One year, and one crap laptop later, and I have learned about Alienware first hand.

I was extremely excited to get my new duel core processor Alienware, with a nearly state of the art nVidia video card. I didn't even endure any real delays while my machine was being built. My first indication that something was wrong was when I loaded my favorite game, Rome: Total War and discovered some rather terrible graphic fracturing during the battle scenes.

I figured perhaps some problems had occurred loading the graphics drivers, or my game install was bad, so I reloaded the graphics drivers, and loaded a different game, but with the same result. This type of problem is really out of my league, so I called Alienware tech support for the first time. I eventually spoke with a tech representative that gave me a huge laundry list of things to try. He really didn't try to trouble shoot my system at all.

After reloading graphics drivers again, reloading my games, flashing my BIOS, and about step 10, reformatting my hardrive, reloading everything bit on my computer, they decided I should open up my laptop, and manually reset my video card. Having done this, with no results, they referred me to another tech, who had me load some diagnostic software from their website. The software ran correctly, with no errors, but still every time I tried to play a game with 3D rendered screens, I still had terrible graphic fractures.

This process took nearly eight months. At several points I tried to talk the tech rep into letting me return the computer for diagnosis, to no avail. Eventually, I even asked if I could just buy another video card, but they told me that model of video card is no longer available for my motherboard. ??? In fact, no other options for video cards are still available for my video card.

By the time I finished their laundry list of check items, my year warranty was up with the company. Instead of paying them now to ship my computer, I have resigned myself that I am stuck with a $3,500 pong box.

From the looks of other complaints on the internet regarding Alienware, I'm not alone. Don't let the glitzy cover fool you, these high end machines are consumer traps. A friend of mine has a great Alienware machine and hasn't had any problems with it, but it's a real dice roll if you pay top dollar for a nice gaming machine and have to settle with a PC that really won't do what you want. It's a risk I'll never take again, and would advise anyone else the same.

My grandson wanted an Alienware for his grade school graduation. His parents and us (Grandparents) went together and got him one. We are talking $5,000.00. This will be the third time it has been sent back because it does not work. This boy has not been able to use this for 6 months. What is the problem. We are talking a lot of money and a child's broken heart. Alienware needs to get it together.

This is about the poor customer service at Alienware, I have left the sales reps names as their real names, because it was their lies and lack of responsibility that ruined what should have been by now 2.5 months later a PC.

As many people who are about to purchase an Alienware computer, I was excited! Yes, excited, im 21 work as a professional accountant, yet I was excited about the what I believed to be imminent receipt of my Alienware machine.

What I didn’t realise was that my excitement was about to turn from disappointment in to out right anger and remorse!

Back in August, after some time saving, I had finally raised enough funds to purchase a computer, not just any computer a gaming monster! I search around, weighing up my options and comparing prices, and most importantly customer service policies. I decided to go for the Alienware ALX computer, which had a price tag of £3,500 about $6,400. This was substantially more than every other site, but I knew (at least I thought I knew) that they had brilliant customer service, and since they had just been taken over by giants corporate muscle DELL, I assumed customer service would be brilliant.

Sadly I was wrong, after ordering in August, I heard nothing, the Alienware website sat at stage 3, payment processed. Alienware has a 10 stage system, which depicts at what stage of readiness the computer is at.

In around mid August it moved to say I was in Stage 5 production, at that point it stayed. After a few weeks of non movement, I send an email to customer services, asking why my computer, which as the website said would be read at the latest of 30 days. A week later, a reply email was returned, stating a part was missing and was on back order. The email did not state the part, or when I could expect it. I replied to this email, asking politely what part was missing, I never received a response.

In mid September, I was still sitting at stage 5, production, I decided this was not good enough, I picked up the phone and spoke to a women called Rachel, she told me it was a delay with the case, but it would arrive on the following Monday, and so I only had two weeks to wait.

The following week decided to add a sound card to my order, I telephoned Alienware and a German sales rep answered the phone, he was extremely rude and spoke poor English at best. He had no knowledge of the stock at Alienware and took nearly 30 minutes to tell me could not sort out adding a sound card. He said he would phone me on Monday, to confirm that a sound card would be added. The rep never phoned me back. In the end I spoke to Rachel once more, she told me that adding a sound card would put me right back to the start of the production queue, I hastily decided I no longer wanted a sound card. While I was on the phone to her, I asked her to confirm the status of my computer, she informed me she would have to speak to someone in production, and would phone me back later that evening. She never phoned me back.

I phoned again a few days to find out why Rachel had not phoned me, a women called Laura answered the phone, she said it was the water cooling that was actually missing, and they did not know when it would be received, she told me to phone them the following week to find out when it would be in, I said that was unacceptable, but this was barraged with false appologise and patronising “I understand sir” comments.

On Thursday of that week, I was reading numerous complaints about Alienware on the internet, just google Alienware complaints and you will see what I mean!

I was appalled by the sheer volume of complains and decided enough was a enough, and I phone up to cancel my order. I spoke to a woman called Kate, not wanting me to cancel my order Kate made up a whole list of lies on the spot, claiming my system was ready, she said it was ready to ship the following morning. I asked her to confirm this with me the following morning.

Kate did not phone me the following morning, so extremely angry now I phoned up Alienware and spoke to Laura again. Laura told me my system was not even in production and they had not even started to build it. In disgust I cancelled my order, I am in the process of complaining to the corporate ombusdsperson about the sales rep called Kate, as she blatantly lied to me.

At no point did Alienware inform me a part was missing, by email phone or otherwise.

No one at Alienware knew why my system was late.

The Alienware customer service reps, are liars, they are happy to make up stories to keep your money in the Alienware account, earning interest until you demand a refund.

There is no one at Alienware who specifically handles cases, which would make more sense.

Apparently at Alienware the “case”, “water cooling system” and “ready to ship” are all synonyms!

Also 30 days apparently means “when we damn well feel like it”!!!

The only thing Alienware did manage to do was refund me, but even that was not on time. I am very unimpressed with Alienware, I will never shop with them again, and I will advise anyone who is looking for a computer not to waste their time and money with Alienware, they are very good at taking money, but very poor at delievering goods or customer service.

So in conclusion, unless you are happy to received crap customer service and no computer, phone Alienware.

Aside from empty appologies, nobody ever contacted me to appologise for the crap they gave me........