Alienware (Australia) Lack of Support - RE: Old/Legacy m15x Laptop Under-warranty Hinge Repair

WARNING! Long read.

The following is an excerpt from a letter I have sent to various technology websites/blogs/forums, with accompanying documentation. Some parts have been ommitted for privacy reasons.

However if any customers wish to contact me in regards to this issue, please feel free to email me via my secondary email address: [email protected]

________________________________________


I purchased an m15x Alienware laptop last year in August through Alienware Australia, and more specifically via Aron Jackson. Although there are definite things about this laptop that I was initially attracted to and still like, it has been marred with problems both in a physical sense in terms of its construction quality and more specifically relating to this email, in a customer support sense. I should mention at this point that there are some problems which I believe are a matter of taste e.g. touch control sensitivity, but I am not concerned with these issues which are in my opinion minor.

In summary, the hinge has been broken now for some time and since making a formal request for repairs 10/09/09 under my 3 year warranty that I purchased with the laptop, I have been ‘bounced back-and-forth’ between a now non-existent Alienware Australia and an ignorant Dell Australia. A lot of this I believe has to do with the poorly organised takeover of Alienware by Dell, the lack of distinction between old/legacy m15x Alienware laptops and new Dell/Alienware m15x Alienware laptops and possibly the involvement in part by Aron Jackson as highlighted in this report which describes his previously reported management/financial troubles: http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/193618/jackar_hits_wall and http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/820944.html.

Listed below is a brief sample of the correspondence between myself and Alienware/Dell, that highlights what I have been enduring to obtaining repairs for a well publicised fault with the hinge on the m15x Laptop as highlighted here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=254627.

Please also note the significance of this forum being hosted NotebookReview.com and not by Dell/Alienware, which coincides with Donald Melanson Engadget report of Alienware only courting positive reviews i.e. no official forum exists for Alienware users to post their problems without influence/bias. I would also like to mention that this forum has been recently joined by Alienware representatives with subsequent deletion of some posts that try to highlight customer problems with Alienware, such as one posted by myself and another Alienware Australia customer.

I have kept a detailed chronology of my dealings with Alienware/Dell as shown below, in addition to concise records of websites during my research into Alienware. I believe the plight of Alienware (Australia) customers with products purchased from Alienware prior to the Dell merger, and the appalling lack of support they are able to obtain for clearly defective products still under warranty no-less, is of newsworthy content for your website.

An article by X in this regard would aid me and other ignored customers, as specifically in relation to my case this is leading to government intervention/legal action. It should also be noted that the quantity Alienware customers in the same plight as myself is unknown, which I believe due to Alienware’s aggressive influence in various forums as previously discussed. As such I would like to conclude in asking for any help that X can provide in relation to mine and others plight in dealing with Alienware/Dell.

Please feel free to ask me any questions or for any reference material/correspondence for which I most likely have referenced and/or catalogued.

Yours sincerely,

________________________________________

From:
Sent: Friday, 27 November 2009 1:28 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc:
Subject: Alienware m15x Laptop Hinge Replacement - Seeking Government Intervention for Warranty Claim

To Whom It May Concern:

The following email was sent to various Alienware Australia related email addresses that I could scavenge online, in an last effort to obtain under-warranty repairs to the hinge on my m15x Alienware laptop. I have been trying in vain to obtain these repairs since the 10/09/09 and have been going through a futile ‘back-and-forth’ process between the now non-existent Alienware Australia and the ignorant Dell Australia (as based in Manilla), through no fault of my own.

A chronology of these discussions/interactions with Alienware and Dell are listed below, including my most recent discussion with Dell Australia on the 25/11/09. Following this discussion, I was able to obtain this email address: [email protected] from the representative I spoke with and as such am emailing you now.

To avoid repetition, please refer to the below email in regards to my complaint.

Yours sincerely,

________________________________________

From:
Sent: Monday, 23 November 2009 6:41 PM
To: '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; 'Alienware'; '[email protected]'; 'Alienware Feedback'
Cc:
Subject: Alienware m15x Laptop Hinge Replacement - Seeking Government Intervention for Warranty Claim

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been informed by the departments listed below that I am required to mail ‘formal letters of complaint/demand’ before I can obtain government intervention to ensure my 3 year warranty is honoured sufficiently by Alienware:

For Alienware Australia:
- South Australia - Office of Consumer and Business Affairs

For Dell Australia:
- New South Wales - Department of Commerce
- New South Wales - Fair Trading
- New South Wales - Law Access

As such, please provide/confirm the following mailing addresses and relevant heads of department to address my ‘formal letters of complaint/demand’, as these are not readily available online:

a) Alienware Australia
2a Willowie Street
Albert Park
S.A. 5014
Australia

b) Alienware U.S.A. or company headquarters

c) Dell Australia
Unit 3 , 14 Aquatic Drive
Frenchs Forest
N.S.W 2086
Australia

d) Dell U.S.A. or company headquarters

In addition please provide any other addresses and department heads that I am required to notify, either through Alienware/Dell internally or other government agencies such as the ones I have listed above, to ensure that I have fulfilled my obligations as a customer under this warranty agreement.

Although I do not wish to escalate this matter further, my last 3 months of dealings/correspondence with Alienware/Dell as described chronologically below, have lead me to believe that the following courses of action are the only avenues left available to me:
1) government intervention
2) media support from various technology websites/forums (e.g. Gizmodo, Engadget, NotebookReview.com)
3) legal action

As such although I am open to any response from Alienware/Dell in response to this email, I will still be pursuing formal action against Alienware and Dell to obtain the necessary repairs to my laptop in a timely manner and/or compensation for my time thus far.

