Hinge Broken on m15x Screen...AGAIN!

Hi everyone,

Some of you may have read my previous thread and observed all the trouble I had trying to get the hinge replaced in my 1st Alienware m15x during the Dell merger with Alienware:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/437987-alienware-australia-lack-support-re-old-legacy-m15x-laptop-under-warranty-hinge-repair.html

Well it's happened AGAIN! This time it's far worse with:
1) the white plastic holders in the screen section for both hinges being completely destroyed within the space of 1 week. i.e. the screen is no longer attached to the base except by wires
2) all the complete black regions are on the screen are now flickering green/purple

I've uploaded photos in the next post.

So in order to keep track of all the crap I'm going have to go through with Alienware + Dell + Consumer Affairs again I thought I'd open this thread.

The following is a brief chronology of my dealings with Alienware thus far:

13/05/2008: 1st laptop Purchase Date
19/05/2008: 1st laptop Shipping Date
10/09/2009: Initial complaint with about 1st laptop hinges
02/11/2009: Consumer Affairs Australia contacted
02/10/2009 to 11/01/2010: No assistance or contact from Alienware/Dell
11/01/2010: Response from Alienware Miami due to previous NotebookReview Forum post
29/01/2010: Response from Consumer Affairs Australia
11/01/2010 to 22/03/10: Negotiations with Alienware about repair of 1st laptop
24/03/2010: 2nd replacement laptop sent from Alienware Miami
30/03/2010: 2nd replacement laptop received

21/08/2010: 2nd laptop screen starts flicker green and purple in complete black regions
29/09/2010: Left-hinge on 2nd laptop screen starts to make noise with white plastics fragments falling out
05/09/10: Both hinges on 2nd laptop completely disintegrate. Complete black regions on screen now permanently green/purple.
06/09/2010: This post started.

I would also like to draw people attention to a couple of key statements made by the Alienware representative during my last correspondence following the arrival of the 2nd replacement laptop:

Please take these statements made by an Alienware representative in the context of this post showing the troubles all of us are having trying to get updated drivers for Alienware laptops:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/512417-190-x-upwards-nvidia-driver-compatibility-possible.html

and in the context of the 'new hinge design' statements above in reference to the photos below showing the damage of the these hinges during 6 months of normal use of my 2nd laptop.

Some of the more keen of you may notice that nothing has really changed in terms of hinge design between my 1st laptop (see photos here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/437987-alienware-australia-lack-support-re-old-legacy-m15x-laptop-under-warranty-hinge-repair-2.html) and this 2nd laptop hinge. The grey metal component from the hinge section is still 'flimsy' and unreliably attached to the silver metal hinge in the following pictures of my 2nd laptop. This tension causes the weak white plastic brace for the screws to contort, resulting in the hinge being destroyed and the monitor flickering green/purple permanently.

I should lastly mention that my laptop is still under warranty until the 19/11/2011 (extended to this time by addition of 6 months to original warranty due to Alienware taking 6months to deal with this issue).

 

21/08/2010: Screen to starts to flicker green/purple in complete black regions:


29/09/2010: White plastic bits start to fall-out of left hinge:



05/09/2010 Left-hinge white plastic brace/holder completely disintegrated:


05/09/2010: Right-hinge also now completely disintegrated:


Collection of white plastic bits that have fallen out of screen on 2nd laptop:


Movie showing constant flickering of green/purple on screen:
http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn248/madrabbit711/?action=view&current=2ndLaptopRepairMovie.mp4

 

At this point I would offer you the same advice to anyone living anywhere in the world. Copy the two post's and email to corp micheal_dell and state as posted on the alienware forums. I think it is time to put it in their backyard.
Good luck!

 

Oh yeah I can almost see how reinforced and sturdy the new construction is.... hmmm wait a moment.... it looks exactly like the old one...

 

Just posted in Dell forums here:
m15x Area-51 Laptop Hinge Broken on Replacement Laptop Still Under Warranty - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

During the issues with the 1st laptop, a post of this nature got deleted 4 times before I finally gave up so see how this approach goes.

I have also and email to the following addresses:

'[email protected]'
- This address was setup for Alienware Australia customers who had not yet contacted Alienware to organise a Dell account. It should be noted that Although I setup a obtained a Dell Customer ID#, this number is not what Dell considers a Dell 'Service #' and as such I am unable to use there system and am constantly bounced through the call centre. Despite assurances by Miguel Ortiz from Alienware Miami, FL that:

It should also be noted that this email address is now undeliverable!

