ago where a lady bought seven alienwares, all of which were inoperable and Dell had refused to fix them until the lady got the BBB involved.

 

Stop complaining. You didn't even call them, you can't possibly know how their service is.

So, no I stop feeding the troll.

 

Good point svl7.

Of course I didnt mean that exactly 90,00% are satisfied. What I meant was that the majority of people who call in get their problem fixed, or as in my case, they put a lot of effort into it.
As xeroxide and I myself both said: People dont write reviews when good stuff happens to them.

Xeroxide didnt say you paid for longer warranty, but the reason the alienware systems are more expensive is partly because you get that amazing customerservice where they will fix your problem with almost no questions asked (in my experience, and afaik in most people on this forum's experience).

I cant believe that you bothered opening this thread, when you gladly lost 200$ and couldnt even spare the 10 min it takes to talk to a rep.

 

Which they would have done gladly. So far I've had fantastic service on my machine. I've had it serviced twice but only because of a fault dvd drives. Sounds like you just got a lemon and instead of passing it on to someone else you should have contacted Dell and had it replaced.

 

I expected this answer ^^


I wanted my money back though. I expect to get a high quality laptop when I pay over $1,000 for it. I don't expect to have to rely on calling Dell and have them practically rebuild my entire computer. The computer should have been thoroughly tested and clearly it was not. If Dell can not thoroughly undergo testing on their refurbished computers than how can I expect them to do a decent job of fixing my problems that were there when I received the machine. And of course there are going to be good and bad reviews of the customer service. And since you all seem to know Dell so vividly I would assume that you have prior experience with replacing parts in your M15X meaning your M15X was faulty.

 

You bought a refurbished machine and had issues. I never buy refurbished products, not a car, not a laptop for the exact type of issues you raised. I spend a lot of money on something I want it to work and I want a guarantee that if it doesn't work properly the issues I have will be resolved.

There are a lot of tweakers in this forum and Svl is one of them. You're barking up the wrong tree here.

You had an issue and you returned your used machine without trying to have it resolved, you failed to mention you returned the machine because you wanted your money back. You're looking to stir up crap and get people to argue with you. What's the point?

So what did you get to replace your returned M15X?

 

Most of the people here have their M15xs crashed, BSOD, or sth else. As someone explained to me, it's bc u'll only turn to these forums once your laptop goes bad. Would u waste your time lurking through endless threads when your laptop's okay??? Most will say no. So don't take those comments too seriously.
In your case, imo, give Dell a chance and call them. One call is not as harmful as you think ^^!!.
On the side note, i used to worry abt the quality of this laptop after reading through lots of posts on this forum. But i ordered anyway and the outcome is my M15x never fails to run smoothly. (and i enjoy wasting my time here ^^)

 

So just because its refurbished Dell does not have to vigorously test it to make sure the issues I described are not present?

If you read their refurbished policy, it clearly says that all machines are tested and should work as new. However, cosmetic damage/flaws may be present but nothing that will impact system performance.

 

Sorry, my guess is they didn't test to make sure it would properly work with Youtube.

I'm guessing their in house technicians who do testing on machines that were returned don't do a 100 point inspection and run a bunch of hardware and software tests. They probably test the basics and then wipe it and clone it back to defaults and slap it on a shelf until it's either sold or scraped.

Even new machines sometimes have issues and have to be replaced, regardless of brand name.

 

This post, repeated in several forms and forums, serves no purpose and is not becoming. What most experienced users here recognize is the most of your issues are either software or configuration based, which has nothing to do with Dell, Alienware or the M15x, or are ultimately self-inflicted. An inoperable webcam or microphone, or even unacceptably loud or unregulated fans, are covered by warranty and would be replaced without cost to you. But Dell can't fix what it doesn't know about. You have to accept enough responsibility to call technical support and notify them of the problem. You exaggerate the remediation needed. Why would you replace a motherboard or a keyboard or a video card because AlienFX did not give you instantaneous response to a color scheme change? Just reinstall CC. Why would you replace a LCD because you webcam wasn't working? More than likely, all that was needed was reconnecting a wire. I'm sorry to have to say it, but the main problem here seems to be not Dell, but its customer.

We're sorry you had a bad experience with your M15x. Clearly, you and the M15x are not made for each other. You should look at one of the small Apples, a 13" MBP or the like. They are excellent for entry level, non-technical users. My 12 year old daughter has one and loves it. Time to let it go and get on with your life.

 

Extremely well said. And anyways, I've called Dell numerous times for miniscule problems that any other company probably wouldn't help you fix (like some dust under the LCD, or a missing rubber on the palmrest) and they've replaced the parts time after time without problem after a short phone call to tech support. I've had no problems with calling tech support multiple times in order to solve a problem and the people have always been extremely nice and helpful, I don't get why there is so much hate about the tech support.

