Alienware replacement request.

Hello, my name is Olin Kirkland.

I bought an Alienware M15X laptop back in the summer of 2010 and love the product. When  my warranty ran out, I didn't worry because I trusted the brand to last. Recently, about two months ago, the laptop stopped working. This made me sad, but since I invest so much time in it either for my studies, work, side projects, and games I figured it would be worth the money to send it in for a non-warranty repair. The problem I had been having was that my hard drive and somehow BIOS were corrupted and my screen was severely scratched due to palm rest issues.

After $430 and a week of send-in repair (during which time I was forced to use a computer lab at my university for all my work), I received my laptop back with a single change. The cable from the keyboard to the screen had been replaced. This did absolutely nothing, and my computer still could not boot. I sent it in again, reluctantly, with detailed instruction on what I wished to have replaced.

The second time (about three weeks into the repair process) I received my laptop, I was overjoyed because the computer actually booted and I could get into Windows. However, I noticed several changes for the worse with my computer that were not there before.

- The screen had been replaced. This wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a physical dent in the lower right portion, causing a slightly dark spot to appear during very light or very dark illuminations. Furthermore, the screen is loosely attached to the rest of the computer and actually can be wobbled back and forth, which causes fluctuations in the hue of the screen. I'm very worried that the screen may just break off completely when I'm opening or closing the computer.

- The spacebar was loose. Upon further inspection, the plastic hinges had been broken, rendering the key nearly unusable. I ordered replacement hinges for about seven  dollars from replacementlaptopkeys.com, which make it bearable, but the spacebar regularly comes loose and has to be reaffixed. I don't know why this would happen during a regular repair, but I believe it has something to do with the reassembly after the motherboard was replaced.

- Games run a LOT slower. This, arguably, has something to do with regular wear and tear of the laptop, however I have run some tests and the laptop is significantly slower in all games (frames per second, at least) than before I sent it in for repair. I have lost about 20 frames per second on most high end games, which I find unacceptable considering I bought this laptop to handle any games fairly easily. I'm not talking about newer games, either. These are the same games I have played since I got the computer (StarCraft II being an example, which I have owned since it was released in 2010).

- The palmrest. Okay, this is a big one. The palmrest has been replaced, which was something I asked because of the screen scratching (palmrest was not keeping the screen up when the laptop was closed - it just let the screen rest directly on the trackpad, which resulted in scratching). The palmrest has been crunched into the main chassis of the computer so hard and forcefully that the chassis has actually been bent out of shape at the bottom. One of the decorative grills at the front of the computer that cover the AlienFX lights has been forced in as well, pushing the palmrest and chassis apart to let in dust and tilting the computer slightly to the left.

Now, this is somewhat understandable. I get it. Repair can get messed up. But twice? I was called and asked if I liked the repair. I said "NO", but the only alternative was to send it in again for yet another two to three weeks of waiting for a repair that may well come back wiped (I have data on this machine, you know), damaged (like this time), or unchanged (like the first time).

I am a very passionate person. I love things or I hate them. When I love something, I get other people to love it, too. I've gotten friends addicted to television shows and cartoons. I've gotten family members to buy the new Windows Phone because I have one and love it! I've even persuaded one person to buy an Alienware because I've enjoyed mine a whole lot. I'm a Computer Science major at my university and plan on doing great things in the future. If I ever have to buy bulk desktops or specialty laptops or peripherals, I'd love to do so from Dell. But customer service is important to me. When I'm ignored online and on the phone, that disturbs my whole experience as a customer, which is important to me. And when I get a crappy repair job, that's important to me. I've complained on my Facebook to hundreds of my contacts about this incident, and the damage has been done. I doubt any of them are going to buy Dell any time soon because what you hear from friends will influence your purchases heavily.

I know you can't make up for the time I lost at work and school because of the repair. I expected it. But redemption in my eyes is still possible. I can see myself getting on Facebook and my other social media outlets and spreading the word of Dell's Good Customer Service. But right now all I can see is red. I'm discontent and unhappy and angry. I would like, not a repair, but a replacement to my damaged Alienware. At this point, a replacement is the only thing that will bring me back as a loyal customer. And consider that one loyal customer can mean hundreds more.

Respectfully,

Olin Kirkland