Terrible Alienware service in Asia - What are my options?

Good day everyone,

I just read steviejones133's thread regarding his experience with Dell customer care.
It blew my mind that US and EMEA are a different entity - no wonder the famous great Dell Service I have heard of seemed sketchy to me.

If anyone could give me feedback on what steps to take, that would be a really big help.


Here's the story:

Back in March 2013, I was visiting Singapore and bought an Alienware M14x R2 (there is no Alienware being sold in the Philippines - where I am from). Upon buying however, I made sure to ask about the warranty. I was told it would be repaired/serviced/replaced at my place of residence. I was intrigued by this - I asked, "even if there is no Alienware in the Philippines?", to which the sales representative yes. It was actually what pulled me into buying an Alienware in the first place. I was just strolling along the mall, not even thinking of buying a laptop. A very stupid and impulsive decision by me. I was informed that upon purchasing, I had 2 years international warranty and 1 year accidental warranty coverage. That seemed like an awesome deal.

Over the course of 2 months, my unit has been repaired a whopping 8 times! The problem first started with a busted sub-woofer a week after purchase (I had already gone back to the Philippines then). I didn't mind it at first since the sound distortion only occurred during high bass/treble moments. That changed when I started to play games - Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, etc, were annoying to play due to the weird sound. I decided to call Alienware; talked to TechSupport and reported the problem. The very next day, a technician came! I thought to myself, "Service is terrific as I was told!"

The technician replaced the speakers, but it did not resolve the problem. Apparently it was the subwoofer that was broken. So he came again a few days later to replace the sub-woofer. That was technician visit #2. After he left, the ALIENWARE lights in front of the screen refuses to light up. I called it in again and they sent another technician to replace the whole LCD panel. Sloppy work, I saw broken clips from the chassis and the LCD does not extend all the way back. That was visit #3. Upon checking the laptop, the technician and I noticed the wifi indicator was not working. Another problem! A few days later they sent another technician to replace the wifi indicator (visit #4). Apparently that was not the problem because it still refused to light up! He finally told me the motherboard needs to be replaced.

After a week or so, Dell sent a technician to replace the motherboard (visit #5). Upon replacement, a lot of new problems have showed up - Video hardware error shown in the Security Center. Super lag when playing games, it was like a slideshow at 8FPS in Diablo 3! Overheating at every menial task - even when just opening Chrome. The sub-woofer got busted again a few days after as well, and they had to make a separate report for that. A few days later, another technician came to replace the sub-woofer (visit #6). Exactly 1 day after that, it was the weekend, and I open my laptop to see BSOD. It said Recovery, Windows needs to be repaired. I called customer service again to report the problem. I kindly requested for a new unit - I told them my unit is 2 months old and it has been getting more and more problems after they replace some parts. The customer support told me they will repair it one more time and if it still doesn't work, they will replace the unit! I politely agreed.

Technician came to my house (visit #7) with a new motherboard, CPU fan, heatsink, HDD, Windows 8 with license. LOL! They really wanted to fix my laptop! Upon replacing all the parts, the technician could not install Windows 8! The license key was not accepted by the installer. DELL DUN GOOFED! The license is embedded into the motherboard, but they replaced my motherboard with a new one - making the license the technician brought useless. It was getting late and the technician still had to go to another service so we agreed to continue the very next day.

Next day came (visit #8), he still could not remedy the problems of my laptop. The technician also ran diagnostics and found out that my subwoofer is busted again. Aside from that, the LED lights of my unit is not working properly. I finally called customer service while the technician was still at my house and I told them I would like to get a replacement. I politely informed them that I have spent more time calling customer service, troubleshooting, and accommodating technicians than actually using the laptop! I have cleared my schedule 8x, skipped work, lost my data, etc. All throughout the course of the 8 repairs, I have been very patient with them. I never got upset, I never disrespected anyone, never even talked loudly over the phone.

