My nightmare experience with @DellCare / Dell Complete Care Warranty / EMEA Dell support FULL DETAILS INCLUDED

Hahaha, nah....no fiery Italian blood in me! LOL - my logic is 'Tortoise and the Hare' ....might take me a while, but hopefully I will get there in the end....

I guess you could be right. The layout is quite odd.....I just saw the top figures with VAT and then noticed another total figure further down which was far less.....maybe I mistook that as the total payable if you were placing an order of that ilk.

 

I even included a 'southern flair' for everyone, since we just started the city's big annual festival of all things Cowboy today.

It's not like the cost of the machine should matter. If they were being open and honest about the whole thing, you'd see a much larger discount. I, for one, got a 35% discount on a refurb unit (which had everything you're looking for except for a second or larger SSD, for just below $1800 USD), and I've heard of up to 35% on new R2s as well, in their final days post AW 18 release. If Dell desperately wanted to penny-pinch you, they should've found and 'hidden' the first R2 refurb with 3940xm and a 512gb SSD. But, if this thread proves anything, they're as stupid as they think we are.

Y'all have a good day now.

 

I guess I was just trying to think of reasons why I was so severely downgraded in their pathetic resolution proposal - y'know, trying to put a finger on how they actually got to that specification. I imagine I'll never know how they arrived at the decision after three whole weeks...and then offer it to me, thinking that I would be grateful for the scrapings off their shoes and accept it without question.

Someone at Dell resolutions is living in cloud cuckoo land.....

Y'know.....I keep thinking that had this been a thread started by a US customer, Dell and the AW rep's would have been all over it like a rash, trying to resolve things. Seen it before quite a few times.....that's not sour grapes, it's just the plain and simple truth.

 

Well this is my belief, got no idea if its true or false. Dell senior staff rarely have background in IT. I met one here in aus a while back, he studied law and had zero experience in anything IT, he was working with dell I-care team, which is incidentally the team who approves replacement laptops for Australia.

He told me they were having issue with dell replacement quotes and have started a new policy, dell I-care team now doesn't do any replacement quotes, they send a price and old quote to tech team and they prepare new quote, if customer wants any changes, quote gets sent back to tech team again.

Looks like dell uk, doesn't do that, just bunch of non it guys making decisions without actually comparing tech specs.

 

Not sure how they do things for the UK - it's just blatantly obvious they don't do whatever they are doing correctly!

 

The specs they offered you sounded like they pulled a random piece of paper from a hat.

I'm surprised they didn't offer you a M14x with an i3.....

 

"Due to your warranty issues, we'd like to offer you a replacement computer.

Please accept this 4 year old M11x and return your M18x ASAP."

That would be the best.

 

But you can pretty much guess, steve: during those 3 weeks nothing was done, and your estimate was badly put together the last 3 minutes before you received it. A job well done!

 

Maybe they can provide you an M18x R2 motherboard "kit" (motherboard, I/O board, drive caddy and SATA interposer) and 3920XM or 3960XM, along with a fresh pair of Samsung SSDs in exchange for your parts. As your 680M SLI set up was secured as an upgrade, it belongs to you and you get to keep those parts as long as you wish, I see being offered 675M SLI as a replacement for the original 580M SLI to be reasonable (exactly the same video cards rebranded). However, the CPU downgrade is not reasonable. Being offered ANY QM CPU as a replacement for ANY XM CPU is unacceptable. Someone that would propose that CPU exchange/downgrade lacks an understanding of high performance computers. It is improper to ask a customer to accept any ordinary low-budget entry level QM processor as an exchange for a $1,000 flagship enthusiast Intel Extreme processor.

Unless they have changed their policy, you cannot lose warranty time. Your existing warranty should transfer to the replacement system if that is longer than the warranty period of what they have offered.

 

However, dual 675m wasn't offered. Simply a SINGLE 675m was offered, which is gross as well. ~35% less performance, just because.

 

I am going to assume that was a typo and it should have read 675M SLI, but I don't know why I should considering the CPU downgrade was of a similarly grievous nature. If they really meant (1) 675M they may as well have offered Steve a $1500 configuration of the Alienware 17... in terms of performance, it would be a similarly massive downgrade from his top spec $4000+ M18x R1.

 

Hahaha, you guys crack me up! - It's quite weird how they arrived at that offer. Maybe they had a dartboard in the office with various components on it, instead of 1-20, and they just took turns in throwing darts at it for gpu, cpu etc..

Exactly.