'[email protected]'
- This the address of the Alienware rep I was dealing with directly towards the end of the issues with my first laptop (see thread referenced above). His email address is now undeliverable as well!

'[email protected]'
- This is email address Miguel Ortiz directs me to above but I have yet to receive a response. However it does seem deliverable too...

I have also called the following numbers in order to deal with this matter directly:

'Alienware Miami, FL: +1 866 442 5436'
- This costs me AUD$2.20 a minute to call and I'm on hold for 10mins of that time till I get to a call centre in Costa Rica. However. When I ask to be put through to Alienware in Miami, FL directly they do so. The receptionist then asks me for a extension despite me asking for any Alienware support staff in the building. I quote Miguel Oritz's extension 480-2184 as it's the best thing I can think of at the time and only get the mailbox. I have left a detailed message including my name, Dell Customer ID #, email address and phone number in Australia for him to contact.

 

Sent the following email to LAPTOP magazine:

 

this may or may not work for you. i had a lot of issues with verizon phones a while back so i got a verizon corporate phone number and actually got in touch with a verizon executive and since they sent me a brand new phone after warranty. you can try calling dell at: 1-512-338-4400. i just googled dell and went to their stock page from google (same thing i did for verizon). if not dell, alienware number listed on google finance is different, 1-305-251-9797 (not sure if the 866 number redirects here)

 

Sent the following email to PC World magazine:

 

@alienwolf:

Thanks for the idea! Not sure how to execute it but perhaps the following is a start.

I sent the following email:

EDIT: The above address is undeliverable as well! (no real surprise there though as imagine the volume of hate mail!)

@s2odin:

Thanks for the reply and mini-research.

The difficulty for me specifically is two-fold:
1) I'm based in Australia and most Alienware non-call centre support is based in USA.
2) Dell in Australia still refuses to deal with legacy i.e. Area-51 Alienware systems despite the merger.

Also if you look above I have tried calling Alienware in Miami, FL directly.

 

Contacted Dell via their online web browser-based email service located here:
Dell - Support

I finally got a response the detail of which are below:

Of other note I have sent 156 emails to Dell\Alienware since these problems started 13/05/2008 and I am getting very good at using forums...

 

Ah Australia. Its so lovely here isnt it?

Sorry to hear about all of your troubles man. I can relate.

I would also try and re-open your case with consumer affairs rather than re submitting. It will speed things along quite a bit.

-Ash

 

If ever there was an indication of how the Dell - Alienware merger was going, my case and following correspondence is it:

 

So hopefully I'll get the full refund, in Australian dollars, in a timely fashion and I can put this whole nightmare behind me.

@Ashtefere:

Trust me in that the NSW Fair Trading and Consumer Affiars Victoria have heard from me. Whether I'll hear from them again in a timely manner is another question.

The problem I had, at least with the first laptop, was that I bought the laptop when I was in Queensland from Alienware that was based in South Australia that merged with Dell in New South Wales and I have been handling from this case from my new place in Victoria.

So you can see 4 states are involved but I think were narrowing it down to 1 i.e. NSW where Dell is based. I have ask that Consumer Affairs Victoria hand the case over to NSW Fair Trading as I had the same thoughts as you!

During the issues with the 1st laptop, Consumer Affairs Victoria got back to me around the same time when the deal had already been organised between myself and Miguel Ortiz from Alienware. As such there is a case that they have on file but it wasn't pursued as the replacement laptop, this 2nd one, was on it's way. This was somewhat my fault as I struggled for a good 4 months trying to organise this without their aid by just contacting Dell/Alienware. This time I learnt my lesson and contacted them straight away!

In all honesty it's been this beyond appalling customer support from Dell/Alienware that has been half the issue. I have always maintained that a laptop is only as good as it's components and the support that surrounds it. In the first case I thought in terms of components I was just unlucky. Clearly this second time around the Dell/Alienware components and support are both crap.

 

Just wanna chime in and say that I dealt with the same rep at Alienware (Miguel) and he dealt with my problem quickly and efficiently. I originally ordered an m15x from their e-bay site with the 1200p screen and was sent a model with the 900p screen instead. Strike 1. It was replaced a week later with the right model. Then a week after that, the hinges started falling apart just like everyone else with these models. Strike 2. Then as an extra treat my ATI 3870 decided to just crap out on me one day. Strike 3. I called AW support three times and the first two "techs" were clueless. The second tech even hung up on me after I asked to speak to a manager after he advised me that they no longer support the old m15x and to just send it back and get one of the new ones. LOL. Finally I got into contact with Miguel and he issued me an RMA and I got my refund in full the other day. If you are dealing with Miguel, you are in good hands. He's a really nice guy. I just hope Dell one day gets smart and rewards the good techs and cans the jerks who seem to be in the majority over there. Sorry for the baseball reference mate, I know you guys don't play it down under.

