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Dallas Cowboys: Bruce Allen
Cowboys look for jump from Spurlock
Spurlock admits it is kind of funny that his first game will be against the Redskins.
"It was just one of those situations where it wasn't a fit there," Spurlock said. "It became a fit here. You move on. There's no hard feelings at all. Just go play, and we're trying to get a win."
The Cowboys hope Spurlock can spark the return game that has dried up with Dwayne Harris slowed by a hamstring injury. Terrance Williams has handled the kickoff duties in Harris' absence, but he might not play Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Cole Beasley has handled the punt returns.
In nine games for the Lions, Spurlock averaged 22.5 yards per kick return and 6.6 yards per punt return. For his career he has three kickoff returns for touchdowns, and two punt returns for touchdowns.
The Cowboys have made a late-season play for a returner before. In 2003, they signed Michael Bates in time for the regular-season finale. In the playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers he had seven kick returns for 172 yards, with a long of 41 yards.
In 2009, the Cowboys signed Allen Rossum to return kicks and punts, but he was hurt on his first return against Atlanta. The man he was supposed to replace, Patrick Crayton, had a clinching 73-yard punt return for a touchdown in the win against the Falcons.
The Cowboys are the third team Spurlock and Bisaccia have worked with together. They were together in San Diego as well.
"I've been around him a long time," Spurlock said. "Shoot, out of eight years maybe six years I've been around him. Some stuff has changed, but after looking at the pictures and stuff, it's pretty much the same stuff with different names. But I'm familiar with it."
NFC East free-agency primer
Cap status: Some last-minute contract restructuring Monday got the Cowboys under the 2013 cap. They're not far enough under to operate very deftly in free agency, so don't expect any big splashes from them in the first wave, but they still have the ability to extend Tony Romo's deal or make some more cuts if they find someone they really want to fit into their budget.
Strategy: They should work on the offensive line, which was atrocious in 2012. But after signing two free-agent guards last year and giving center Phil Costa a two-year extension this year, the Cowboys may put off addressing that need until the draft. I'd expect them to be active on the veteran safety market, as they have question marks at that position, and there appears to be enough free-agent inventory that costs for safeties should be kept low. Depth on the defensive line and at running back will be important as well, as the defense is changing to a 4-3 alignment and DeMarco Murray's backup, Felix Jones, appears set to hit the market. Expect the Cowboys to bargain-hunt at positions that haven't traditionally cost too much.
Cap status: After Sunday night's agreement with defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, the Giants remain around $7 million under the cap. Enough to get them in compliance and work on deals for their own free agents but likely not enough to make them players for too much outside help.
Strategy: For the Giants, the focus is in house. They'd like to bring back guard Kevin Boothe, tight end Martellus Bennett and of course restricted free-agent wide receiver Victor Cruz. They can tender Cruz and keep him, but they'd prefer to get a long-term deal done soon if possible so the headache goes away. As for Boothe and Bennett, if they'll sign for the Giants' number, they'll be Giants. If they want to try to cash in on the market, the Giants likely will look in other directions. They appear set to let valuable safety Kenny Phillips depart after his injury-wrecked season, so they'll look to address that position as well as linebacker, running back and offensive line. Don't be surprised if Jenkins isn't their last defensive line move, either. They do like to have depth there.
Cap status: The Eagles have about $34 million in salary-cap room and are likely to add $11 million more with the expected release of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on Tuesday. They will be able to get any player they want to get, most likely.
Strategy: The Eagles' management figures that whoever remains in place from two summers ago knows all about how badly the last big experiment with free agency went, so don't expect to see a frenzy like the one it created on the market in 2011. But the Eagles have many needs -- cornerback, safety, linebacker, nose tackle, a right guard or tackle, maybe a big wide receiver. They will be active because they must. As for strategy, though, I'd expect them to target younger free agents who can help them build the roster long term, not just help them contend in 2013. The moves the team has made since firing longtime coach Andy Reid and hiring Kelly indicate that Kelly plans to be in Philadelphia for a long time and is thinking about what can make his team competitive for years to come, not just right away.
Cap status: Cutting veteran cornerback DeAngelo Hall saved the Redskins $8 million in cap room Monday. That and the contract restructure of defensive end Adam Carriker helps the Redskins address the significant cap problems they're still having as a result of the $36 million in penalties the league imposed on them a year ago. More cuts and restructures are likely on the way.
Strategy: The free-agent strategy since Allen and Shanahan came on the scene has been consistent. The Redskins like to target players in the 26-, 27-year-old range who have shown encouraging flashes but not necessarily yet proved all they have to prove in the league. They like hungry guys, and as they continue to build around second-year quarterback Robert Griffin III, they will continue to try to employ this strategy. Perhaps you heard reports this past weekend of the Redskins' interest in cornerbacks like Derek Cox (26, coming off injury) and Antoine Cason (also 26). As they did with Pierre Garcon at wide receiver last year, the Redskins will target guys who might not be at the top of the market but fit what they want to do both schematically and economically.
I'm not sure John Mara should be talking
But in the grand scheme of things, when we sit down to talk about the right and the wrong of this whole situation, there's very little right and a whole big pile of wrong, and the defiant stance Mara took Sunday afternoon made that pile much bigger.
The aggrieved parties in this instance are the Redskins and the Cowboys, and they're keeping quiet on the whole thing. Sure, they filed a grievance against the NFL and the NFLPA on Sunday, seeking to get some relief from the combined $46 million in salary cap room they've been docked over the next two offseasons. But they declined several opportunities Sunday to add to the rhetoric.
Bruce Allen, the Redskins' general manager: "I have nothing to say on that. We'll let the league speak to it."
Mike Shanahan, the Redskins' head coach: "I'll let the commissioner speak about that."
We tried egging these guys on. I read Jones the quote from Mara in which he said the Redskins and Cowboys were lucky they didn't lose draft picks for this, and all Jones said was, "That's John's opinion. Not my opinion."
But Mara came out guns-a-blazin'. And if there are people out there who believe (as I do) that the NFL has acted with irresponsible, petty arrogance in this case and imposed unjustified penalties against teams that broke no actual rules, Mara's stance isn't likely to change their minds.
There was no salary cap in 2010. This is a fact. Mara repeatedly brushed that aside during questioning Sunday, irritated at the fact's mere existence. "We've had a cap for 29 of the last 30 years," he said more than once, and he explained rather clearly that teams were told, more than once, to watch the way they spent money and structured contracts during the uncapped 2010 season. He basically admitted to what, in any other business, would be collusion and grounds for an antitrust lawsuit. But he bristled at the mention of that word, too, saying, "This has nothing to do with collusion. It has to do with teams attempting to gain a competitive advantage through a loophole in the system. They attempted to take advantage of it knowing full well there would be consequences."