Yours sincerely,
[Various contact details omitted]

________________________________________

The following is a chronology of my dealings with Alienware Australia, specific to the under-warranty repair to the damaged hinge on my m15x laptop:

10/09/09 - Tim from Alienware Australia ph 1300 794 003
- Will order parts A & B (plastic screen covers) from Taiwan and will take 3 weeks to arrive in Australia (approx. 01/10/09)
- Both hinges and plastic parts will be replaced

25/09/09 - Tim from Alienware Australia ph 1300 794 003
- Will order metal hinge parts from USA in addition to plastic parts from Taiwan
- Will look into if hinge design will be improved upon replacement/repair
- Bending hinge with pliers to allow normal use will not void my warranty
- Will call me back end of next week (approx. 01/10/09)

02/10/09 to 12/10/09
- I attempted to call Alienware Australia, only to get directed to a answering machine/phone mailbox c.f. usual receptionist
- After leaving 4 messages over a period of 2 weeks, I was unable to leave additional messages as the Alienware Australia mailbox became full
- Alienware Australia website also disappeared to be later hosted by Dell

08/10/09 [emailed shown below]
- Emailed Alienware Australia in a last attempt to make contact in regards to agreed repairs

13/10/09 - Kristian (Senior Technician, Rep ID # 144 072) from Dell ph 1800 812 393
- After being transferred 5 times through Dell I was able to reach a senior technician who had no knowledge of the brand ‘Alienware’
- Left work phone, home phone and email with Kristian who promised I would be called in 24hrs

15/10/09 - Joseph (Resolution Expert) from Dell ph 1800 812 393
- My m15x laptop bought directly from Alienware and therefore a ‘legacy’ item and as such currently unsupported by Dell in terms of parts
- Agreed there was a shift of support from Alienware to Dell. Stated this was advertised on Dell forum but was unable to provide proof i.e. kept trying to direct me to Yahoo search but was unable to provide proof that this shift was even minimally advertised
- Summary: No parts available, no technician with experience on fixing laptop, no knowledge that the problem had been reported to Alienware Australia

15/10/09 - Angelo (Supervisor, Rep ID # 117812) from Dell ph 1800 812 393
- Mid-November = estimate of earliest support availability for my laptop
- Agreed that there was no official advertisement of change-over of support from Alienware to Dell and that only users/customers were reporting this occurrence

18/10/09 - Unknown person from Alienware Australia [email shown below]
- Apologises from Alienware Australia and notification that all warranty repairs have been transferred to Dell
- ETA of 10 working days for metal hinges from USA to arrive (approx. 30/10/09)

02/11/09 - Started seeking/researching government intervention to ensure warranty honoured by Alienware

23/11/09 - This email sent

25/11/09 - Neil (Level 2, Senior Technician, Rep ID# 160 838) from Dell ph 1800 812 393
- As with 13/10/09 and 15/10/09. I had to be transferred several times and explain each time that I have no ‘Dell Express Service Code’ and/or related number to provide, despite being directed to Dell via the Alienware Australia website
- Has no record of previous calls from me to Dell on the 13/10/09 and 15/10/09
- Made a Case ID# 3382576 for my issue, but only recorded my contact details and not the nature of the repairs required
- Agreed that no-one in the whole Dell building (based in Manilla) had any idea in regards to how old/legacy Alienware issues were being handled, confirming previous discussions on the 15/10/09 that no support exists through Dell
- Had no direct contact to Dell Australia or Alienware Australia
- Could only provide me with the [email protected] email address despite my protests of stating that I am receiving no response

26/11/09 - Dell NSW Head Office ph (02) 9330 3440:
- Phone number provided Neil from Dell on 25/11/09
- 14:30 = busy signal
- 15:30 = busy signal

26/11/09 - Dell Forums: This identical post deleted twice with no explanation, despite adherence to all forum rules.

In addition:

a) I have never been called-back from Alienware Australia on any occasion promised. In addition, only approx. 30% of the occasions when I have called Alienware Australia and left a message with the now no-longer present receptionist to please contact me back, has a representative called me back that day. As such, only the occasions when I have made contact with Alienware and was able to verify who I was talking to and what was discussed have been listed above.

b) No notification was provided publically or privately about the Alienware Australia changeover to Dell and how this would adversely affect my warranty claim as described above.

c) No contact details (mailing address, email, phone) for Alienware Australia and/or Dell are ‘readily’ available for Alienware Australia m15x laptop owners
- Email addresses to which this email has been sent to have been primarily extracted from various forums and invoices
- Alienware Australia only contactable via email as of 02/10/09
- Dell (Australia) has no knowledge on how to handle Alienware m15x laptop issues as described above, and constantly ask for information which cannot be provided i.e. Dell Express Service Code and/or Order ID numbers which are also required for emailing Dell through their website

d) Additional research has revealed this hinge issue is yet another (forum only) publicised issue in regards to the Alienware m15x poor build quality
- Previous major issues with the m15x Alienware Laptop that I have personally experienced: Kensington lock incompatibility, CPU & GPU down-clocking requiring 2 BIOS updates, excessively high CPU and GPU temperatures despite cleaning
- These issues are best summarised in the following forum post, yet not acknowledged by Alienware/Dell: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=254627


________________________________________
From: [email protected]
To:
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:15:55 +0930
Subject: Alienware(r) Support
Dear

Sorry about the late response.

As you probably are aware, we are in the process to transfer all the warranty to DELL support.

Your M15x hinge issue is in our priority list, however, unfortunately , we are still waiting for the panels from USA.

We already got the metal hinges, they looks much stronger than before.

So hopefully you won’t experience the same issue again after this time.

We will keep you updated , the ETA is approx 10 working days.

Really sorry about the inconvenience .


Best Regards

AlienCare Support Team

Alienware Australia
Ph: (AU) 1300.794.003
Ph: (NZ) 0800.550.625
Fax: +61 (0)8 8127.8015
www.alienware.com.au


This e-mail may contain material that is confidential and/or privileged for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, reliance or distribution by others or forwarding without express permission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and delete all copies.

