Alienware M17X Upgrade Nightmare

To make a long story short as to what I'm trying to accomplish:

I simply want to purchase a new (and compatible) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M 1GB DDR3 Video card to add to my single card M17X laptop.

The Dell agent that sold me the M17x, said "Dont worry, you can upgrade certain components later, so you could pick the lower CPU, and only one video card to drive down the price, and upgrade later when you have the money".

When you call a company to talk about purchasing products they sell, usually you want them to at the very LEAST be aware of these products. However, since Dell's Customer Service center is in INDIA, none of the agents who answer the phones are even aware of what "M17X" even IS. The 3 agents I spoke with, Didn't even know what the "Alienware M17X" computer was. After putting me on hold for 30 minutes, they came back and offered me Desktop Computer video card prices. Clearly, the agents who answer not only do not understand Dell/Alienware products, but they don't even understand Computer System basics!

Yes, I know, 340$ for the original purchase of the EXTRA video card would have been the right idea. I am KICKING MYSELF that I didn't take it. Too bad Dell/Alienware dont care that my first purchase with dell EVER has been an extreme dissapointment. Not only can I not RETURN my Alienware M17X laptop for a full refund, but I also cannot upgrade it either! The only option you have is to give them a easy payment of $1200 (without explanation as to WHY it costs so much money)!!!!! and they will send you another card. Everyone knows this card does not cost anywhere CLOSE to 1200 dollars, its like 500 bucks.

Well, you should never EVER trust an Dell/Alienware sales agent, they have NO IDEA what they are talking about. All they want to do is take your money and run and they dont have a process to help you after if you aren't happy.

Called 1-866-ROSWELL as some people suggested on this site, no answer after waiting on hold for over 60 minutes. I'm not even sure its a valid Alienware number anymore, eventhough it has a Alienware IVR answering system.

I give up on DELL/ALIENWARE for their extremely poor customer service, and their attempt to literally RIP US OFF on upgrade costs.

The laptop is WONDERFUL, the company that makes and sells it, certainly not up to par... Too bad, I certainly do not look forward to using the 300 dollar 3 Year Extended warantee if the computer has problems! It sounds like getting support will be like pulling teeth.

AND TO BOOT, My CPU Fan is starting to make AWEFUL grinding noises after only 2 weeks of use.

SIGH!

PS: Sorry for everyone that hate reading Rants and Such, I needed an outlet, and I've been reading this forum for a few days now, seemed logical to post my dismay here.

 

I did the same thing, tried sending emails around, and pretty much gave up. It's ridiculous.

 

That's the main reason why I went ahead and upgraded everything when I ordered it and if I decide to later I can always put in SSDs and upgrade the RAM. Much easier that way.

 

Hi Draekz,
I apologize that that your experience wasn't as expected. Dell strives for complete satisfaction, although mistakes tend to happen. Unfortunately buying parts for upgrade is always more expensive than including it in your original purchase. The representative was correct in that you could upgrade it in the future. However, I understand the frustration of finding out that more money would have been saved if the option was included during your initial purchase.
I would highly recommend that you ask for the XPS support in regard to all your questions about the M17X. The transition of Dell and Alienware is not without error, as the two companies are getting a feel for working together. Every company goes through a few growing pains as expansion/additions occur.

Thanks,
Gabe

 

Well, something slightly above the normal price (300$?) is totally acceptable. I'd gladly pay between 400 and 500. But 1200 is just nonsense, especially when we're installing it ourselves. (Tip to the OP: the primary and secondary cards are the same, physically--order a primary one. They're MUCH cheaper, it's what I plan on doing)

 

Will they send the SLi cable if you order the primary?

 

I have no idea.

 

Note, when i say "You" i mean Dell/Alienware, not you personally GabeZ.

GabeZ, I appreciate the response, and I understand that from Dell/Alienware's perspective, these issues are extremely minor and are bound to happen. There is still no reason to leave these mistakes unresolved once they are identified. Tomorrow, you wont be thinking about me... Alas, I'll still be thinking about the horrible service I've recieved, and the lack of ownership you displayed in my very first transaction with you (even with an Alienware product).

It is easy for your staff to forget about me after they hang up the phone.

And lets be honest here, this is an expensive product, I didn't buy a $500 laptop here, I spent $3000...

Any logical human being who can perform basic reasoning will see that your statement above doesn't provide an answer to my question. You are saying that it is normal for the price to be higher, from $340 to $500 is a reasonable difference. But to tell me that the card costs $500 plus $600 SHIPPING+TAX, now I'm very suspicious about the company motives for charging me this.

Lets also add, that it is futile; since I will not spend the $1200 dell is requesting no matter what. They might as well have just said NO.

