text:
This book will provide practical information to help you "proofread" your paintings and make final adjustments so you can experience the "sweet smell of success." Author Margaret Kessler believes that, as the creative "parent", it is difficult to take a hard, cold look at your own painting, and she provides practical solutions to identifying problems in your work. Five steps are utilized in this process: visualizing the idea, composing the idea (the blueprint), establishing values (the foundation), blocking in the color harmony (the framework) and refining the details (the finishing touches). Paperback, 160 pages.
Ask a question about Painting Better Landscapes Ask a question about this product
Be the first to write a review on this product!
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Ask a Question About Painting Better Landscapes
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.
Please wait...
Please wait...


text:
Want to buy this product?
Currently you can buy Paula's Choice products directly from this site and a few top-rated products from other brands are available via links to affiliate websites. We review and recommend products from other brands because we are dedicated to helping you find the best products for your skin, whether they're from Paula's Choice or other lines.
Paula's Choice products are formulated using the same exacting standards we use to review products from other brands.
You have chosen to add to your My Faves.
Optional: You can enter notes about this product below. If you do not wish to add notes, click the 'Add' button.
What a shame the sunscreen active in this lipstick isn't capable of providing sufficient UVA protection! If Avon had included, say, avobenzone or zinc oxide, this creamy lipstick would be a slam-dunk recommendation. It has a beautifully smooth, non-greasy texture and soft cream finish that doesn't quickly slip into lines around the mouth.
Avon claims that this formula is dye-free and preservative-free, but that's open to interpretation. The dye-free claim depends on your definition of "dye"; this doesn't contain synthetic coloring agents (e.g., FD&C colors such as Red 27 Lake), but it does contain mineral pigments (e.g., carmine), so the claim is somewhat legit. However, they also included bismuth oxychloride, which isn't natural, but technically, it isn't a "dye" either. Either way, the coloring agents in this lipstick are used industry-wide, and there's no evidence that they're safer or better than FD&C colors.
As for the preservative claim, this lipstick does contain caprylyl glycol, which is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Many lipsticks omit this class of ingredients because lipsticks don't contain water and, therefore, are unlikely to grow microbes and deteriorate. So, this is hardly unique to Avon, but they do make it sound good from a marketing perspective.
The last few years have been an interesting time for the world's largest direct seller. Avon is sold in 120 countries and has an enormous range of products that goes beyond skin care and makeup, all sold by five million Avon representatives racking up annual sales of over $8 billion (Source: www.avoncompany.com). Yet due to several quarters of lackluster or poor financial performance, the company announced a multiyear restructuring plan in 2006. The anticipated cost of these changes is upwards of $500 million, which includes downsizing underperforming areas and focusing on remarketing their star products. In recent years, those key products have had "cosmeceutical" appeal, with claims that have gone beyond reality (but overexaggerated claims sell big in the cosmetics industry).
The Anew Clinical line ushered in several products claiming to work like (or, in some instances, better than) cosmetic corrective procedures. Whether you are considering laser treatments, Botox, Thermage, collagen injections, or even liposuction, the ads for Anew Clinical were designed to make you rethink that decision.
It is definitely impressive that Avon invested $100 million on a state-of-the-art research and product development facility in New York, but despite some innovative products that compete with the best of the best (typically for much less money), no cosmetics company has (or will) produce skin-care products that rival or beat the results obtainable from medical procedures. It's admittedly easier to slather on a cream or stroke a pad over your face than to make an office call and shoulder the expense for a cosmetic corrective procedure, but in this case convenience and savings don't equal—or even come close to—comparable results. And lest we forget, despite the onslaught of so-called cosmeceutical products claiming to mimic the results such procedures provide, the number of these procedures being performed increases each year. If any of these works-like-(insert cosmetic corrective procedure here) products did work, the number of procedures would be declining, not rising.
The National Advertising Division (NAD) took issue with several claims Avon made in ads for their Anew Clinical products (Source: www.nadreview.org/default.asp?SessionID=1149178&DocType=1&CaseType=1). In some cases, Avon reworded their claims in ad reprints, while in others they "respectfully disagreed" with the NAD conclusions but agreed to take their comments into consideration for future ads. We'll see how this turns out, but, based on their current ads, the message remains that Anew Clinical products are at the forefront of making cosmetic corrective procedure results as easy as calling your Avon representative and reciting your credit card number.
