Is Alienware Warranty and Support a Joke?

Do not pay Alienware for an on site support contract like I did, and don't purchase one of their machines expecting it to be fixed properly or promptly, even while under warranty. Alienware makes some of the most expensive disposable computers on the market, doesn't repair their own equipment, and even admits they don't stock spare parts for systems they warrant.

I've owned more laptops than I can recall over the years, most of which have been from Dell. I use my machines nearly every day and find that it is normal for things to break or wear out on a laptop so I always try to purchase high-quality machines and I always pay for an extended warranty and on-site support.

A couple years ago when Alienware first came out with a core 2 duo laptop with dual hard drives, I immediately purchased an m5750 and I've been very happy with it. Unfortunately, it recently quit working. That's when I discovered that the on-site support I paid for does not exist. When I pay three thousand dollars for a laptop with an on-site support contract, it's because I use the machine for everything I do and if it breaks, I expect it to be up and working again within a few days.

It's been well over a MONTH now, and I still don't have a working Alienware laptop!

I was told to send my machine to them in the original box. Since I was traveling, this wasn't convenient but I eventually returned from my trip and sent it in. Nearly 2 weeks later (they do not use expedited shipping) I got the machine back, but not in the original high-quality packing material it came with, but in a small generic box, and not even from Alienware! I thought it was a little strange that they'd make me go out of the way to use my original packing material, then never return it to me. Even more strange to find that they don't even repair their own equipment: they admitted as much to me on the phone. Funny the salesperson never mentioned that when I bought it.

Needless to say, I turned the machine on to a blank screen. After a number of calls to support and hours of experimentation I determined that the machine was booting and that the keyboard worked, but the display would no longer illuminate reliably. So I packaged the machine up and sent it back again. That was nearly 2 weeks ago so I thought I'd give them a call since I hadn't heard a thing. Even though my laptop is still under warranty, they claim that they don't keep any spare parts and that it could take several weeks or longer for them to find some. The e-mail I received today claims they haven't even "diagnosed" the problem yet, which clearly implies they haven't even started looking for replacement parts. Their email leave me wondering if my machine will even be repaired.

This is the first time in my life that I've had to purchase a new computer while my existing one was still under warranty with an on-site support contract. It's one thing to go without a computer for a few days, another one to have no computer for over a month.

I've purchased a Dell XPS M1530 laptop with a real warranty and real on-site support. The new power adapter didn't work right, so they sent me a new one overnight. Dell called several times to make sure I got the new part and that it was working okay. Dell has never let me down when equipment failed and in general is very focused on customer support, now more than ever. I've purchased dozens of computers from them, and they've never required me to ship one back even to replace a display or motherboard. Dell stocks spare parts, repairs equipment on site within days, and follows up to make sure the problem is resolved. Dell also offers longer warranties, has lower prices, and even stocks spare parts for machines out of warranty.

Dell is obviously very hands off when it comes to their recent acquisition, Alienware. The difference in their support is like night and day. I'll never purchase another Alienware computer again.

 

I've had the opposite experience: the motherboard for my almost-three-year-old Alienware was replaced under warranty in under a week. As for Dell, I used to sit on hold for their tech support so my boss wouldn't gripe at me while I Googled the solution.

 

lol...been there done that.

@OP sorry for the bad experience. I've had bad and good with most major vendors. Some times it just the luck of who you end up talking with. I always find smaller companies or third party support to be better than the OEM.

 

so far, my CS experience has been excellent.

 

what should i put mine down as whizzo

 

Hey louptech,

Thanks for your one and only post in this forum! lol

Do you want to be a member here or are you just venting?

Sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction.

My cs with both of my A.W. laptops has been excellent as well.

Some of the benefits of being a member of this forum include a vast knowledge base with people that are happy to assist others, and the fact that A.W. reps frequently visit this site and are very helpful in expediting the resolution of problems that A.W. customers may experience. Too bad you weren't a member here when you first had the problem.

 

I've had the opposite experience lol. Alienware CS has answered my questions and solved my problems relatively quickly.

My last computer was a dell...and well...that was a nightmare. The LCD burnt out after about 2 years, I called to ask about it. The woman we were talking to asked for remote access to the computer (in hindsight, a really stupid thing to give her, since it was an LCD burn out problem). After her being confused for 2 hours and deleting my wireless driver (why she thought that would help is beyond me), I just sent in the computer for a new LCD that cost me $150.