What we know about this case is that the NFL basically engaged in a sanctioned form of collusion in 2010, telling its teams that yeah, there was no cap, but that they needed to act as though there were one because they were sure the cap would come back and it was wrong to use this "loophole" as a means of gaining an advantage against the cap in future years. Mara admitted all of that Sunday, and he did so in a way that strongly indicates he believes himself to be on the correct side of the argument.
But he is not, of course. And in more ways than one, he is very much in the wrong.
Mara is wrong because the only thing of which the Redskins and Cowboys are guilty is failing to honor a shady gentleman's agreement between 32 billionaires who don't want to pay their employees any more than they have to. What the NFL, Mara and the other owners did, effectively imposing a salary cap when none had been agreed to by the other party (i.e., the players) in their collective bargaining agreement, was patently wrong. To punish the teams that didn't go along with the wrong, and to so strenuously defend the punishment as though it were right, is the height of arrogance.
Mara is wrong because, by effectively admitting collusion, he's giving the NFLPA ammunition for a new fight the league does not want. The union had to drop all pending litigation against the league as part of the Brady settlement last year when the lockout ended. That included the collusion charges they filed against the league for the suspicions they had about this kind of 2010 activity. Mara's admission could well qualify as new evidence that could allow the union to file new charges. And because the NFLPA is named in the Redskins' and Cowboys' complaint, it has the option of obtaining discovery on collusion should it wish to pursue action against the league. The union is upset that the league backed it into a corner here, effectively forcing it to agree to the penalties against the Cowboys and Redskins under the threat of a reduction in this year's salary cap, and would love an opening from which to attack on this.
Mara is wrong because he's the chairman of the NFL Management Council, which is the group that imposed these penalties, and he's the owner of a team that plays the Cowboys and Redskins twice each year and competes with them for the same division title. That's not to say Mara did this on purpose to get one over on two division rivals. But one of the first things we're taught in any journalism class is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety -- to steer clear of any activity that could ever allow anyone to accuse us of engaging in a conflict of interest. That is clearly not a concern Mara has in this case, but he should. There's a chance he should have recused himself from this whole thing, and even if he hadn't, he's not doing himself or his excellent reputation any favors by being the aggressive face of the penalties.
What's interesting here is that, when these penalties came down, a lot of people assumed it was the teams at the other end of the spending spectrum who were upset with what the Cowboys and Redskins had done -- traditionally low-spending teams like the Buccaneers and the Jaguars and the Chiefs and the Bills. But what seems clear now is that Mara, the owner of the Giants, was one of the driving forces behind holding the Redskins' and Cowboys' feet to the fire over an issue the league office likely wouldn't have pursued if not for pressure from owners. It makes Mara look petty and small and vindictive, and those aren't words usually associated with him. It makes no sense to me that he's gone to such great lengths to allow people to apply them to him now.
Power Rankings: Top 10 left tackles
Take a quarter out of your pocket and look at its width. That's basically the difference between the top two left tackles in the ESPN.com Power Rankings.
Cleveland's Joe Thomas received 76 points from our eight-person panel of voters. Miami's Jake Long received 75. That put them way ahead of the rest of our top 10 list of the NFL's best blindside pass protectors.
Our panel of division bloggers gave Thomas five first-place votes, and Long received three.
"It was pretty much a coin flip for me,'' said NFC East blogger Dan Graziano.
If Graziano's quarter had landed on the other side, we might have had a different outcome. I think the same can be said for some of the other voters. I gave Thomas my top vote only after some strong consideration for Long.
But let's cut to the chase and point out the man who ultimately decided this election. It's AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky. Every other voter had Thomas and Long in the top two spots. Kuharsky threw things off a bit by putting Long at No. 1 and Tennessee's Michael Roos at No. 2. He had Thomas at No. 3.
Let's turn to Kuharsky for his rationale.
"I've seen Long more, which helped him,'' Kuharsky said. "Also, frankly, I knew there could be close to a consensus for Thomas. He's very good. But we're not talking Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden. The groundswell for Thomas as top left tackle is, in my eyes, more a media creation than the view of players, scouts and coaches. I wanted to note and reflect that.''
Point taken, and I agree that we're not talking the same level as Pace and Ogden -- at least not yet. Thomas and Long are young and it's too early to put them in the category of surefire Hall of Famers. But, aided largely by Kuharsky, Roos did finish No. 6 overall.
Ryan Clady, Jordan Gross and D'Brickashaw Ferguson rounded out our top five at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 respectively. After Roos, the rest of the top 10 was filled out by Jason Peters (No. 7), Marcus McNeill and Donald Penn, who tied for No. 8, and Matt Light at No. 10.
Let's work our way back toward the top, with one more quick stop at Roos. I had him at No. 8 on my ballot, and James Walker and Kevin Seifert didn't even vote for him. I've had a couple of scouts tell me Roos is a good left tackle, but seemed to take a step backward last season.
Kuharsky heard otherwise.
"I've had a coach and two scouts tell me Roos is as good or better than Thomas and Long,'' Kuharsky said. "I obviously see Roos a lot and think he's quite good, certainly better than he wound up here.''
Roos or ruse? Take your pick, but let's head right back to the top of the voting and back to the argument between Thomas and Long. They were drafted one year apart with Thomas entering the league in 2007 and Long coming in for the 2008 season. Each has made it to the Pro Bowl in every season played.
Kuharsky mentioned the "media creation'' about Thomas. In Cleveland? That's not where you usually turn to find guys to top Power Rankings, so our vote has to say something pretty strong about Thomas. Let's turn to the guy who covers Thomas.
"Thomas has always been focused on doing his job,'' Walker said. "You can't tell whether the Browns are 16-0 or 0-16 with the way he plays, and that's why he's been to four straight Pro Bowls. The NFL has gone the way of speed pass-rushers, and Thomas is the prototype to combat that. He's lean with very good feet and agility, but still strong enough to dominate in the running game. There's really no weakness in his game."
None of our panelists saw a weakness in Long's game.
"I thought Long's run-blocking ability put him a little bit ahead of Thomas,'' Grazianzo said. "I think he's shown improvement every year and is likely to pass Thomas soon if he hasn't already (and for me, these lists are about which guy I'd pick right now, so a guy I think is going to get better is going to get a long look from me). And he earned a bonus point or two from me for playing the last six games of 2010 in a shoulder harness and still being incredible.''
The best news is, these guys are so young we can have this same argument every year for the next decade. Now, let's move on to some other notes about the voting in the Power Rankings for left tackles.
