Angry Alienware m18x r2 owner .. tons of hardware issues

i purchased my m18x r2 in July of 2012, since new i have had 6 service dispatch calls and one depot visit. since Feb 27 2014 I have had the following hardware replacements

part number
9D7N3 thermal pad

FYHV1 (ram) X4

GRP9C (motherboard which was done once at the end of February once in December) x2

HXD3N (graphics cards) x2

YYFHR (daughterboard)

Y48TK (heatsink)

5G1VJ (heatsink)

COXGT (graphics cards) x2

GDMRG (sli cable)

9D7N3 (thermal pad)

COXGT (graphics cards) x2

GDMRG (sli cable)

and the most recent which is incomming

W85PF (graphics cards) x2

GDMRG (sli cable)

i only had two repairs in 2013...

COXGT (graphics cards) x2

GDMRG (sli cable)

8GWD6 (keyboard)

Alienware refuses to give me a replacement system because according to their system replacement department i havent had enough major hardware replacements (that is a direct quote from them)
I dont know what to do......

 

Which country?

 

They say you haven't had enough hardware replacements?! Holy cow, it looks like they could have already pieced together a new rig or two with as many replacements as you've had. So, I haven't dealt with Alienware customer service in a few years, myself. However, I always try to go up the ladder when I'm in a particularly bad situation like yours. If one rep won't give you what you want, you need to ask for their supervisor. If that person won't see eye-to-eye with you, ask for the next person up the chain. Keep going higher up on the chain and getting your ticket escalated until you get someone who can make you happy (obviously you're not going to be happy until you get an all out replacement at this point, but I personally think that's warranted at this point).

The longer you stay on the line tying up reps, the more chances you have of getting something done. When you start tying up the time of the supervisors, it suddenly becomes their best interest to get you squared away so they get on with their agenda. Above all, DON'T BE RUDE! I realize you're frustrated, but if you start making fun of their mothers, questioning their sexuality, or calling them names that would get censored in this forum, it's only going to make matters worse. Customer service reps add notes to your account based on their dealings with you. If you're a jerk, anyone who pulls up your account will know it before you can even speak. You'll catch more flies with honey, that is. Be firm with them about what you want and reason with them as needed, but remain calm an be polite.

It really stinks that you're having such a hard time with your machine and customer service, but you just can't take no for an answer at this point considering how much downtime your machine is having. It also might help getting ahold of one of the reps here on notebook review like Mr. Porras. He always seems to be helpful with the folks on here and gets things done in a timely manner. Keep us posted, let us know how it goes.

 

I'm from canada

 

6 graphics cards and 2 motherboards over 4 visits.... That's pretty major.

 

I have tried moving up the chain, after my initial system replacement ticket was denied i managed to get a supervisor to issue another ticket for review... and it was denied again. this is a exact quote from a email I received after the second ticket was denied "Thank you for your recent contact! Brett
We have to inform you that your System Exchange has been declined from our Alienware System Exchange department .
Please refer to the following notes with declined reasons:

1.system only two dispatches with major parts.
　
2.depot service was done almost one year ago.
　
3.system doesn't meet the requirements for exchange.

We must continue to troubleshoot and attempt to repair the system with other solutions as re-installing the OS again ir sending the system to Depot again."

I saw point number one about only two dispatches with major parts so I called them right away and asked to clarify what they defined as a major part seeing as i have had two motherboards this year and as of possibly tomorrow eight graphics cards, and since my depot visit was ALMOST a year ago apparently they want it again .... so i appeased them and re-installed the OS even though thats a bull attempt at a fix. All they have done is off a potential return customer, im honestly considering legal options but i dont know what is available to me ... i dont know if i could take them to small claims court

 

Well, you mentioned that they are sending out another repair tech soon with more parts to replace? In that case, I would let the situation unfold from there. If the next repair visit hasn't remedied your issues, then I would give them the full court press about system replacement. Keep moving higher up the chain, the key is to keep moving up in the same call (set some time aside, it could take a while). Even if one "supervisor" says no, ask for the one above them. Keep moving up, don't settle for the "don't call us, we'll call you" song and dance.

This is the problem with customer support techs sometimes, they're looking at his situation as one repair visit at a time. If they looked at the whole picture, the history of his repairs clearly indicates that they likely could have fixed the problem with a replacement by now for less total cost than all of those parts, not to mention the time they're paying for repair techs for his service dispatches.

 

Contact the Alienware rep Porras here on the forum and he'll be able to help you quite a bit...

 

The problem you have now is there is no system they can replace it with. The Alienware 18 is gone, M18xR2 is long gone. I'd ask for a refund of the original purchase price so you can go buy something else from Clevo. The only thing that will be available now is the crappy new 17 Ultrabook with BGA CPU and GPU that will be a absolutely gigantic downgrade in every aspect. They almost never give refunds and it is against policy, but they no longer have the capacity to support our superior machines with system exchanges. I don't see a viable option other than a refund if they cannot fix your current machine.