As a major international cosmetics company, Avon has several initiatives in place that prove its commitment to women and the environment. Whether donating to women's health concerns (most notably breast cancer), surpassing environmental regulations, or financially supporting alternative methods to animal testing, Avon's principles are responsible and admirable. If you pay attention to the best of what they have to offer, you will not only be supporting Avon's mission to improve the lives of women but also gaining some wonderful products, making it a win-win situation.
The bad news is that unless you know what you want and order from Avon's Web site, dealing with an Avon representative tends to be a frustrating experience. Try as they might, most of them are mere order-takers. They cannot keep up with the product assortment, sales, and changes that occur between Avon's "campaigns." One of the representatives we dealt with was quite frank about how much she didn't know, and mentioned that they are not kept as up-to-date as they should be, not to mention the haphazard assortment of testers or samples available. On the flipside, Avon is a wonderful mail-order company should you need to return or exchange products. Unlike companies with a similar business model (Arbonne comes to mind), Avon makes the process smooth and hassle-free, with a "if you're not happy, we're not" motto that epitomizes outstanding customer service.
For more information about Avon, call (800) 500-AVON or visit www.avon.com.
Avon Makeup
If you've been noticing more magazine and television ads for Avon recently, it's no accident. According to an article in the November 21, 2005, issue of The Rose Sheet, Avon's ad spending through 2008 will reach "historical heights" due in part to the brand's flat performance the past couple of years. Avon's CEO Andrea Jung admitted that the company's makeup business has struggled due to increased competition, a point we wholeheartedly agree with. Avon may be viewed as a skin-care innovator, but when it comes to makeup they're more follow-the-leaders than trail blazers. Admittedly, their foundations, powders, blush, and lipsticks have smoother, more state-of-the-art textures than ever, but with few exceptions none of them are setting a precedent that other, more innovative companies are likely to follow.
You will find some outstanding Avon makeup products to consider, but perhaps due to the sheer size of the collection there are far too many mediocre products, especially among the eyeshadows, pencils, and mascaras. Given that Avon isn't as easy to obtain as comparable products at your local drug or department store, many of the makeup items end up being a tough sell. After all, who wants to go out of their way for average products? Turning to what Avon does really well, you'll find their loose and pressed powders have amazingly silky textures and natural finishes. Their blushes are wonderful, and a few of the lipsticks and foundations are definitely worth talking about with enthusiasm. Another positive point is that Avon regularly discounts their makeup, often upwards of 50% during any given campaign (Avon's campaigns run for two weeks and the specials change each time). If you shop at the right time, the best of Avon color can be yours for less than you'd pay for most low-cost drugstore makeup.
Paula Begoun is the best-selling author of 20 books on skin care and makeup. She is known worldwide as the Cosmetics Cop and creator of Paula's Choice. Paula's expertise has led to hundreds of appearances on national and international television including:
View Media Highlights
Iframes Required
The Paula's Choice Research Team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin, using research-based criteria to review beauty products from an honest, balanced perspective. Each member of the team was personally trained by Paula herself.
We respect your privacy and the information you provide will NOT be sold, shared, or disseminated in any way.
Read More →
Call us Mon–Fri 6am-6pm PT, Sat–Sun 8am-4:30pm PT
Connect with us:
© Copyright 2014 Paula's Choice. All rights reserved. Paula's Choice and Cosmetics Cop are registered trademarks of Paula's Choice, LLC.
Our Privacy Policy: We will not sell or share any of the information you provide.
*Promotion expires 9pm PT, December 30, 2014. No cash value. Cannot be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases.
**Promotion expires 9pm PT, December 30, 2014. No cash value. Applies to US and Canada only.
***Promotion expires 9pm PT, December 30, 2014. No cash value. Cannot be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases. Limit one free per order while supplies last.
***Promotion expires 9pm PT, December 30, 2014. Choose any 3 from 28 available FREE samples on orders of $5 or more.
Please sign in and access your saved member information.
You will have the option to create an account after you have submitted your order.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
EdgeStar 62-Can Extreme Cool Beverage Cooler - Black and Stainless Steel Model:BWC70SS
Frequently Bought Together
Guaranteed Next Day Shipping (details)
Description & Highlights64 Reviews | Write a Review
EdgeStar 62-Can Extreme Cool Beverage Cooler - Stainless Steel
The EdgeStar Extreme Cool Beverage Cooler with stainless steel trimmed door (BWC70SS) stores up to 62 standard 12 oz. cans, and it's perfect for storing 20 oz. energy drinks and 16 oz. beers. One of the smallest beverage refrigerators to offer a reversible door, the BWC70SS can be adjusted for free-standing installation in any location.