Turn off the Light. As we mentioned, Light came in at No. 10. That surprised me a bit because he's a big name with three Super Bowl championships and three Pro Bowl selections. I had Light at No. 6 and Walker had him at No. 4. But Light didn't even appear on four ballots, including the one from AFC East representative Tim Graham.
"Matt Light is a quality player, but Stats Inc. blamed him for 10 sacks allowed and four penalties last season, more in each category than his previous two seasons combined,'' Graham said. "I've always thought Light got more recognition simply from being Tom Brady's left tackle. Once you name the three or four elite tackles and you rack your brain for the next group, it's easy to understand people sorting through the great quarterbacks and asking, 'Who is so-and-so's left tackle?' Light made the Pro Bowl last year, but as an alternate. Light's reputation also is enhanced by his involvement in the union and being a truly rare species: the gregarious Patriot.''
Also-rans. Andrew Whitworth, Chad Clifton, Doug Free, Russell Okung and Jeff Backus didn't make the top 10, but each received votes.
"I don't think there are 10 elite or even complete left tackles in the NFL,'' NFC West blogger Mike Sando said. "I list Okung on a very short list of players with the talent and makeup to be elite at that position. Okung hasn't played enough to this point, but I think he'll join that group this season. Listing someone with considerably less ability was the alternative.''
The longest shot. Somewhere, former Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen and coach Jon Gruden are smiling at Penn's name appearing on this list. It's true, they headed the regime that signed Penn as a free agent in 2007 after he was cut by Minnesota in 2006. Then again, they were also the ones who signed Luke Petitgout, and Penn only got a chance to play because Petitgout turned out to be washed up. I used to subscribe to the theory that you needed to use a first-round pick to get a good left tackle. But Penn has shown that's not necessary. In his case, he simply made the most of his shot at playing time and turned it into a $48 million contract as training camp started last year.


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Used Mercedes-Benz Sedans Reviews
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Travel Blogs from Woodbridge
A Brit explores the nations capital
... in the structure. Well at least they had not just covered it because they knew we were coming.
With the Navy yard shooting happening yesterday we were worried that the city might be on lock down,but that turned out to be an unfounded concern, with all attractions\memorials open to the public.
Next up we headed over to Obama's house (for the next 3 years only). Pretty cool pad if i might say so myself, ...
Day 38 - On to Washington
The Plan - get the train to Washington and wander around the memorials What really happened - We arrive at our final destination by train. To my surprise the overwhelming impression as we step out of the station is the similarity between Washington and London - the architecture, the trees, the traffic, the atmosphere, the number of people on their phones and the number of Japanese tourists. There ...
What An Absolutely Awesome Day!!!
... their first, and then on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson died and was buried there. The cool thing was that I got to the cemetery a full ten minutes before anyone else. Do you know what it's like to spend ten minutes conversing with one of your childhood heroes? Best ten minutes of the trip.
Then it was back to the Visitor's Center for a film and ...
So long, farewell!
... at RAF Alconbury where we had gone our very first day in England. Since tomorrow was Easter, Cheryl wanted to pick up some groceries at the commissary and make a quick stop at the Exchange for a new watch. We picked up some snacks for our journey (which included some yummy Reese's Eggs- yum!).
It was back to the cottage for some "chillax" time before the Easter Vigil Mass that Cheryl was going to bring us to in Huntington. We ended ...
Visiting El Presidente...
... what needed to be seen there. We went everywhere and spoke to anyone who would listen. We scarcely remembered to eat because we were so swept up in the moment and the vibe, that we could **********taine ourselves. When we did stop to eat, it was very rushed - for fear of missing out on anything happening in thee streets. For us this was like Thanksgiving feast for the excitement starved San Diego couple. We needed to get it all in!
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Some of us are Twilight fans, and some aren't. But regardless, you'll be interested in Bella's wedding dress. I haven't seen the movie yet (released today) but I plan to, JUST to see the wedding of Edward and Bella. InStyle magazine shares sketches of the dress. There are several to look at….I wonder which one they went with. They all look very vintage with a modern day twist….all very beautiful. Thanks to the Vegas Wedding Planner for the tip-off. Originally, I wasn't going to see the movie because I was pretty disappointed in the 2nd movie of the Twilight Saga. But if this one has a wedding in it, it's a must see! You KNOW it's going to be romantic. That Edward!
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Chesapeake Hyatt Hotel Dips into Cash Reserves to Meet Bond Payments
Updated: Friday, August 2 2013, 09:22 PM EDT
A government-backed hotel built in Maryland now finds itself unable to generate enough money to meet bond payments. Just last week the state-backed Chesapeake Hyatt Hotel was forced to dip into cash reserves to make payments on $160 million in bonds issued by the Maryland Economic Development Co.
In a letter obtained by FOX45, the Hyatt's Board says it must draw another $2 million from an emergency fund to make its most recent payment – depleting a "rainy day" fund just as payments on principal are coming due.
The Hyatt is not the only local, government-backed hotel having trouble meeting its financial obligations. Earlier this year Baltimore's venture into the hotel business hit a snag when the Baltimore Convention Center Hotel was also unable to generate enough cash to make debt payments.
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- Frederick Police Chief Thomas Ledwell to retire
- Anne Arundel had expensive primary race
- Brown and Hogan agree to second televised debate
- Prince George's charter school to end recess
- US Book Festival adds programs on movies, cooking
- Man gets 27 years for robbing armored vehicle
- Wife of Maryland U.S. Rep. Andy Harris dies


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About the AuthorChristopher Kozlowski
chriskoz St. Petersburg, FL
A professional visual journalist since 1987, I like to design photography books and make my own photographs in my spare time. Born in Detroit, Mich., I have also lived in Pittsburgh, Pa., Boston, Mass., Dallas, Tex., and Phoenix, Ariz.
Publish Date June 06, 2008
Dimensions Standard Landscape 76 pgs Standard Paper
Category Biographies & Memoirs
Comments (1)
Comment posted.
historion says
excellent book thanks for the wonderful stories and memorie edith
posted at 01:43pm May 23 PST
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Alienware Is a Big Disappointment
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It took Alienware two weeks after my order was paid for to tell me they had no cases on hand for this featured laptop model. When it was finally shipped from the factory, two of the three boxes were missing; the laptop arrived but the software and peripherals did not. FedEx never took possession of them, this was confirmed over the phone. But it took another week to get Alienware to admit this.
When I finally received the rest of the order I get everything set up and connected and turn on my new laptop for the first time. I had been waiting for the Norton security software, Works Suite, and the mouse, bluetooth adapter, external floppy drive, things like that. So it would be done right and all together.