 

I have had average to excellent CS, I have only called them once or twice though, my 15x still feels the same as it did when it came out of the box. Must be the Pelican case (1090CC) I use to transport it in. Which I highly recommend.

 

whats funny is Delll owns AW and AW uses Dells CS hhaahhahahahaah

nothing but good here

 

this question is a joke...

 

I feel for the guy but it's clear he didn't come here to be part of the forum or it's discussions.

Maybe there should be a 5 day waiting period for new members to post so they don't commit a "drive by" in the heat of passion. lol

 

or 10 day flame ban ....

 

Everything sounds legit to me until the last part, when you start promoting Dell like the experience in a computer shop.

 

lol so true because Dell makes AW computers now and are their CS so the OP will love AW

 

I've owned 4 x Alienwares and still own 3 that are going strong...touches wood.

1st - M7700i - Motherboard died - replaced within a week with free international shipping even though their warranty states that I should pay. I upgraded the grfx card from a 6800 to the 7800 - no 7800 cards were in stock, so they gave me a FREE upgrade to the 7900 without extra cost - who can argue that for great CS support.

2nd - Sentia m3400 - Arrived with Fans constantly running and very poor battery - I said I was not happy and they offered to replace the system. I chose to change it to the m5550i - No return or restocking fee was charged as it should be and I received the new system within 2 weeks.

3rd - M5550i - was my replacement machine for the m3400 - came without the Recovery Disc - I sent them and email which was logged but not responded to. I had to contact AW various times to get this disc. Eventually about 2 mobnths later I received the disc. This was the only time I had issues with AW.

4th - Sentia m3200 - Purhased off eBay because I wanted something portable - had to replace the CMOS Battery - Travels frequently and Runs Great!

Alienware is Tops in my opinion.

 

I think the best customer support experience I've ever received was from the Roswell Crew.

 

I'm not saying Dell support is perfect by any means, but after buying and repairing literally dozens of machines from them over the last two decades, I've seen both good and bad but I've never had a machine down for more than a week or have them tell me to send a machine in when I paid for on-site support. I've also never have them tell me they don't stock spare parts for their systems. I imagine there are plenty of other vendors like HP who also provide on-site support for real.

I'm not really questioning Alienware's telephone support. Perhaps I should clarify that I never call in for software support to any vendor since I generally run Linux and they wouldn't be any help anyway. I just want my hardware back and in working condition and it's been six weeks now.

Sorry if I offended anyone by being a newbie to your forum. I just wanted to share my experience with anyone new to Alienware, since I would've greatly appreciated feedback of this nature when I first considered buying one of their high-end machines.

The machine looked good and worked great. It runs hot and this might account for the premature video card and motherboard failure, but I'd be okay with that if they would just honor the warranty and support contract I paid for. Seriously, don't pay for the support contract, you're just throwing your money away. You can search the web and find plenty of other people who confirm they will not send on-site support like other vendors will even though they charge plenty for the extended warranty and contract.

I'd make sure to keep a spare machine on hand and just plan on shipping your machine back to them. They seem to have no qualms about having to disassemble your machine on the telephone with them (I completely removed my video card and motherboard at their direction) but they won't ship you a replacement. They have shipped me replacement hard drives, and I imagine they might send a keyboard, but anything else and they'll ask you to send your machine in.

Cheers.

 

Don't worry about offending anyone. I guess we're just used to people coming here, tossing out a bomb and moving on. Your complaints are valid and it's too bad you had an aweful experience.

Like I posted earlier, it would have been nice if you had been a member here before all this. With help from the members, Alienware Armando and Alienware Rose, your problems might have been resolved with a much better outcome.

 

Louptech, Yes it is.

Louptech, I think I am the first to post in this thread with a very similar experience. As you have probably done, if you check other web sites, BBB, consumeraffairs.com etc etc. you will see that we are not alone. I have no doubt that the majority of Alienware computers are probably excellent (which is why I wanted a replacement not my money back) , but, when things go wrong in a major way their support and on-site support leaves alot to be desired.