 

@[email protected]:

Thanks fro your input!

I most certainly agree that Miguel at Alienware, Miami, FL is a nice guy and very professional. More importantly he gets the job done.

In my email above I state that he and/or Alienware have a lot to answer for due the comments that he made in regards to the new hinge design which subsequently broke again and the continued customer support which has been non-existent until he got involved. I not only say this to bring it to their attention in regards to what I consider 'a lie', but I have to state this to protect my claim.

However I also apologise at the end for the email being somewhat hostile, but Dell/Alienware's treatment of me this last year has been appalling. So whilst I do agree that I'm in good hands in terms of the person, I disagree that I'm in good hands when it comes to Dell/Alienware. This has been proven.

In addition the lines somewhat get blurred when he's their representative in terms of directing my 'unhappiness', which I'm sure you'll all agree is more than deserved.

 

So sad that a great AMERICAN company has been reduced to a shell of its former self!!!!

 

This is the state of things nowadays, and it's not only in the computer industry. Companies are so intent on producing new models and new products that they are often rushed into production, leaving customers to do the R&D. Same thing happened with Toyota recently, albeit with much more serious consequences. I feel like an old timer when I say it, but they just don't make things to last nowadays. My Atari 2600 is still kicking, while a $3000 boutique laptop starts falling apart after the lid is closed two or three times. Go figure.

 

It's also really sad that all the components inside from NVIDIA and Intel all work well. It's the Alienware chassis, the lack of Alienware+NVIDIA drivers and the Dell/Alienware customer support that really killed this potentially excellent laptop.

All it would've taken was some metal here and there instead of plastic, some new drivers for the 190.X and 200.X NVIDIA additions that worked on the m15x and someone from Dell/Alienware to contact.

That's it.

Sad really.

 

Which statement can you relate to "3 strikes and your out" or "3rd time lucky" ??

 

If referring to the 3 main problems I've had the m15x above then I actually thinking more ahead of that in terms of "these things come in 3's".

i.e. I'm getting my refund after this 2nd incident because I'm not going to wait for that inevitable 3rd time!

Looking at the ASUS G53jw at the moment. Hopefully this refund process will go smoothly. Miguel from Alienware Miami, FL seems pretty switched on though so it should.

Sad again. I have to go through all that call centre juggling, govt. agencies, resolution experts etc. just to get the 1 person in the whole of Dell/Alienware that can actually help.

...and it's the same person that handled my case before that I should've been directed to again in the first place.

e.g.

To call discuss a laptop I bought from Alienware in South Australia that merged with Dell based in New South Wales, I call the Australia number from Melbourne and get re-routed to Manilla, Philippines or sometimes Bangalore, India.

So I try and circumvent this 'Australia-centric' problem by calling Alienware directly in Miami, FL, USA. But this is now under the jurisdiction of Dell USA which I think actually based in Ireland (if you check my previous thread). None-the-less I call Dell USA and get routed to Dell Costa Rica where I then have to demand to get routed to Alienware Miami, FL, USA...

...to get voicemail.

Actually I take it back it's not sad, it's pathetic.

 

I have followed your threads (took some time to read) and totally understand and appreciate your approach in being proactive also not forgetting the amount of time you have spent in keeping all informed.

A good company would not discount one persons voice, instead should draw on the experience and find a better way of doing things for obvious reasons.

 

I feel your pain. I bought a m15x in 2008 and like everyone my hinges broke (left side) once but I was under warranty. I shipped the laptop to the repair center and it came back ''repaired''. Now the left side is starting to break again, there's a little gap opening but the screw is still holding on. From now on I don't close my lid anymore to prevent it to break. Since it broke the first time I've been very careful to close the lid the less I could because I didn't trusted the repair job.
It's very frustrating to realize that every m15x owners are getting the same issue. We pay 3000$ for a machine (in my case) and we can't even open and close the lid without any damage. I'm thinking about the 170$ custom job from Ztronics to fix it but it's currently unavailable right now.