Powerful Compressor:The compressor-based cooling system ensures optimum beer and beverage temperature and quick cooling times
"Tall-Boy" Beverage Capacity:This unit is perfect for cooling 20 oz. energy drinks and 16 oz. tall-boy beers thanks to the shelf configuration
Compact Size:Small size offers high capacity storage using minimal space
Temperature Range:An approximate temperature range of high 30s to mid 50s and can be managed using the thermostat control knob on the back of the unit
Chrome Shelf:The slide-out chrome shelf can be removed or adjusted as needed, depending on the size of the items being stored
Note: For optimal cooling, it is recommended that the contents of the cooler be occasionally rotated from the back of the unit to the front.
Specifications & Manuals
Owners Manuals:
You may download a product owner's manual below:
**Please note, Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view pdf files


text:
(CNN) -- There is rarely a dull moment in the career of Mario Balotelli but the controversial striker has at least been prepared to take his medicine in the latest spat with his club Manchester City.
The Italian striker had appealed to an English Premier League tribunal after he was fined for a poor disciplinary record during City's title-winning season in 2011/12.
Balotelli, signed from Inter Milan by City boss Roberto Mancini for $39.1 million in 2010, missed a total of 11 domestic and European games through suspension and was reportedly fined two weeks wages by his club as a result.
The 22-year-old appealed the decision and his lawyers had been preparing to state his case at a Premier League tribunal on Wednesday.
Manchester derby thriller marred by 'English disease'
But a statement released by the club confirmed the Italy international had dropped his appeal after the two parties resolved their differences.
"After amicable talks between the parties, as a sign of respect for Roberto Mancini, the supporters and the club, Mario Balotelli has chosen to accept a two week fine levied upon him by the club and withdraw his disciplinary appeal, which was due to be heard by a Premier League panel," it read.
"Mario remains available for selection for all forthcoming fixtures."
Balotelli has infuriated his manager on several occasions during his two seasons at the club, Mancini stating only recently that the striker needed to train harder to get into the team.
Twice Balotelli hasn't made City's 25-man squad in the Premier League this campaign and he was substituted at halftime in City's recent 3-2 derby defeat to neighbors Manchester United.
Despite his disciplinary record, Balotelli did set up a goal for Argentina striker Sergio Aguero that secured City their first title in 44 years on a dramatic final day of last season.
That came after Mancini said Balotelli may never play for the club again after he was sent off during a defeat at Arsenal that had seemed to spell the end to their title campaign.
Balotelli played a key role in Italy's team as they made the final of Euro 2012, where they were beaten 4-1 by World champions Spain.


text:
Calendar View
If you would like your event to be added to the site, please submit all the details on the online form here. Deadline is by 6pm on Friday for inclusion on Wednesday's post.
By popular demand, here is the full Bermuda Events Listing in a handy calendar format! Simply click on the event title to expand with full details.
By default, the Bermuda Events Calendar is set to a Table view but you can change to a Weekly or Monthly view to see which you find easiest to read.
Alternatively, refer to the Quick Recap section in the latest Blog Post for a simple listed format. Whichever way you choose, I hope you'll find this site the best way to find out what's going on in Bermuda.