________________________________________

From:
Sent: Thursday, 8 October 2009 2:05 PM
To: '[email protected]'; 'Support'
Subject: m15x Hinge Replacement: 4 messages left on 1300 794 003 already

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in regards to the under-warranty hinge replacement/repair for my m15x laptop.

I have tried calling 1300 794 003 and leaving messages on 4 separate occasions, with no response from Alienware.

Tim from Alienware instructed me on the 24/09 that he would call me during the week of the 28/09 in regards to organising this repair, but he has yet to do so 2 weeks after this date.

I ask that a representative from Alienware call me immediately in regards to this matter.

I also ask that details be provided in regards to an ombudsman or higher complaints department for Alienware, as I am quite frankly sick of dealing with Alienware in regards to numerous issues ranging from simple invoicing requests to basic Kensington chassis lock suitability.

Yours sincerely,

 

The hinge issue of the area 51 m15x cannot be resolved by just simply changing the lid, unfortunately. It is indeed a design flaw, which means that you can keep changing the lid, but it will still continue to break in time.

I was able to remedy this with the help of a local laptop repair shop here in Manila, as seen in this here post.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=423760

 

Thanks for the response Cha.

Judging by yours and many others response on these forums it seems like this is not an isolated case as Tim from Alienware Australia stated it was or more specifically he stated that there had only been 7 cases reported.

I'm not sure how other m15x laptop Alienware owners with only 1 year warranty feel, but as I have shown above perhaps it's a bitter-sweet relief for these people as my 3 year warranty means just as much i.e. nothing.

I did my homework on this laptop prior to purchase as much as I could and took a calculated gamble i.e. bought it anyway despite the reported problems, in addition to reassurances (which I have email records of) from Alienware staff and a 3 year warranty just in case.

This is most I ever had to endure with a faulty product.

As far as I am concerned this mis-treatment of myself and other customers by Dell/Alienware is not just appalling, it's pathetic.

 

Any of the Alienware-X users, who I assume are representatives, care to comment on my treatment thus far as detailed above?

 

Mailed the following typed and signed letters to Alienware Australia and Dell Australia today:

-----

[My address ommitted for privacy reasons]

Manager - Warranties and/or Complaints
Alienware Australia
2a Willowie Street
Albert Park, Adelaide
South Australia, 5014

OR

Manager - Warranties and/or Complaints
Dell Australia
Unit 3, 14 Aquatic Drive
Frenchs Forest
New South Wales, 2086


3rd December 2009

RE: Repair of broken hinge on old/legacy Alienware m15x Laptop under purchased 3 year warranty
Initial Order #: XXXXXXX, PO Code #: XXXXXXX, Purchase Date: 13/05/2008

To Whom It May Concern:

Since my initial complaint to Alienware Australia on the 10th of September 2009, no progress in regards to the repair of the hinge on my Alienware m15x laptop has been made by Alienware Australia or Dell Australia, in addition to a complete lack of response and recognition of my rights as a customer. This is despite numerous email correspondence and phone calls as listed chronologically below. Please note in the interest of space I have omitted the email correspondence from this letter.

As such I am writing a formal and final request to Alienware Australia and Dell Australia to honour the ‘3-Year AlienCare Warranty RTB’ warranty that I purchased with my laptop as itemised on the attached invoice from Alienware Australia. The damaged that has occurred to the hinge to my laptop was under normal conditions/use. This fault with the hinge on the m15x laptop, amongst others, are well publicised on the various non-Alienware and non-Dell forums online, the links to which I am able to easily reproduce as required.

Because of this lack of customer care, or in this case even basic acknowledgement of my situation from either Alienware Australia or Dell Australia, I will be immediately seeking government intervention through the relevant state consumer/trading organisations in South Australia and New South Wales respectively. This immediate action is warranted as it has been well over 8 weeks since my initial complaint, which is greater than is deemed a ‘reasonable’ by the New South Wales Department of Consumer & Business Affairs.

I will also be taking legal action against Alienware Australia and Dell Australia to obtain a full/partial refund for this laptop. This is as not only due to this major structural fault and other problems that are well documented online, but also due to:
- the lack recognition of these problems that I have experienced and my rights as a customer with a full warranty
- the lack of response to my requests and recognition of my status a current Alienware/Dell customer
- this treatment reinforcing that my rights under-warranty will not be honoured in reference to both future software and hardware/structural issues

Despite taking the action I have stated above, I still as I have done on so many occasions, ask that I be contacted by either Alienware and/or Dell to organise under-warranty repairs to the broken hinge on my Alienware m15x laptop. As it has been over 11 weeks since my initial complaint, I am well within my rights to set a deadline for this response to 1 week from the date from the receipt of this letter i.e. before the 10th December 2009.

Yours sincerely,

 

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you...but as you now know, Alienware Australia has notoriously BAD customer service......I mean like "if they were in the US they would be shutdown by the government" bad

 

so what you are saying is that there is virtually NO warranty here in australia. Damn and I was about to order a M17 or M15.

But thanks for posting this, at least it exposes criminal behavior of Dell/Alienware

 

woahh!! thats tooo much trouble dude... well I had creaking display from the time i received my area 51 m15x.. but i could live with the tat untill it got so worse that i thought it would break out. I called alienware UK and they asked me to post in a picture. when i did so they asked me to send in the laptop and i would be getting it repaired.. this was around September 2009. after a week or 2 i received my laptop and it had the SAME problem. I sent them a mail attaching a picture of the hinge(as there was a big gap on the under side of the hinge) and a video demonstrating the creaky noise. right after i sent the mail i gave the customer care a call and demanded a refund because my laptop was laready 7 months old and i only have a year warranty and iam not happy with built quality of it as it still wobbles and makes the irritating creaky noise. the customer care agent put me on hold for a min or 2 and then told me they would do a partial refund which was £500 off my original £2400.

