*XPS M1730 Problems/Dell Replacement Issues*

I don't really know the phone number, it was that when my case got escalated past all the supervisors, my account has been flagged automatically as high priority and I get calls from them. Whenever I call Dell, they will transfer me automatically to the manager who works solely on my case. I just wait until I get an update on my situation, and then just pick up the calls. If I look in my call log, I see the regular Dell number, so I guess they have special extensions for cases like these.

You should keep escalating your case and you will eventually get to them.

 

I have posted my situation earlier in this forum, say 3-6 pages before? If you look back, I have posted a long situation of my problems, and hope it will be of aid to you.

 

Thanks, it definitely did.


I'm still waiting for my backordered 9800M GT... Anyone else in the same boat?

 

I got another voice mail today saying that the graphics card was backlogged and to contact Dell regarding a system exchange.

The Dell chat support tonight was acting up and disconnecting a lot, so once I actually was connected to an agent I was able to tell him my situation and about the voice mail before I got disconnected again. He called me about 40 minutes later and said that Dell would be exchanging the system with something equal or better. He said the process would take about 2-3 weeks and that it should show up in my Dell account within 10 business days.

Best case scenario (and what I'm guessing/hoping will happen) is they send me a M17x, although what the specs will be is up in the air.

Looks like Dell's supply of "refurbished" cards has dwindled.

 

"dwindled" has turned to "out of stock"...

Just had another 8800gtx die (replaced 3 weeks ago) and tonight's tech said that they're out of video cards and i'm the latest in the 3-4 week queue for a system exchange.

don't know what i'm getting yet but i know the list of sli-capable, dual-HD capable, 17" screens running at 1920x1200 is a short one; so we'll see....

fingers, toes and eyes crossed on this one...

 

*sigh* .. I said the stock would be more limited than they led on. It's a flawed design, so "fixing" the cards is difficult and they'll just eventually burn out the same way. It's becoming not worth it to them to do so. They're only praying for warranties to run out at this point. Back to the system replacements as I'd also said were still happening.

 

Hehe, very true. I'm sure that we'll be sent M17x's–it's just a long waiting game at this point.

 

Just another update, I got this email from Dell last night:

"Dear Mr. Leahy,

Thank you for contacting Dell XPS Hardware Premium Support , My name Is Bhavani, and my Rep Id is 165440 .

I am writing this Email to inform you that, I am following up on the dispatch number *********, a order was created on 3/24/2010, to process a System exchange. Let me assure you that your system is being built at our factory, as the production team is collecting the components which matches to your original system. In case, if the team is unable to find the exact matching of the components, they would get an equivalent or an upgraded system. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for us to build your system at our factory, Let me assure you that, I will be in touch personally with our logistics department to ensure that the authorization process to ship the System to you is expedited.


I thank you for your understanding and cooperation with us.


If you have any queries about the system exchange, please reply back to my email. I appreciate your patience and cooperation with us.

Regards,
Bhavani,
165440.
Dell Technical Support.
Shift timings 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
Weekly offs Saturday and Sunday."


If anyone else if having problems with his or her cards, now is a good time to contact Dell for a chance at a system replacement.

 

I definitely agree with you. It seems that they are giving up altogether on the XPS 1730s.

So here is an update on my situation. There were multiple problems with the system they gave me (refurbished...go figure), so I talked to my guy and after talking for a little bit, he went ahead and told me he was going to put in another request for a system exchange, which he assured me would be a NEW system. After waiting a couple of days, I just got an email from him and now I have the specifications, with a few upgrades from last time

1 224-8108 Lunar Silver - Anodized Aluminum
1 310-0173 Airborne Documentation, System Exchanges,Factory Install
1 313-8570 Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Burner (BR-R, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
1 313-8792 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
1 313-8944 5.1 Channel Audio
1 317-3659 Intel Core i7 920XM 2.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
1 317-3664 6GB DDR3 at 1333MHz
1 320-8856 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)
1 320-8858 Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1 330-3924 Name Plate Engraving
1 330-6106 Personalized Nameplate Trigger
1 330-6350 Automatic Updates: Critical Updates Only
1 330-7841 Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
1 342-0668 500GB 7,200RPM SATA-II HDD
1 410-0201 McAfee VirusScan Plus - 36-Month Subscription
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1 420-6436 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
1 421-1304 CyberLink PowerDVD 8.0 Software
1 421-1305 Nero 9 Media Burning Software
1 421-1360 Steam and Portal Factory Installed
1 421-1399 Genuine Windows 7 Professional, 64bit, English
1 421-1573 Alienhead 3D
1 421-1591 Alienhead 3D
1 421-1721 Soft Contracts,Banktec Care,Alienware
1 421-2261 Alienware Command Center, M17x
1 430-0628 Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
1 430-3739 Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

 

Good to hear Goten, and very nice setup.