text:
Frank Gibeau • Page 2
EA drops gun licensing deals - but keeps the guns
Electronic Arts has revealed plans to ditch gun licensing deals from its games – but will continue to feature well-known weaponry in their titles without paying gun manufacturers.8
DRM is a "failed dead end", says EA executive
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau says DRM isn't something EA is interested in anymore, and therefore not the reason SimCity has an always-on Internet requirement.11
Battlefield: new game will launch next year, says EA
Battlefield was highlighted as a big winner for EA during the publisher's investor call last night – we covered the entire report here. We also reported that Medal of Honor: Warfighter's poor performance has resulted in it being dropped from rotation, leaving space for a more Battlefield titles. Last night, EA confirmed that a new […]9
EA Q2: FIFA sells 7.4 million, MoH: Warfighter "below expectations"
EA posted a loss and decreased revenue in Q2 FY2013, which CEO John Riccitiello blamed largely on disappointing sales of Medal of Honor: Warfighter.12
Dishonored vs EA's Gibeau: a win for new IP
Dishonored has received rave reviews from the majority, despite claims that launching new IP late in the cycle is a mistake. The comments of some execs are defeatist at best and actively damaging at worst, says Dave Cook.20
EA's focus is on Origin and the importance of change
Frank Gibeau, Head of Development at EA, says the future of the company is with its online Origin system.12
BioWare owns its "creative culture," is free to make new IPs, says Gibeau
Frank Gibeau has said the firm backs BioWare on whatever creative endeavor it sets upon, whether it's a new IP or another entry in the Mass Effect series.10
EA's Gibeau: "We know what gouging is"
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau has said the publisher doesn't want to "gouge" or "screw" customers, but has crossed the line "a number of times" before pulling back.6
C&C: Generals 2 will have a single-player mode
Command & Conquer: Generals 2 will have a single-player experience, because EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau knows players want one.2
EA's Gibeau: free-to-play and sub-based titles can coexist
EA labels president Frank Gibeau believes subscription-based games are here to stay in some capacity, but it depends on the the type of game being developed.12
Gibeau: "I still passionately believe in single-player games"
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau has clarified earlier comments about not green lighting single-player games, re-establishing the publisher's support for the solo experience.13
Frank Gibeau - "I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience"
EA Labels president Frank Gibeau believes the firm is "better positioned for success," and at serving consumers than other companies which he considers "marooned on one platform."26
EA warns, 'releasing new IP this late in console cycle is a mistake'
President of EA Labels Frank Gibeau has warned that launching new IP so late in the current console cycle is a mistake, and that developers should be using this time to hone their existing products. Just don't tell that to Dishonored studio Arkane Frank.42
EA's Gibeau expects PS4 and next-Xbox to hit retail "in about a year's time"
EA Labels president Frank Gibeau believes Sony and Microsoft will release the next set of consoles "in about a year's time."11
PopCap lay-offs addressed "duplicative" roles, shift to mobile focus - Gibeau
PopCap's lay-offs are part of the studio's integration with EA, according to EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau, and also part of the publisher's new focus on mobile gaming.4
EA labels president has "seen both" PS4 and next-Xbox
EA labels president Frank Gibeau has decided to tease the masses by stating he has already laid eyes on the next-generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony.6
EA labels president Frank Gibeau to provide introductory keynote to gamescom 2012
EA has announced labels president Frank Gibeau will open gamescom with a talk regarding the "change in the landscape of the video game industry." He will also discuss why the titles coming out in the next four years will "have nothing to do with those of today." Gibeau will also address topics such as the […]1
EA wants Medal of Honor and Battlefield to be different
EA is keen to cater to different audiences with Medal of Honor and Battlefield, according to Labels boss Frank Gibeau.10
Mirror's Edge 2 is "on the list," says EA labels boss
As if the firm hasn't said this enough already, a sequel to Mirror's Edge is "on the list" of things to do at EA, according to labels president Frank Gibeau. The reason it's taking so long to get to market, let alone me announced, has to do more with "how and when" the series will […]14
EA says it would "love" to be the publishing partner for a Reckoning sequel
EA labels president Frank Gibeau has said hopes a sequel to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will be made, and that EA would "love" to the publishing partner.11
Frank Gibeau Latest
Gibeau: "I still passionately believe in single-player games"
Frank Gibeau – "I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience"
EA warns, 'releasing new IP this late in console cycle is a mistake'
EA's Gibeau expects PS4 and next-Xbox to hit retail "in about a year's time"
PopCap lay-offs addressed "duplicative" roles, shift to mobile focus – Gibeau
EA labels president has "seen both" PS4 and next-Xbox
EA labels president Frank Gibeau to provide introductory keynote to gamescom 2012
EA wants Medal of Honor and Battlefield to be different
Mirror's Edge 2 is "on the list," says EA labels boss
EA says it would "love" to be the publishing partner for a Reckoning sequel
EA executive dismisses "totally irrelevant" NPD reports
"Inevitable" that EA become an "100% digital company", says Gibeau
EA considering adding Battlefield Premium-style service to more properties
EA executives keen on Xbox SmartGlass
EA plan on being in the SWTOR business "for a long time"
EA's not trying to alienate Dead Space 3 fans with changes, but it has to be "broadly appealing"
Syndicate's retail failure hasn't soured EA on reboots, says Gibeau
EA has unannounced Wii U games
EA weighing up three to five new IPs for next-generation hardware
EA's Gibeau: E3 2012 the "opening act of the next-gen cycle shift"
Gibeau: "Totally open" to real-world war stories in games
EA president mentions Battlefield 4 during college keynote
Quick Quotes: SWTOR release date "definitely tied to the beta"
Gibeau: 'Hard to conceive' of what next-gen hardware might do
EA Labels backs Vita over 3DS
EA teases "a couple" of classic property revivals
EA adds BioWare as full label, Moore and Gibeau in new roles
EA "comfortable" with The Old Republic cost
EA explains NFS Shift DLC and other Origin exclusives
EA says F2P games can be just as profitable as console games


text:
Associated Press
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) -- A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to travel across the United States with stops in Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York, organizers of the trip announced Thursday.