 

I cheated and used the chat feature both times I needed to contact support to get replacement parts.

 

The refurbs have a one year warranty on them. Have enough issues, fight long and hard enough, and you can even have them replaced with a brand new machine. You would've saved yourself a lot of long term headache if you'd gone ahead and dealt with the reps and gotten the issues fixed I think.

 

Like the others have said: contact Dell Support.

I'm a huge customer/consumer advocate, but this is one of the few times I disagree.
Also, should have bought the extended warranty. Sounds like your laptop could be a problem for you and NOT be a problem for Dell in 6 more months.

 

Let me be clear, I'm not going to say you aren't going to run into lots of people who barely speak English, and who will continually tell you "sorry we can't help you" or some other such nonsense. You just have to keep at it until you get a solid rep, and dont' be afraid to just cut off communication with one when its' clear they aren't goingto budge.

 

Sorry, the OP is an idiot, with only himself to blame for his negative experience.

I said it, but we're all thinking it.

The reality is that each of the issues he described could have been resolved by an on site support rep within 24 hours of him reporting them, yet he chose to endure frustration with system faults for an extended period instead.

/thread

 

No need to call people idiots here jarvmeister...

The problem is stubbornness and lack of knowledge. The Garfield felt that he paid good money (and rightly so) for high end stuff and felt he got ripped off in the end. Instead of simply calling it in and using the warranty that was provided he tortured himself a little. No big deal for Dell at all and honestly no big loss.

I will say this though, owning laptops, especially Alienwares, take a little bit of know how around software and hardware and their manipulation etc. If you refuse to learn or accept knowledge in such fields, you have no right owning a PC...period! Go with Apple instead.

The Garfield, I know you felt entitled to a working machine, everyone does, but crap happens...deal with it the right way or simply don't buy a PC ever again.

 

@jarv - with the amount we pay for these laptops, one would expect nothing short of incredible. however even the most luxurious products can still produce lemons.

had he used the service entitled to him, chances are he would have a working laptop. calling them up, using your express code and explaining the issue over the phone took me less than 15 minutes. i had a tech call me the same day and organized a meeting for tomorrow afternoon.

 

seriously,my m15x is a refurbed one,and they didnt even say its a ordered cancelled one,which mean maybe it had a problem be4,well im using it very nice & perfect,i got bluescreen sumtimes though,but then i just find out that BSOD code is about driver only,i think ppl who complaining computer stuff is always becoz they dun have enough computer knowledge to handle a system like that,i mean...high-end diy stuff?well you shud just stick with a $500 junk
no offence

 

Well let's put it this way. In the past week my m15x laptop crashed and I had to renew warranty for 365 dollars. This covered the cost of a 600 dollar motherboard. I also stated my touch panel came scratched when I got the laptop a year ago. They are replacing both with little questions asked. Long story short great service. Garfield is clearly an idiot and the cats got his tongue. Its like spreading bad propaganda, with your mouth in gear and your brain not even engadged.

Guess my $4000 desktop is garbage because my overpriced psu started making noise in less than a year.

I guess ASUS blows because my $550 rampage board had a chip blow off of it my first day using it at stock clocks.

Hardware fails get over it, even the best aren't perfect.

 

good point greatass
especially hardware,there's no perfect in wt ever product

 

Fixed it for you.

And you are all missing the point of this thread.
It's not that I could have been proactive and called it in and got all of the issues fixed.

Its the fact that there was issues to begin with even though Dell claims all of their refurbished systems undergo very tough testing. If all of you were not blowing smoke, than most of you have had a Dell service technician visit you and your M15X and replace at least one component if not more. And I'm sure quite a bit of you purchased brand new systems that were never used before and yet had to endure with set backs no matter how minor, and you had to call Dell in order for them to fix their mistakes which should have been avoided in the first place.

Of course, there is the excuse that no company is perfect and blah blah blah. But when you have these many consumers complaining about flaws, Dell is nowhere near perfect. "But google any major company and countless complaints will pop up." I can browse the Lenovo, Asus, and Acer threads and stumble upon minimal complaint threads compared to the complaint threads here in the Alienware forums.

Do you really think I did not have the nerve or patience to call up a Dell service technician, describe my problems, and demand a "next day service technician?" I could have and easily. But whose to say that the next part they put into my system is operable when they could not put operable components into my machine the first time around. I already knew I would be selling the machine 6-12 months down the road.

Its also not that these flaws were minor and only encountered once but multiple times. Each time I watched a flash video I was given a blue. Each time I wanted to change the LED's it proved to be inoperable and unreliable. Randomly when I would startup my system, the fans would come on full blast and remain at full blast until the duration of the startup and perhaps an additional 10 minutes after. And usually: when there are faulty LED's in the m15x, the motherboard needs to be replaced.