Like you said, Bro - they gimped me on the cpu, so I really don't think the gpu was a mistake either. I actually spoke with my Dell Rep the other day, he could see who put the spec together and he said that this person had absolutely no idea about hardware or what was comparable, yet such a person was allowed to build a specification for me (that took three weeks to do ) that was more an insult than an offer.

Same Dell rep also told me that the R2 is completely dead - EOL - not orderable any longer. Even if it was, there was no Nebula Red left, and the replacement quote clearly states red. (I know that this is not key, but every Alien I have had has been Red as I absolutely love it).

So, going off that, I'm assuming that ANY replacement now would be an 18 - not an R2. Going onto spec's of that 18, I would EXPECT that it be equipped with an XM cpu regardless. That is simply non negotiable from my perspective. Now, here's where it get's interesting......in the UK, you can only get an XM on the top tier configuration. That SSD option is limited to only a 512gb mSata and 750gb HDD. I guess this would be acceptable, but I still dip out on my raided SSD performance. The only way to get raided SSD's, afaik, is the 'Quad-Play' setup - that's not offered in the UK though.

As for gpu, the only options on that top tier are 770m Sli and 780m Sli. Nothing else. The 780m Sli option is an additional £300 over the 770m Sli - Now that price difference is just about as much as it would cost ME to buy another 512gb SSD to return to Raid SSD performance. I think the trade off would be fair to go 780m Sli....but of course, I am slightly biased and maybe see things differently. Also, I feel that 780m Sli would go a long way towards making things right with me as a customer, after this massive nightmare of an experience.

Still, with that said, I have no idea how this will pan out at this stage. All I can say is that I am open to REALISTIC offers from Dell. I'm not one to demand things, I merely mention things in a suggestive manner, backed up with my logic behind such suggestions. I just looked at the poll - I think that the results show a huge level of support here - over 80% of people who voted would find this level of service unacceptable. That's a massive majority, and backs up my case very well, and also kind of intimates that some kind of 'good will' should be afforded by Dell to put things right - heck, we've all seen that these good will gestures do exist as their are many people (recent and past) that are living proof that Dell CAN do the right thing - if they choose to do so. Anyway, thanks to all who took the time to vote, much 'ppreciated!

Oh, and just to update on things as of Today - still no response from @DellCares following my last DM to them which graciously declined that particular offer. No big surprise there then, huh?

 

As you've already got an XM, absolutely you should be getting one to replace it, just like you should be getting SLI. If they come back from the performance angle and tell you that the 4900MQ offers better performance than your existing one (which from what I can tell, it does, at least at stock) then tell them you're losing the functionality of the unlocked multiplier.

No harm in asking for 780s after what you've been through, but I probably wouldn't be too pushy.

Also worth noting that you can ask them to put two SSD drives in. Just because it's not a standard config on the site, it doesn't automatically mean it can't be done their end, especially if they offer it in other regions. They might not be able to accommodate the request, but it doesn't hurt to ask if it's possible.

Definitely. You don't want to give the impression you're trying to take them for a ride and get every last penny out of them. While we all like to get the best deals we can, at the end of the day, we've got to be reasonable about things, as have Dell.

 

For sure - the XM cpu is far more advantageous in that respect that a stock 4900mq. As for other configurations, I am not 100% sure if we in the UK can get a configuration that is not offered in EMEA territory regarding HDD's. If we can't, the way I see the 780m's is a 'compensator' for that fact.

Of course, this is all hypothetical at this point - until someone from Dell actually 'man's up' and actually offers me something remotely comparable to my current machine. We'll just have to play it by ear....and hope it doesn't take ANOTHER three weeks for some schmuck to pull their head out of the sand! LOL.

 

I know as a matter of fact that the 4900MQ is absolutely not a reasonable replacement for a 2920XM/2960XM. You can OC the 2920XM/2960XM to 4.8GHz safely without a huge amount of effort. The 4900MQ cannot get remotely close to that. So, the stock performance theory is a pile of nonsense that smells like something you would find in a septic tank. People that purchase Alienware laptops with Extreme CPU do not give a flying rat about "stock" performance. Had Stevie given a hoot about stock, he would have saved a few bucks on a 2860QM (4900MQ equivalent) and had an "average Joe" Alienware. That 2960XM came with a premium of about $1,000 in extra coin. If they cannot match equivalent or better in quality tier (best current option today for best current back then, like Steve had,) I would ask for an exception from policy based upon their inability to fulfill the warranty and press for a cash refund or full credit (in-house) so I could go buy something else and configure a new machine the way I want it.