The plane, Solar Impulse, is expected to be ready to leave from NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. on May 1, although the actual departure will depend on the weather, the plane's Swiss creators said at a news conference at the NASA center.
Solar Impulse, considered the world's most advanced solar-powered plane, will stop for seven to 10 days at major airports in each city, so the pilots can display and discuss the aircraft with reporters, students, engineers and aviation fans. It plans to reach New York's Kennedy Airport in early July -- without using a drop of fuel, its creators said.
Between Dallas and Washington, D.C., the plane will also stop at one of three other cities: Atlanta, Nashville or St. Louis, said Andr
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Jenson Button believes that he and team-mate Sergio Perez should consider themselves fortunate not to be constrained by team orders.
The pair were involved in a fierce contest for position at the Bahrain GP, with Button unhappy with Perez's efforts to pass him. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh did not intervene during the race and tell one of the drivers to ease off, instead letting them battle it out.
However, after some heated post-race comments the duo held talks to clear the air and following these Button admits that that they are perhaps in a better situation than at teams were team orders are used, but that they need to use this power wisely.
"After the race it was important to sit down with the team and Checo and for us all to talk about the race, get it out and move on," said Button said during a promotional appearance in Hungary.
"I think we're very lucky we were allowed to race. There are a lot of teams where team-mates aren't allowed to race.
"But we'd better respect that decision and not take advantage of it, and that's something we all understand now.
"Hopefully we can be racing in Barcelona, fighting cleanly and hopefully for the win, not for sixth or seventh."
The Briton is confident that McLaren will be more competitive at next week's Spanish Grand Prix after a slow start to the year.
"In terms of our results, they haven't been good, but in terms of the direction we're going with the car I think it's very good," he said.
"We have some new parts for Barcelona which should help us, and we can build on them in future races. But the points need to start coming soon, we understand that."
Any reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of 365 Media Group is strictly forbidden.


text:
ARMA Canada Region
Each year, ARMA Canada hosts a national conference for professionals in the records and information management discipline. Conference delegates are provided opportunities to expand their knowledge in sessions presented by experts in the field, meet with exhibitors of newest technologies and services, and network with their peers to complete the experience.
Save the Date 2015
The 2015 conference will be held at The Westin Calgary in Calgary, Alberta May 25 - 27, 2015 - Opening Reception, Sunday, May 24
Stay tuned for conference details!


text:
Really though, there are some great blogs out there and here is how I voted (if I didn't just vote for us in every category we were nominated in - which I almost did - I didn't vote for us in "best designed")
Best Apologetic Blog - Jimmy Akin - He does it for a living
Best Blog by Clergy/Religious/Seminarian - Cardinal Sean's Blog - Granted, there are better written blogs in this category, but he is a Cardinal that blogs.
Best Designed Catholic Blog - Creative Minority Report - It is so Pretty
Best Group Blog - Our own. I can't lie, I think it rocks.
Best Individual Catholic Blog - Probably American Papist - but this one is very close.
Best Insider News Catholic Blog - Whispers in the Loggia - this one is not close.
Best New Catholic Blog - I don't read enough of them to make an informed judgment.
Best Overall Catholic Blog - Tie between this blog you are reading and the following - Happy Catholic, Charlotte was Both, Catholic and Enjoying It, Whispers, and American Papist.
Best Political/Social Commentary Catholic Blog - Catholic and Enjoying It!
Best Written Catholic Blog - Charlotte was Both
Funniest Catholic Blog - tie between The Curt Jester and The Ironic Catholic
Most Informative & Insightful Catholic Blog - Whispers in the loggia
Most Spiritual Blog - ?
Smartest Catholic Blog - ?


text:
An awesome unicorn ninja that may or may not be evil. A megan is too complex for the human mind to understand so a megan does not usually talk a lot. Megans are inhumanly obsessed with fluffy hair, afros, potatoes, poking bellybuttons, squishing noses, and biting fingers.