I'm still waiting to hear from Dell about what my replacement system will be. I think it's going to be another week or two before I find anything out though.

 

You should call Dell and ask to speak to a supervisor to upgrade your status to high priority. I have heard that many other people who are waiting for replacements are placed near the end of the list, and when placed on high priority, the system exchange gets done in about 2-4 days instead of the 3-4 weeks for normal priority.

I think the idea that Dell has right now is that since you are already a customer who has purchased a Dell computer, you are not really important as they already have your money, vs. people who purchase items are given the highest priority. So shipping and order goes:

New customers > High priority Replacement > Normal Replacement
Few Days > Few Days > Few weeks

Of course this is just my thought, but I got my system exchanged within days after getting my issue flagged as high priority.

 

I'll probably just wait it out since I don't really have any valid/good reason to have it expedited (although I could always make something up ), even if the slowness of getting a replacement is simply Dell moving slow even though they can process the replacements much faster. If my M1730 were completely dead or if I had a more troublesome experience (such as yours), I'd be hounding Dell to send out a replacement ASAP.

I'll see what happens in my Dell order page here within the next week or two.

 

This has been a very helpful thread,

My m1730 (bought in 2/09) croaked while at work on Saturday, after two chat sessions (1 worthless, 1 good/well meaning) and 2 phone calls (both quite good and helpful but obviously didnt fix my failing 8800gtx's). Dell is shipping a replacement.

Now, they did say they'd first look into matching/better refurb machines, but did say most likely it'd be a new matching/better computer.

Overall I was pretty happy with my CS experience...so far.

 

That's great news! Glad you are getting what you wanted. Best of luck on your replacement computer

 

Same–I didn't really have any trouble either.

Hopefully there are some M17x's coming down the pipe for us.

 

Im joining the replacement club

OLD SPECS

1 G461C Base, Notebook, CPEN, T9300, M1730
1 P219D Processor, T9300, 2.5, 6MB, Core Penryn, C0
1 D113N Module, Hard Drive, 500GB, Free Fall Sensor, 7.2K, SGT-HOLL
1 DW997 Module, Label, Intel, Notebook Centrino Mobile Technology Update
1 FW442 Module, Mouse, Bluetooth, 5BTN Inspiron
1 GT655 Module, Liquid Crystal Display 17WU, W/CMRA, M1730, SHAR
1 HU144 Module, Card, Graphics Physics Processing Unit, 128MB, Notebook
1 K174C Module, Dual In-line Memory Module, 4GB, 800MHZ, DDR2, 2X2G
1 N537F Module, Software, VU32SP1 Digital Video Disk Drive, MUL5 Dao/bcc
1 NW220 Module, Dvd+/-rw, 8X, Ide (integrated Drive Electronics), M1730, TOSHIBA SAMSUNG STORAGE TECHNOLOGY...
1 TN642 Module, Card Circuit, Network Bluetooth, 355, Storage Processor, Siberia
1 UY392 Module, Information, Liquid Crystal Display, Cover, WCMRA Corsica/Gilligan/Sapporo/Yebis
1 WW439 Module, Label, Microsoft, WindowsVista Os, Premium, Small
1 WX695 Module, Adapter, Alternating Current, 230W, Delta - Ac Adapt World Wide
1 X075M Module, Card, Graphics, G92 9800M-GT2
1 XG487 Module, Battery, Primary, 80WHR 9C, SANYO
1 YY220 Module, Card, Network, 4965 Inspiron, Most Of World 1

NEW SPECS

1 224-8106 Nebula Red - Special Edition - Anodized Aluminum
1 313-8792 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
1 313-8944 5.1 Channel Audio
1 313-8977 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive,QuickSilver
1 317-3657 Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
1 317-3660 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
1 320-8856 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)
1 320-8858 Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX
1 330-3924 Name Plate Engraving
1 330-6106 Personalized Nameplate Trigger
1 330-7841 Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
1 342-0668 500GB 7,200RPM SATA-II HDD
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
1 421-1398 Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate, 64bit, English
1 421-2261 Alienware Command Center, M17x
1 430-3739 Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

What do you guys think?