Well, the drivers for the internal hardware were not installed, in fact a lot of the drivers were not installed. The wireless card would not connect, even though I had a very good signal on my WiFi Finder. And both of the installed CD/DVD drives would not open -- the light would flash and I could hear something but the doors wouldn't open on either one of them. That's just what I've found wrong so far. Not much I can do with it if I can't install from CD or get on the Internet.
Alienware brags about being based in Florida and having all of their computers built on-site in Miami. Well, their tech support is in India -- but they won't tell you that. These guys all gave American names but I could hardly understand what they were saying. Never did get the wireless to work, that guy just passed me off onto some other department to deal with the drive bays problem. This new guy wanted me to turn the laptop over and open it up, at which point I was supposed to remove the drive bays and do something to them. I didn't understand what he was expecting me to do, I couldn't even figure out which panel I was supposed to remove. And besides, I didn't have a screwdriver to fit those tiny little Philips head screws.
See, I'm in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down, and I can only use one hand at a time because I need one in my lap to support myself so I can sit up straight. It was very hard to turn this laptop over, it weighs like a slab of lead. I told the tech on the phone, I'm going to need on-site service for this, and why I can't do this. And I do have an on-site contract with them. But I was told that's not possible. In fact, I've been told not to call them again unless I have someone here with me that knows how to work on this thing.
I am a disabled veteran on a disability pension. I never should have financed something so expensive just so I can have something to do. I know now that I could have bought two Dell XPS gaming laptops and got change back for what I've committed to for this thing... this thing that I have yet to even use. Don't make the mistake I did, don't buy from Alienware. You'll only be sorry you did.
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viperpa33s on 2006-04-22:
I want to thank you for your service to this country. Alienware taking advantage of a disabled vet is sickening. Alienware has to be the worst computer company. You pay $4,000 to $5,000 and they sell you garbage. Owning a Yugo was better than owning a Alienware. There tech support stinks and they don't honor there warranties. You pay to have in house support but they make you take apart your own machine. If you work on your computer and it breaks, the warranty is VOIDED!!! Dell owns Alienware now so you may want to contact Dell's corporate office. Get your money back anyway you can. Contact your state attorney general, BBB, even your local news.
viperpa33s on 2006-04-22:
One thing more which I forgot to say cause it got me so riled up. I hope you paid by credit card cause then you can dispute it since they sent you a faulty computer.
tawanda on 2006-04-22:
From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your service to our County and for protecting my freedom. Although we are sometimes remiss in our gratitude for our service men and women, we should always remember that freedom isn't free.
tawanda on 2006-04-22:
It wasn't too terribly long ago that 60 Minutes did an expose on Publisher's Clearinghouse. PCH was intentionally targeting the retirement community duping them into spending thousands of dollars to better their chances of winning. As I recall the government went after them for their conduct...
I mention PCH to get to this point - I can't imagine our government, let alone our nation to tolerate such treatment of even one veteran. Maybe by forwarding your complaint to 60 Minutes or Dateline and, as Viper so aptly points out, naming Dell as the parent company, you might be able to receive the refund (and then some) that you quite rightfully deserve. :)
I know to each their own, but I've never worked on a bad Micron...
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Alienware/Dell is Finally Stepping it Up!
Posted by
I first contacted Alienware sales support through the online chat thing. I built my setup, and spoke with James Williams on the chat. This happened on Tuesday, 07/17/2012. I received a quote via email, but told him I had to think about it. On Friday 07/20/2012, I decided I would purchase, so I emailed James directly, and he responded INSTANTLY and said the quote is still good, and would have a financing person contact me in one hour. Got AMAZING deals with the $100 off and the Dell Advantage program with free 2nd day shipping.
Just before an hour passed, I got a call FROM AN AMERICAN SALES person to process my order. I got the confirmation email and my order was already passed the processing stage, and into the production stage THE SAME DAY!
Again, I purchased a customized Alienware M14X R2 on Friday, 07/20/2012 with custom nameplate and everything. It is now Wednesday, 07/25 and my M14X is already halfway here! Fedex estimates it will arrive tomorrow, 07/26. From order date of Friday, 07/20 with a delivery date of 07/26 for a customized M14X with custom nameplate all within ONE week!?!?
Alienware/Dell is FINALLY stepping it up!
I still have my M15X, and it is still running STRONG! I can't WAIT to play with my M14X R2 tomorrow after work! I will keep this updated, but with my experience with Alienware/Dell so far, I have never had a down moment yet!
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Horrible Horrible Horrible!!!
Posted by
So I've always wanted an Alienware laptop because I heard they were the best So! I bought an m15x for 1 they messed up the hardrive size and gave me a 250 when I paid for a 500 I called in about that they said they could do nothing so I basically said whatever so 4 months later a week after my warranty runs out I go to turn on my Alienware and nothing happened the lights turn on then the screen doesn't come on and all the num lock keys caps and scroll blink non stop so I suspect a messed up motherboard. so I call them and this is what they say they tell me I HAVE TO SPEND 600 DOLLARS JUST FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK AT IT!?!?!?! 600 DOLLARS? YOU KIDDING ME THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE REPAIR! they said the repair could be up to 400-1000 dollars!? WHAT? come on! and also they said IF I RENEW MY WARRANTY THE MOTHERBOARD IS NOT THERE ISSUE SO IT WILL STILL COST AROUND 1600 DOLLARS TO FIX WHAT KIND OF COMPANY IS ALIENWARE/DELL! A HORRIBLE COMPANY. with HORRIBLE CUSTOMER CARE!
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drugdoc121 on 2011-07-22:
I learned a long time ago (the hard way) that Alienware is expensive crap.
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Alienware: Blows
Posted by
SOUTH CAROLINA -- My name is Grant Culbertson. My communication is to inform All of the troubles I have encountered while dealing with the company Alienware. I purchased an ALX computer for the sole purpose of owning a top of the line gaming computer for over $7,600. What I received was a faulty and malfunctioning device. We started having problems from the moment I removed it from the box. I then contacted the Alienware support staff to solve these problems. The issues were hardware. They sent me several new pieces of hardware. I even purchased more memory from Alienware in attempt to solve the issues. After I had made over 40 support calls the company finally agreed to have the computer sent back to Alienware to have it repaired. They took a week to repair the computer and sent it back to me. However, the PC was not fixed. I experienced the same problems as before. More support calls and again the company asked me send to the computer back in to have it repaired a second time. I told the company that fixing this computer was pointless. It was a lemon.
We requested from Alienware either provide a new computer of equal value or a full refund of the $7,600 I spent to buy the computer. The company has sense refused to provide me with a either request and has been very uncooperative, rude, and unprofessional. The first contact person I spoke to was a [snip] at the phone number 1-305-251-9797 ext. 2016. [snip] superiorâs number is [snip] at 1-305-251-9797 ext. 2014. I tried to file a complaint with the company but, was directed back to [snip]. His superior allegedly is the CEO of the company who can only be reached by E-Mail (email@example.com).