I to paid the extra several hundred dollars (over $4k total) for onsite support for 3 years. I had an onsite repair person attempt replace a lemon video card. I had a conf call and when I returned to the area he was working, he was gone. When I asked my CAD guy the status he said he left without even turning the system on!! When I tried it would not even boot up. I had to swap out the new for the old just to get to the start menu and get some data off. Bottom line, he was incompetent.


I have been without a working computer since I bought my M17x close to 9 months ago. Its on its way back to me now from the latest repair attempt. Alienware policy as I am told is that this back and forth can go on forever basically. They do not believe in lemons or swapping out computers even though they did not provide me with a working one to begin with. This is not only a very poor policy, it’s actually not legal in FL and MA where it was shipped. They allow only 4 repair attempts before the company is required to provide a replacement/money back if its under warranty. I have spoken with all the available state/federal agencies about the issue and have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (since it was shipped over state lines).


I have been using my wife’s computer while this one goes back and forth time and time again. This is it for me, I have already found my replacement computer and an attorney. If it’s not fixed this time, I am pulling the plug and taking the legal action road (which will be long).
So far Alienware has now replaced: Motherboard, now (5) graphics cards, 8GB Ram, (2) keyboards, LED panel, and processor as of today and hard drive. What else could go wrong. Not to mention they have installed the OS now (5) times.


I truly hopes this fix works, but, given my poor experience I have major doubts.


I am sure some of these others would have a change of heart if they experienced ¼ of the service/issues we have. Would anyone here who paid over $4,000 for a computer be happy if you were me or Louptech with the outstanding CS we have received or the Alienware policy. I have no doubts that Sony, Lenovo, Dell, HP and others would have replaced my system by now.

The systems you paid for actually work, count yourself lucky.

 

Damn snadams,

did you walk under a ladder or break a mirror?

Cross paths with a black cat?

 

I must have been real bad in a previous life.

 

Wow, you really have had a bad experience. I got my M17 a week ago and it came with a dodgy screen, one call and 5 minutes later and they are sending me a new screen.

Good luck with them i guess.

~Cyro

 

I've used it once and it was a pain in my and took way to long the only nice thing was they answer fairly quickly (sometimes) and most of them speak english fairly well or even sound like native speakers. Never want to use it again though took an entire day on the phone and two weeks without my machine to get the repair I needed

 

I've had a bad experience. I'm a student and not having my computer has been really hard on me for a long time. I first sent my m15x in after the screen hinge broke, along with a host of other problems. My keyboard had a habit of alternately indicating the "c" and "b" keys were being pressed when nothing was near or on top of the computer. This wouldn't be so bad if it happened once in a while, but every few seconds the letter c and b appeared in the words of my university papers, making it impossible to use my computer for them. Next, the touch controls were incredibly faulty. The touchpad itself was never very responsive, especially immediately after start-up. I used a wireless mouse most of the time, out of necessity. The stealth mode button rarely worked, and the volume control had a mind of its own. The volume constantly went up and down without any prompting from me, which was annoying but tolerable as I needed this computer and did not want to send it in for any length of time. It wasn't until the screen hinge fell apart that I consented to giving up my computer. I called Alienware and was pleased when it was arranged that FedEx was coming by to pick my computer up the next day. This was February 19th. Two and a half weeks after it was received, I was still waiting for replacement parts to be shipped in to the repair facility.

It was a month before my computer was returned to me. When I got it back, I was delighted to see that the hinge was fixed and the computer looked as good as new. The problems didn't begin until I turned it on, when they became immediately apparent. My computer required ten minutes to boot up the first time, the regular boot time was two minutes. As soon as it had booted up, the volume controls were still firing up and down rapidly. The c and b keys were still demonically pressing themselves at the same rate. Six minutes into my investigation, the m15x shut down without warning.

Not to be deterred, I started the machine up again. This time I got eleven minutes out of it before the unexpected shutdown, and the start-up time was just as long. The keyboard and volume control problems remained. The shutdown and long boot-time were not problems I had experienced before I initially sent my computer in. I called Roswell and they told me that all the possibly faulty parts had been replaced when I sent it in. I guess no actual diagnostics work had been performed in the month that it spent at the repair facility, in spite of the checklist note I received with my computer which indicated that technicians had thoroughly evaluated my computer before sending it back.