 

Very nice ramatar, it's good to see people getting the Core i7's and 4870's.


Few questions for ya:

1. When was the exchange initiated? How long after the this did Dell send you the replacement's specs?
2. Did you have to fight for those specs or was that Dell's first offer?

 

04/01 - First exchange was on Thursday
04/02 - Got system specs on Friday
04/02 - 04/05 -Fought them for better specs( I had a good reason... the gpu they wanted to give me scored 3000 points lower in benchmark test than what I had)
04/02 - 04/05 - Called over and over... spoke to many different people.
04/05 - Escalation Team - agreed to upgrade card
04/06 - First order canceled
04/06 - New order created

 

hi guys..

what a helpful thread, i wish i stumbled here way before.

I am currently going through dell hell as well.. (Dell USA)

troubled XPS m1730, ive got.

To cut the story short, on March 26, 2010, a system replacement was approved for my XPS m1730 and was told to wait for 3-4 weeks for the replacement. And i will be updated with an order number within 5-7 business days so i can check the specs.. and later on it went to 7-10 business days lol.. different techs, different policies.

On April 05, 2010 at around 11:00 PM i tried this link https://support.dell.com/support/order/status.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen
and just entered my customer number and zip code and i was surprised to see an active order number with these details:

Quantity Item Number Description

1 0797C Customer Kit,Documentation, Airborne

Any of you guys know what does it mean?


Then on the next day, April 06, 2010 at around 11:00 A.M. i tried to check it and the order was cancelled. No updates whatsoever, i called numerous times, they dont know what's goin on.. all they say is to wait for 3-4 weeks. Asked them about the cancelled order, they dont have any idea.

Another concern is that i cant seem to log on to the chat support using my service tag for a week now. I tried using a different XPS m1730 service tag and there's no problem accessing the chat support. They cant tell me whats wrong with this either.

here's my current specs: XPS m1730

Processor,X9000,2.8,6MB,Core Penryn,C0
Card,Graphics,Nvidia,IUPGA5C G92
Solid State Drive,128GB,S2 2.5,Samsung,RBXM
Hard Drive,250GB,Free Fall Sensor,9.5,7.2K,Seagate Casey
Assembly,DVD+/-RW And BD-ROM M1730,Panasonic


Any idea on what am i getting as a replacement?

Any advise, suggestions, explanations of what is actually going on, anything that can make me feel better, please reply.

Thanks a bunch guys.

 

well, after last night's phone call to dell to check my exchange status (still no order), i checked today and I have an order. Funny how that happens...

Free upgrade to NBD delivery but Estimated Delivery Date is "Data Temporarily Unavailable"...

1 224-8107 Space Black - Anodized Aluminum $.00
1 310-0173 Airborne Documentation, System Exchanges,Factory Install $.00
1 313-8792 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue $.00
1 313-8944 5.1 Channel Audio $.00
1 313-8977 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive,QuickSilver $.00
1 317-3657 Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache) $1710.00
1 317-3663 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz $40.00
1 320-8856 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p) $200.00
1 320-8858 Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX $300.00
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks $.00
1 330-3924 Name Plate Engraving $.00
1 330-6106 Personalized Nameplate Trigger $.00
1 330-6348 Automatic Updates: On $.00
1 330-7841 Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter $.00
1 342-0670 128GB Solid State Drive $229.00
1 410-0204 McAfee VirusScan Plus - 15-Month Subscription $89.00
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE $.00
1 420-6436 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp $.00
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic $.00
1 421-1304 CyberLink PowerDVD 8.0 Software $.00
1 421-1305 Nero 9 Media Burning Software $.00
1 421-1360 Steam and Portal Factory Installed $.00
1 421-1400 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English $.00
1 421-1584 Alien Cyborg $.00
1 421-1721 Soft Contracts,Banktec Care,Alienware $.00
1 421-2261 Alienware Command Center, M17x $.00
1 430-0628 Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR $.00
1 430-3688 Dell Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini Card $.00
Sub-Total : $2568.00

Is there anything obvious missing? My eyes are numb reading other people's exchange configs. I can't post my 1730's specs right now but once I actually get this R2, I'll have to post my saga of the last year. I promise it's a good one...