 

Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout right there ^^^^

Y'know...the more I think about the gpu side of things, the more I think that the cost difference between the 770m Sli and 780m Sli options is £300 in the UK. Break that down over the 3 weeks I had to wait to get 'approval' on the substandard replacement offered, or even longer if you went from first contact, which is just over 7 weeks now (17th May), and I think that £300 is quite well deserved - it breaks down to £6 per day (or $9 per day for you US guys ) since this fiasco started. I personally think my time is actually worth a LOT more than just $9 per day, so I'd say that it is the least they can do in hindsight.....

That's just my logic though....

 

Brother Steve, maybe would should just start an "Alienware Club" time share resort so all EMEA customers can have a valid US address to get their service and support from our awesome brothers in Costa Rica from now on, and just bypass the EMEA altogether.

It seems like a disproportionate percentage of the real horror stories we hear about involve EMEA. It is seldom that we see or hear anything like this for North American customers. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but it is hard to not notice the difference.

 

Hahaha!!!!! - that's a FANTASTIC idea LOL....I almost fell of my chair reading that. +rep!!:laugh:

 

But Haswell is two generations newer so it's better. OMG this is terribad!

 

Ahahahaha, I'd be up for that!

Despite the ongoing stupidity on the part of Dell EMEA, it's nice that we can still get a few laughs in. Perhaps that goes to show how awesome of a community we have here. I agree with what Mr. Fox said, anything below an XM is not an acceptable replacement. I'm still holding out hope that Dell will come through in the end. Keep standing tall, Stevie!

As far as @DellCares, if I remember correctly, they are based in the US.. so I imagine it'll be Monday before you hear anything back. Lets hope they get things right. :thumbsup:

 

Hmm. Not necessarily so. For example, there is no way on earth that a Haswell 4700mq (or the 'proposed 3630qm Dell offered me) is better than a Sandybridge 2960xm, even though the 4700mq is two generations above the 2960xm. Heck, even at stock clocks, the old XM blows away the newer Intel cpu. Add to that the flexibility and unlocked nature of the XM which means it can run up to something in the region of 4.8ghz, it has a larger cache and supports VT-d also just to name a few things that make it far superior. Even when comparing to the top Haswell MQ, you can see that the old 2960xm is right up there. Sure, the 4900mq has a slightly higher base clock by +100mhz, but it lacks the potential to be cranked up to the maximum. That's why owners of XM cpu's pay the hefty premium for one - they have the ability to be configured to run at much higher clocks than ANY QM cpu will be able to do. Period. Here is a comparison of the four cpu's (2960xm, 3630qm, 4700mq and 4900mq) 'side by side':

Side by Side Comaprison of Intel 2960xm / 3630qm / 4700mq / 4900mq

It is obvious to me, and to the other enthusiasts here on NBR, that the only REAL comparable CPU to my 2960xm (with the exception of the 3940xm which is now not available as the M18x R2 has reached End of Life) would be the 4930mx. I paid handsomely for the extra advantages of the Extreme processor, and I fail to see why I should be robbed of such.

It is indeed good that we can have a laugh, even amidst all of this chaos - if it wasn't for the massive support from you guys - my fellow NBR 'true bloods' - I think I would have gone out my brain quite some time back. Again, thanks for all your support guys, it continues to be very much appreciated.

Anyway's, I woke up to a DM message from @DellCares this morning. Surprise, surprise . Here's what they said to me, following my polite declining of their offer:

Whilst it is encouraging to see that they have at least made the effort to ask me WHY I felt it necessary to reject their pathetic offer, it also is rather disconcerting and disturbing to see such a COMPLETE lack of comprehension as to why I declined said offer in the first place! - I mean, these guys are supposedly there to assist customers like myself through problematic experiences. They are 'supposed' to be the experts, not me - or any other customer for that matter.

Imagine all of those 'lesser informed customers' that have approached Dell EMEA in a similar fashion, hoping for their impartial help....god help them with whatever resolution they would be offered. They'd probably wind up accepting a similarly pathetic offer of replacement due to their lack of knowledge - and Dell would be laughing all the way to the bank!.

I actually find it quite appalling, that at this level of problem resolution or escalation, it seems that NONE of the people who are ACTIVELY involved in arriving at an amicable resolution ACTUALLY see exactly WHY the offered replacement is NOT acceptable!. It's just incredible how they are permitted to hold such positions of power, especially as it involves, on many occasions, systems worth THOUSANDS of Pounds - like mine!. Mind-blowing, truly. It's a FAIL of EPIC proportions!