In the 2.5 months I have owned the laptop, it has been

1. Opened up more than 10x
2. Replaced the ff parts:

2x Motherboard
2x CPU fan
2x Heatsink
2x Subwoofer
1x LCD Panel
1x Wifi Indicator
1x HDD
1x Speakers


Later that day, a customer service representative called me to say that I was granted a replacement unit. There's a catch though - I need to bring the unit back to Singapore and stay there for more than 2 weeks! I told them that would end up costing me more than what I paid for the M14x r2. And, I was informed that they cannot repair my m14 if I am to seek a replacement unit. I told them that was absolutely ridiculous. First of all, the sales rep lied to me when he told me I would have my unit replaced at my home if ever the need arises. Second, the waiting for 2 weeks in Singapore is a waste of time and money. Third, they refuse to repair my laptop - meaning I won't have anything to use for more than a month! They can't seriously expect me to book right away - I have to schedule a trip and everything. I told them I would think about it.

the next day, I called again. I got a bit upset over the phone because they didn't seem to know how to respond. All they kept saying was, "I understand." They have no modicum of discretion for simple decisions and they refuse to let me talk to the manager. I made sure to always speak politely and with manners. He told me he could try his best to help me with my situation - and after a long hold on the phone, he came back to tell me that I wouldn't have to wait 2 weeks in Singapore for a replacement unit. They would have it ready by the time I go there (they should have thought of that in the very first place!!). I told them fine, I would accept whatever the conditions are just to get a replacement unit, but still I insisted to talk to the manager to voice out my displeasure. He still refused and told me to voice out my concerns through email.

They were supposed to send me an email regarding the quotation of the unit replacement. Anyway I emailed the guy 3x and he never responded back. I called customer service after a few days to ask what's up. Another representative was on the phone and told me the person I talked to a few days ago is not available at the moment. I explain everything again and I was promised that my quotation would be expedited (it usually takes 3 days she said). I again asked for the manager and she still refused, saying that their manager is a very busy person.. Okay.

I also asked the lady I was talking to to give me a quick check regarding my warranty status. She said I have 1 year warranty. I bought it with 2 years warranty and 1 year accidental warranty. How could that have been changed? I remember even going back to DELL Headquarters in Funan Mall, Singapore to assure that my warranty is 2yrs w/ 1 yr accidental warranty and they told me it was taken care of. She could not provide a response, just told me to wait for the email.

After 3 days, I called up again asking how come I never received any email (still havent up to this point!). And the customer service rep I talked to is not responding to my emails.. the guy on the phone told me that that person is relocated for a week for something and that I should email him so he can follow up with that guy. I did! It's been 3 days and I have not received a single reply from them. It has been 1 week since I was promised an 'expedited' quotation email. Not a word or update from their part. Worst service I have ever received over the course of my entire life.

So, what could I do?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


P.S.
I don't know if I'm stupid, but I still bought an Alienware 18. This time from Hong Kong.
That's how much I like this brand, and I am truly hoping that my experience with my M14x R2 will be a thing of the past.

 

Its true, AW is like an addiction, once hooked its almost impossible to leave. Sadly its also true, dell/AW is lacking at best outside US. I cannot explain how many times I have felt like throwing my phone at the wall after spending few minutes talking to tech support, and fujitsu/unisys techs (in Aus fujitsu/unisys techs do repairs for dell/AW) share the same view.

Unfortunately your situation is very bad, since there is no AW in Philippines, dell/AW won't ship the replacement laptop there and you will have to get it replaced in Singapore itself, just because AW don't sell AW laptops in Philippines and as such will not be able to order one for Philippines.

 

All the reps aren't bad, It's just a matter of finding the right ones. If I like a rep, I'll ask them for their details. - Just a friendly tip.

 

The thing is, I have already accepted their conditions. I already informed them that I am willing to go to SG, I am just waiting for their email to confirm the specs of the laptop and warranty. It's been more than a week now and I still have not received any email from them, despite being told that it would normally take 3 days (should be even faster for me since I was told they would expedite the request for me).