You and I both know that card does not cost $1200. The price is obviously increased on purpose and WITHOUT reason. Noone has, or CAN, logically justify this price increase to me in plain english.

Sell me the card for $500 (or whatever it is retail) and I'll be happy to pay the $200 extra for MY mistake, but dont laugh in my face, and burn the retail bridge between you and me by tagging on an extra $600 "screw you" tax.

I've asked several times, with absolute politeness and curteousy. I have never yelled at anyone from Dell, nor have I been unreasonable in my requests. I have never harrassed or made anyone feel uncomfortable on the telephone. In fact, everyone who has quoted me the price of the part, has laughed while giving me the price, as they too found it ABSURD.

...

Please actually respond to this. I have yet to receive an actual "LOGICAL" response from any Dell representatives on this one. And I've already spoken to 2 employees and their Manager (who neglected to respond at all and let his staff do it for him).

This is your company, OWN IT! Don't act powerless to fix the mistakes made, feel empowered to succeed through a complicated time by helping your customers and seeing things through. Its actually really easy, since all you have to change is your outlook and your attitude. No extra effort required!

All I want, is an actual explanation for the extra $600+ being charged to me for simply wanting to upgrade a single component of my "upgradable" laptop.


Draek

 

If I'm not mistaken, GabeZ doesn't actually work for Dell. He is a DCSE. Gabe, please correct me if this is not the case.

Draekz, I also understand your frustration level. We have all been there before at one time or another. Have you tried escalating the issues you have (well aware you already spoke with a 'manager')? For the sales issue, see here:

https://support.dell.com/support/to...lcare/outstanding_issues_care?c=us&l=en&s=gen

 

Hi Draek,
BatBoy is correct in that I'm not internal to Dell, but rather external. This means that I don't work directly for Dell, but I do respresent them in the field as their support and on-site repair. Although I'm may officially be a DCSE/Engineer/Technician/Retailer by title, I'm obligated to support the companies I represent, and vice versa.
At times, I'm often able to provide a little more personalilzed response than what a normal respresentative will provide. Also, I work behind the scenes to help both Dell/Alienware connect with customers where additinal help is needed. For example, about an hour ago, I was contacted by an Alienware quality control representative in regard to this thread.

Thanks,
Gabe

 

when you call they always ask for the service tag number or express service code after you give to them just tell them you want to purchase this part #4WGVV he going to ask you why you need this? you tell him= i need to add this to my computer because when i buy it that was an option the price is not going to be more than 430 dollars believe me if you can't purchase it i can do it for 500 dell is on texas an i stay in louisiana when i order something arrives to my house next day part number again 4 W G V V

 

Awesome idea. I love you witcher430

 

Hello Draek,

I work for Alienware as a quality engineer for notebooks in Austin, TX. A big part of customer satisfaction is setting correct expectations. If you had known at the time of purchase that upgrading would be a much higher price than buying new, you might have made a different decision.

This problem isn't unique for Alienware and I'll try to explain why it's like this. The simple answer is supply and demand - if there's not a big demand for upgrades the supply goes down and prices go higher.

I'll use hypothetical numbers here - say we sold 100k laptops with single graphics card. We would need to purchase a small number of extra cards to cover warranty issues and any extra would be for folks that want to upgrade. The challenge is how many do we purchase. If we buy too many, we lose money on the back end because we'd have inventory that never sold. If we don't buy enough, we might end up in a situation where we can't fulfill warranty claims. It's a delicate balance. When you see a high price for something, it's not because we're trying to gouge customers, it's often done as a mechanism to better control supply lines. This applies to a lot of industries. My previous job was in automotive and the same challenges existed there, too.

Now you might be thinking, ok that's nice, but the same problem predicting demand exists for new products, right? Yes, it does, but that process is far more mature and perfected than service parts. The concept of upgrading notebooks is still relatively new. Personally, I'm looking forward to the day when notebooks are as easily upgraded as desktops. It's not hard to predict the industry will get there eventually.

Of course all that explanation doesn't change your situation, but its an attempt at giving you the plain English answer - not exactly trivial to articulate

The 260 is not too shabby. I have the 260 on my M15x and it's pretty sweet.

 

I could understand if a user had been using the laptop for a year, and then decided to upgrade. Myself, I literally asked the day i received the laptop. And I couldn't even return it to reorder, I was willing to pay.

The problem is your customers dont know, and have the impression of upgradability (like this model definitely is in many ways). And then thats magnified by the fact that your staff ALSO has no clue. (Remember the person I spoke to at Alienware, had no idea what the M17x was or that Desktop Video cards sold by dell dont go inside the M17x laptops.)

Its a shame for me, I've come to terms with it. Now the stuttering issue with Windows 7 64-bit NVIDIA GPU drivers and PowerMizer is really frustrarting, but thats software and will maybe get fixed one day.