Today Iam typing on my New M15x which is NOTHING like the old one.
BTW i never called dell customer care it was 0800-ALIENWARE that i rang. and plan to do the same..

 

I should also add that I've tried posting this in the Dell forums 5 times now and it's been removed each time for the following reason apparently:

"Your post contains language that we believe reveals non-public information about Dell or another company or person. The Terms of Service do not allow users to post this type of information, which generally includes the names, telephone numbers and/or personal email addresses of Dell employees and Dell Community participants, as well as tracking numbers, customer numbers, order numbers, or service tags."

However the 4th and 5th versions were even more stripped down than the above i.e. not a single name or Rep ID was present.

Just thought I'd mention this to highlight the extent to which I've been pushed in order to obtain a simple under-warranty repair by Alienware/Dell (Australia).

...I mention Australia in brackets above because as far as I'm concerned the company as a whole is responsible globally despite this seeming to be an Australian branch isolated incident i.e. Dell forums are global!

 

I have been contacted by Alienware-Laraque in response to this post.

I am debating re-posting these responses here as I am astonished that it has taken this amount of trouble, to put it very lightly, on my part to obtain a single response from Alienware/Dell.

However I am specifically asking, as I am sure other Alienware customers are:
- Why no 'official' forum exists for Alienware customer to converse in despite this forum?
- Indeed why did Alienware customers congregate to these forums BEFORE Alienware representatives joined and not vice-versa?
- Was this due to the level of bad press these forums were beginning to create and as such an attempt by Alienware to moderate this?

In addition to the formal letters of demand/complaint I have mailed, I am also in the process of filing a formal complaint with 'Office of Consumer & Business Affairs in South Australia' for Alienware and 'Office of Fair Trading in New South Wales' for Dell.

In regards to the 'Office of Fair Trading in NSW', this department merely acts as a mediator and as such I am also contemplating direct contact with the 'Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal in New South Wales' which has the power to issue binding orders c.f. just mediation.

As I have said at the beginning of this thread, please contact me at '[email protected]' if you are an old/legacy Alienware customer, especially in Australia, and are experiencing the same appalling treatment or even minor issues. I'd love to hear from you and am I am happy to help point you in the right direction which has taken me a couple months of research to realise is the required course of action.

Lastly for those of you who think this is a disgruntled rant, please keep in mind that my original private complaint was filed on the 10/09/09 with Alienware Australia, which is 4 months ago as indicated by the above chronology.

 

Contact on these forums by Alienware rep on 08/12/09.
Note that this is the first I have been contacted by anyone from Alienware or Dell since 18/10/09 as shown by the chronology above.
Also note that I still have not been contacted since the last response from this rep on the 10/12/09.

-----

Initial Order #: XXX
Tax Invoice #: XXX
PO Code #: XXX
Purchase Date: 13/05/2008
Shipping Date: 19/05/2008


1) Which department/company do you represent in terms of the newly formed Alienware/Dell company? What has happened to the Australian branches of this company and where are you based?

2) Given the chronology of my interactions with Alienware and Dell thus far since the 10/09/09, what will you and the department you represent be able to do for me differently?

3) Why has it taken this long for someone, such as yourself, to contact me as opposed to myself initiating the contact? And why is it that not a single representative from Alienware/Dell is even the slightest bit apologetic for more current situation?

Personal details provided including name, hone numbers (work and mobile) and email.

-----

If your area is specific to the online community, then perhaps you could answer the following questions:

4) Why does no forum exist for Alienware users to post their queries/problems and in addition why is NotebookReview.com the only, if not the best, source of information and contact for Alienware customers?

5) Why was my post that is identical to the one posted in these forums and that you are responding too, deleted from the Dell forums 5 times, despite containing no personal information, ID #'s or names?

6) I have emailed the following addresses 23/11/09:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Yet I did not receive a single response except for an automated email from '[email protected]' with the following Incident: XXX number.

Why have none of these email addresses responded to my situation despite being part of this 'online community' and despite even obtaining the above incident number? What course of action would you have suggested I have done differently given your involvement in the online community and indeed which email addresses/forums would you have suggested I contact?

========================================================================================================================

It has been 5 days since this last response on the 10/12/09 from this Alienware Rep and I still have yet to be contacted by anybody from Alienware or Dell.

Whilst I respect this reps answers in regards to Dell interactions with me, or lack there-of, and possibly the Australian situation due to locality, what angers me most is yet again I have another 'representative' agreeing that this an 'unfortunate' situation...

...but not a single forward action taken place since my initial complaint on the 10/09/09 by either Alienware or Dell.

Even more infuriating is this quote from the Alienware Rep:

-----

So again I ask on this forum, as this seems to be the only place left that Alienware or Dell will interact with it's customers despite numerous phone calls, emails and (unjustly deleted Dell) forum posts:

"If there are any other Alienware (Australia) customers out there ungoing this same appalling experience please contact me at [email protected]"
(Apologises for not responding yet Max, I have been busy with work and collating my own complaint to the various Govt. agencies)

-----

As a set of open questions to the rest of the NotebookReview.com world:

a) What does everyone think of this treatment thus far?

b) What compensation do think I and other customers with an un-honoured 3 year warranty should be entitled to?
Keep in mind the following is what is itemised on the invoice:
"Warranty - 3-Year AlienCare Warranty Return To Base + Toll-Free Phone Support"
In this case the base no longer exists and don't get me started on the amount of money I've wasted on phone calls to Alienware and Dell.

c) Do you think I've done everything possible as a customer to comply with Alienware and Dell?

d) What would you do in my situation?

e) Why does no forum exist for Alienware users to post their queries/problems and in addition why is NotebookReview.com the only, if not the best, source of information and contact for Alienware customers? (Note that the Alienware rep could not answer this question as shown above)

 

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your hinges. I had the 1 year warranty and one month after it ran out the hinges broke. I contacted Alienware UK and they repaired it for free. I asked them if the hinges would get reinforced but they replied that they would be reinforced like the standard ones = no reinforcement.

