AW won't replace battery and AC adapter even though I am under warranty

Like the title says, my m15x battery is pretty much at it's end of life (when I hold the battery check button it shows no lights) and my ac adapter cable is frayed (still works though). So I call up alienware and ask them to send me new ones and they said that, even though I got a 3 year warranty, that the battery and ac adapter are not covered after the 1st year. I asked how much it would cost, and they said $149 for the AC Adapter and $179 for a 9 cell battery.

Oh and 1 more thing, that I didn't mention to alienware, but: The DC Jack wiggles a bit, anyone have a solution for this?

It really sucks that alienware won't help me even though I am under warranty, but I am not stupid enough to actually spend +$300 for a battery and charger when I can get it off ebay for $100 or less.

 

Wait...seriously?
But that guy at Warranty and Service Parts on the phone said....

I got a three warranty and I was told that even after the initial year, the battery would still be covered...

 

so... do you know where i could get new
1) m15x dc power jack
2) m15x battery
3) m15x charger
?

 

They would probably fix the DC Jack under warranty.

As for the Battery/Adapter, yeah, eBay all the way.

 

you can get a generic laptop PSU on ebay which will be a lot cheaper ( like this one 19V 6.3A F. ALIENWARE 0302A19120 AC ADAPTER CHARGER PSU - eBay (item 280457249745 end time Aug-25-10 00:32:19 PDT) )

Also, it clearly stated on the warranty terms that the battery and the ac adapter are not covered. The battery is a degradable part anyways.

 

i guess they hate me for calling them fora replacement baterie at 1year -2 weeks of warranty but the one they sent me is also defective and now they are playing death ...

 

WTH! I've been told the same thing by the tech support guy when I tried to return my 9 cell batt

Can anyone confirm this?

 

I wanted to get my dc jack taken care of and hung up after 30 minutes on hold, I will just call them later today.

Ok so I found a compatible m15x (new gen) battery:
NEW ALIENWARE M15X 6 CELL BATTERY F681T GENUINE - eBay (item 120604222526 end time Sep-02-10 10:57:28 PDT)

Now I need to find a compatible ac adapter.
I need a 19.5V 7.7A (Middle one is +) (150Watt)

 

The one I need is 19.5V and 7.7A

 

The main warranty and accidental damage policy only covers the laptop itself(the internal parts and the so-called hull), which doesn't cover detachable parts like battery and AC adaptor. You can find this in the accidental damage policy, I was suspicious of this but I didn't have any proof of them not replacing those, now I know. :/ They should atleast cover the AC adaptor as battery can be killed by customer due to misuse but AC.. dude..

 

So wait....say you own an Alienware M11x.
Does the battery count as part of the actual thing? As on the M11x, the battery is integrated.

 

Can you detach the battery without dissembling the laptop? If so, then it is most likely uncovered.

But if its actually built-in to the laptop, it may be classified as an "internal hard drive"(which refers to WLAN card, storage, memory.. everything part of the laptop inside), then legally they will have to cover it unless there is a big "EXCEPTION" phrase stating otherwise.

 

Nope, you have to take out the screws on the bottom and remove the cover in order to get to it. Well, I suppose that guy didn't lie to me then, as I did mention that I had an M11x

 

Well then they should cover it. You need to find a good lawyer if they resist But in theory, it would be covered unless otherwise stated. I couldn't see anything specific to battery but everything except external parts, are covered. In M11X's case, battery wouldn't be an external part.

 

Hey let's get back on topic now!!
I need a new charger and a new battery, I am currently deciding on these two ebay listings:
NEW AC Power Adapter Charger for Dell Alienware M15X - eBay (item 230482951773 end time Aug-31-10 14:40:46 PDT)
(This one is the correct one for new gen m15x - which is 19.5volt and 7.7amp - 150watt)
NEW ALIENWARE M15X 6 CELL BATTERY F681T GENUINE - eBay (item 120604222526 end time Sep-02-10 10:57:28 PDT)
(This one is also the correct one for the new gen m15x)

So:
40.83(charger)+90.00(battery) = $130.83 (free shipping on both items)

$130.83 is a lot better then alienware's $300+ price tag.

So, notebookreview forum users, should I pull the trigger and buy these two items or is there something better or cheaper?

 

Can you try to find 9-cell battery? IMO if you are going to buy a battery, go for 9-cell!

 

I agree with Phoestre.
6-Cell kinda sounds lame, no offense.

 

I would love to have a 9 cell battery, but I just looked at ebay and all I could find was a 9 cell battery for the old gen m15x for $250.

PROTIP: The old gen m15x batteries have the connector in the middle and the new gen m15x batteries have the connector on the left side (or the right side if you are holding it upside down)

So here is the dilema, buy a 6 cell battery for $90 from ebay or buy a 9 cell battery from alienware for MSRP (and I don't even wanna look at the price tag)

 

I think 9-cell from Dell is around 175USD(no tax but I think you get a free shipping).

If you really want the battery, go for it but maybe try to trade with the phone sale? As I see, the 6-cell battery on ebay has 14 days and the seller states they have 10+ batteries. So maybe searching around for 1-3 days and trying to "negotiate" with Dell may give a result.

 

I havent ever seen a notebook (save for apple) that covers battery warranty for more than a year.

They are considered a "consumable" so there are special clauses when it comes to warranty.

Part of the reason is how easily a customer can destroy a battery if they use it wrong (leaving it connected all the time to the AC with the battery plugged in is a good way to kill them), however if the battery cant be disabled or removed that its hard not to do that.

With my M17x its a matter of pushing FN-F2 to switch the battery off and prolong its life - can your M11x do the same thing?

-Ash

 

No the M11x can not do that.
The only way to turn of the battery, is through the BIOS.

 

So to prolong battery life:

FN+F2 to disable battery. If it's plugged in while off (and battery disabled), will it be affected? Should I unplug it at night just to be sure?


As to the OP: I believe I saw somewhere that batteries are indeed not covered after the first year. It may be on the warranty info pages.

 

Dell may offer extended warranty for batteries, At least i have seen it as an option in the recent past.

But I thought the AC adaptor was covered under the laptops warranty, I have had them replaced by Dell (past the year mark)

 

I notice at Dell online web when you're build up your system scroll down to the battery it have a (1 year warranty) beside it..

 

I got this at ebay. been working great for over 3 weeks though its a bit bulkier

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270590315537&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

They replaced my adapter np no questions asked hmmm.... Have you tried a diff rep?
The reps name I spoke to is Ever Solano

 

AC adaptors are covered for the full warranty term. If you tell them it's frayed, they probably will assume you damaged it, which would not be covered. Never tell tech support that an AC adaptor is frayed. That is too much information. I have never had a problem getting AC adaptors replaced with any Dell systems including my M17.

And buying an M17X AC adaptor from Dell cost me $45.00 when I wanted to purchase a second one for my home. So I don't see how they could have quoted you an AC adaptor for an M15X for $149. That is absurd.

 

You need to read the fine print on the warranty - batteries are only covered for 1 year - this is the industry standard, not just Dell or Alienware. The AC adapter should be covered provided that it isn't damaged as a result of abuse. Call support again and try someone else - if they don't help, ask for a supervisor...