"That girl scares me." "Yeah, she's a Megan. Some people say she's the most invincible unicorn there is, a ninja unicorn disguised as a human." "Yikes." ••• "Hey, how are you friends with that Megan ninja girl?" "Ninjas are awesome. Plus, she's a unicorn too. She is the best friend I could ever have, I'm so lucky to be her friend."
di Luckytohaveafriendnamedmegan 25 giugno 2013
The most beautiful girl in the world, as well as the best friend in the entire world. She is very spazzy and random, but that's what keeps her Megan. At times she can be very very stubborn, however she always pulls back up and is always there for you. She is your sunshine, and will never be held back. She stands up for herself and her friends. She will always be there for you.
I love Megan <3
di hippopot12345678 30 novembre 2010
The most funny, amazing, beautiful person you will ever meet. You aren't likely to meet another thing ever quite like her. A megan has everything: stunningly good-looking, you are likely to have never seen anyone as gorgeous as her, truly funny- you are able to share a good banTa joke with her!! Also has an amazing taste in music. You can be completely open with her about anything, she is definitely a 1 in a billion person!!!! You will not look back on meeting her and will want to chat with her every minute of every day because she is so unique and brilliant and sexy and gorgeous and amazing. Please, find your megan today, although that will be quite hard as there is no-one quite like the megan that i have just found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A:Megan is sxc
B:I know right!!
B:I know right!!
di WHO DO U THINK 29 marzo 2013
Megan is the kindest girl you will ever meet. She will always be around when you need her. Once you get close to Megan, you will be friends for life! She is so warm hearted and will do anything for her friends. Megan is beautiful- inside and out...
Friend: I need your help with something...
Megan: You name it! I will do anything to help!
Great looks and a great personality- I love Megan!
Megan: You name it! I will do anything to help!
Great looks and a great personality- I love Megan!
di KaitlynNemo 28 gennaio 2014
Megans are very outgoing. They love to hang out with friends & have a good time. Sometimes a little bossy. Loves to laugh & talk. Such a goofy girl. People call her retared, but its just her having a fun time. She a beautiful girl, with prefect eyes & hair. She a awsome girl, and your missing a crazy & fun time if you dont hang out with her!!
Shes a wonderful girlfriend, and shes unforgetable(:
Shes a wonderful girlfriend, and shes unforgetable(:
Megan is such an awsom person to hang out with !!!!!!!
di Meqann(: 10 febbraio 2010
A beautiful girl...usually popular or a people person. Loves to party and have a good time. Usually has a friend who is a redneck or country. Also maybe a tiny girl with big boobs.
Patrick: Hey Beau we should invite Megan to the party
Beau: the tiny girl with big boobs?
Patrick: Yeah she is so fucking beautiful
Beau: the tiny girl with big boobs?
Patrick: Yeah she is so fucking beautiful
di Rednecklover2012 10 febbraio 2010
A female who hates to be confused with a "lady." A strong-minded woman who understands when something needs to be accomplished and will go above and beyond to get the job done. Awkward around other females because she doesn't share the same affinity for shopping or shoes or clothes. Loves working on cars and spending time with good friends. Pretends to be fine when really she is dying inside. Hates her outward appearance, has a hard time accepting compliments, cares deeply about her friends' welfare.
One of the guys, because she holds the key to understanding women, a male mentality wrapped inside a woman's mind.
One of the guys, because she holds the key to understanding women, a male mentality wrapped inside a woman's mind.
Sailor 1: Megan is the exception that proves the rule, right?
Sailor 2: Yeah, I like hanging out with her, she's great. She's one of the guys, you know?
Sailor 2: Yeah, I like hanging out with her, she's great. She's one of the guys, you know?
di thesharpiebandit 06 febbraio 2010
A girl with a Tosh kind of humor, takes its place as blatant and random making it impossible to not enjoy her company. Loves animals, sharks for the most part. Also enjoys the color orange, Disney movies, Chelsea Lately, using the word "wretched", the no superpower superhero Batman, Nicklebacky music varied with rap and bob Marley kind of s#$&, and her car. This Megan is typically known as beautiful, smart, up beat, adventurous, sexy, hott (with two Ts), moving, hard to say no to, truly amazing would be an understatement, forgiving when deserving, strong bonds with others (little siblings for the most part), and works for what she has. Dark brown curly hair, blue eyes, slim, 5'9ish, small feet, and bright smiles lighting up gloomy areas to the extent of never getting old. Perfection wrapped in one name.
"My girl is a Megan!"
di Scuba Steve23 12 maggio 2013


text:
America's Best Farmers' Markets
These days, farmers' markets offer more than just nature's finest and freshest produce. These ten markets have devoted local fansfrom near and farmaking them a destination in their own right.