I told Alienware about my thoughts and they replied that they might repair the hinges again as a act of goodwill. Well, atleast they did it for free.

//Matrolz

 

I think Alienware is a very egotistical company.

They put their computers, and more importantly their service, on such a 'high pedestal'.

Yet clearly something is wrong with their computer design if something as simple as a hinge breaks in the majority of m15x laptops, or something as simple as a Kensington keyhole won't fit most standard locks. When did these examples of clearly appalling design of simple components become pedestal/'brag' worthy?

It's also sad that in your case Matrolz that your repairs on a clearly faulty Alienware product, and not a component such as the GFX card, were conducted by Alienware out of 'good faith'. As if this benevolent entity is bestowing it's good graces on you to fix it's own faults. I have some personal experience with Alienware non-apologetic attitude to these type of faults or when simple invoicing requests are done 'as a favour'. When did these expected normal customer service acts or corrections of their blatant faults become favours or acts of 'good faith'?

In my case I did my research as thoroughly as possible before I bought this laptop and hoped that the components in a 15' form-factor that I desired would outweigh the reports of bad customer service and computer (driver+troubleshooting) support. I also tried to take in account the old forum cliche that people only post when something is bad/wrong. Indeed I promised myself I give the laptop, my first ever, a year before I lent my evaluation to the multitude of posted growing disappointment. However here I am now having learnt my lesson:

"a good system is a the sum of it's components and the customer service that supports it."

Clearly this is not the case for Alienware.

Case-and-point my current situation.

But what's really been the main disheartening component of my 'Alienware experience' is that I've dreamed of having a Alienware system since I bought my first computer gaming magazine as a teenager and awed at the hype in their full-page ads. I dreamt of owning a rig that reached the lofty heights that is the pedestal they placed themselves on. Now I read some posts during my research into this and other systems where other customers have stated: "You're expecting too much" as if to say that the original poster shouldn't complain about their system if they find a clear fault...as it's just a hinge/overheating/unsecurable.

But one has to ask then that if a company puts themself into a position where they use words like "custom built" and "ultimate in Alienware performance and user experiences", then as a customer we have every right to ask for perfection. Nay, demand perfection given the exorbitant price we pay.

In conclusion the sad fact is, pedestal or no pedestal, I am stuck with Alienware as part of this 3 year warranty. A contract that I thought would not only be beneficial but a good precaution given the duration of my PhD...just in case one of those 'components' I gambled on were faulty. Certainly not "all powerful" Alienware chassis, customer serivce, BIOS updates, driver support, customer interaction, contactability, etc.

But what Alienware doesn't realise is that this is a two-way contract. They're also stuck with me.

So Alienware...
...whilst you're up there
...balancing precariously on your self-made pedestal
...how about you FIX MY LAPTOP!

n.b. The words in the " " were taken directly from the Alienware website...sorry the NEW Dell/Alienware website.

 

Hey,

I feel really bad for you. I also had the hinge problem (in Switzerland) but they replaced it without asking any questions. They replaced lid + hinges and now it seems that its a bit more stable.

Also, what I found helps is calling them instead of emailing. Calling them until you get somebody who actually is going to try and help you.

 

Hi Wattos I appreciate the advice.

But if you look at the chronology I have posted on the previous page, I have actually called and subsequently demanded to speak to supervisors from both Alienware and Dell, more than I have emailed.

 

well, then the only thing you can try is to use relatives outside of Australia (say Europe) and file in the request there, where its not a problem at all. Since you have the premium 3 years warranty, thats for sure international.

HOWEVER, I do find it a disgrace that you would have to resort to something like that.

Also, usually a letter from an attorney creates miracles. But that is also a step you should never have to take.

Oh and Im sorry for not reading all the details

 

No worries Wattos, the chronology is quite long and as such I'm not surprised that you and others have not read it. However it's indicative of the ridiculous and appalling mistreatment of me by Alienware.

As for action I have thus far:
1) Chronology shows the 2.5 months I tried to co-operate with Alienware + Dell above-and-beyond what a normal customer would do.
2) Sent formal letters of demand to both Alienware Australia and Dell Australia
3) Filed complaints with both the NSW and SA state govt. agencies for Dell and Alienware respectively

Next Step:
4) Enlisting law access to demand on my behalf that this contract be honoured

Thanks for your support though!

 

I am quite sure that you will be given free repairs as soon as they receive a letter from an attorney. They might even offer you compensation.

Some low companies do the same over here. They wont repair/refund unless some cause of action is taken in the form of the law. Then they magically want to help. That usually happens in cheap insurance companies in Poland.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck and keep us updated ^^

 

Whilst I was on holidays I received an email from an Alienware representative, with a Dell email address and this time from a 'critical response team', on the 06/01/10.

Now although this is a positive step in terms of someone from Alienware/Dell contacting me instead of vice-versa, let alone some semblance of an apology, please keep in mind the following:

7) The original complaint in regards to the hinge was filed with Alienware Australia on the 10/09/09, 3 months ago!

8) Why wasn't a support path for me and numerous other Alienware Australia customer organised PRIOR TO the merger with Dell?

9) As this representative is based in the USA, what does this now mean for Australian customers, or specifically in regards to my case in relation to "Who do I now deal with locally?"