Anyway's - thought I'd update you guys with the 'latest and greatest' response from Dell.....I haven't replied yet, but I will edit this post once I can actually think of something polite to say to them.........

EDIT: Okay, here was my latest reply to @DellCares latest DM message - wow, it's hard to bite your lip in these circumstances!

So, time for another wait.....at least Andy Murray is in the Wimbledon Final in a bit....Go Andy, Go!!!!

EDIT: Well, who'd have guessed it...Andy Murray WON! - WOOT!!! - first Brit to win Wimbledon in over 70 yrs. Way to go Andy!! (doub't he's reading this, probably necking expensive champers, somewhere costlier to get in to than my M18x. LOL

 

One thing I am disappointed about with all this is that Dell EMEA still don't seem to have learnt how to deal with problems not in the script.

There's a policy for stuff breaking, and there's a policy for "this has gone wrong too many times", but there doesn't seem to be a policy for "these parts are not up to the standard they should be at". Just like there didn't seem to be a policy for "we've had these parts on back order for months and can't get them" a few years ago.

It's a real shame when the reps in the US seem to be very on the ball and know how to deal with the rarer problems.

 

Hey Steve, I wanted to chime in on the lack of knowledge regarding @DellCares as upon your suggestion, I had a nice chat with them last night.

I was asked my issue and explained that currently, when my AC Adapter is unplugged and then plugged back in, the system still thinks it's on battery even though it doesn't lose a charge. Alternatively, when I turn off my laptop with the AC Adapter plugged in and turn it back on, the laptop again acts like it's on battery with everything throttled down, but doesn't lose a charge.

Regardless, when I restart (or turn on the computer) I get a message saying my AC Adapter isn't supported and I need to use one with a higher wattage. @DellCares asked me if the message appears with the battery out and only AC Adapter plugged in. I relayed that it does.

Here's the kicker though and I told DellCares this. All this started happening after the tech on the phone from last week flashed my motherboard BIOS and had me discharge my capacitors from an issue where my video card wasn't being viewed in the BIOS or on Windows and I was riding on the integrated card. So, I remove my battery, and the AC Adapter and hold down the power button for a minute and then plug everything back in. It's then and ONLY then that my laptop works normally.

Now, based on what I said above, wouldn't it make sense to think it's a motherboard issue? AC Adapter works normally after I discharge caps, which is a motherboard troubleshooting technique, and this started happening after the initial flush and the BIOS flash that I was told by the initial Dell tech, would "fix" this issue.

I have other issues as well, specifically the video card issue and it's throttling back, but @DellCares wanted to send me a replacement AC Adapter. I told them it's a motherboard issue, not an AC Adapter issue. Unless I'm missing something, I'm fairly sure I'm correct here.

And I didn't mean to rain on your thread with my problems, but more to the point of how @DellCares isn't as tech savvy as we'd like them to be. Or perhaps it is just a script and they want to prolong fixing my laptop (or replacing it) as long as necessary.

 

I'm not sure if this was addressed, but I am on a cell phone and would rather not read through 33 pages...

Anyway, what specifications did you have when you ordered your Alienware? Obviously, the R1 did not come with the 680M's. I'm not sure what you're expecting to get, but they aren't going to throw a brand new 18 with 780M's at you because of this, right? If you expected a brand new 18 with 4930MX and dual 780M's, you may have expected a bit too much.

---

Edit: Basically, SSD's are not performing as they should. Did you try changing the SATA cable? You mentioned technician visits, but I didn't see anything about replacement parts except SSD's. Did you try HDD's in place of the SSD's? While the service you received was not ideal, this issue must be solvable without replacing the entire system.

 

All of that is currently in the thread. I definitely wouldn't do it on a stinking cell phone, LOL... but I think you would be glad with yourself if you take time to read the thread. At least read Steve's posts and skip over the rest.

Original 580M SLI should be replaced with 770M SLI for equivalent performance. Steve owns his 680M cards outright, so he could either sell them or use them to upgrade a new system. The 680M is a LOT faster than 770M. He was offered a system with a consumer grade QM CPU and ONE 675M GPU.

The ONLY acceptable CPU as a replacement for a 2960XM (using current tech) is the 4930MX. It has yet to be proven that the 4930MX in an Alienware laptop can actually match the 2960XM, but it is the closest available CPU with current tech. Anything less than replacing Extreme CPU with Extreme CPU is a grossly inferior downgrade and disservice to the customer. End of discussion on the CPU.