So the computer went back. The representative I spoke to promised that email updates would be provided to me once my issues had been resolved. My understanding from the telephone conversation was that the problem would take about a week to correct. My computer arrived at the facility on April 1st.

A month later, my patience is wearing thin. I have had no email updates since April 1st. I finally phoned Alienware today, and the rep informed me that my portal does not indicate that any changes have been made to my computer's repair status since the 1st of April. He is unable to verify this information since the repair facility is closed on weekends. He promised to phone me back on Monday as soon as he finds out more.

I have been without a computer for over two months now. My finals have come and gone. This was not the kind of service I expected with a three thousand dollar computer. To make matters worse, my warranty ends in a few months.

I think I can empathize with anyone here who has had difficulties. I would appreciate anyone's thoughts with regard to my experiences.

 

Like I said, when things go bad with Alienware's CS, they really go bad. When you start digging, you will hear hundereds of cases like ours. Having purchased dozens and dozens of computers for my employees, I have never run into a company policy like Alienware's.

There phone support is very helpful and the tech's on the phone seem to truly understand why we are upset, but they tell us their hands are tied with the companies policy. Not a good response.

If you do a search for computer lemon etc you will find a lawyer that will probably take your case. In most states, for breach of warranty cases, your lawyer can go after them for triple damages PLUS attorney's fees. I told the one I spoke with he can keep everything but my investment to keep him eager. Everyone I spoke with at AW said they ultimately report to Dell. You could also try to climb the corp ladder their to see if they could inflict pressure.

Mine is due in on Wed. I hope it works as intended.

 

ive just ordered the new M17x beast for about 4k
however when ive tried to contact them about getting my name on the engraved name plate they told me i cannot have it !?? i asked for it 2 days after i ordered this system and its now only gone into phase 2 of production.

am also pissed that alienware free tech support number (0800) is now (o845 something) and them i put through to the indian idiots.

ive also tried to order a alien respawn kit from dell and after 30 mins of being put through loads approx 40 indians I GAVE UP but i really want the cd.

i am pissed that dell has taken alienwares best things and turned it into theirs.

i dont suppose you guys can help ?
i really want this laptop but i might just ring them up and say FU.

also to add,
when i rang alienware (0800) for information on my laptop they asked for my customer number and when i gave it they said "thats not our customer number"
so after fighting for 30 mins on the phone they said "its a dell customer number and i have to ring them"
ARE THEY F***ING KIDDING ME, THE SUPPORT TO A BUNCH OF FOREIGN INBREDS!!!

do you guys have any advice appart from canceling the order ??

 

snadams battlesunn I believe it. I lived it and am still living it. Broken Mic, 110C Gpu Idle, 96C CPu, Broken hinge (4 times), A square centimeter of dead pixels, unresponsive volume, touch buttons, track pad, random bluescreens, broken bluetooth card causing bluescreens, sleep function inoperable, Random hard drive corruption. Check my sig for my thread. I just spoke with a Dell rep after I reported them to the BBB. It seams that they are going to "chat" with alienware. When I get mine fix, keep watching my thread, I will let you guys know what I did. Good luck.

Your right. When it's good it's good. When it's bad it's horrible.

Like heroin.

Sometimes it takes a bad experience to get new members on noebookreview.com Most people don't know how useful these forums are. I wish I was a member a long time ago. I have had a lot of help the few weeks I've been a member.

 

I know I had problem with my frist Alienware M51 5550i. I sent it back 5 times due to overheating. Frist time I seid it was the motherboard.

1 time Heatsink and GPU
2 Heatsink
3 Heatsink
4 Heatsink
5 Motherboard
6 Sleep mode issue Wireless Modem or Direct connect internet disconnected
7 Sleep mode issue Wireless Modem or Direct connect Internet disconnected

Refund

Now my M17x

1 Keyboard lighting went out the frist day sent it in after a few months of troubleshooting
2 Sleep mode Issue Apci Error System shut off
3 Part of the keyboard lighting only show Yellow White or Blue. Other colors would not work.
4 Still waiting for laptop after a Month. Motherboard on Back order.

I sent my laptop on May 13 2009 I had oh they sent it to the wrong area. Called 2 weeks later on a update this was on a Friday May 22. Call back Monday then next friday then Monday and another friday.