-> This is of particular concern seeing as I am filing complaints with:

'Office of Consumer & Business Affairs in South Australia' for Alienware Australia which according to the 'Australian Securities & Investment Commission' are still trading under the name "Alienware" and based in South Australia!

10) If this is indeed a representative from Dell, why wasn't I contacted by him or someone else from his team following the numerous calls to Dell starting on the 13/10/09?

Lastly, one clear oversight on my part has been to not show photos of the now severely mangled hinge:

Please note that this is after progressive deterioration starting 3 months ago at which time I was given permission by Tim from Alienware Australia on the 25/09/09 to modify this hinge 'region' to allow for normal laptop usage.

I'm going to ask these new questions and the previous (6) and see what responses...or god forbid progress...I get, but again I hope this helps out some of you out there in the same plight as me.

As always, email me if you are in the same/similar plight as I'd love to hear from you...even if Alienware wouldn't!

 

Oh , I hope I don't have to go through all of this to get my hinge fixed (for the 3rd time).

In all honestly, alienware have been great with me. Took them 2 weeks to fix my hinge, and I got a complimentary 1920x1200 screen upgrade. (as well as a whole new chassis). When it came back with the HDD bios not working, i rang them up, got hold of an english person and he ran me through steps for an hour, after finally giving up defeat, he says he'd ring me back in 10mins while he asks the tech department. He rang me back in 10mins and said try to reflash the BIOS, and I tried that, no justice, so he said well sorry bout this, we cannt do anything you must of forgotten the password.

I went out and bought a new HDD, and it worked fine.

But 3-4 months later, it broke again, and now I have to ring them up to tell them, but I dread it now

 

Hi there, could you clarify please? They gave you a new laptop or you had to buy one with the £500 refund?

Cheers

PS - I have the dreaded hinge problem too... I've been burying my head in the sand about getting it sorted....

 

As I have stated on the 11/01/10 I have replied to the email from the Alienware 'Critical Issues Team' as shown below. It has been 8 days and I have yet to receive a response to the following email:

Please note that the 'Critical Issues Team' representatives name has been changed to AXXX and their original email is below in a quote box.

------

Dear AXXX,

Thankyou for email and apologises for not responding sooner as I was on holiday.

However given that I have been pro-actively seeking a response from a representative from Alienware and/or Dell’s Alienware department in either Australia or the USA for over 3 months now, I’m sure that you can forgive the tardiness of my reply in addition to my lack of faith in Alienware.

Due to this now ingrained lack of faith, I would firstly like to obtain the following information so that I may properly address my formal complaints for processing by the relevant Australian Government departments and subsequent legal action:

0) Alienware Australia Details:
a) Description of the new management structure for Alienware following the Dell merger within in Australia
b) Person in charge of Alienware Australia within Dell and their relevant title
c) Address of department for Alienware Australia outside and/or within Dell
d) Email and phone number for Alienware Australia within Dell i.e. not via Manilla and/or India call centre

Secondly please answer the following questions which I originally asked ‘Alienware-Laraque’ within the NotebookReview.com forums, as I strongly believe the answers I received were grossly insufficient in the least sense as a normal Alienware customer, and in a greater sense given my current chronology of dealing with this issue and trying obtain assistance:

1) Which department/company do you represent in terms of the newly formed Alienware/Dell company? What has happened to the Australian branches of this company and where are you based?
- Hence my question (0d) in regards to a non-call centre ‘point of contact’

2) Given the chronology of my interactions with Alienware and Dell thus far since the 10/09/09, what will you and the department you represent be able to do for me differently?
- Please also keep in mind that I have been tracking the amount of time I have spent dealing with this issue in a log book and to-date it approximates to greater than 20hrs of total time

3) Why has it taken this long for someone, such as yourself, to contact me as opposed to myself initiating the contact? And why is it that not a single representative from Alienware/Dell is even the slightest bit apologetic for more current situation?
- I find Alienware’s stance and action in this matter thus far completely appalling
- Why is the only method of contact to Alienware now a very impersonal email or a completely useless Dell call centre diversion? I have provided 2 contact phone numbers on every email/contact with Dell and Alienware and again at the bottom of this email.

4) Why does no forum exist for Alienware users to post their queries/problems and in addition why is NotebookReview.com the only, if not the best, source of information and contact for Alienware customers?
- Would I be correct in stating that Alienware representatives only started joining the NotebooReview.com forums AFTER numerous complaints from customers as they had no-where else to voice their concerns?

5) Why was my post that is identical to the one posted in these forums and that you are responding too, deleted from the Dell forums 5 times, despite containing no personal information, ID #'s or names?
- I can also see that your email address has a Dell suffix so I hope that you’ll be able to answer this question adequately

6) I have emailed the following addresses 23/11/09:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Yet I did not receive a single response except for an automated email from '[email protected]' with the following Incident: 091123-000001 number.

Why have none of these email addresses responded to my situation despite being part of this 'online community' and despite even obtaining the above incident number? What course of action would you have suggested I have done differently given your involvement in the online community and indeed which email addresses/forums would you have suggested I contact?

7) Do you PERSONALLY think I've done everything possible as a customer to comply with Alienware and Dell?

8) Why wasn't a support path for me and numerous other Alienware Australia customer organised PRIOR TO the merger with Dell?

9) I assume you are based in the USA. As such, what does this now mean for Australian customers, or specifically in regards to my case in relation to "Who do I now deal with locally?"

10) If you are indeed based in Dell, why wasn't I contacted by you or someone else from your team following the numerous calls to Dell starting on the 13/10/09?


------

I want to make this clear that I do not have a problem with you or any other staff member of Alienware/Dell in general. My complaint is solely with the past and present Alienware-Dell infrastructure...or lack there-of.

However I would like to bring to your attention your following statements below:

A)
“I would like to inform you that we will be replacing the damaged panels and hinges on your M15X under warranty.”