I finally found someone who would buy my M14x R2, after I get the replacement of course. Still, the whole ordeal makes me upset every time I think about how they handled the situation. The customer service can't explain to me why the sales rep lied to me in the first place. They can't explain why my warranty is missing a year according to their records. They can't explain to me the whole process and step by step procedure to get a replacement (they insist that I wait for their email). They can't even explain how they messed up bringing a windows 8 license that isn't accepted by the installer. YET they cannot let me speak to the manager? If they obviously can't explain things to me, shouldn't they hand me over to level 2 tech support at least?

They left me out to dry - they won't even repair my computer! Company policy, they say. . I paid this unit in full. NO installment or promo or anything, and yet they can't give me the service that I have a right to.

I have really been lenient with them. One engineer who goes to my house (I have met 4 engineers) admitted to me that I am among the nicest customers he's ever had. I feed them, give them drinks, call them up for directions so they won't get lost going to my house, make small talk with them, even offered to give a tip (they dont accept though). It frustrates me to think that I have probably been nicer to their engineers than Dell to me. I am cool with the engineers though. They understand what I'm going through, and some even gave me tips how to appeal.


@deepdarkness - I've talked to 5 different reps, and 2 of them are obviously more accommodating than the other 3. I have indeed asked for their names... but even they haven't replied to my emails.

 

You can try out the DellCares escalation. If that doesn't work, you can try social media escalation (Twitter/Facebook contact). And if THAT doesn't work, you can always try the Executive Resolution Team.

 

It's probably not politically correct for me to pass too much comment here, given I have my own 'Dell Trauma' going on right now that a lot of you will be aware of. Suffice to say that I totally understand the frustration and can empathise 100% with the OP.

I've messaged jourdy with a couple of email addresses that should get him to the escalations team. As mentioned, the other avenues are worthwhile exploring too....@DellCares, @AlienwareTech etc etc....

My personal advice would be NOT to give up, don't lose heart no matter what. Keep pluggin' away and making a noise. No one likes a 'noisy customer' - especially when it appears in such a public Alienware forum as this. I am sure that there must be some people who read these kind of threads and then think twice.....that's not me advocating moaning at every little thing, but when it has got to this kind of level for the OP, action needs to be taken and he needs to be heard (and addressed properly) by Dell.....EMEA or otherwise, he is STILL a Dell customer at the end of the day.

Good luck, jourdy - if you need ANY help or advice, you can PM me anytime....

 

Thank you for your help Stevie!


GOOD NEWS UPDATE:

I just received an email from Dell.
The replacement unit that they quoted for me is the brand new Alienware 14 model!




Awesome! Lots of free software to boot might I add!
Now what do I do with this... since I already ordered an Alienware 18 with 780m SLI...

Now my only problem is going back to Singapore, but at least it's not so bad now that they're going to replace my unit with a new model!
Very happy at the moment, hoping there's no catch.

Will have to email back a reply and arrange a schedule and ask what happens to my upgraded RAM and 2 yr warranty.

 

WOOT!!! - Great result, jourdy!! - I'm so happy for you that Dell actually came through and did so quickly. A new Alienware 14 is truly an excellent result for you, well done. Persistence pays off in the long run. I must also give Dell credit where credit is due, in terms of a speedy resolution which is spot on. Well done Dell. That's how it is supposed to be done!!

As for what you do with it, well, it's nice to have that option. Keep both would be my initial thought, but if you wanted to keep one, I'd keep the 18 and sell the 14. Of course, that's up to you at the end of the day.

Regarding the upgraded memory - did you keep the stock Dell ram? - if so, simply put it back in. If you didn't, you might want to see if you can buy some Dell ram to return it. Dell will more than likely want the machine back with original specification, but I doubt that they will kick up much fuss about a couple of ram modules. Maybe the best approach is to be honest and ask them what happens if you remove the ram you upgraded before sending back.

For warranty, the new machine is likely to effectively 'take over' the remaining balance of your warranty, as it was a replacement under that warranty.

 

That's an excellent machine! I'm glad they came through for you. 1080p screen, Killer Wifi... They really took care of you.

 

I had similar experience in past (laptop bought in china and then brought to Australia) with service tag showing wrong info. I requested original invoice to be generated and then dell reps were able to pull out original info regarding warranty and parts.