Few Qs before I call Dell tonight and have a chat about the order....

What is the R2's memory config for 4GB? Is it 2x2GB, 1x4GB (yeah, right or what? I'm definitely going to 8GB (lots of VMs). +4GB is $350 from Dell. 2x4GB is $500 from Crucial. Better to buy it from Dell or sell the 4GB (here, eBay, ???)?

Are changes made to the existing order or do they cancel the order and re-do it (incurring a time delay?). I have the blue and want red instead.

How do I get the nameplate customization done? Better to ask up front or have it done afterward? ISTR reading it adds 2 weeks to the order. Ugh on that as well...

Any trade-in value on getting the McAffe subscription cancelled/not used?

Has anyone had luck getting Win7 Premium upgrade to Professional (without paying for it).

Oh, and please tell me the 240W power adapter is smaller than the 1730's shoebox. please....

 

Beelsr, it's a very nice system.


The memory on the R2 is indeed 2x2GB chips. It looks like the going rate of a new set of 2x2 GB of DDR3 1333 memory is in the $100-$150 range, so you'd probably be better off buying the memory from Dell instead of selling the 4 GB the system will come with (assuming you'd be paying the $500 for the Crucial memory; there are other brands in the 2x4 GB category that are less expensive).

As far as I know, there is no trade in value for the McAfee software--it's bundled with the system regardless.

The power brick for the M17x isn't as thick as the M1730's, but the length and width seem to be about the same. Here is a picture comparison.

If by the color you mean the "AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue," don't worry about it. That's just the default color the system lights will be when it arrives--you'll be able to change it to any color you want.

Someone else should be able to answer your question about safely making changes to the order.


Once you are able to post your M1730's specs, I'd like to know if it had an SSD in it?


Edit: izpirikitik--you'll probably (knock on wood) be getting an Alienware M17x-R2. Due to the high demand for this system, the number of M1730's and M17x-R1's being replaced, and the general spotty/sluggish support on Dell's end, when your system will be replaced and what the specs of the replacement will be is anyone's guess. The wait times have varied greatly so far, anywhere from 1-4 weeks or more (for some of the more unfortunate people).

 

Well, Kingston was even more expensive than Crucial. What other RAM manuf. reccs do you have?

Thanks for the pic on the bricks,that's a much nicer form factor to pack and lug around.

And thanks about the AlienFX color info, it didn't say on the website this was changeable (like the avatard) but if is, that's cool.

Yes, my M1730 came with a 128GB SDD. I have heard of people getting an SSD upgrade in the system exchange if that was the subtext.

 

Interesting--I don't have an SSD in my M1730 but that would be a sweet upgrade; however, I figure that would take a lot of problems with Dell to swing or getting a refurbished system with one already in it. I'm more than happy though with the chance of receiving an i7 and a pair of 4870's.

My exchange is still pending, though it has supposedly been expedited. I'll see what happens over the next week.

On the memory question, where do you live? If you're in the the States or Canada, check out Newegg here and take a look at those memory kits. You really can't go wrong with any of those brands.

 

thanks for the link. if you go here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...er=BESTMATCH&Description=ddr3+laptop+1333+8gb you can get the G.SKILL ram for $4 cheaper ($10 less + $6 shipping). i love how newegg does this sometimes - even better than amazon's pricing...

if your M1730 has 2 GPUs, you're going to get 2 in the new one. If you want SSD, call them and ask for it. Mention goodwill, inconvenience, all the same carp that others have mentioned and got what they wanted. Worst they can do is say no - and if they do, you're lost nothing. When I go to trade shows, I always end up with more spiffs than anyone else. Everyone asks me, how do you get all that crap. I say, "I ask. You get 0% of the stuff you don't ask for."...

 

Yeah, I'll see what sweet talking I can do to make the most of this--who knows. Anyways, my exchange finally went from pending to authorized on my service call status page, but still no word on what the replacement system is.

 

leahy what kind of warranty do you have? I don't understand why its taking you so long to find out? Took me less than a day...