Who knows..

Thanks anyway for your time,

Draekz

 

you were within 21 days of purchase? that is weird. if you send me a private message we can continue discuss your specifics.

 

@ nagshead: I see your point but charging $1,200 for GTX 260M is riddiculous, still. I believe there is always a better solution for balancing inventory than ripping money off customers. Make your customers satisfied and you will earn a lot more right?
And predicting acceptable lost is always planned ahead in every company right? Say I go to BestBuy and buy a MacBook Pro 17" for $3,000. The next day I return it and they accept it happily, no restocking fee then sell it as a refurbished item. In this case I believe they lose a lot more than an unsold GTX 260M. But they somehow manage it well right? That was my situation few months ago and I was impressed.
I hope you see my point. English is my 2nd language so...
And well "You" here means Dell/Alienware, not you personally

 

SillyHoney, I do understand and I'll attempt to get with the OP to understand his specific situations.

 

Im very pissed that i got only 1 GTX260 too. I want to upgrade but its way to much money.

 

I'll sell my cards if i can get 280's for $300+money from 260's.

 

The problem here is that Dell support have very little idea of alienware I have spoke to dell to order a part and they try to sell me a part of a desktop and they do not want to sell spare parts as an upgrade for the incompetence of the technicians, parts demand as another user here says and another by the fact that it can be export and earn money because other countries may sell parts more expensive. when my cd-dvd drive fails dell send a technician and the part, but when the technician took my laptop and turned it over I said you know what you're doing? and sincerely told me not never seen a computer like this I said I would replace it for you and he said it was good and that's what I'm talking about incompetence

 

nagshead, i cannot PM on this site yet, but i would like to take you up on your offer to talk.

Please contact me: [email protected]

Even now, it has only been 35 days since I ordered it. My emails with sales are from weeks ago.

Thanks,

Draekz

 

Draekz, it is absolutely INSANE to charge $1200,- for a graphics card. No explanation can tell me otherwise. Seems you have to pay the bill for the losses elsewhere. Sell the laptop or get a refund m8, this is plain silly.

Dell could sell it to you for $399,- and still make a profit. Customer Care should care, not exploit.

Good luck.

 

I had some what the same issue. I order the older m17x and ask if it could be upgraded with two 8800gtx now known as 9800gt. My system was dual 8600gt. What happen was the Manufacture Had 3 differnt Motherboards. So when I went to order the 9800gtx 6 Months later the Motherboard did not support the Gpu it needed more power. So upgrade cost more due to motherboard and gpus.

 

Yeah AtolSammeek, your issue is actually really different from mine. My problems were within 21 days of buying the laptop. But the one part that is the same, is that the rep giving you the information wasn't 100% versed on the hardware they were selling, which of course is really important.

If someone is selling a car, and they dont know everything about it and the buyer gets it and then is screwed later, its a big deal! Now if its a private sale, the buyers is screwed, but if its a corporation selling the car, they should be liable for what they said when selling you the car. False advertising is not a good idea for ANY company, this isn't anything new. In my company, if one of my employees gives the wrong answer to a customer, we honor what was said and take the hit. We don't tell the customer "They were wrong, we are sorry!"

I am a bit surprized that Alienware and Dell representatives are actually reading these forums and replying!!! Its definitely intrigued me as I haven't seem too many retail companies actually face the problems and put themselves out there.

It doesn't solve my problem yet, but it's making me wait and see before I make any more opinions of their Customer Service and my experience with the company.

We will see how things go.

Draekz

 

Draekz, I sent you an email this morning, did you not get it?

My understanding is that if you were within 21 days you could have returned your system less the shipping cost. The restocking fee would have been waived if you purchased another system of equal or lesser value.

 

Witcher430, can I PM you on how to buy the cards via part number? I need to make sure that's the only part I have to order (like I need an SLI cable and heatsink and fan too)

 

of course, and yes that's the part number for the secondary card with the heatsink and sli cable exept for the fan

 

Why is there so much of a issues when I made a threadbwith prices and part number so you would not have to be lead around ? ....

Call team blackhawk in Texas then tell them the part number you need and you done

 

prices change since you get them i just finish talking to dell

 

Humm if you have the new ones pm me or add a comment to the thread

 

nagshead, yeah I got it but I was at work, I couldnt grab the Service Tag until just now. I have responded back from my gmail account with the information you need.

 

Hey folks, couldn't help but to read this thread since I just went through this process. Like many other customers, I too only purchased a single 260M (my last gaming computer was an XPS 740 tower-water cooled). I was under the impression that this would be enough. Crysis put it all in perspective.

