Thanks for trying. I'd like a refund, please.

Sorry to hear that Taco. You were amongst my favourite "I really like my M15x" owners!

Well... this just really proves what we are trying to show everyone here. This is a general problem that will, eventually, end up happening to everyone.
Five cases now... FIVE! How many more till AW retracts all their M15x and does something about it.

Anyway... Taco, can you post some pictures? And... I urge you guys, please, some of you guys put a letter together with all of your pictures and send it to Engadget! PLEASE... It's the right thing to do. AW can't go on selling M15x like this and laugh happily while they go on their marketing strategies of releasing new colours and putting new GPUs inside, without tackling the real problem... the fact that the M15x is just a cheap plastic box.

I really feel for you Taco... and for the rest of you.

Good luck and I hope your experience will inspire more people.

 

ill second what milcs said.
sorry to hear yet another regular added to the faulty hinge list.

if possible can all 5 of you upload your pictures to just one thread for everyone especialy AW to compare. this will just streangthen your case (no pun inteanded).

 

I'm taking care of it as we speak!

 

Still waiting for someone at Alienware who cares to contact me. I PMed all my account info, invoice info to AW-James and AW-Armando.

The fact of the matter is I have lost all respect for their product and customer service at this point. I don't want a replacement system as it will just be another cheap plastic piece of crap with flashy lights.

I wish I had just gone with my instinct when I first got it and returned the damn thing.

 

Because I PMed the AW reps asking why I was being treated differently, my PM abilities have been revoked. If you want to contact me, you'll have to do so on a thread. Thanks!

 

Relax mate, if you are in the right they will give you a refund eventually. Refunds always takes time with every company, just give them time and relax with the forum posting. Nothing will go faster cause you are expressing your frustration on the forum, it will most likely just delay your refund.

Plus, this is an external forum, it is not a forum through which you contact AW. If you want to contact AW call them or mail them.

 

call them? no... certified mail with return receipt mail them...
paper trails is your friend...

 

Yes the paper trail is almighty

 

I don't want to be posting the same thing through multiple threads, but if anyone is interested in the specifics of how the design is flawed and how to check your own m15x, please see my post here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3708815&postcount=41

Thank you.

 

Not surprised really; I was actually wondering when it was gonna happen (it gets weaker day by day). What I did is, I opened the lid to use my laptop like I normally do. Does that void my warranty?

As we all know, the m15x is poorly designed. Here are some pics and you can add me to the list now...

 

Did that just happen today sayed?

 

wow, ElSayed, that sucks. number six. anybody want to be next?

 

Yep, like 2 hours ago

 

:sighs:....and I really wanted one of these bad boys. Guess I'll wait awhile and see what other options I have.

 

iElSayed it seems like since yours broke on the right side i dont think its the hinges getting hot. Since the hinges break randomly on one side i think most likely the plastic is breaking due to wear and tear. The hinges doesnt seem to get very hot when i touch them so i think its due to wear and tear. some will break faster than others i guess.

 

No, I don't blame the heat for that at all. I believe it is the light pipe to begin with. There is a small gap all around the side of the LCD screen because of it, but there is no gap near the hinges (where the light pipe ends) which is the only solid area in the LCD screen, but after use, it starts to open up. It is the reason for the creaking noise too. I believe this is the reason why the m17x does not have the light pipe.

 

what does the light pipe have to do with anything?

 

Hows the M17x doing?

 

Well, since the light pipe is there, they have to leave a gap for it in the screen which makes it weak and then breaks.

@Daedric
The m17x is amazing, but it was returned for a CPU problem. I am probably going to end up replacing this m15x with the m17x though. I like the m15x better, but if it only had a better build quality.

 

basically what i think iElSayed is trying to say is that since the light pipe is there the screen has already opened up. The bottom part is the only part with no light pipe so eventually the bottom might seperate since the top has already been seperated.

i havent heard any major issues with the m17x so i think that is a solid machine.

 

Exactly, thanks for that exiled

The m17x is a solid machine and if it didn't have a CPU problem, I wouldn't have had the m15x with me now.

 

If you don't mind me asking what cpu did you have and what troubles were you having?

 

I had the T9300 in the m17x. The CPU at idle does not downclock like all CPU's do but overclocks (yeah, it is weird I know) and still gets 1500 points on 3dmark06...

 

Now the 1million question: Did you regret giving back the m17x and staying with the m15x?

 

@AzalnRex

Not really, because I can still get the m17x

 

Slayed from what I see is that its not the light pipe or heat. Its 4 little brass bolts that are attached to the lid by plastic and after a lot of use the plastic breaks and it just can't hang on. I haven't had time to call in my issue to AW . I'll probably upload some pics tomorrow but let me tell you it hurts just seeing the way it is.

 

Oh well, that wasn't the expected 1 million answer... next time i will give the options

 

LOL, Sorry my answer wasn't as you expect. You can repeat it of you want with the options

@taco
I believe your right too, but my point is, if the whole LCD did not have that little gap at least it would help it stay together for a longer time.

 

Yep add another one to the plastic hinge list. Can I have my refund now Alienware? When are you going to own up to this issue and make it up to your customers?