 

@Leahy - what does your "My Account" page show? On mine, there is a "My Orders" frame/table on the upper-right side of the page. My systems exchange is listed there. You can click on it and see the details. "My Support Status" page doesn't show my systems exchange... {weird}

 

Well, I called Dell to discuss my system exchange. Basically, I wanted:
- an Intel wireless card since my old laptop had an Intel one.
- Win 7 Pro since my original purchase had XP Pro and I need the Pro features
- to know how to get the nameplate engraving setup

The rep I spoke to was (kinda) awesome. He's sending me the Intel card and Win7 Ultimate in the mail since making a change to the existing order would only delay my delivery. He even offered to send a tech to swap the wireless card. {lol}

But he said there's no provision for engraving the nameplates on system exchanges. I didn't think that makes sense since it's not just one but TWO line items in the order but he held firm and I didn't feel like being a jerk since I can always call back later. And I know I've read something about that in here somewhere but search isn't cooperating....


Anyways, this isn't my first systems exchange but it is the first since I found this site. So... some advice for others who want changes or upgrades in their order: it's a real simple process once you call and get a tech on the phone. First rule: be nice and explain that "you just saw your order for your systems exchange on the website and you have a couple questions and was hoping you could help me out". He'll ask you what they are and what you want. When you explain them to him, know that he's most likely not going to make the decision himself, he's just taking notes and going to a supervisor BUT you want him on your side.

When he asks you what you want: this is your one shot to make your case, so be prepared. For example, on the Intel wireless card, I just said, "my old laptop had an Intel card and I paid extra for it". For the windows edition, I had the features that I needed ready and the fact that I had XP Pro before and Home premium would be a downgrade (for example, I have files encrypted with the NTFS encryption that Home cant' read).

He'll put you on hold and then come back and tell you how you did. If you don't like all the answers, ask him to reconsider the denial of whatever and restate your case. For me, I had to do this for the Windows upgrade. It took a couple back and forths but be polite and firm and keep adding reasons why you feel you should get your way.

I suppose it's the same the world over: if you're nice and you get a nice rep, he'll give you what you want. I was, he was and he did. If you find yourself ready to pop, just let that issue go and call back. It's much better to call again and say you forgot something or had to end the previous call and you're calling back than have verbal diarrhea on the tech and have home note your account that you're a jerk. You're stuffed at that point. It's the best stress management tool out there sometimes: calling Dell Tech Support...

 

we can get name engravings after right? i mean should be covered under a complete care warranty??

 

I either have the Basic or Advanced 3-year warranty, but I can't remember exactly which on and the order details don't specify between the different levels. I added my system to the "My Systems" tab and the contract type says "NW"--whatever that means.

I think it's really hit or miss with the exchanges and who you get to initiate and follow through, which is why some people get everything sorted out in days (the way it should be) versus the people that end up waiting weeks. Dell definitely has the ability to process exchanges quickly/smoothly, so it's annoying they tell customers 3-4 weeks and leave them completely in the dark.


My my order page shows my original M1730 purchase, the replacement graphics card order, and a third replacement order that was canceled due to the 9800 going out of stock--no replacement system order there as of yet.

My service call status page says this:

Description: REQUIRES USAGE SUPPORT
Service Call Number: *********
Initiation Date: 3/24/2010
Last Updated: 4/6/2010 12:00:00 AM
Call Status: AUT
Call Type: EXG
Service Ship Date: Not available

It's weird that it says it was updated on 4/6, because it definitely didn't reflect that change until yesterday. Up until yesterday it said it was last updated "1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM."

I think I'll at least know what I'm getting within a few days, at which point I think I'm going to smooth talk my way into an SSD.


beelsr: I'm sure they could send you a customized plate after you receive the system that you could screw on yourself.

 

Howdy gentleman!

I have to say going through all of this has been a huge success in helping me pin point and find how and what to say to the agents. Long story short I had my system had repeated graphics failure and this most recent time I called they wanted to repair just about every hardware part of the computer and I said enough was enough.

14 Straight hours of chat support and phone support later they finally called me back and I got a *SAME DAY AUTHORIZATION*! So let me tell you what I found to be effective:
----------
Do's

-Request to be transferred to the gold technical support, even if you don't have this service explain your situation and they will talk to an XPS support supervisor and this will greatly increase your bargaining power.

-Be persistent! There will be one agent somewhere somehow that will take pity on your poor soul and do a genuinely awesome job of helping you out.