If there is anyone out there looking to get a high-end gaming computer I would suggest to go anywhere but Alienware. BEWARE OF ALIENWARE. May I suggest you do an internet search of problems with Alienware BEFORE you purchase any products from this vendor. Now, I am left out to dry after spending over $7,600, days of time with their technical support / staff and have no computer.
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Soaring Consumer on 2009-04-17:
This is definitely Dell Hell.
I suggest that you contact the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs at http://www.scconsumer.gov/
garyculb on 2009-04-17:
Thanks, we have contacted the SE BBB, Consumer protection agencies in FL & SC.
BokiBean on 2009-04-18:
gary, I hope you get some resolution from them, that is a heck of a lot to pay for a comp.
garyculb on 2009-04-18:
You better believe it. I bought the PC for my son. He researched and determined this was the best gaming computer out there. Unfortunately he did not check on complaints and problems. I am a MAC USER. He refused to go with what old dad had been using for decades. Live and learn.
BokiBean on 2009-04-18:
That's a hard lesson to learn! I had always heard that Alienware was the best too, but that was years ago and now I'm starting to hear complaints. Stay on them. :)
garyculb on 2009-04-23:
To bring everyone up to date here is what has transpired. Several phone calls and E-Mails. Alienware stated they would replace our PC. Here is how they purpose to do it. They will utilize the same frame work of the lemon they sold us and add new components. Cash value of $6,300. They state there are several components that we purchased that are no longer available. Alienware refuses to provide a store credit for the full value of what was purchased. If anyone is considering a gaming PC- STAY AWAY FROM ALIENWARE!!! It is a consumers nightmare.
The Ant on 2011-09-10:
Do yourself a favor - do research on a new computer - build it - contemplate your sales experience - remember what was advertised and promised to you.
Build a complaint based upon what was advertised at time of purchase, and what you have not received. Forward your complaint to the Division of Consumer Protection in your state; and the state where Dell/Alienware is based: Florida.
If you don't receive a favorable response, send a professional letter to both the Governor and Attorney General in your state asking for assistance.
We, as consumers, can make a difference.
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Don't Ever Buy Alienware From Anyone
Posted by
CALIFORNIA -- A few years back I had gotten a high end Alienware laptop from a friend. Used it as my home computer, with no problems. Three weeks ago I went to turn it on and the screen got funky and the system would not get to the user log on screen. Well things happen, so I called the Alienware Tech support and explained the problem. Tech's immediate question was to ask for my Account number. I explained that I hadn't purchased it, I got from a friend, however was more than willing to pay to have it repaired. I was told that Alienware could not touch it since I did not have a registered Account with them (read: I hadn't sacrificed any money directly to them).
OK, Mr. Tech dude, tell me where your authorized dealers are, I'll take it there. The response? They can not work on it either. Seems the authorized dealers are not authorized to work on a system that does not have an Alienware account. I asked repeatedly how this was customer support and was told over and over again, in order for them to answer anything, I had to have an Account. I asked several times to have him explain what happens to people who do not buy their product direct. Each time his only answer was: I'm trying to explain. Finally I asked to speak to a stupidvisor, oops, supervisor, who might make it more clear. I was told that although he had just spent the last 6 minutes explaining the company policy, he'd look for someone. I spent the next 5 minutes listening to canned music before I lost the connection.
Although I was impressed with the capabilites and capacity of this laptop (and was willing to recommend it), I am now extremely dis-enchanted with Alienware and am finding every site or blog I can to vent. These guys are a rip-off.
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Anonymous on 2009-03-24:
They are not a ripoff. Alienware was purchased by DHell a couple of years ago. That alone should explain the poor (read non-existent) tech support you got. Take the laptop to a local repair place, not Geek Squad, and have them take a look. The laptop you have is most likely a much better quality than any laptop DHell puts out under the Alienware name these days.
The Ant on 2011-09-10:
Don't blog on sites - it is effective for other consumers to know they are not alone . . . however, this is just ineffective venting.
Review what happened - think about the sales experience. What were you promised?
If you purchased an In-Home/On-Site warranty that has never been delivered as advertised (or similar complaint) . . . professionally edit, document . . . then send to the Division of Consumer Protection in you state; and to the state of Florida - where Dell/Alienware is based.
Wait for a response.
If the response is not favorable, suggest writing a letter to the governor and state attorney general asking why this company can continue to do business in this manner; and why Consumer Protection is not enforcing.
Good luck
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Alienware Sucks
Posted by
CHEYENNE, WYOMING -- Last Oct purchased a 3000 dollar system from them. waited over a month to receive the system. When I finally received it I was so excited took it out of the box set it up and received 15 error messages having to do with the video card. called them that night. spent 3 hours on the phone with them trying to get it to work . we found out the XP disks they sent me were corrupt. so had to put in an RMA number for new XP disks. Finally got them two weeks later. put them in and somehow they corrupted my whole system. got it to load fine and dandy then the next morning went to start putting my games on it and both my disk drives were messed up . ( They had worked the first night ) called them again telling them I was done and wanted a full refund. They told me they needed to make every effort possible to fix it. and if they couldn't a full refund would be issued. so I got another RMA number and sent my system off to them. A month later received it back. worked fine for a few months. Then just recently went to start up the system and windows would not load. so I did a reinstall of windows. Worked for a day then had the same problem. so I called them wanting a full refund the guy told me it was passed their 30 day refund date. I told them that the last guy I talked to said they would make every effort possible to fix it and if they couldn't a refund would be issued.
Well they tried and did not succeed. the guy in fact hung up on me. so I called tech support they obviously couldn't fix it over the phone. So now I have to send it back again. I have had it less than a year and had to send it back 2 times. and couldn't even use it the first month. Talk about a crappy company.
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Soaring Consumer on 2009-03-02:
That is Dell Hell for you.
That's right. I said Dell Hell. Dell bought out Alienware a few years back and this type of situation is common.
You definitely deserve a refund, this computer was a lemon out of the box. They promised you a refund if they couldn't fix it, and they didn't fix it.
Contact your state's Office of the Attorney General.
AWSUCKS on 2009-03-02:
what could my state office do about . I'm in Wyoming they are in cali
Soaring Consumer on 2009-03-02:
Dell has lost a number of class action suits against it for lemon products and fraudulent billing, warranty, and return policy practices. Just search Dell Class Action on Google, there have been so many issues with this company.
The state's Office of the Attorney General is dedicated to protecting the consumers of the state. They should be able to help you, and if they can't they should be able to give you the proper channels for a resolution. The phone number for their consumer protection division is 1-800-438-5799.