Do not tell dell if you replaced ram with non-dell module as they might blame the ram for failure. After returning old system, I doubt they will care much about it.

And yes that is decent specs for replacement laptop.

 

Thank you, stevie, for all your help!

Dell called me up regarding the memory and warranty to clarify with me; they've finally found the reason why the information was different (it passed through a retailer) and have rectified the problem.

To be honest, I never expected to get the new model.
I remember when I called them up weeks ago for the replacement, I asked if I could upgrade to the new model and I will pay off the difference, I was told, "There is no possibility for that to happen."

Fast forward to yesterday and I was informed that they will replace my unit with a newer model.. for free? Of course I am happy.


However, this doesn't change the fact that my overall experience with the M14x R2 has been terrible. 8x repaired in 2 months is borderline junk, if not already. These problems weren't even cause by me, but rather (I assume) from their refurbished parts. And how they left me without a laptop until I get the replacement is still a stupid policy IMO. They refuse to service my laptop since I am getting a replacement (which I am getting more than a month from now). That means I won't have a laptop to use for 2 months.

I am still a bit doubtful. Let's see when I get my hands on the replacement unit. From now to the EDD, a lot of things can still happen.


I am now nonchalant about the whole situation. I am very grateful and happy that Dell will be replacing my laptop with a newer model, but I also get upset when I think about my overall experience with my M14x. I am hoping I don't experience the same with my newly ordered Alienware 18 and this upcoming Alienware 14 replacement.

 

Thanks, jourdy.

Well, it's great that Dell did actually end up resolving your problems with a resolution that exceeded your expectations. That truly is good news. As for the new machines, I guess you just have to take any future issues (I hope there are none) in your stride and deal with them the same way as you dealt with this problem.

 

Saying that steve with the warranty they did change my R3 with a brand new R3 back in December 2011 after they ran out of motherboards to replace my one with a faulty digital out and they gave a new 2 Year warranty from December 2011. So I can only assume the warranty quoted on the new replacement model is what you get.

 

Actually, that happened to me too on one occasion. The machine I have now started afresh with a new warranty. Maybe they refurbish whatever's gone wrong with the returned system but sell it with the balance of the remaining warranty that was sold with the machine. That would make more sense to me, as an outlet machine with longer warranty would attract a better price than one without. Also, as that policy would have already been paid for, it wouldn't cost Dell anything to supply the balance with the tag of said machine.

 

Dells repairs and customer service seems terrible at times, but it seems if the issue is severe you usually end up with a new machine. Thats what i'm starting to gather.

 

Hi guys,

Just a quick update.

I received my new Alienware 14 replacement and am thinking it looks better than my new Alienware 18! Lol. The size is perfect for travel. And the screen is pretty.
There were no problems when I got my replacement unit. However, it made me realize how unorganized Dell (maybe Asia division only) truly is.

When I finally made a trip to Singapore and went to the store I was directed to, the employees there had no idea what I was looking for. It took about 10 minutes or so for them to finally find the A14 unit that was left there by Dell a few weeks prior. It was strange, THEY (the employees) were complaining to ME about how they were not informed about it. They told me they had no idea about the whole situation and were merely asked a favor from. They were telling me about basic business practices and how they should be followed etc etc. Something like that. I was so appalled that I ended up apologizing that they were inconvenienced...

And then I told them I would be leaving the defective unit in their store as per the email guidelines. I even showed them the service reference number and they told me "I have no idea what that is. We are not permitted to do anything about that." I was of course confused about it as well, seeing that I received orders from their tech support and then being denied by the store employees. The store was busy so they left me to handle other customers.

In the end, since they refuse to accept my defective laptop, I ended up leaving it at the home address of a friend in Singapore. The service representative told me via email months ago that this was an option, and the store employee clarified that as well. So I emailed the service reps when I arrived back home in the Philippines that I have left the unit at my friend's place ready for pickup. I gave them the address and contact details via email.

It has been 2 weeks now and they still have not replied to my email or picked up the unit.