-Chat is your best friend, my purchase was an EPP purchase so they will at first refuse to help you, ask for a manager in the chat. The chat manager will tell you the same thing but just be persistent! Keep telling them you won't accept calling, THEY have to help you and nobody else and that you're counting on them.
----------
Don'ts

-Don't get angry, be FIRM and stick to your guns until the end but if they can sense irritation in your voice they will lock down. That and the lower level tech's are just doing their job so if you do get agitated take it out on the higher level staff.

-Don't believe what the reps say, they each have their own discretion to help you and 99% of what the XPS Technical support says is a lie or stall tactic.

-If they say they will call you back within "X-30" minutes tell the agent that you will wait for them to research/transfer you. You must be very persistent and always ask for a supervisor.

-Never give up! If you keep pressing the matter, keep asking them for a non-repair resolution they WILL do it, for me it was under 24 hours!

-NEVER pay for upgraded parts in exchange, all though they asked me what I wanted and I got it without question this is a common practice so be weary!
----------

My old M1730:
2.4 T770 Core 2 Duo
2x 8700's in SLI
2GB 667 RAM
200GB 7200RPM HDD
17" WUXGA 1920x1200 screen
XP Pro

The "promised" unit (shows as authorized)
1.73 i7 820QM
2x ATI 4870's in Crossfire
8GB 1333 RAM
500GB 7200RPM HDD
17" WUXGA 1920x1200 screen
Windows 7 Ultimate

 

Has anyone gotten the m17x as a replacement yet?? If so how long did the replacement take to build??

In the alienware forums... it looks like its taking over a month for them to build a new system...

I have the Complete Care Warranty with ND service.... does that give me any leverage? I also got expedited....

I really need this before the semester is over... Final project to complete.

 

NW is Next Business Day, Nights and Weekends. If you click on the NW it should pop up a table with all the descriptions.

Yeah, if you're been waiting this long, start the smooth talking express, baby!

That's my plan for the engraved plate. I'm not going to push that issue until I get the box. Don't want any chances on the order getting cancelled/held-up...

 

Ah, clicking on the length of the warranty wasn't showing the extra information yesterday but now it shows the Next Business Day/Nights and Weekends and the XPS Technical support. Truth is I've really been waiting/putting up with problems since March 13th, but it wasn't until the 23rd that they called me saying the graphics card was out of stock indefinitely. I'm hoping that will be enough leverage among other things.

Yea, I'd definitely wait until that bad boy ships and is in your hands before changing the nameplate otherwise who knows which Dell supervisor might screw things up.

 

Nice Specs!! Question is, how did you get to your "new promised" unit to become that specs? I have gotten to where I am due to Dell continuously screwing up/charging me for items I did not approve/etc... From your old system, it seems your new one is about 5 to 6 times more expensive and better in terms of performance, especially with the graphics, processor, and memory.

Normally, Dell replaces 8700s with the 260s and 2GB DDR2 with 2GB DDR3 at most, and processor with another core 2 duo. Could you please explain how you got from 2GB memory to 8GB memory? This is coming from someone who has spent more than 30 hours with the Dell Escalations Team.

 

Sure thing mate! First off the escalations team and XPS Support are your worst enemies. You need to talk to somebody in a different department and have their manager approve the specs. They won't want to do this but you need to stay vigilant and keep telling them you're only talking to their department until they can do something. I would suggest the gold department and be sure to be super nice! Also, they're trying to pawn you off with a "refurb" so just be persistent and ask for a new unit and then they'll ask what specs you want and ask for the agent's opinion, joke around and slip in higher specs in there and they'll do it!

See, I spent a whole day (14+ hours straight) doing this and thats how I got it authorized and approved. Tomorrow I should have a build confirmation with what was promised.

 

*UPDATE*

My system just changed from being "AUT" to "PARTS ORDERED"... Yay! The only thing is when I look at the order it shows:

Part Number Description Quantity

224-8107 Space Black, Anodized Aluminum 00001
310-0173 AIRBORNE DOCUMENTATION, SYSTEM BOARD..., FACT 00001

How strange that the actual specs of the system haven't been updated =X ... This suspense is killing me!

 

Well, it seems the escalations team you know and the one I know are two completely different teams. By the way, all of what I received was from talking to the escalations team. Also, Dell sends you "refurb" because it is stated in the contract, which you agreed to when purchasing the computer. The unit I received is not a "refurbished" but a brand, spanking new system fresh off the assembly with all the goodies. The system I received is in my sig, so give it a check before saying they are pretty bad at giving customers what they want.

