Complaint Review: Alienware Corporation

After two trips to Alienware repair center and my new computer still locks up every ten minutes.
My name: John W. Mullins
My address 6405 Shelterglen Ct.
Dayton, OH 45459
My phone 937-438-0415
My Alienware ID # 252766
My Alien ware p.o. # 83674 ship date 11/18/03

I have a problem with technical support issues and repair issues with a new computer I purchased through Alienware Corporation. Alienware Corporation has used false and misleading advertisement i.e. Two Hundred Dollar case rebate was a fraud. Also knowingly used faulty computer components that they knew are faulty. And have installed second rate used components.

I have sent this computer back to Alienware for repair twice, they have knowingly disregarded the problem and as stated above installed a processor chip they know to be faulty I think this is fraud. My computer has never worked correctly from the day I received it in November. It was down the whole month of November, December, shipped to Alienware in December and March. I got the computer back in April and I am getting more errors and lock-ups, blue screen that states Window's has encountered a fatal error and must be shut down. The lock-ups happen every five to eight minutes. This renders use of this computer useless to use.

I purchased a Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Dollar computer from this company in October 22 2003. I received the computer in November of 2003. Since receiving this computer I have had problems with this computer, computer crashes, lock ups, failed to boot up. Whether I was using Microsoft Office, surfing the web or any Game I tried to use. After reinstalling the wrong (OS) three times, tech support sent me three wrong disks, this has taken weeks and weeks. To get the correct OS disk after three attempts.
After numerous calls to technical support from November 2003 to now April 2004 the computer was shipped back to Alienware once before in January 2004 I just sent it back March 16th 2004 again.
Some of the dates I called tech support, 11/21/03, 12/27/03, 12/28/03, 01/02/04, 01/09/04, 01/13/04 and every week in February. Now on March 11th I received the proper OS DISK TO REINSTALL THE (O.S) Operating System Windows XP Pro.
Again after two months I get the correct (OS) IT CRASHES AGAIN ON EVERY PROGRAM. BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH ALL THE TIME (Windows way of telling you have a very bad problem. I have yet had a full week of use of this computer, I do not recommend Alienware Aurora FX-51 computer systems to anyone to use, until AMD fixes the compatible software issues. This is the product quality issue that I have complained about for months that Alienware has disregarded. I have found out I am not the only person that has had problems with Alienware computer systems, please log on to www.ripoff.com to find the other people who have had problems with this fraudulent corporation. This problems can not be ignored, corporations must hold to there warranty's. And not let these corporations get away with selling faulty new computer systems.
This problem needs your immediate action to stop this corporation from doing this over and over again to unsuspecting consumers.

Please Help

Hi John. I just went and glanced at the website for Alienware. Cute little computer cases they are selling people there. A gimmic that seems to be getting them a lot of money. I about died when I saw the prices they are charging people to put standard equipment in a pretty, custom computer box.

My first thought would be for you to open the case once you get it back and make sure (before turning the computer on) that all the cards and RAM chips are securely in place. I've had a card or RAM come loose in my computer just moving it from the floor to the top of a desk. Loose RAM will cause you to blue screen every time. Check to make sure it's securely in place. Also make sure the motherboard itself is installed correctly. It shouldn't be touching any part of the computer box other than the standoffs. If it is, it will cause you to crash upon startup. Last check your BIOS to make sure you have the correct one for the motherboard and also check your jumpers on the harddrive to make sure they are in the correct settings. Either of these things can make the computer not boot up correctly.

Next I would check your video card driver. The Alienware site says they use NVIDIA GeForce cards, same type I use in my computer. I'm also a gamer. Have you tried going to the NVIDIA website and downloading and reinstalling the video driver they make available there? That may solve a lot of your problems. NVIDIA is a great company, as they have one driver that works for all their video cards, you won't have to look thru a bunch of different versions of the card to find just the one you have installed in your computer.

I've been building my own computers for years and have never had any problems with AMD products. (If you suspect you need new drivers for your AMD chipset/processor though, you can easily download new ones from their website. There could be a off chance that the wrong ones were installed by the techs at Alienware.)

If none of this helps you (or sounds too geek to you), then if I was you, I'd be taking that computer to a local computer repair tech and have him or her take a look at it. As much as you have invested in that thing and the lack of service you have gotten from Alienware, I wouldn't keep sending it back and forth. Find someone local to you who knows computers and have them check it out and fix it the correct way for you.

Good luck. I hope your computer is up and running perfect for you soon.

Hi John. I just went and glanced at the website for Alienware. Cute little computer cases they are selling people there. A gimmic that seems to be getting them a lot of money. I about died when I saw the prices they are charging people to put standard equipment in a pretty, custom computer box.

My first thought would be for you to open the case once you get it back and make sure (before turning the computer on) that all the cards and RAM chips are securely in place. I've had a card or RAM come loose in my computer just moving it from the floor to the top of a desk. Loose RAM will cause you to blue screen every time. Check to make sure it's securely in place. Also make sure the motherboard itself is installed correctly. It shouldn't be touching any part of the computer box other than the standoffs. If it is, it will cause you to crash upon startup. Last check your BIOS to make sure you have the correct one for the motherboard and also check your jumpers on the harddrive to make sure they are in the correct settings. Either of these things can make the computer not boot up correctly.

Next I would check your video card driver. The Alienware site says they use NVIDIA GeForce cards, same type I use in my computer. I'm also a gamer. Have you tried going to the NVIDIA website and downloading and reinstalling the video driver they make available there? That may solve a lot of your problems. NVIDIA is a great company, as they have one driver that works for all their video cards, you won't have to look thru a bunch of different versions of the card to find just the one you have installed in your computer.