 

Brother Dre - I also suggest a good read of the entire thread. Skipping in with random comments is a bit odd. Let me just say (again) that I did NOT request a new machine, so let's not start intimating that I've done this for that reason, eh? - Dell offered a new machine, I accepted. That was their choice to offer me as a resolution. It's not my fault that what they have offered me thus far is extremely inadequate in comparison to my current machine specification. I imagine if you were offered similar, you would also not be happy.

Why is it that when US guys get replacement machines, everyone is patting them on the back saying 'well done, way to go...great spec. nice bumps!!'.....when a EMEA customer, like myself, complains publicly, gets bashed around for 7 weeks, and get's treated like crap, offered a rubbish replacement that THEY are treated like they are gold-digging? - I just don't get it....

Anyway's the ONLY thing up for discussion here now is specification and revision, not repair. As the R1 was EOL a LONG time ago, that's out the window. The R2 is also now EOL, so that's out the window, too. That leaves an Alienware 18, which means the ONLY thing left to settle on is specification.

As Mr. Fox mentions, I was offered a very poor R2, which Dell could not have provided anyway because it is EOL. Even if it had still been available, there is no way on this planet that a 3630qm/single 675m is comparable to my 2960xm/Dual 580m's.

So, if it IS an Alienware 18, my expectations would be to maintain my XM/MX cpu and look at a minimum of 770m Sli - possibly 780m Sli for being treated like a muppet over the last 7 weeks. I think that's fair. Other opinions may vary, of course.

 

I did not imply that you asked for a replacement. I said, "I'm not sure what you're expecting to get..." assuming you want something in return, which is a safe assumption to make. And I said this because I did not read the entire thread.

I'm on a PC now, so, I'll read through it. :thumbsup:

 

Well, of course I want something in return. Your post above seemed to intimate that I am expecting too much or that I do not deserve it. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion, however, it is not my fault that an Alienware 18 seems to be the only option. Not my fault I had an XM before which Dell should replace 'like for like' regardless. Not my fault that 770m Sli is equivalent to my 580m Sli setup. Personally, after all I have been through with this, I do not feel that I am being outrageous for thinking along the lines of 4930mx and 780m Sli.

I'd post a link to a recent thread with a very similar resolution but I have given up on spoon-feeding people with information that is out there....I'm not having a go at you, fella....but this type of resolution is not unheard of, as I've seen some people recently end up with great replacements. US of course. Why should I be any different just because of my location?

Anyway, fella. At least do me the courtesy of reading the entire thread from top to bottom. If you wanna, of course!

 

Of course you deserve compensation for your troubles, I never said nor implied otherwise. And because you purchased an extended warranty, your system should be covered. I've known, for some time now, that Dell services outside the U.S. are horrible. But even that is no excuse for the treatment you have received...such a shame. Since the issues in my post above have already been addressed, there's nothing more for me to say. I wish you the best of luck.

This particular issue is quite strange, though. I haven't seen another thread about it, at least not recently.

 

Like I said, Bro - just have a good read. Maybe you will understand more about it all then. It was Dell's CHOICE to offer a new machine, which I am grateful for. What I am not appreciative of is their offer of said replacement machine specifiaction. The cpu, in my mind, is non-negotiable. It HAS to be an Extreme cpu - as the 18 is the only current equivalent machine, that would automatically mean a 4930mx. Regarding gpu's, there is a £300 UK price difference between 770m and 780m Sli. Small 'chump change' for Dell, but would be a big apology from them to me. End of story.

EDIT: For the sake of it, I decided to post up a recent example of a machine replacement. Guy did GOOD! Congrats to him for getting somewhere. Here it is: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...placement-what-do-resolved-see-post-28-a.html

Now, original specification was M18x R2 / 2860qm / 6990m Crossfire. Dell's resolution? Alienware 18 / 4900mq / 770m Sli.

The guy got a nice bump on the cpu, as a comparable cpu really should have been a 4800mq, going off Intel spec's. See here for comparison:

Compare Intel Processors

He was offered the option to upgrade his warranty and gpu, which he did at his cost. However, the cpu example is yet just another example of the differences in US vs. EMEA treatment. Heck, I had a better cpu than this guy with my 2960xm, yet Dell EMEA offered me a 3630qm for god's sake.....