By Zoe Settle
Baltimore, Maryland
This producers-only market is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year. A bazaar-like componentwith beauty products, arts and crafts, and handmade furnishingswas added in 2009 and has helped to draw more than 8,000 visitors on especially nice Sundays. Visit the gourmet pickle stand In A Pickle, which has an ardent fan base who loves its nine varieties, or wash down a snack down with classic glass-bottled milk from South Mountain Creamery.
(Baltimore Farmers' Market & Bazaar, April 7-December 22, 7am-12pm)


text:
Write Review
Compare Computer Companies
out of
, based on
ratings and
reviews & complaints.
Most Popular
More Options >
More filter options:
Product/Service Quality
Customer Service
Alienware Has No Honor! Do not buy from Alienware
Posted by
Phaldun Empire
Aloha, I purchased this very expensive $5,000.00 computer from Alienware in 2007. It has been a nonstop battle with them over the phone with tech support and sending the laptop back and forth to them through the mail. The warranty will run out in April of 2010.
I have been wronged greatly by Alienware. It has never worked properly and all I have done for the last three years is trouble-shoot it with them over the phone. I have had to send it back to them at least 10 times. Every single time it has come back, there is either something new wrong with it, or they actually made the computer worse. A constant problem of dead pixels is one problem. No matter how many times they replace the LCD screen, more dead pixles seem to pop up only a week after I get it back. One time they actually replaced the LCD screen with dead pixles with another LCD screen that already had dead pixles in it. Another time they returned the computer with the hard-drive wiped out. They accidentally erased my whole computer and I had very valuable pictures of the first year of my daughter's life on it. Yes I know I should have backed up my files, but the DVD drive on this computer has always had a problem with it and Nero will not work. It errors out most of the time when I try to burn to a DVD using windows. I have always told them of this, but time and time again they forget to replace the part. They never ever completely fix it and there is always more problems.
Even after all of their mistakes and bungles, they refuse to build me a new system. I even told them I would accept a desktop tower. It would be less expensive than the $5,000.00 I paid for the laptop. It probably would also be easier to repair. They have also told me that a refund of my hard earned money is out of the question as well.
What can I do? This is so unfair to me and I deserve better customer service that I have received. They sold me a very crappy computer and they have the additute of not really caring or trying to do what is right. I have sent the computer back to them about 10 times. It is obvious that this is a very defective computer at the core and cannot be fixed, unless they have tech repair people that absolutely do not know what they are doing. I don't know what I can do.
I am currently researching Falcon Northwest computers and I am already impressed. I have not been able to find any significant bad reports about them. Is there hope in the battle for a nice computer that works like it should in the world now?
Was this review helpful?
Read 4 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Anonymous on 02/25/2010:
Wow....a 5k usd laptop?? I didn't know they existed. Anyway, it doesn't say where you are located but using the word, Aloha, going to guess the U.S. Since they don't seem to be fixing the computer or giving you a new one that you have asked for, I suggest a small claims lawsuit. Gather all your documentation and contacts with the company and file a claim for the 5k you are out.
Soaring Consumer on 02/26/2010:
Alienware is owned by Dell and this is definitely a bad case of Dell Hell, voted helpful. I don't know how well Dell will respond to a small claims suit because they are so big but it is worth a try.
Anonymous on 02/26/2010:
This may exceed the amount you can file for in small claim court, but more importantly, you have to be able to serve them. And if you can serve them, you have no way to force them to court. And if they default, you have no way to enforce the judgment. SmallCliam Court really works best when it is between you and a local merchant, but still, it is not a o lot of money to file, and you never know.
The Ant on 09/10/2011:
Most states have a Division of Consumer Service - if you are in Hawaii, it should be: http://hawaii.gov/dcca.ocp. Figure out what the company promises online, and if they have misadvertised any thing - you have a complaint. Clearly document your complaint with consumer protection. If they can't/won't help, then escalate your complaint to the State Attorney General and/or Governor.
Close comments
Add reply
Alienware Tech Support Run-Around
Posted by
UNKNOWN -- I bought a M15x laptop June 2010 and roughly one year after I experienced an overheating problem, just the beginning of my problems I assure you. I called tech support, after all I had never had a laptop last me longer than 2 years; I expected a problem or two. After 2 hours on the phone I was assured that everything was fine. Even though the area around my mouse and keyboard was so hot it was burning me. I knew what was wrong it had happened to every other laptop I'd every used around the same time. Its fans were clogged with cat fur; I own two cats both long fur. Yet they refuse to listen to me and told me I just needed to get it air conditioning. I was deeply offended.