Given that my 3 year warranty was initially pre-purchased to avoid exactly this type of experience, it would seem to me that replacing the damaged panels and hinges on the my m15x laptop is the LEAST Alienware could do. What type of compensation will Alienware be organizing for me due to the experience I have thus far? Please keep in mind the 3 months or 20+ hrs I have had to invest of my time in dealing with this issue and that Alienware states repeatedly on the main website the “ultimate in Alienware performance and user experiences”.

In addition I now also have concerns about the wiring leading to the LCD screen due to the gnarled/contorted nature of the hinge on my m15x laptop, following it’s progressive deterioration over the last 3 months. Will this also be assessed and replaced as necessary?

B)
“We are currently working on addressing this immediate issue for you as well as providing you and all in warranty legacy Australian customers with a support path for any future customer service questions or technical support.”

As with question (8) above, I find appalling that these ‘support paths’ were not in place prior to the merger AND are still not in place. I also find it somewhat a devious marketing ploy on behalf of Alienware that my current old/legacy “m15x” model, which has had numerous online reports of continual problems, is now difficult to differentiate from the current un/less-blemished new “m15x” model. This has been a major issue with my trying to obtain assistance from Dell in terms of repairs, as detailed on the 13/10/09 in the chronology within my post on the NotebookReview.com forums. How will Alienware address this issue so that I am not continually asked for a ‘Dell Express Service Code’?

------

Please answer all these questions to the best of your departments ability, as I will be posting these answers in my NotebookReview.com forum post and sending them to others who have emailed me experiencing the same issues with Alienware Australia. Please also keep in mind that I am continuing my filing of formal complaints with the relevant Australian government agencies as detailed in my forum post, as a precursor to legal action and regardless of whether the answer I receive for question (0) is adequate.

Regardless, thankyou for your time and I look very forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

[I also included in this reply email every possible contact detail I have for Alienware to contact me and every possible number and date from the original purchase invoice]

EDIT:

Emailed the following today:

With the following additional question:

(added 19/01/10)
11) Why do you mention 'Alienware HQ' in your email title when Alienware Australia customers have never had access to this area in addition to a formal Alienware forum for support requests or an official warranty/information number to reference their purchase to Alienware USA?

Received the following in the 19/01/10:

Received the following 21/01/09:

Promising?
Is this an 'Australian' Alienware only issue?

 

As always email me at '[email protected]' if you are experiencing the same/similiar issues as me in regards to Alienware Australia.

You are not alone.

And to those that have already emailed me, apologises for the lack of reply I have been busy with my PhD and also addressing my own case. I will email you back this afternoon.

Lastly thanks NotebookReview.com forums! This is the only place where people can speak honestly about their Alienware experiences without being heavily censored.

Perhaps this is why it has so many Alienware Representatives as forum users.
i.e. type in Alienware into the user search and see how many reps come up!

 

man it blows my mind when I read stuff like this, Dell Support has just dropped to the lowest

 

Sent the following today:

 

I have had other Alienware Australia customers email me at '[email protected]' about similar appalling treatment.

I'm going to keep attempting to get Engadget and Gizmodo website attention to this situation. Would anybody recommend any other websites/tv shows/media entities?

If you are an Alienware Australia customer please email me with as much detail as you can as I'd love to hear from you!

 

Hi there , interesting reading ..... makes me very wary about even considering an AlienWare notebook.

Anyway, I think PC Authority, the Australia PC Magazine, has a monthly section where they actively chase up issues such as this (I can't remember the name of the segment unfortunately). In their monthly section they usually have a few pages in their magazine which outlines the problem, what has been done, how they have assisted, and the outcome. It might be worth a look.

Hope it helps !!

 

Back in the day when I used to buy computer magazines...before it was all online...I remember reading that PC Authority and that section.

Thank Dr.Boost, that was indeed helpful!

 

Try putting a complaint in with consumer affairs?

 

Thanks Ikuto, already done!

If anybody else in Australia is having problems I foudn this website very helpful:

http://www.complaintline.com.au/consumeraffairs.html

 

ive had some problems with my m17x..an american woman today sent me an email stating i have 7days to accept HER terms..in reply, i reminded them that american laws have NO bearing in the great state of new south wales, and that they will be replacing my m17x with a completely new computer.\

so if ur in nsw, department of fair trading is happy to have a chat

 

Lodged the following complaints with the relevant government agencies today:

Consumer Affairs Victoria:

New South Wales Fair Trading:

I debated whether I should lodge with the 'Office of Consumer and Business Affairs in South Australia' as Alienware Australia was formally based there. But I was informed (rather angrily?!) that I can lodge a complaint for a South Australia based company through 'Consumer Affairs Victoria'. It also seems pointless as no-one from Alienware Australia appears to exist in South Australia anymore, as evident by my chronology on page 1 of this thread.

Interestingly...Alienware Australia are still trading according to the 'Australian Securities & Investments Commission':
http://www2.search.asic.gov.au/cgi-bin/gns030c

 

Received the following 2 emails whilst I was away at a conference:

And sent the following reply today:

Please refer to my post on the 19/01/10 to see the 11 questions I have asked and am referencing above:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=437987&page=3

 

you should back up your data anyway. Alienware just did a HDD restore even though they were only supposed to fix the LCD screen. Unfortunately I would have never thought that they would so something like that, so I lost all my data :/.

I think the Grub boot loaded might have been too confusing for alienware

 

Following response from Alienware:

 

My response to them:

As always everyone, email me at '[email protected]' if you have been experiencing the same treatment from Alienware Australia as I'd love to hear from you.