And thank you for recommending a Mac, at least I won't have to worry about inoperable parts or writing down their customer service number whenever I purchase a laptop. No LEDs, quiet as a feather, and cool as a cucumber, certainly better than a Dellienware M15X.

I hope this tells people in the market for a M15X to painstakingly look over their laptop to make sure no serious flaws are present. However, judging by this thread alone, your chances of acquiring a problem are not as low as you might think if everyone here has already acquired a problem if not multiple in this thread alone.

@ The Revelator: You know, people say that Apple is overpriced and you can configure the same computer with windows for much less. But Alienware costs about the same if not more yet it comes with faulty hardware components that are unheard of with Apple.

Two things I've learned thus far:
1) You must keep your tools handy when the mothership lands at your doorstep. If you don't, your labeled as a non-technician and will be pushed to the Apple store.

2) Ask where your local service technician is and weather he's experienced with an Alienware. Chances are, you two will meet shortly.

 

My DvD drive failed today.

I rang Dell, spent 5 minutes going through a logical troubleshooting process before the tech drew the same logical conclusion I did and that was that the drive needed replacing.

On Monday I will get a call to tell me what time the onsite engineer will arrive to replace my drive with a brand new one.

It was such an easy process. True story.

I'm glad you're going with a Mac, I'm sure it will never fail on you and I'm sure all the software you want to use will be compatible. But the best bit is...... you won't need to post here anymore. We all benefit.

 

Whoopie?

And congrats, your dvd drive broke. Is that the second component or third already?

And who said anything about me purchasing a Mac? I'm currently looking at the Lenovo X220.

 

Funny, I looked quickly through the asus forums here and found around 5 complaints on the front page alone. Well whatever just go where the grass is greener honestly.

I don't see that many complaint threads, what I do see a lot of is overheating issues... But that is to be expected with a laptop which is over 2 years old... Without regular spring cleaning, any laptop will overheat.

 

And I already counted seven on the Alienware M15X front page individual sub-section alone and briefly. You would expect a computer that costs more than the majority of the Acers, Asus's, and Lenovo's out there to have more or at least the same amount of flaws and problems.

I must say though, I did not expect this page to reach even 3 pages yet it reached 4. Three whole pages of people telling about their experiences with faulty components and how Dell managed to fix them the second time around and for some people, how they had to call Dell multiple times because parts just kept on breaking.

 

You've convinced me! I'm going to sell my alienware. hehe.

You're missing the whole point, you're preaching to the choir. Nobody here is going to give you sympathy and certainly not going to agree with you. The point of these types of forums is for users to help other users with *problems*. When you have a problem, you come to the forums and *post*, which hopefully people will respond too with some soft of constructive input that might help to resolve your issue.

People describing the issues they've had resolved to you is their way of telling you that you could have had your laptop repaired successfully. You bought a system that was defective, fair enough. It happens.

I understand where you're coming from, but you're wasting your time here and just getting all the nerds worked up.

 

Then you're blessed! I got my brand new M15x a couple of months before DELL bought Alienware, and the retarded ppl at DELL keep asking for the "service tag number"... regardless of how many times I explained to them that I got the laptop before the "Dell corruption" and there was no such thing...

I have experienced most of the problems that are described on this post (I mean the original rant ) and could not find someone who repair the damn thing.

I tested everything on it, RAM, wireless card, dvd, fans, hdd, everything removable has been tested on a different laptop and works fine... the problem must be on the mainboard.

In the end I have 1900 bucks collecting dust.

I ended up buying an Asus g74sx which is awesome

 

Are you sure you didn't actually get the m15x which is the area 51 machine (quite old as well)? There are two M15x machines, one is after Dell purchased Alienware and one is before.

I've read some horrendous stories about the original support from Alienware and Dell during the takeover transition period.

I read a ton of threads on similar issues with the asus machines, when I was researching my new machine.

Half dozen of one; six of another.

 

This garfield guy is trying way too hard to troll. His meager brain cannot comprehend he got unlucky. These laptops are performance, and performance means there are going to be more problems. Unlike a standard laptop, these things boast features you cannot buy in a store. Its like a fancy car, the price tag is 3x the price of a regular car, yet they have alot more issues than a standard car. Your logic makes no sense and your a big baby who needs a tissue imo. Im new to these forums and I look at your pathetic posts and say "take it and go"

 

Have an issue? Here's a tissue.

 

This thread serves no purpose. Hopefully an OP will lock it soon.

 

Agreed. This forum is about helping others with technical issues. Back and forth flaming is not something NBR will tolerate.


Thread closed.