First Alienware experience, problems with the m15x

Well I finally went with the m15x from alienware for a couple of reasons.

1. I run multiple VM's to create a server environment with Exchange, SQL server, DC etc to develop on during business hours.
2. The machine travels to a hotel nightly where I log into WoW and play with my kids back at home and use the headset to speak with them.
3. So many great things I have heard about Alienware and their support.

So I got my laptop after many delays and it has a broken key on the keyboard out of the box. Alienware wants me to send it back or send me a whole new keyboard to replace myself. Given that I use this machine for work I cannot afford to send it back and be without the laptop.

The other problem is much more serious, due to a major design flaw in the battery charging circuitry and its proximity to the "touch" controls it goes absolutely haywire when it is charging, the volume slider craziness is as bad or worse than what I have read from others. In addition the machine regular reboots during startups, after sleep and sometimes randomly or during a charging cycle. I believe this is a result of the touch control for the power switch becoming enganged when it is touched and even though your finger is no longer on the power button it retains the closed position and causes the machine to do a hard reboot, just as if you held the button down on any other machine to cause the machine to restart. Having a bunch of XPS m1530's with touch controls caused me to believe that I knew what I was in for, they can be touchy, but this is something different all together.

So now I have to go through the alienware support and so far that has not gone so well, after recieving a reply to the broken keyboard my status is still in the "waiting on customer" days after I had replied back.

After having spent millions in my budgets on HP and Dell workstations and servers I have always recieved a great experience from those companies, I am really hoping that somehow Alienware pulls out the Customer Service red carpet and wins me over, but I am having a rough start as the ordering process was delayed for weeks with strange holds that were not explained to me and the out of the box issues are a bit rough.

So at this point I think I would like to have an equivilent m17 shipped to me and send back the m15x, I knew about the slider craziness but the reboots are not something I can live with, especially running sql server and a development platform. Having to worry about rolling back transactions and relying on autosaves is tough.

I really had higher hopes for this machine, it is a beautiful beast and performance is definately on par with what I had expected. But i guess the first generation flaw with the touch controls and the power circuitry is just a little too much for me to live with.

I will let you all know how my experience goes with the new AW customer service......


Cheers,

JDeClue

 

Update:

I was told that if I want the machine exchanged for a m17 then I have to pay a restocking fee of 15% and turn in the m15x and get a refund. After that they would be happy to allow me to order a new m17 machine from scratch...... scratching my head now...

So I told them that I want to use my OnSite warranty to have a techinican come out and replace my keyboard... as I said above the alternative is to send the machine back, and lose a couple weeks of productivity or pay for a new keyboard and replace it myself getting a refund when I send the broken keyboard back.

I am now assuming they are going to scoff at the technician request, lets hope they prove me wrong.

 

you can replace the keyboard yourself. on a side note, AW doesn't do on-site warranty

PS: if you really want to switch to an m17, wait til something breaks on the m15x, then keep demanding a refund without the restocking fee. it's been given before.

 

Thanks Whizzo, I have heard that they don't do on-site here before but the warranty seems to include it, see below.

Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support

1-Year AlienCare Warranty

AlienCare Advanced Technical Support includes:


Lifetime Personalized Online Support Portal
1-Year Toll-Free 24/7 Telephone Support by Alienware Technicians
1-Year On-site Home Service

Even the best hardware can fail at times. That's why 24/7 Toll Free Technical Support, and Onsite Service backs every Alienware system. Your support plan includes:

Live Technicians 24 hours a day
Speak with a live Alienware certified technician 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Toll-Free.

Lifetime Online Support Database
Browse our comprehensive support database and have easy access to Frequently Asked Questions, Updates and Drivers, Game Patches, Links to Manufacturers, and Microsoft Personal Online Support.

Service
Alienware will attempt to diagnose and resolve any issue over the phone. If we determine that the problem is with a defective component covered by your warranty, Alienware will take one of the following steps:


Have your system picked up via FedEx, sent back to our facilities for repair and expedited back to you
Send a technician to your home or place of business to replace the defective component (only applies if you purchase the Alienware Onsite Service warranty option – not available on all systems)
Send you a replacement part for the defective component



I am going to try and call them on the on-site... we'll see.

As to the switch, I guess I am more concerned that, rather than giving me some explanation or answer regarding the reboots, they just replied with the replacement policy. I would have expected them to tell me that they have a solution, are aware of the issue.. something.. but I did not recieve any acknowledgment to the actual issue.

Ill keep you all posted.

 

Jdeclue,

Sorry to hear about your bad experiece with our product and service, should you need further assistance, please feel free to send me a PM with your account information.

Thank you.

 

i'm perfectly aware of that. still, i don't think anyone on this board has ever posted about an AW technician actually coming to their house and fixing their computer.

 

Armando, Would you please put me back on the list to have my m15x sent in... You called me a while back (september) for sending in my system to repair case cracking, I declined because I needed the system for school.

School is over and I'd like to have the case repaired and a few other issues looked at.

Thanks.

 

So I shouldn't expect it. Ok.

I did PM Armando and let him know the issues. I think it is fantastic that I recieved a personal request for help from him, so my CS experience is on an upswing right now!

 

When I had to replace my 8800m GTX, they offered to send a tech to my house to replace the card. So i believe they do have on-site service.

 

They have onsite the person saying no, doesn't know what they are talking about

 

whizzo they don't have onsite in EMEA but they do in the States

 

Update:

Alienware called me this afternoon and is sending a keyboard to my house and sending out a tech to install it. I told them I would then wait a month and if the power issue is still an issue I will send it in for them to fix. They did talk to me about the power issue and are more than happy to set up an RMA to solve that problem as well. I am cool with that.

Below the Fedex guys making the delivery, the young one knew it was an AW and thought that was cool.


By jdeclue, shot with Canon PowerShot SD990 IS at 2009-05-01

 

WOW. You got a tech coming to install it? The Dell acquisition seems to be helping out. That's good news for us AW owners.

 

those are both Fedex guys... plus, what would you want to "install" about a laptop?

 

Two fedex guys came to deliver, neither one is me



As to the install. It is not about whether I can install a keyboard, it is that I expect a certain level of service with a brand new laptop. I will be happy to tear it apart after the first year and make changes, upgrade a processor or video card. But out of the box I expect a computer to be in perfect working order and if it is not, then I expect them to fix it, not me.

It appears AW is capable and willing to do that, so I am happy.
Cheers

 

Hey, jdeclue, is the M15x that you took the pics of the Fed Ex guys? If so, you just got it. When my M17 keyboard took a crap, they sent me a new one. I installed it, and sent the old one back, postage paid by Alienware.

 

Yeah got it last Saturday. A single key "M" was hanging on by a thread and the corner of it that attaches to the keyboard was broken. I decided that I didnt want to take it out and mail it to them and wait for it to come or take the option of paying for a new keyboard with a credit card and getting the funds released after I ship it back. I just wanted the HP/Dell experience I am used to so I called them on the On-site Home service and they complied and are delivering. For me it is kind of the point of the matter and I am glad they are stepping up. I expect more from a company like AW then the various rebranders and I think I am getting it.