AWSUCKS on 2009-03-06:
update : emailed the president of Alienware and received a response back today stating that their critical response team was dealing with me . and that I was valuable ( lol ). I'm emailing them back now telling him I want a full refund. Well see where it goes
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Don't Waste Your Money
Posted by
This computer was the worst purchase I have ever made, I wanted an Alienware laptop for several years after seeing them on display when Best Buy used to sale them. I started DJing my sophomore year of college and needed a computer that was powerful enough to run the software that my mixer uses. I took out a 3000 dollar loan to by what I thought would be a very nice laptop. I read reviews about Alienware which were mostly negative and but figured like anything else, the people that have bad experiences are the ones that write reviews so I chose to ignore the reviews.
I ordered my Mj12 7700i loaded with a 3.2 gig Pentium 4 processor with HT technology, 3 gig of RAM, and dual 80 gig processors in raid 0 format. (at the time this was very impressive) the computer ran great for about 8 months. When I hooked any type of audio device up to my laptop I heard a lot of background noise. Alienware said I could send it back to them and they could fix it, but I decided to just clean it up by adjusting my mixer. After the first 8 months I started having problems with my laptop cutting off after about 5 minutes. I worked with Aleinware trying to reinstall different things and get it working.
It was eventually determined that I needed to send the computer back to Alienware and pay 500 dollars to have it fixed. After receiving it back 2 months later I tried to use the Laptop and it did not work, I was told the motherboard had to be replaced. To make a long story short after sending the computer back and forth with Alienware 4 more times I finally complained to the BBB and was contacted and told I could send the laptop to their VIP repairs at my own expense since I originally sent the laptop to them over a month ago, after pointing out that I have also sent it back 4 other times I was told I could send it to them and they would repair it for free. I sent the computer to them and got it back. It worked great! For 1 month, then the same thing happened. I opened the computer up and got a first hand look at their repairs, the original motherboard was still in there and wires had been taped to the motherboard with Electrical tape.
So I now have a 3500 dollar paperweight, that is out of date and I got a total of 8 months of use out of. I would never recommend anyone buy a computer from this company, you will be better off buying a 300 dollar e-machine computer from Walmart.
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Anonymous on 2008-08-06:
Ever since DHell purchased Alienware a few years ago the quality went rapidly downhill.
Anonymous on 2008-08-06:
Alienware has always had very poor customer service while trying to sell top of the line $3,000.00+ computers. DELL let's them run on their own but uses the DELL supply chain. Alienware is just another problem for DELL service in what has become a never ending long list of problems.
been there on 2013-02-05:
Paid 5k for what was almost the top of the line version of this system. 1 month after getting it, the heat sinks failed and fried the mobo. Sent it back under warranty. It took them 2months to fix and get back to me. 1 week after getting it, the piece of crap overheated again, this time frying the mobo and both HDs... Told them I wanted a replacement, since the system was obviously a lemon. Took 1month arguing with them, and writing to the CEO of Alienware, for them to finally agree to the replacement. Then the spent another 2 months playing games with me. Randomly changing the configuration or outright canceling the replacement, and instead trying to slip a repair order in on my original. 8 months after I originally bought the system, I finally got the replacement (only had a working system in my possession for 2 of those months). 1 month after I got the replacement, the dam heatsinks on it failed.. This time frying the MoBo and video card. AGAIN, I had to send it in for repairs under the warranty. When I got it back, it worked for 2 months before the same dam problem happened again. Heatsinks failed, mobo, sata connectors and both HDs were toast. However when I called them, they told me my warranty from original purchase had expired, and I would of had to pay them an additional 1500 s and h for them the fix it. I tried pointing out that in the 1year the warranty covered, they had possession of the system for repairs, more than I had for use... They didn't care and told me I could pay for the repairs, pay 500 to extend the warranty (yet still have to pay for the repairs), or just deal with a busted system. Had a lawyer investigating a case against them for this (since at the time so many people had the same exact problem with this system it could have been a class action suit), however Dell bought em out, and made all of those complaints/legal actions, disappear.
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Alienware Area 51m 7700 laptop is a faulty product, Alienware will not acknowledge this
Posted by
In May 2006 I ordered and received an Alienware Area 51m 7700 notebook computer from www.alienware.com for a total of $3,912.00. The computer ran incredibly hot from the beginning, which eventually led to a failure of the motherboard in November 2006. I was frustrated at the time, because I've never had this problem in any (not to mention much less expensive) computer I've ever owned. "These things happen" I told myself, and fortunately the system was still covered under warranty, so I sent it in for repair.
When I got the computer back, it was at least operational, but the overheating issues continued. This eventually led to the failure of the motherboard from overheating again in June of 2007. The only difference now is that the warranty was up, and boy did Alienware like to hide behind the "your warranty has expired" angle. Yes, I understand that my warranty is one month out, but the same issue has occurred again. This clearly points out to me that they did not properly diagnose and repair the issue the first time around. I was told that they would gladly look at the computer as long as I paid for all shipping/labor/parts, which all totaled could end up costing me a quarter of the computers worth, and this thing is barely a year old.
I did some research online and found an alarming amount of Alienware customers have had the same issues with the model Area 51m 7700. I brought this up to their customer support but they denied it, even though I found talk of a class-action lawsuit due to the failure rate of this model.
This company knows nothing of customer retention, customer loyalty (this was my second Alienware computer), customer satisfaction, and only seems to care about their profits. Please do yourself a favor and avoid them at all costs. It will save you so much frustration and anguish in the end.
From now on I will do my homework more thoroughly and make sure a company has some pride and accountability in their product before making such an expensive purchase.
For now, all I have is a $4,000, year old paperweight.
-Kody Belshe
AlienID 299759
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Paks on 2007-06-30:
Alienware is now owned by Dell.....nuff said
Starlord on 2007-06-30:
I have heard Alienware pc's do not have adequated ventilation, and the heat can kill it. For about, I don't know, $8? you can buy a pancake fan and install it in the pc to increase ventilation and help keep it cool. true, I think it is Dell's job to think of this, but hey, I am going to do all I can to protect a big investment, and if it gets so hot, I will not run it until I know why.
dfields on 2007-06-30:
you can't blame Dell. Alienware, was having known problems long before Dell bought 'em. I use a laptop fan (has 2) for my inspiron. I purchased it at Target for $32! did you think to do this? most laptop's do not have proper ventilation and will run hot, therefore, if the system is for say, gaming--it is going to get a lot hotter.
