[Gunslinger101]

I did the research, the #1 rated desktop system was Alienware. The tech support is rated as the best. The price is high, but they have the liquidcooled system. I took the plunge, oredered it the way I wanted it, identical twin harddrives and RAID 1 support on the motherboard. Called while it was being built to make sure the RAID stuff was set correctly. I was informed that it was and that when I got the new system I should call tech support, and activate the RAID. I actually got it early, gorgeous system, clean inside and out.

I call Tech support as instructed. In two hours they managed to crash the computer so bad, it will not run. So, in the next 12 hours (over two consecutive days) I finally find out that they did not ship the correct recovery disk for the Windows Media Center, with drivers, so I cannot recover the system. Mind you, I didn't lose any data, it just won't run. The Tech guy, and yes, I keep a running list of whom I speak to, callls marketing, who state the new disks "just came in" and they would ship one FedEx, over night to me. No need for overnight I say, I'm on my way to Maui for a week. OK, we'll ship it two day, so it will be there when you get back. Great, thanks for the help.

Fast forward to last night, I get back, no disk. Called this A.M. Talked to tech support, they say the disk was mailed USPS and takes about two weeks to get here. From Florida? My mother gets me stuff in 3 days in the mail, if only it took two weeks. So now what? I ask to speak to customer service. No, they can't do anything about it, blah, blah, blah. So I ask to speak to a supervisor, they are all busy and can I hold. Three times the girl whom I am speaking to comes on the line to try and argue me down. I said, "Look, it is ok if you don't have the authority to send me the damn disk, but don't argue with me." As she continues I ask who I should ship it to to return it. Bear in mind, it has a full warrantee on it. She said I would have to pay a 15% restocking fee if I don't want the system. I explain to her that they cannot charge a restock fee if the computer does not work. Again with the arguement. Finally, after demanding again to speak to a supervisor, she said they are all busy, I wonder why, and they would ship the disk second day FedEx. Which was my first request.

I still don't have my computer working. Does anyone else have any eaperience with Alienware? I think their ratings need to drop by quite a bit. Maybe when it is up and running, I will forget the misery, the 14 hours on the phone, the argumentative servie folks, and I'll just be ecstatic. For now I have a $4,000 paper weight,or boat anchor, and I'm a bit pissed and frustrated.