 

fantastic letter madrabbit, im in the uk and my laptop is in ireland ( you can see it from the coast on a clear day ) thats how close my laptop is to me, but it went in for gpu repair never to be seen again, 14 jan 2010 and counting, i also got no information from 30-40 phone calls and or emails just the same answer we will have to get back to you etc....

i am now in refund mode as they say i will now get a refund, but again no one knows how much for or when, telling me today from tech guy that it might cost me £200 for shipping as shipping is not refundable.

like you im peed as well but i loved the a/w laptop it was great but when they break its an absalute nightmare.

good on you for going the whole hog, i hope you get your money/laptop fixed refunded soon.

i like the ( after all its just a computer) attitude.

 

It has been approx. 2 months since my last update to this forum post/'blog'. During this time, a lot of the negotiations between Alienware and myself have been occurring not only via email but also over the phone.

Indeed for the first time ever I have not only been contacted but kept regularly up-to-date on the the state of these repairs by the Alienware office in Miami. After getting in contact with this office, the negotiations were productive/'moved-forward' despite some minor hiccups.

To summarise briefly in approximate chronological order:

End of February 2010

1) I halted the repairs process due the reasons I previously posted on the 20/02/10, in particular:

a) I wanted the repairs that were going to be conducted to be agreed upon in writing via email so there was no dispute, including every component that was to be repaired/replaced/upgraded as part of compensation.​

b) I did not want my laptop sent overseas for repair i.e. Ireland and wanted it organised so that these repairs would occur in Australia.​

c) I demanded that the warranty be extended an additional 6 months due the time it had taken to organise these repairs.​

d) I asked for compensation in terms of possible upgrades for my time thus far.​

e) I wanted measures in place to ensure that I would not encounter this type of problems in obtaining under-warranty repairs in the future.​

Start of March 2010

2) All the above was agreed upon by Alienware in Miami. Indeed it was agreed by myself and Alienware that:

a) My m15x system was already at max. spec and little could be done in terms of compsensation/upgrades.​

b) A lot of the additional smart-bay components I already owned.​

c) A free game would be organised as compensation instead.​

d) An account was setup in the Alienware systems for present and future issues.​

End of March 2010

3) Alienware obtain the chassis + motherboard + LCD screen as one unit from their manufacturer. As such, this all required replacement despite only the hinge on the LCD screen being damaged.
(This has got to be a costly error on Alienwares part!)

However upon sending my laptop to Sydney (Dell HQ) to obtain these agreed upon repairs via a pre-paid courier, the replacement laptop that was sent from Miami (Alienware HQ) to Sydney (Dell HQ) was damaged in transit! Needless to say I was very unhappy about this situation, but Alienware handled this excellently by sending me a completely new laptop direct from Miami (Alienware HQ).

Rather than detail every single upgrade/repair, I thought I'd post my final email to Alienware here:

So after a 7 months saga, the end result as I've highlighted in bold type in the email above I feel was excellent. I cannot speak for customer from other countries but clearly there are some major faults with support for Alienware Australia customers.

Although 'Consumer Affairs Victoria' and 'NSW Fair Trading' did eventually reply to my official complaints, a lot of the above negotiations I believe took place between myself and Alienware i.e. without their aide. However I am unable to quantitate how much 'weight' they lent to the negotiations.

In addition I like to acknowledge the support of the Alienware team in Miami, in particular Miguel Ortiz who I believe also put some personal effort into getting this issue finally resolved. I hope he does not mind me stating his name in this post c.f. blanking it out via my usual method = MXXX OXXX.

I also like to thank NotebookReview.com forums! Without this forum post I would no have gotten the attention of Alienware Reps. that monitor these forums and as such would not have been able to resolve this issue. Indeed it is sad that for a company as big as Alienware/Dell that I have to resort to using a non-official forum, but it also important to note that I attempted to post this identical information in the official Dell forums...and it was deleted 5 times on the 26/11/09.

To this end, my next post will be the response from Alienware in regards to future support for Alienware (Australia) customers as I have asked as specific questions (e) to (h) in the email above.

 

Below is the following response from Alienware in regards to my questions about future support:

a) What is my official point of contact with Alienware or method for complaints from now-on? e.g. Toll-free, Australia based number or only your personal email address?
How do I utilise this new Customer ID: EUCCCCC? The new invoice states my Customer ID is XXXXXX?!
Is this customer ID to do with Dell (who seem unreliable) or Alienware in Miami?
Is there an official Alienware forum to voice my issues or even for other customers to help each other (keep in mind I was denied from using the Dell one several times)?

b) Has my warranty still been extended by 6months to the 19/11/2011 as stated by you in an email on the 26/02/10?
Is the attached invoice proof of this extension and if not, could I please get this in writing?

c) Given that this laptop is now considered to be a legacy product by Alienware, what is the state of future driver support and/or compatibility with the ‘All-powerful’ (Dell) m15x Alienware command centre upgrades etc. ?

d) Could you describe very specifically what had been replaced/changed in the LCD screen hinge design to ensure this problem doesn’t happen again, and please provide pictures/diagrams/schematics if possible?

I hope this helps some of you Alienware customers out there and lets you know to not give-up and that there is hope. More importantly:

1) If you are in the right, do not back-down.
2) Be reasonable and polite in your negotiations.
3) Seek government help early as this takes a while to get going.
4) Record every interaction and keep every email/invoice/agreement/etc.
5) Maintain your progress on a blog/forum post such as this one.
6) Start a mailing group to seek out other individuals in the same situation.

 

If anybody is happening to read this thread again, I would like to refer you to a new thread I have made in regards to the 2nd replacement laptop above encountering the same problems after only 6 months of normal use.

In other words:
"Got the replacement laptop and it's faulty the same way again!"

Go here if you interested and contact me at '[email protected]' again if you in the same situation:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/515823-hinge-broken-m15x-screen-again.html#post6674496

 

Closed - use OP's new thread - see above.