Oh get this one When I talk to the guy today to get a update Motherboard on backorder. I ask to talk to a superviser he seid they will say tell me the same thing. He tried going they will not help. I told him shut up and get me the superviser. After 5 Mins he was like ok I get the superviser. Finaly got the superviser and he looking in the issue.

I am tired and Need a working computer. Before going into Tech school.

 

I like Dell support. They replaced my system 3 times.

 

Dont forget to mention it also set on fire due to extreme heat

Yup aw support fails
/facepalm

 

while dell's support can suck (indians and wait times) it can also kick now instead of 3 years you can get an alienware with 4 years of coverage I would have liked this option not to mention the complete care in case of accidents and they can even come to your home for repairs something I loved when I owned dells. For the record my warranty is extended to three years just in case even though I now have another alienware (gonna need to extend that coverage to perhaps) and two voodoos on the way plus an old dell still around I don't want to lose these alienwares to need of repair or support.

 

Thank you my friend. lol what would I do without you. yes Alienware support fails, like my fans.

Don't forget they claimed it never caught on fire and then put tape around the part that did. :rolleyes2:

Then got pissed that I took pictures of it.

 

Lol haha, it really is terrible, although it would be really nice if they do pick up to be honest, they are great machines but without the support to back them up then its quite pointless.

 

I've had no problems with their CS but then again I've had my M17 for about 5 days now. Hopefuly I won't need to have any dealings with CS, but if I do I hope it's a good experience.

 

Wow, you are setting yourself up for a horrible experience. Any issue you may run into minor or major will set you off because you will think back to the ordering process. My advice is to actually cancel the order and order something else or wait a month or so to reorder. In a month the ordering system should be cleaned up more and hopefully you'll have an easier time of it.

 

Alienware support basically consists of friendly people who can read off of a cue card and print FedEx labels. Don't set your expectations much higher than that or you'll be disappointed.

 

I feel bad for those that have had a bad experience with A.W. support.

I have been fortunate with my Alienware products and all of my customer support experiences have been top notch.

They have spent time helping me with third party hardware I've installed on their laptops.

I've had both good and bad customer support from various companies over the years and I can honestly say, Alienware customer service has always exceeded my expectations.

 

It's the same old story. Over and over again.

HP, Acer, Dell etc.. has certain unhappy clients. They canno't make all happy. Lappies for the normal man in the street.

Thing is, Alienware is premium technology at a premium price.
Quality service backup is part of the deal surely when you buy an Alienware??

It's like buying a Ferrari (Alienware) and a normal (Toyota??).

If the Ferrari breaks, Montalleno want's to know why. That is what Alienware should be like.

If the Toyota breaks, no one gives a hoot. Normal car. (No offence to Toyota....much more reliable than most out there..)

Alienware needs to brush up on all areas. Otherwise, another dedicated manufacturer is going to kick your butt.

 

Anyone else find it funny that the AW staff voted in the poll?

 

I've had good and bad experiences with Alienware. Among my bad experiences: when my m7700 was out of warranty I wanted to get a second battery for it. I called Alienware up, and they /were not/ willing to sell me a battery. At all. They were completely not interested in making the sale or supporting my laptop. Alienware's official response was that I should go to sites like www.laptopking.com to get a replacement (and at a high, high mark up). I was... kinda miffed, especially after the laptop cost near $5K at the time.

I really felt like the company just didn't care. :|

Eventually I found www.rjtech.com, and I may sound like a shill, but they were completely willing to support my laptop in every way possible, and at a fair price. I <3 them.

My m9750 didn't ship with screws for the second drive bay (which was kind of sad, really). However, I sent Alienware an e-mail and they sent replacement screws via FedEx 2nd Day Air for zero charge, so that was a perk and a good experience.

I've had really mixed experiences with them.

 

Although your Ferrari analogy sounds good on the surface, it's really not an appropriate analogy.

1. The Alienware doesn't cost 10 times as much as other gaming notebooks.

2. We're talking about electronics whose lifecycle is very brief vs forever barring a crash in the Ferrari.

3. The warranty is pretty standard in the gaming laptop market.

4. Premium price? If you want the most powerful and the newest technology you have to pay for it. Alienware also has to pay more money for these things.

You pay a "premium" price if you want a new SSD too. Should you expect more warranty and customer support just because it cost you a lot of money?