I agree with you starlord! people need to start using their BRAINS. consumers will get screwed no matter the product or from whom. its everywhere, nowadays!
spider1981 on 2007-06-30:
just to follow up with you, I did have a fan "plate" thing that plugged into the USB port and blew air onto the underneath, but it didn't do much good (obviously)
dfields on 2007-07-01:
no matter the situation...u stated the laptop ran hot from the beginning. you should have returned it for a complete refund or an exchange. companies will d**k people around, just to get them passed the refund period! it sucks, but that's how it is.
spider1981 on 2007-07-03:
Wow, everyone's an expert. (sorry) This machine is a desktop replacement and a gaming machine with a desktop processor. It is expected to run hot, but I guess it ran too hot, and I'm sorry I didn't know exactly how hot was too hot.
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Poor Quality, Technical Support and Customer Service
Posted by
NEW JERSEY -- On May 9th, 2005 I ordered an Area 51 7700 5.2G system. It arrived on May 19th, 2005. Between May 19th and 20th, the system was turned on for a total of 2 hours during which time it crashed repeatedly, i.e., repeated blue screens and memory dumps. On May 20th, I spent over 1 hour, over several phone calls, with Alienware technical support.
Technical Support
The quality of the technical support was poor at best. The first recommendation was that I forward the error to Microsoft and wait for them to respond. That made no sense to me. The support specialist then had me download drivers and recommended that I wait a day or two and if the problem came up again to call back. I requested a call back and was told that it was not possible. After the call ended, the system crashed 2 minutes later and again I was on the phone with Technical support. Another set of solutions was suggested. None worked.
The final recommendation was that I complete running the Windows diagnostics myself because technical support could not stay on the phone with me. At that point I decided that I was not interested in keeping a machine only 2 days old, that repeatedly crashed and poor technical support. I paid for a high quality system. I did not receive a functioning system. At no point did anyone suggest onsite service.
Customer Support
Upon informing Customer Support that I would be returning the system, I was told that a 15% restocking fee would apply as per the warranty. The warranty states that the fee "may" apply and "not" will apply.
Dealing with customer support was not a good experience. I was given several different dates as to when the refund would be processed. I was given different amounts to be refunded. The final insult was being told that I would be charged for Windows XP, even though the software was returned and NEVER activated.
I am now turning to regulatory agencies to get the rest of my refund.
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vindog on 2006-08-29:
I bought the most expensive computer they made, an MJ12 with dual processors, 4gb ram, RAID, dual 20â³ monitors, the works for $5.5k. The intent was to make it be one solid fast machine to do photography workflow, graphic design, and office/email all on one computer which would replace three others. It has been the worst computer buying mistake EVER, and itâs still not over.
After a nightmare of logistics because they wouldnât ship to my business address at the UPS store, I received the computer in late May. Well, most of itâ¦.it was missing the entire set of cables, powersupply and software for one of the BenQ monitors. The other monitor didnât have the BenQ software either (Pivot software so you can rotate the monitor, and monitor profiles.) Called them and they said theyâd ship the power supply and cables rather than RMA the entire monitor. Also, there was almost no âmanufacturerâ documentation for the components like the Windows license, video card manual, and typical stuff you see bundled with a PC. It came with a folder with Alienware nonsense, a spec sheet, a card to call support with an ID and phone number you can barely read.
Then, as I was trying to set up and install the software, I realized they hadnât installed Windows XP Pro on the âsystem driveâ but instead installed on the mirrored pair of âwork drivesâ (with an unformatted fast drive just sitting there.) Apparently a few of the 230+points of QA inspection werenât done here. So, I called their tech support to ask about this and they began vigorously inserting their thumbs up their behinds. I gave up, and broke the RAID, rebuilt the RAID, reinstalled the OS from their recovery disk on the proper system drive and began the rest of my journey. Naturally, this is the point where I messed up; instead of returning the whole thing right then I figured Iâd deal with one little set-back. I am naive.
The recovery disk and support disk did not include any but one driver that pertained to my system; so I spent hours trying to figure out why the raid controller driver wouldnât install, why the audio drivers wouldnât install, etc. Luckily the network card driver was the right one so I eventually went to the website and found all the proper drivers. But, if they send a Driver CD fresh from the factory, you donât question whether they sent the right stuff thereâ¦
Once the requisite apps were installed, Office and Photoshop, I noticed that the system reported only 2gb of the 4gb that I installed. I called them again and asked âis this expected for this machine?â and they said (mumble in Spanish) âkindaâ. As I was waiting for the power supply before I blew a gasket, I didnât push this, but their explanation of âitâs there, Windows doesnât report it properlyâ. I ran some utility within windows they told me to download and it showed 4gb. The bios showed 4gb, so I gave up.
Weeks go by, and they send me a POWER CORD. Not a power supply, but a cord that typically plugs into the back of the PC for 110V from the wall. I call them and scream. In the meantime, the system began just simply crashing without notice, and then not being able to reboot. When I say not rebooting, I mean not even seeing the BIOS, forget about getting the hard drives to spin.
We have another 4 hours of troubleshooting with the legendary Alienware all-hispanic help desk resetting the CMOS, video, ram tests. They say I need to reinstall Windows again. WHAT???!!! I scream again. I tell them that this motherboard is bad and they should send me a new one or take this thing and RMA it for a new system and let THEM troubleshoot it. They say they can do that, but it would be over a month before Iâd ever see my computer again. And theyâd needlessly format and reinstall Windows again. I was certain it would come back in worse shape than it left while they held it hostage for a month.
In the meantime, they send me another power cord instead of the BenQ powersupply and dvi cables. I scream again. And waste another few hours of support call.
So, by now with all the stalling on their end, the system cannot be returned per âclearly posted policiesâ.
Two months later, they finally agreed they donât know what theyâre talking about, and RMA the entire monitorâ¦but I have to charge this up front $500 and receive the chargeback once they get the returned unit.
Back to the rebooting problem; they have me run a series of extremely long tests on the RAM (2 hrs each X4) and then they say âitâs the gell on the heatsinks of the processorâ. So, they send me a kit of two complete heat sinks instead of âgellâ, and schedule an onsite tech to replace them.
Two weeks later, that job is done, and the reboot problem still lives. I call them again, and we spend another 4 hours troubleshooting (doing the same stuff I had already done.) Oh, and when you call these people, you have one guy who starts of with âcan I please have your Alienware id numberâ then âverify your email addressâ and then âverify your phone numberâ and then âis this regarding a previous incidentâ then you have to explain EVERY SINGLE THING YOU EVER TALKED ABOUT TO THE LAST GUY. Then, he passes you to a SECOND GUY who does the exact same thing (id, email, phone, previous incident, explain every single fâing thing you ever talked about with the previous last guy.)
We move memory around from one slot to another, different pair combinations, run a second set of RAM tests that take 2 hours each, etc. and prove that the system board (as I told them from the beginning) is bad.