I called 1-800-ALIENWARE and asked for the spare parts department. The part numbers (4WGVV - $404.99) & (F605N - $54.99) are what you will need to ask for. The first is obviously the card, the second is the "right side" fan you'll also need. The card comes with the SLI cable.

Thanks Moo for your price guide from earlier and also the member who posted the video on how to change/replace your video card.

 

Are you telling me that this entire process has been for nothing? Why is Alienware and Dell both quoting 1200 when we ask for the M17x's 260M card?

I tried searching for information, but i didn't find this pricing guide.

 

the price for the video card is wrong this is the price $440.99 i verify with 3 different sales people

 

Hi, thanks for your helpful post! I just wanted to make sure that the GPU price includes the heatsink and everything else I'll need? Are 4WGVV and F605N the ONLY parts I'll need to order if my laptop currently has a single GTX260m? Thanks again!

 

Okay folks...I had two separate reps look up the info (I ordered it once, cancelled the order, then changed my mind and reordered). I made each rep recheck the part before placing the order. The last rep even double-checked with me to ensure I was asking for the "right-hand" fan because "...that's the one I needed to match up with this card..." . Also, the primary does not come with the SLI cable.

All said, I'm sure I'm getting right part...and I did pay $430.00 out the door if you include tax...but the list price is $404.99.

 

Hi, sure...those are the only parts. The gpu has the heat sink already attached and it comes with the SLi cable. The M17x service manual actually demonstrates how everything fits together, and there's another member on this site who made a video showing how to get to the gpus. I've already replaced my keyboard and that's the most difficult part of this (gpus sit just below keyboard).

One tech I spoke to told me I had a fan already...I took my flashlight to the bottom of my system and it was plain to see there was no fan on the right side. The last tech I spoke to had her stuff together.

But yes...those two parts, that's it. Be sure to check out the service manual and watch the video before starting though.

 

Not sure what's going on with the Reps you're talking to, but no one ever quoted me that. I spoke with different reps and I always got the same price.

Also, I never called the Dell number (not sure why it would be different), but I did go through the Alienware number and refused to let a sales rep take my order. I had them forward me to the spare parts department.

I wouldn't says it's all for nothing, this dialogue will help future members avoid the pain we've gone through to reach this point.

Lastly, Moo did post a price from this last summer. I'm sure the prices were accurate then...obviously they will get cheaper until Dell no longer offers the card.

In my quest, I got hung up on 3 times because I suspect the rep didn't understand what I was asking for.

 

Service manual:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/M17x/

 

Honestly, the bottom line with dell/alienware is to keep on calling until you get the right rep. My screen was defective and I called for 3 days, a total of about 7+ hours on the phone. I wanted to buy the WUXGA. Every single person I talked to said something different.

Up to the point where I got connected to an alienware tech that said he would gladly hook me up with the screen, unfortunately, the current motherboard in my M17X would not support the higher resolution. I just laughed, and got connected to a manager who offered me the screen for $900, but said they do not ship to canada just yet, but they're working on it.

After almost giving up, I called again. Customer care transferred me to a manager right away. He read the notes on my file and immediately sent out a complimentary WUXGA screen. I nearly flipped! I had my credit card in hand and everything (i wasn't expecting to pay $900 though).

It's a numbers game. If you have enough patience, someone will eventually take care of you.

 

Yeah, I've just had a pretty bad experience on the phone just now with another Dell agent named Johnathan. Needless to say, he just hung up on me out of frustration after making me wait 20 minutes on hold... then silence and *click*.

The price is 404.99 US. You are correct about this guys. HOWEVER, the "CANADIAN" price is 1200 dollars according to the agent i spoke to.

Clearly this is wrong, but he didn't seem to think so.

404.99 in Canadian funds is about 425.32 right now. PERIOD.

I shouldn't have to pay more than that if a US customer gets that price.

Draekz

 

If you're unable to get it at a good price, I can ship it to you (I live in Michigan, it shouldn't be too bad). Let me know.

 

If Dell is firm on that price you could always play the eBay game just to buy the card at least.

 

Dell is not firm on this price. They have already identified that the Canadian price is wrong.

It will be fixed. Its just customer service confusion, nothing else. I have a feeling that Dell/Alienware will do the right thing on this one. I'll keep people updated as it happens, I should have an answer next week.

 

Well, looks like they had the price wrong, its really $645 i'm being told, which is still 200 dollars over the US price of 404.99.

I'm not paying that price unless its all inclusive, tax, customs and shipping. No reason why a Canadian should have to pay more than an American other than for the exchange rate differences.

Alas problem still not solved.. But i'm sure that a few suckers will pay 645 bucks for it because they dont know any better.

 

in for good info....I'm checking on these parts now with a friend who works at Dell