Goodness, XPS 1640 PROBLEMS.

I received my new XPS 1640 (2.1gHz, 4GB ram, 512mb vid, Vista 64bit) on Thurs. April 2nd. Worked fine and dandy over the weekend, but then Monday the 6th I contacted Dell through their customer service feature (the system was getting very hot, and being new to notebooks I wasn't sure how hot is normal), and their rep took control of my computer trying to update the BIOS.

However, the BIOS failed to load, screen went blank, and when I called the technical support, they said that the motherboard for the 5 day old system needed replaced. Joy.

So I get a call 3 days later from a local tech representative, saying he'd come over with the new parts and fix it up. He comes over, takes the laptop apart, and then realizes that they had shipped him the wrong motherboard...
Since it's the day before Good Friday, he says he won't be able to do anything until next Monday (today). Well, today I got yet another call. It was the local tech rep again, calling to inform me that they had shipped the same wrong part to him. Wow.

My question is - has anyone else experienced this kind of fiasco with Dell, or am I just THAT unlucky?
Also, was I in the right for contacting them about the system getting hot?

 

Well for the heat issues, you're not the first to experience those if that's what you're wondering. The XPS 16 has a history of not dealing well with heat sometimes so there are many measures to reduce that here in the XPS subforum.

I do find it odd hwoever that they shipped you the wrong mobo

 

I think with all that you are going thru...I would contact Dell and ask them to ship you a brand new replacement. You are still w/in your 21 days of date of invoice, right?? So, you are entitled to a refund or new replacement. If you are going to do this, you need to call right away.

You shouldn't have to deal with this ineptness right now...
No, you are not that unlucky..this has happened to others..and unfortunately, this has had happened to you also.

Cin

 

Just contact Dell again. They will do an exchange and ship a new unit.

 

yep it happens, there are certain people who just have VERY bad luck with dell support, i had my mobo replaced 3 times, 2 of them because they had installed the wrong motherboard, but they actually did install the wrong one without noticing, you can tell by this how ignorant their techs are...

best thing to do is to have patience, at last i had my mobo replaced correctly, and now i have worst problems than before, but what the hell, it works, and thats all that matters ( to me hahaha).

best of luck with your replacements, ive given up on tech support, they say my computer is just fine even though my computer runs at the boiling point for water

 

They've shipped me one wrong motherboard on my Dimension 9100. Fortunately, they got it right the second time XD. Overall though, I am very pleased with Dell's warranty. I must say though that I did have a bad experience the other day with customer service (and Dell's post-12 hour return period seems rather idiotic).

 

I suggest the same as Cin! Why have a brand new computer that already died once, when you could have a brand new one? Also, when Dell sends on site service, there are chances of the tech causing damage to your brand new computer by being careless with his screwdriver (happened to me). I would also threaten to return it for a refund and they may offer you some free incentives (such as upgrades). I also have had problems with Dell sending me the wrong parts, especially for my two XPS desktops, which both needed the motherboards to be replaced...twice.

 

Thanks for the advice

 

I'm having mine replaced rather than having some techie come and open it to the replace the parts. It's brand new so I think its only fair that Dell replace it with a functional one.

My issues:
1. NIC not 1Gpbs
2. Keyboard backlight flickers when it ligths-up.
3. LCD hinge covers are slightly open.

 

u should really, really look into this suggestion. u are paying a premium for a XPS laptop that comes with XPS customer service. take advantage of it...u paid for it =)

if i remember correctly, customer service deals with returns/exchanges. when u talk to yur rep, make sure u get all the reference numbers and names of the rep's who helped u. make sure u ask for a brand new unit, so they don't send u a refurb. good luck!

 

Can you point me to a source for your claim? I've had one of the first XPS16's and been following this forum ever since, but I've never seen a "history" of heat problems.

 

Read the XPS16 thread.

 

Yep, I hope that this happens!


Cin.