 

It's not a hardware issue. It's a known issue with TRIM and RAID when using a 6-series chipset. TRIM isn't supported when using the drives in a RAID config, which means the performance of any SSD degrades fairly quickly.

 

I just edited my last post to include an example of a recent replacement machine. I love to spoon-feed LOL

 

I would have demanded a full refund, right then and there.

Ah, I see. That makes sense. But is Dell/Alienware liable for such an issue? In my opinion: yes, sort of. This may be why they told him it was Intel's problem. In other words, you're SOL. Even so, the services received were unacceptable.

 

And in doing so, I would have shot myself in the foot, quite simply because my full refund amount would not cover the full cost of a 'like for like' replacement from Dell. (not going into details of how much I paid, suffice to say that it was a good discount that more than likely would not be repeatable if I chose to reorder). That's what warranty is for, Bro. Unless you like paying for something that you are actually entitled to. One of the main reasons I took four years of it.

Just like the example I listed a few posts back, it's not my fault, nor the fault of that guy that I/we had older machines, in the M18x R1, that by Dell's own procedures it means that older machines get replaced with the 'like for like' from what is currently available. That is the luck of the draw, I guess and one reason that Dell warranty rocks - when it works fairly.

In 4 years, a LOT can go wrong - I felt it was good insurance, as if something did, it may lead to a new machine. That's not me taking Dell for a ride, that's just me playing the odd's....I paid for warranty, so it should work, right?

 

I'd say yes and no. No, they're not responsible for the chip set issue, but yes, in that they should have known about the issue and not offered RAID'ed SSDs until Intel supported it. Stevie paid them for RAID performance they couldn't deliver (at least over time). So in offering a service they knew they couldn't provide, I'd say Dell/Alienware is at fault, but I guess arguments could be made otherwise.

 

It doesn't really matter who exactly is at fault, because under UK law the retailer is the one responsible for selling goods that work as advertised. If Dell takes the problem up with Intel separately because it's actually Intel's fault, then it's none of our business.

Regardless of who is originally responsible for this issue, the contract is between stevie and Dell, and so it's Dell's responsibility to him to put that right. Let's not confuse the issue.

 

I might be missing something here, but the short version of the story is the chipset not providing SSD RAID0 TRIM support is an irrelevant distraction. Steve's SSD drives are defective/failing and do not work as advertised even in AHCI mode, under which TRIM support does work. It was EMEA that presented lack of RAID0 TRIM support as their initial excuse for refusing to replace them with equal or better SSD.

Is that correct, Brother Steve?

I just don't want to see the thread get off in left field (again) and confuse matters with distractions from what is the core issue. A bunch of us have had SSD RAID0 since before Intel provided TRIM support for it and you can get by just fine without it. It is not necessary. It is a nice feature. Garbage Collection and wiping the drives restores full operational speeds without TRIM. Steve's SSDs are the only ones we have seen that are failing. He had a really simple need for NDB delivery of replacement SSD drives of equal or better quality/performance under the terms of his warranty.

 

Well, Brother Fox, Dell EMEA actually never gave me a reason. They did foot around the issue of TRIM, blaming the performance degradation on the lack of it, which we now all know is lacking on the HM67 chipset. Their intended/proposed solution was for me to take the drives out of the array, optimize using TRIM in AHCI for each drive individually, and then rebuild a raid membership, if desired. As I explained to them, I had already tried doing that with no avail. They said for me to run them individually but they did not comprehend that performance was not there either. They never got around to touching on firmware being an issue with me - they had fobbed me off pretty quickly and would not let me talk to anyone superior about it. So, saying all that, it could be one, the other or a combination of the two factors. Either way, it blows for the cash dropped on them.

 

Yup... that's the core issue... failing drives... not HM67 RAID0 TRIM support. Thanks for clarifying that.

It is possible that something like a simple firmware update would fix them right up, but it seems they are not going to provide any firmware updates. But, that is a discussion for a totally different thread and doesn't have any bearing to this scenario.

 

I guess whatever the reason for the degredation is, it is rather a moot point now. Dell offered to replace my machine with a new one. I guess in their mind, it would then address two possible reasons for failure, TRIM and the drives themsleves, as ANY new machine would have new drive's and a chipset that does support TRIM for raided SSD's. I liken Dell's approach in offering me a new machine to the many tech visits we see where the tech replaces the mobo as a pretty standardised thing to do, wether required or not, simply to eradicate that as a possibility of the problem. Replace the whole machine (would automatically mean TRIM support as R2 or above) and the drives (new drives, no faults) = problem solved. Hopefully.