I've been building my own computers for years and have never had any problems with AMD products. (If you suspect you need new drivers for your AMD chipset/processor though, you can easily download new ones from their website. There could be a off chance that the wrong ones were installed by the techs at Alienware.)

If none of this helps you (or sounds too geek to you), then if I was you, I'd be taking that computer to a local computer repair tech and have him or her take a look at it. As much as you have invested in that thing and the lack of service you have gotten from Alienware, I wouldn't keep sending it back and forth. Find someone local to you who knows computers and have them check it out and fix it the correct way for you.

Good luck. I hope your computer is up and running perfect for you soon.

Hi John. I just went and glanced at the website for Alienware. Cute little computer cases they are selling people there. A gimmic that seems to be getting them a lot of money. I about died when I saw the prices they are charging people to put standard equipment in a pretty, custom computer box.

My first thought would be for you to open the case once you get it back and make sure (before turning the computer on) that all the cards and RAM chips are securely in place. I've had a card or RAM come loose in my computer just moving it from the floor to the top of a desk. Loose RAM will cause you to blue screen every time. Check to make sure it's securely in place. Also make sure the motherboard itself is installed correctly. It shouldn't be touching any part of the computer box other than the standoffs. If it is, it will cause you to crash upon startup. Last check your BIOS to make sure you have the correct one for the motherboard and also check your jumpers on the harddrive to make sure they are in the correct settings. Either of these things can make the computer not boot up correctly.

Next I would check your video card driver. The Alienware site says they use NVIDIA GeForce cards, same type I use in my computer. I'm also a gamer. Have you tried going to the NVIDIA website and downloading and reinstalling the video driver they make available there? That may solve a lot of your problems. NVIDIA is a great company, as they have one driver that works for all their video cards, you won't have to look thru a bunch of different versions of the card to find just the one you have installed in your computer.

I've been building my own computers for years and have never had any problems with AMD products. (If you suspect you need new drivers for your AMD chipset/processor though, you can easily download new ones from their website. There could be a off chance that the wrong ones were installed by the techs at Alienware.)

If none of this helps you (or sounds too geek to you), then if I was you, I'd be taking that computer to a local computer repair tech and have him or her take a look at it. As much as you have invested in that thing and the lack of service you have gotten from Alienware, I wouldn't keep sending it back and forth. Find someone local to you who knows computers and have them check it out and fix it the correct way for you.

Good luck. I hope your computer is up and running perfect for you soon.

Hi John. I just went and glanced at the website for Alienware. Cute little computer cases they are selling people there. A gimmic that seems to be getting them a lot of money. I about died when I saw the prices they are charging people to put standard equipment in a pretty, custom computer box.

My first thought would be for you to open the case once you get it back and make sure (before turning the computer on) that all the cards and RAM chips are securely in place. I've had a card or RAM come loose in my computer just moving it from the floor to the top of a desk. Loose RAM will cause you to blue screen every time. Check to make sure it's securely in place. Also make sure the motherboard itself is installed correctly. It shouldn't be touching any part of the computer box other than the standoffs. If it is, it will cause you to crash upon startup. Last check your BIOS to make sure you have the correct one for the motherboard and also check your jumpers on the harddrive to make sure they are in the correct settings. Either of these things can make the computer not boot up correctly.

Next I would check your video card driver. The Alienware site says they use NVIDIA GeForce cards, same type I use in my computer. I'm also a gamer. Have you tried going to the NVIDIA website and downloading and reinstalling the video driver they make available there? That may solve a lot of your problems. NVIDIA is a great company, as they have one driver that works for all their video cards, you won't have to look thru a bunch of different versions of the card to find just the one you have installed in your computer.

I've been building my own computers for years and have never had any problems with AMD products. (If you suspect you need new drivers for your AMD chipset/processor though, you can easily download new ones from their website. There could be a off chance that the wrong ones were installed by the techs at Alienware.)

If none of this helps you (or sounds too geek to you), then if I was you, I'd be taking that computer to a local computer repair tech and have him or her take a look at it. As much as you have invested in that thing and the lack of service you have gotten from Alienware, I wouldn't keep sending it back and forth. Find someone local to you who knows computers and have them check it out and fix it the correct way for you.

Good luck. I hope your computer is up and running perfect for you soon.

John I feel your frustration! I too ordered a system from Alienware (custom - close to $4,000).

From day one I had re-boot problems and now recently I've begun having CMOS problems as well.

The speakers I had would not work with this system (though they work fine on my other computer).

The headphones I ordered FOR this system must be plugged in EVERY time I re-boot. Alienware's response to that was the headphones require a lot of power so you need to buy a separate power source/USB connection for them..? What the hell?

I have contacted their customer support numerous times. I will grant that the last time I voiced my concern with their service it DID improve at that point, but not until I was at the end of my rope.

What is the purpose of their 'Alien Autopsy' anyway? I purchased this as an add-on at the time of purchase and have tried sending problems with it I don't know how many times, but they NEVER respond!!?!?!? I believe it's just a way to bilk more money out of unsuspecting consumers.

What bothers me most is that their quality control would allow a system (NOW TWO systems) to be shipped when they have FATAL errors?!?!

Count me on the bandwagon for not purchasing another system for this sub-standard company. Inferior products and customer service only becomes tolerable once you start threatening to take your business elsewhere.