I estimate about 50 hours of MY troubleshooting time, phone calls, waiting, being asked redundant questions, tests that proved nothing. 23 phone calls, 23 different âtechniciansâ, 22 overall BS sessions designed to make me go kill myself and go away rather than actually help me. Several of these calls I just hung up because I became dangerously close to becoming homicidal. This is probably how you feel after youâve taken a prison full of Bubbas and want pay-back.
As of today I finally have the order for a new system board, and a onsite tech will be installing that. BUT, I had to put the new board on my credit card pending the return of the bad one.
8/16 UPDATE: board was installed, but memory only reports 2gb still. Alienware still cannot explain this except to âreinstall Windowsâ from scratch which would take another full day of work for me. Also, periodically the machine will sit at a blank screen once restarted (no bios messages, nothing.) Let it cool down a bit and it starts just fine.
Word of advice: donât ever buy Alienware systems, and tell everybody you know to stay away.
kat0506 on 2007-06-28:
I have read so many bad reviews now on Alienware I cannot even question their truthfulness, maybe I got lucky, I don't know, but customer service was always nice, and helpful, and maybe my friend got lucky too, she has had 2 Alienware laptops, and loves both of them, wait loved both of them, she left one on for a week on high performance mode in vista without turning it off and she well... fried it, but she loved it enough that she bought another one, and I don't blame her, I love my desktop from Alienware too.
kat0506 on 2007-06-28:
oh and also all of the reviews I have read are at least 1 to 2 years old maybe Alienware changed since then, other than being bought by dell
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Billing Run-around
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For the first time, I had decided to buy a built computer, and not build my own. This decision was made due to time constraints, and the need for an actual warranty for the entire system. Before I would have to contact each vendor individually if a problem occurred. I had been looking into several companies such as VoodooPC, Falcon Northwest, Monarch, Alienware, and others. I settled on Alienware due to their use of parts I would use, and wiring quality. I knew ahead of time that I was paying a premium to get a computer that was built right, but I was willing. The problem occurred when it came to actually PAYING the bill. Was it due to lack of funds? No, it was due to some internal problem between the three blind men of Alienware; Sales, Financing, and Billing. Like the three blind men trying to describe an elephant, all three parties were apt to blame the issue of not receiving payment on the other. The problem first happened when I noticed that my order was in stasis at phase one. Phase one is a phase that means they basically have done nothing yet, but have received my order. After asking them, they told me the average wait was two days. Two days to take my money from the ALIENWARE credit card? Keep in mind, they had received my paperwork for the card on the 25th of March. There's a reason for me mentioning the date. After two business days, and no results, I called. I transferred between departments until they basically told me in corporate speak that they had no idea where on God's green earth my paperwork was, and that I should call THEM in 24-hours. My ire was raised, but I remained polite, as no doubt their recorded for training purposes phone system must note. I called the next day after, and was told that FINANCING e-mailed an "agent" to tell them that they had found the paperwork. They told me to wait 24-hours. I called the next day (exactly 23hours later), and was told it wasn't 24-hours next. Apparently while losing paperwork is common, they are punctual with customer service failures to a T. I called one hour later, and was told that they'd send ANOTHER e-mail to some "agent". The NEXT day I called, and was now becoming livid, but restraining my anger. This time... they told me... to wait... another 24-hours. It was now the 30th, and after having had my paperwork for over a week, and then taking five days to try to accept payment from THEIR credit card, I had enough. I told them that I wanted assurance that I would see a resolution in 24-hours this time. I was also strained to my wits trying to remain calm, and I know the poor girl at billing knew it. As of the 1st of the next month, they have finally accepted payment from their card. I understand delays in building, shipping, whatever. I run a busniess as well. But delays in taking my money is ludicrous. After such a downer after I had felt so good about ordering an Alienware system, I'm still half-tempted to cancel. How can one run a business and make it so hard to take payment? I'd hate to see what happens with REAL problems such as a faulty system.
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TXRoadTrip on 2005-04-07:
They have had complaints on here before. Build your own machine!
IintheSky on 2005-05-06:
Build you own machine?? Does the person who made that statement really think that they can build to the Alienware specs for anywhere near the same amount of money?
Where are the things such as warranty in a system which one has built for them?
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Dominance solvability of second-price auctions with differential information
AbstractWe study a class of common-value second-price auctions with differential information. This class of common-value auctions is characterized by the property that each player's information set is connected with respect to the common value. We showthat the entire class is dominance solvable, and that there is a natural single-valued selection from the resulting set of sophisticated equilibria. Additionally, it is shown that bidder's information advantage over others is rewarded in sophisticated equilibria.
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Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE) in its series CORE Discussion Papers with number 2001007.
Date of creation: 00 Feb 2001
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2001007
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Related researchKeywords: common-value second-price auctions; differential information; connectedness with respect to common value; dominance solvability; sophisticated equilibria; information advantage;
Find related papers by JEL classification:
- C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
- D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Auctions
- D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
ReferencesReferences listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Paul Milgrom & Robert J. Weber, 1981.
"A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding,"
Discussion Papers
447R, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Milgrom, Paul R & Weber, Robert J, 1982. "A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(5), pages 1089-1122, September.
- Rajiv Vohra, 1997.
"Incomplete Information, Incentive Compatibility and the Core,"
Working Papers
97-11, Brown University, Department of Economics.
- Vohra, Rajiv, 1999. "Incomplete Information, Incentive Compatibility, and the Core," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 123-147, May.
- Paul Klemperer, 1999.
"Auction Theory: A Guide to the Literature,"
Economics Series Working Papers
1999-W12, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
- Klemperer, Paul, 1999. " Auction Theory: A Guide to the Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 227-86, July.
- Klemperer, Paul, 1999. "Auction Theory: a Guide to the Literature," CEPR Discussion Papers 2163, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Paul Klemperer, 1999. "Auction Theory: A Guide to the Literature," Microeconomics 9903002, EconWPA.
- Klemperer, P., 1999. "Auction Theory: a Guide to the Literature," Economics Papers 1999-w12, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
- Wilson, Robert, 1992. "Strategic analysis of auctions," Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications, in: R.J. Aumann & S. Hart (ed.), Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 8, pages 227-279 Elsevier.
- Paul Milgrom & Robert J. Weber, 1981.
"The Value of Information in a Sealed-Bid Auction,"
Discussion Papers
462, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Milgrom, Paul & Weber, Robert J., 1982. "The value of information in a sealed-bid auction," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 105-114, June.
- Wilson, Robert, 1977. "A Bidding Model of Perfect Competition," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 511-18, October.
- McAfee, R Preston & McMillan, John, 1987. "Auctions and Bidding," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 25(2), pages 699-738, June.
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