They just need to come up with a comparable spec. and stop insulting my intelligence!

 

I agree with you.

It doesn't need to be this hard, but I bet they will eventually make it right. It's Dell/Alienware, so we have every reason to maintain optimism in spite of frustration.

 

Just a quick update....erm, rather no update! - Since my last DM and reply from DC on 7th July, again it's been a good 48 hours and no response from them. I kinda put the ball back into their court - in 'Andy Murray' style - by asking them if needed me to elaborate on why their proposed resolution was not, in my eyes, appropriate. I was not going to reply with what I think is comparable....I'm not gonna do their job for them. Let them work out what is comparable, come back to me with it and then I will tell them if it IS comparable.

Obviously, they are having a hard time working out what is comparable with what isn't.

Anyway's, that's all I have really to update you guys with. Not much, but I do like to keep you informed.

 

I would honestly try to call and get somewhere with someone. This back and forth with DellCares sounds like they're only connected at an arms length.

I'd call someone and explain to them in the ways that this spec is uncomparable, and ask them to build you a new replacement.

 

Oh wow! I am set for a replacement myself. Hopefully, I do not run into this problem. I do not believe Dell is building my particular rig anymore, and nor is it available (and has not been) at the outlet store. I should be receiving another R4 with 3D, but I don't see how that's possible. The only option is the Alienware 17 with 3D.

If I was in your shoes, I would decline that build and contact someone else in escalations (even email Mr. Dell himself if possible). I'd keep calling 10 times a day until I get someone that has some sense

 

I hope you get your issues resolved, Brother tayer. As for being in my shoes, and having an option to decline said replacement offer that was made by Dell, it seems that Dell have actually gone ahead and made that choice for me. I did decline their proposed replacement, as it was far inferior to my current specification, as detailed around pages 26-28 on this thread. I think most people could see that it was grossly inferior, yet Dell offered it anyway. Obviously, I politely declined that particular offer, thinking that they would actually realise just how incomparable it actually was.

Well, I got a DM from @DellCares this morning, which literally blew my socks off - in a VERY bad way.

Basically, they have turned around and told me that they will NOT be making any further offer of replacement, they have also withdrawn the pathetic offer of the poorly spec'd M18x R2 they sent me, and they have reverted back to the very first offer of just replacing my drives with a single 512gb SSD which they STILL will have no control over what it would be, meaning I am completely back at where I started from !!!

This, and I quote, was their reply and reason for their change of heart in resolving my issues:

So, because Dell sent me YET ANOTHER dud machine, and I chose to accept a further replacement instead of a refund (for ease to process) to get this current machine, they have now seen fit that I am not entitled to another replacement!!. Absolutely unbelievable!!!!

I have not replied to them as I really am past it right now. I think they (Dell) have finally pushed me to the very limit of what I can take. They make me an offer of replacement, offer a poor replacement, then turn around and withdraw the offer because they sent me a lemon which I elected to have replaced as opposed to another refund!!!

Guys, I will give you a brief history of what actually went down and how I ended up with this machine - I fail to see how or why I ended up with the machine I have should have ANY bearing or impact on how I get treated now or in the future in relation to problems that arise on my current machine. I really am appalled with this level of service. Here's my timeline of "Dell Hell" which goes back to August 2011:

Okay, so the machine I had in my possession around July 2011 had major issues - I battled with Dell to get that resolved, and in the end, they would not do anything regarding the machine, they ended up offering me a full refund of £2,918.50 - which I took, because they were not willing to provide me with a replacement machine. That refund was processed on 26th August 2011 and after I received the full amount back, I placed a new order for a new machine - totally separate to ANY replacements - on 9th September 2011.

That machine turned up shortly after, maybe end of September 2011, by the time it had been built, and I had BOUGHT 2960xm/6990m Crossfire WITH MY REFUND MONEY - when the machine arrived, it suffered from the 'cold boot bug' whereby the 6990m's would overheat. Many of you may be aware of that particular issue. So, I contacted Dell again, told them of the issue, Dell EMEA again would not do anything about it - no offer of replacing my gpu's or anything, so I reached out to Brother Bill here on NBR and he managed to escalate my case so that I received a replacement machine with the same spec as my purchase - the only difference being that it now had 580m Sli to eradicate the 6990m cold boot problem. I even offered to take part in a test that Dell wanted to conduct, whereby owners would send in their faulty 6990m machines to Dell for scrutiny - I was ruled out of that because of my location - it was US customers only.

