Help!Alienware 18 replacement is dead! Warranty is over...

Hi,

The last thing I remember doing on my "just arrived two weeks ago replacement Alienware 18" is rebooting... Then Nada. Not booting, not beeping, nothing. No HDD, Wi-Fi or numlock LEDS. Freaking DEAD. I got this laptop as a repalcement for an MX18R2 with two Radeon 7970 and the replacement is a beast: Alienware 18 with TWO GTX 780M, 16GB, dual 750GB and mSata 64GB and Blu-Ray drive... The replacement was agreed on the last days on my original warranty and it ended on July 29th this year.

I called Alienware and there was shock in the voice of the tech: "You got it only two weeks ago! What happened?" I told my story and after talking with his supervisor they agreed on a Free Service to the Depot where they would replace all bad components and return it to me within 2 two weeks. That sounded cool until I received the confirmation ticket.

Ticket reads:


Thank you for contacting Dell's Technical Support. It was a pleasure working with you in our attempt to resolve the issue you are having with your system.

The following information relates to your recent call. In order to replace your part, we have setup an exchange.

Case #xxxxx
Service Call # 1xxxxx

If Dell requires the defective part to be returned to Dell, you will find a return air bill in the box. As you are responsible for the returned part, Please complete the following steps.

Replace all defective components with the new components including manuals, cables, etc.

1.) Affix the air bill to the box the replacement part shipped.
2.) Ensure Dell's warranty reference # is listed in the billing reference section.
3.) Call 1-800-225-5345 to have the box shipped back to Dell Inc.
4.) Retain a copy of the air bill for your records.

Please return defective component within 5 business days. You WILL receive an invoice, it is not payable unless you do not return the component. Please keep this invoice as a record of service preformed.

Note it will take approximate 10 business days to receive the defective component back in to Dell's system.

If you need a status update on this service, please contact us on-line at: Dell Support
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Respectfully,

From that text, remembering that the warranty is out, what do you believe I'll be receving ? I've tested all things known: remove battery, press power for 30 secs then try, nope. Removing coin cell battery and short two connectors to erase CMOS, nope. There is nothing else I can think of. It lights up but no activity at all and as well, no beeps and no LED on the right side...

What do you think and what should I do/expect? Is there anything I can try before sending and taking the chance of getting something worse? A good thing to know is that I just received a query for a survey on the incident that got me the replacement. I had only 10's to give to them...

Thanks!

Yves

 

First off I'd probably be tempted to call support back up and ask for their understanding on this - as its a generic email.

However, my take on this is they'll be replacing the motherboard, and that the information you received in the confirmation ticket is to help you send the system to the service depot. Sounds like as long as the replaced parts are returned to Dell there will not be a charge, and that is surely something that the depot should handle.

Best of luck, and you should seriously consider getting a warranty from Dell for your new beast asap

 

Hope it all turns out good for you.

 

They probably are not considering your warranty void since it was just sent out as a replacement. One thing for sure that I would do is find out how much warranty (if any) technically exists on this new exchange and extend it for as long as you can.

It is possible they are exchanging it again instead of a Depot repair because they will want to capture this system to analyze what is wrong at an engineering level.

 

I agree sounds like you will get a box that box will be for your system to go back to the depot..where they will either repair or replace it. Check on Dell Support site under your account for warranty under your tag # for order info (box being sent and any other info there) Don't panic yet sounds like they are working to resolve the problem..

 

Hmm, seems like somebody edited my post

 

i have a issue like yours and pretty much cuz my warranty finish this month sand i just get a replacement for my system and i ask if i have problem with my system what happend if it fails?? cuz i was out of warranty :S they told not to worry cuz we have 90 days to call if we have a problem with the replacement unit and they can change all the parts cost free cuz its the same ticket or problem.. thats why they replace the unit.. so dont worry if u are out of warranty cuz they cover all the thing wrong in the replacement unit of curse that after 90 days u can renew ur warranty for 220dlls to still have the protecction


sry for my rly bad english hope this helps i just hear that for 2 reps of dell

 

Hi!

I'm the OP and French. My spoken English is good but not always up to the point of completly understanding whats being said to me. I kind of remember after reading your post that the tech mentioned something about 90 days...

I'm hoping that they will replace faulty components and that I will get the same unit as it is very well set parts wise...

Anyway, I posted in another thread about much of the same thing and would just apprreciate if anyone knows a way to reset the thing. Evidently, if it's a dead mobo, there's nothing to reset!

We'll see and I'll lit a candle!