The question is, no one and I mean no one in their right mind would give a customer a free 8GB DDR3 memory upgrade for a 2GB DDR2 memory, which costs about an extra $800 or so. I just want to know what leverage you had in order to receive such an upgrade. I had quite some leverage on Dell that I received an extreme core i7 processor for my T9400. Just want to know your story as to what Dell did wrong to compensate

 

I just told the person putting in the order that I had been on the phone with dell for 14 hours straight and he apologized. He then went down the specs list asking me what I wanted and he was really happy and almost giggly the whole time. The two things he asked me why I wanted was the HDD and the Bluray because "who would need so much space?" and I told him I was using it for work and he said "oh yes sir, you definitely need the space" and then laughed. Everything else including the RAM he had no problem with and in some instances suggested higher specced parts.

UPDATE --- I JUST got my order number and customer id and ALL the specs are there and confirmed!!! It's showing as:

Order Status: In production
Shipping Method: Next Business Day

WOOOOOHOOO!

 

Maybe he was high... 2gb DDR2 to 8gb ddr3 is ridiculous...

 

I'm not sure what he was but it was notated in the account that he promised all of those upgrades and my current order is on all green lights and in production. The Alienware specialist that I called said that I will be getting my system within 12-18 days!

 

Well let us know... If u get ur system b4 I get mine.... I'm goin ape on Dell... I'm worried about this project I have due in 2 weeks... Video editing... They expedited it but no idea when it's comin..... I hate how there is no edd on replacements

 

Mines showing as a regular order that I can track on their website. It also still shows the active warranty for my XPS. I'll let you know and I'll post here with pictures.

When did they tell you you'll be getting yours?
Also, tomorrow I should have an official ETA and not some guy randomly estimating, the overnight shipping helps, some!

 

Jeez, nice deal d4551.

Part of me wants to contact Dell to see if I can find out what my specs will be, but I feel like I'll just get an "I don't know" over and over.

 

I have Next day delivery... They said it takes 3-4 weeks to process the order.... But it was also expedited.... You have also take into account backordered parts..

 

@Leahy: apologies for you might hv posted this a few pages back.

Your system exchange was approved on the 23rd right? what references were you given? (dispatch # et al)

Up till now, u dont have any order number with specs on it?

mine was approved on the 25th and was given a dispatch number. I was able to check that an order number was generated on April 05, 2010 with these details:

1 0797C Customer Kit,Documentation, Airborne

then i checked the next day, it was canceled, i dont hv any idea why. Dell peeps dont have either.

Im still waiting for an order number to be generated and check the specs.

 

Leahy,

Was your replacement order approved?

If so just call up the lady, give her the service request number and say that you were told that you could call in and they'd give you your order number and customer number. It's always best to tell them what you want and reaffirm that you've been told they have it, it does miracles and has gotten me my information

 

Haha well my fingers are crossed! Since this is a new system and it's gotten pushed through I just have high hopes!

What I do know is:
1-4 Day Assembly
5-7 Day Shipment from Malaysia to facility
1-2 Day Boxing
1-X Day for shipping

So you can sort of gauge the time it takes. Once again I do have an actual order number and it's what told me the breakdown of all of my specs.

 

Well, on March 13th I contacted Dell chat and told them that my grapihcs card was still having problems so they were going to replace the motherboard/screen/and graphics card again. On the 16th I got an automated call saying the graphics card was backordered with no ETA. A week later on the 23rd I got a call saying that the graphics card was indefinitely out of stock and to contact Dell about a system exchange. I contacted Dell chat on the 23rd and got disconnected, but an agent called me back and said that they were processing the exchange.

I have the dispatch number which is the service call number, and when I look that up under the "Service Call Status" page it says that the exchange is authorized as of yesterday (it was pending from 3/24 to 4/10) but has no other details. There is no order number generated yet for any replacement system in my account.

 

Hmmm hearing this makes me wonder how within 48 hours I went from broken laptop -> repair request -> authorized replacement -> Order number and in production

Check:
https://support.dell.com/support/supporthistory/servicecallsearch.aspx

What does it say under your replacement service call number, have parts been ordered, is it still just authorized? I might be able to help you from there.