 

I think he made an excellent point. Although I would have use Lexus instead of Ferrari.

Keep in mind we're talking about a lot of money for a computer, people should expect quality throughout.

In that case, you should expect a higher level of quality--which you get.

 

Y'know, there's a subtle, very hilarious truth to this analogy which I'm sure the average person might overlook.

Ferraris have TERRIBLE MPG, but have raw performance. Toyotas have excellent MPG ratings, though are mid-range cars aimed for the average person.

Replace "Ferrari" with "Alienware" and "MPG" for "Battery Life". Heh! While I don't think TeeJay44 intended it, his comparison was a little more accurate than it really should have been.

 

You pay more for newer more expensive parts.

It's just that simple.

Here's an analogy: My wifes car cost $20,000 from the dealer. My car cost $35,000 from the same dealer. We both get the exact same warranty and the exact same level of customer support. I don't get a better warranty or better customer support just because I chose a higher end car with more expensive parts.

 

I'm debating whether the extra $300 and $400 for the 2 or 3 year CC warranty is worth it for the M17X. My current Dell has lasted almost 3 years with no issues or accidents. Still, when you're spending $3.5k, it just FEELS like you need it.

 

Ya never know if something is going to fry. A hundred bucks a year is like insurance.

I also have a seperate global insurance policy through Safeware. Covers evrything from liquid spills to theft and gives me replacement cost.

 

I'd also like to point out that I've seen $300 bottom-of-the-line eMachines last near a decade and still hold together and $10K PowerEdge and HP ProLiant servers have issues in 6 months. While the high end servers rarely go down... everything fails eventually, and it's always best to be safer than sorry.

=)

 

Im at a BP in the middle of Iraq. When my Blu Ray went down I had a new one in 3 weeks!!!! Not too bad!!!!

 

If you plan on having the computer for a long time, then I would say it is worth it. Keep in mind that each problem will set you back at least 2-3 weeks of downtime, if not more, so although the protection is there you could still end up being without the computer quite a bit if you encounter more than 1 or 2 issues. The downtime adds up quickly.

What I have learned from my most recent purchase with Alienware is that I am not going to spend 4k on a laptop again with everything pimped out to the max hoping it will last me 3-4 years. It's just not worth the hassle when things start breaking after a couple of years. Instead, I'll plan to upgrade every 1.5-2 years with more modest yet recognizable performance gains using the newer technology. For instance, I bought my m9750 about two years ago and I can easily double my performance by spending just over 2k rather than 4k. A little less horsepower with more frequent upgrading is worth considering.

 

For those of you that know my story, yes it is a joke. Yesterday, The guy handling my case told me, I dare you sue me. I told him, "you lied on me to the BBB and I have proof. I will sue you personally for slander." Read this email from Dell. She said that it a appears that the notebook was dropped. We ALL know that the M15x has a hinge problems.



Hello Mr. R****;
Per our conversation yesterday in reference to your complaint filed with the BBB. I engaged the technical management team for Alienware and escalated to the Executive level. After researching the details associated with your case; Dell Inc. and Alienware have made the decision that a refund or return will not be approved for the following reasons.
• You are outside the warranty period and the technical issues did not occur until after your warranty expired.
Alienware Techs replaced your Bluetooth, Motherboard and Chassis even though the system appeared to have been dropped and your warranty had expired. The Alienware technicians performed thorough testing before returning the system to you and there was no issue with overheating at that time. After the system was returned to you, Mr. Ortiz said you replied to confirm it was working as it should.
In reference to the technical issues you are currently experiencing. Mr. Ortiz has agreed to make an exception to the warranty period again. If you would send the system in for diagnostics, he will determine what is causing the current issues you are having and he agreed to repair as needed.
This is the final offer that will be made. Please be advised that If you are in need service after this technical issue is resolved, there will be fee and there will be no return or refund approved.
Mr. Ortiz assured me that a promise for a full refund was never offered. If you have that in writing, please send to me.
I know this is not the resolution you were seeking, and Dell Inc. is aware you intend to take legal action.
I will reply to the BBB with the same information provided in this email.

Case Manager
Americas Business Operations - Executive Services
Dell Inc.



Their messing with the wrong guy. I walk with Jesus. This will not end good for Dell.