 

I don't think Dell likes doing system replacements at all. It involves their most strict department and the reps don't give off a friendly vibe.

 

This has been abused so much by people angling for free upgrades that it comes as no surprise. I have no doubt they have been defrauded more that we can even imagine. That makes it tough for honest people just looking for resolution to problems. It's about the same as software pirates ruining everything for honest folks. In the process of trying to block piracy the software vendors make things difficult, sometimes even miserable, for honest paying customers.

 

Looks like you're never wrong .

 

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, if my m18x R2 takes a turn for the worst and isn't easily repaired, the best I can hope for is getting it replaced with the AW18 under warranty. I don't want an AW18, too many issues with the locked down bios and I won't be able to use a dual PSU like I can with my m18x R2.

I think I'm going to cut down on my time using it until I grab myself some spare parts to have on hand... motherboard, daughterboard, battery, keyboard, etc. I'd hate to have something go wrong and find myself at the mercy of repair techs and depot visits, and, when the parts dry up, a replacement with a system I don't want.

 

so they upgraded my cards to 680m's from the 675m's so far they work flawlessly but now part of my keyboard doesn't work lol (yay more service calls.....) honestly i'm just happy it fires up and doesn't blue screen i wish someone with half a brain upgraded my cards 6 card replacements ago....

 

Holy crap thats bad. Gonna have to hold on to this baby and treat it well

 

I doubt mine will get enough heavy usage to be replaced down the road since I'll have both a desktop and a laptop, but I'll flat-out REFUSE for it to be replaced.

 

I cannot see how users with warranty for the 18 will continue to receive support. In the event of a mobo failure, how would they compensate us? Especially if we had years worth of warranty?

 

I still have two years warranty left on mine, have they ran out of M18X R2 parts?

 

Good luck mate. I upgraded my M18xR1 about a week after I got it cause I wanted more ram and an SSD, thereby (I'm fairly sure) voiding the warranty. What can I say, sometimes upgrades just need to happen. Needless to say, I'm very glad I didn't have any of your problems with the rest of the hardware. Just a though thought, have you tried replacing the PSU brick? It sounds like alienware is hunting for problems where they might not exist. A bad PSU could look manifest itself in other places.

 

You get offer of a AW17 R2 replacement with the SUPER AMAZING Graphic Amplifier turbo 2000.

(With a soldered CPU and GPU)

No I`m not kidding. Have already happened to a couple of AW18 owners
http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19613261

 

What the hell, surely that isn't a like for like replacement or better. I'm now terrified that they will offer me that if mine has problems. I might get spares and repair myself lol. This 2017 Dell warranty is now useless if they won't supply the parts.

 

Well it appears that I have spoken too soon, since the 680m's went in and they fixed the keyboard, I had a issue with my ac adapter not being recognized some of the time.... so they sent out parts..... another motherboard and a A/C adapter, the tech came today to install the mobo and give me a adapter .... turn on the comp and now there is artifacting on the screen... speakers sound like im listening to a mono cellphone speaker certain keyboard zones the alien fx isnt working.... so the tech ordered another mobo. i called alienware and was polite but kinda told them this is bull and unacceptable, they re-re-submitted a system exchange request..... now i wait

 

So they are sending me a 2015 17 r2 with a 980m .. i honestly dono how i feel about going from a laptop i can upgrade to one that isnt, that and the m18x r2 looks wayyyyyyyyyyy better than any of the new releases.

 

Ask for a refund. That's a massive downgrade you're getting there.

 

welcome to the wonderful world of alienware ownership. Atleast you didn't get 3 responses blaming user error like in my post. lol. It's almost like they make their stuff crap so you almost have to buy and extend your warranty.

 

take a refund and buy a clevo.. What a joke Alienware have become!

 

I would ask for a refund or an Area-51 desktop with 5960X and a single Titan GPU (or dual 980) as a replacement. That 17 R2 with a Graphics Amplifier would never be viewed as a satisfactory exchange for me. It does not offer enough performance potential and cannot be upgraded, even though it will initially be roughly equal to the performance of your system.

 

they are not even offering a graphics amplifier, i asked and he said the single card would out perform my sli 680m's, which is true in most areas but not all. soldered gpu and cpu sucks not to mention the single 2.5 inch drive bay .... who in the hell though 4x m.2 drives would be a wicked idea but only one 2.5 bay .... that and the 180w brick issues. also the 4980hq means i have to run windows 8.1 which makes me mad

 

They will keep a stock of old components but yes the 980M (It is almost but could be argued not) successor would be a suitable replacement to 780M/880M SLI machines in terms of performance.

EDIT: The 980M is superior to your 680M SLI setup in all areas, it's a fair exchange performance wise.