Anyway, Bill managed to escalate my 6990m case and I thought "GREAT" - problem solved, no more troublesome 6990m's as Bill had managed to get what all the US customers were getting as a resolution - Sli'd 580m's. Of course, I was happy to accept a replacement as opposed to another refund to speed things up. Dell agreed, and my replacement order was processed in due course.

That replacement arrived, and unfortunately for me, it also had some major flaws - so I went back to Dell (yet again) within days of receiving this second replacement. They agreed yet another replacement but this time, they offered me an upgrade in the HDD department to 'compensate' me for this rather horrendous experience.

That pretty much brings me up to date with the machine I have now. In a short space of time since around the end of July 2011, I had one refund, which I then went on to buy new with, that was greeted by another faulty machine, replaced with a 580m machine which again was faulty, replaced AGAIN with a HDD bump and that brings me to the current machine I own, which had it's 'order confirmation email' through, funnily enough, on my birthday in mid December 2011. That all occurred within a few months......and because of that escapade, Dell will no longer honour what they themselves offered.

So, there you have it - you can see the nightmare that I had to go through to get all of those things resolved, through no fault of my own......Now, in Dell's wisdom, they have elected to shaft me even further, simply because of the problems that THEY created in the first place which led to the machine that I have now......

Words really fail me......I am so disgusted right now that I could REALLY punch something - or someone at Dell - because my frustration levels have now hit an 'all time high'.

Maybe Dell should re-word their warranty to something like this:

"Dear Mr Customer, your machine, which you took out 4 years warranty with at time of purchase, will only have it's warranty honoured on the original machine purchased. If we deem it appropriate to replace your machine during that warranty period, please be aware that should you run into any further problems with a replacement machine, we will no longer honour your warranty and we will do our VERY best to stick it to you the VERY BEST we can - Yours Sincerely, Team Dell - the people who love to care!"

I'm sorry, but this is completely unacceptable. I fail to see why why my machine does not have exactly the same level of warranty as any other machince, just because it was replaced by Dell - because of their gross inadequacies - in the first place.

 

Well..this is a bad turn of affairs. Words fail me right now.

 

You and me both, Bro....you and me both.

It seems that Dell, in their almighty wisdom, choose to NOT help me in the fashion they had proposed (replacement machine, which you would automatically assume should be 'like for like, or better') because I took a replacement instead of a refund/re-purchase on my last machine, which I did to make things easier instead of going down the route of yet another refund and re-order. That whole process takes a LOT longer than a replacement, because you have to return the machine, Dell have to check it over, then issue a refund which takes time to clear and THEN you have to place a new order and wait for it to be built WITHOUT any machine in the meantime - a replacement meant that I kept said machine whilst new machine was built. That's why I elected a replacement, to cut down on the whole procedure of actually getting a working machine.

Now, it appears that because I chose that route, replacement over a refund, I am no longer afforded the same level of warranty service as the next guy who has not had a replacement - I'm now treated entirely differently, which basically means that my warranty is not worth the paper it is written on.

Personally, I find that to be a gross infringement on my warranty rights....I'm left thinking that had my machine just completely died, then I would have had the same treatment of 'Sorry Sir, you had a replacement and therefore are no longer entitled to ANY additional help from Dell". A problem is a problem, and as such, I expect to be treated exactly the same, regardless of wether my machine was a replacement or not.

 

Wow. Basically refusing to further service your warranty because you've had service before. That's crazy, and illegal, since the warranty papers don't say anything about their right to refuse service.

I'd be going up to Exec on that one. Screw the little guys, I'd tell them the whole story, because this is getting crazier and crazier.

1. Issue ignored
2. Downgrade offered
3. Downgrade on the downgrade offered
4. Replacement offered
5. 3 weeks later, a baseline M18x R2 is offered, completely mocking Stevie
6. They withdraw their replacement offer when it's argued.

Yeah... I wouldn't be taking that anymore.

 

Just a curious question. I know you bought the system in the EU, but if for some reason the system had to be covered in the US, would that mean that whomever had the system could file a BBB complaint?

I'm hoping you know where i'm going with this.

 

What a crazy situation. Especially so when we have some of the strongest consumer rights out there in the UK.

This entire situation is just embarrassing for Dell. You're forcing what you've described on your own systems as an "influential" client to jump through hoops, ask overseas departments, and run around like crazy simply to get a level of service and performance he's entitled to.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the warranty terms that state you get a lesser level of service with a brand new replacement machine.