 

I recommend everyone else who has this issue and all those who get this issue in the future to do a few things. The more complaints these people get regarding this issue, the more power they have to get us the refunds we are asking for.

1) File complaint with the Better Business Bureau
2) File complaint with the Attorney General's office in Florida
3) File complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
4) Contact class action consumer fraud lawyer in Miami (google search is your friend)
5) Email [email protected]
6) Email [email protected]
7) Leave a voicemail on the CEO's extension (305.251.9797 ext. 2040)

If you have more suggestions, feel free to add to this list.

Thanks!

 

Buzzin, you need to relax.... take a breath and just relax.

I know that you are pissed, but you're running berserk on the wrong time.

Beside all negative things about the m15x, this forum also proves that AW don't tend to take your money and walk away. I strongly believe they are looking about your problem but you need to understand that such a matter goes a LONG chain before a decision is taken.

There is no need for a Tidalwave... for the time being of course.

 

The rep I am in contact with is part of the "critical issues" team and tells me there is no one else to talk to and that no matter what I am not entitled to a refund. Therefore that leads me to believe they did take my money and walk away and are not interested in doing the right thing and refunding it on account of a defective product. IMO, the floodgates are about to open with lots of this same issue. I feel like I'm at the end of the chain and there is no other option. When they start denying everyone else refunds and people start complaining to these places about the exact same defect, we will see a different song and dance from AW.

 

Did they resend your m15x?

I think take it and wait until the problem happen again. Them call for a refund again.

Or pay the 15% restock fee.

 

Had my M17X for awhile now. No issues except i notice it plays Crysis better with SLI disabled. Other games play OK with the SLI enabled. Still using original Alienware drivers but may try the 175's from Laptopvideo2go since they seem to work according to others on the forum. No downclocking, no cracks, hinges seem OK, no cpu (2.8) or gpu (8800 gtx) problems, no overheating and compared to the M15X i just returned, much more well built.

 

Only problem with the m17x is the price... it is too expensive compared with "new tech" 17"notebooks.

As for the m15x, it is a great notebook, most problems were fixed with the new bios, but if this ugly cracking comes to light as being a design flaw, well, them all qualities of the m15x goes nil.

Nobody wants a notebook with a not-fixable problem.

 

Yes I gave them an opportunity to repair the issue, it came back with the same issue. They have not offered a refund with the restocking fee, and even if they did I don't think that is fair given the defect inherent in the design. Restocking fee is more if you change your mind about your purchase, which I would not have if it had worked as it was supposed to. Apparently they have not heard of the implied warranty of merchantability (product is reasonably fit for the general purpose for which it is sold).

 

Well.... maybe some super glue fixes the problem?

You may use the old Bureaucratic principle: pass the trouble to another one (resell on ebay).

Also, as i mention on the other topic, AW will deal this issue as my Intel reseller did with the old CC820: if it works, why care? If it breaks, we replace (if the warranty still applies).

PS: Only difference is that Intel did a mass recall on that board, and the son of a b... of my reseller didn't warned me.

 

Sayed, looks like you have the problem in the same spot as me (on the left side)...

Just FYI for everyone, I sent my system in last week, and contacted AW today. They said it is being 'looked into.' I'll call monday to follow up.

 

Hey Fro, make sure you let us know how it looks when it come back. Another user has reported a hinge bust as well (I think thats #7, but I'm sure milcs is keeping better track than me).

 

I'll keep you all posted with what I find when I get my lappy back.

For those of you going the 'refund' route and being unsuccessful, have you attempted to get 'store credit' instead? Just wondering if their response would be differentif you could keep your dollars 'in-house.'

 

Even if they did give Buzzin say a store credit that isn't really going to help him because 1) I think he doesn't ever want another AW, lol and 2) Lets be honest the normal m15x costs 3k, 3k doesn't get you much out of an m17x

 

doesn't get you much of a desktop, either.... from AW, that is.

 

you can get a decent Area 51 desktop. I doubt he wants a desktop though. the only thing he cant get with 3000 is the Area 51 ALX which starts at 4000 something.

 

Yeah at this point I don't want any system with the AW brand, period. They have offered to replace with another m15x (hahaha, you are joking right??).

 

Still waiting on a refund. However, I'm happy to report several other users have gotten them in short order.

 

Two weeks, 8 hours, and 14 minutes after the Fedex truck picked up my package in Camby, Indiana, USA, my refund has hit my bank account.

Farewell, Alienware. It will be a long time before you hear from me again.

[Alienware-James, thank you very much for your assistance. You have been extremely helpful throughout this whole process.]

 

Congrats Fex! I wish I could report a similar experience, but it looks like I'll be reporting quite a bit on my new alienware sucks website/blog. More on that later =)

 

glad to hear of the happy ending fex,just a shame their was a horror story in the middle of it.
good luck mate on whatever you decide to get next.

highlight here
*
clevo / clevo / clevo *

 

wow, kobalt computers offers a swiss german keyboard on the m860tu... i'm seriously impressed... something AW doesn't offer....

 

Already ordered bwhxeon's used Sager NP5793 (for a steal: $1750) -

Should be here on the 11th!