Over the course of the last year (2012) I experienced crashes, blue screens, unexpected shutdowns, overheating, problems with my internet connection (that were not modem related; every other connection in our house was fine), my screen would just suddenly go black and my battery wasn't charging. I didn't want to call tech support I was afraid I would get dismissed again. I considered going to another computer repair center but didn't want to break my warranty so reluctantly I called around January 2013.
They seemed friendly and helpful. Quickly diagnosing that my computer needed to come in for repair. They sent a box and pre-paid postage. However when the box got here I quickly discovered that my computer was too big for the box. I called and asked if they had a bigger box, they said no, that I should find one and send it as soon as I could as it was important for it to be sent in. I didn't have one and I didn't want to buy one (I'm a student and rely on my parents for money). It seemed kind of pointless for me to buy a box when they had sent me one. I managed to stuff it into the box they had sent to me. I shipped it all the while hoping it would be returned in relatively good shape.
I was expecting to be without my computer for around a week. That is what they told me after all. Alas, it was returned a couple days later. I couldn't help wonder if I had stuck the stickers on wrong and if it they were returning to sender. I checked the addresses and it had come from Alienware/Dell and was being returned to me. Wow, that was fast. I opened it, excited to have it back and working again. Well almost working, the battery still wasn't charging, but if that was my only problem I'd live with it.
A few days later while working on my laptop, it starts screeching at me and it pops up with a very familiar blue screen stating that my computer has crashed. I brush it off thinking that it was a fluke. Except it happens again the next day and again a few days later. A very familiar pattern emerges over the next several months and I get angrier and angrier. Weren't they supposed to have fixed this?
I call tech support and after a few test am told that I have to reinstall window 7. Alright I can do that and I don't have to send my computer away to do that, a plus. I'm handed off to a manager to do a survey. They say goodbye and I'm faced with reinstalling Windows.
I Google it and get started. I back up my system and follow the instructions I found on how to reinstall windows. The whole process takes me two days. I get frustrated. When it comes back the screen isn't the same, and the most important thing I can't control how bright my screen is. Having chronic migraines this is a big problem, my screen is to bright and I'm trying to figure how to adjust it.
Again I turn to the ever faithful Google. I'm no where after hours of trying and worse I've now triggered a migraine with the light.
I'm beyond frustrated. I shut the computer off and go to bed with a pounding headache. I've given up on adjusting the light for now. I think maybe reinstalling some of the Alienware software may provide the answer so I start reinstalling everything, Skype, Acrobe, Microsoft Office and everything else I could think of. Friday night I again have a migraine and am no closer. On top of everything else, the crashes have returned. I'm angry.
This shouldn't be happening, tech support assured me that reinstalling Windows would fix this problem. It should have been fixed four months ago when I sent it in.
I call tech support the morning of 4/20/13. After an hour wait I get a person and explain my problem. I'm asked how I reinstalled Windows and then told I did it wrong, that I was supposed to be walked through the process by a tech. I was told to restart my computer, then press F12. After I did that I was told to insert the re-installation disk and to select the option with CD/DVD/BD-rom.
I was not asked if I would like to back anything up before we started this process, and feeling rushed, didn't think to ask.
The first few steps were self explanatory, the tech asked me to tell them when I got to a certain page and I did. They then gave me a set of instructions I didn't understand, after asking them to repeat themselves several times they got very frustrated with me and I made a mistake with the instructions.
I am not great with computer and defiantly not good with computer terms. I felt very lost during this step and felt the tech was very frustrated and angry trying to explain it to me. When I made the mistake, I felt very harassed and just wanted to get off the phone with him as quickly as possible. We got to the end of the re-installation and I was told to call back when it was done.
About half an hour later my computer was back to its normal screen so I called, as instructed. I had a wait time of 45 minutes. I am told that they will call me in around an hour. I agree. I ask for an address so that I can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and am talked in circles, I never get an address.
I wait an hour and half before calling back. I'm told that they were just about to call me. I'm led through instruction on how to get aliencontact. I'm then passed from one tech on the phone to another tech online. Before hanging up with the phone tech I again ask for an address, and again I'm talked in circles but given an email address. I was passed to the online tech, who would be installing all the drivers.
They took control of my computer for about an hour and a half and when needed something asked. They reinstalled almost everything that came with my computer. They didn't reinstall Microsoft Office 2010. They called when done and disconnected. As of right now (an hour after) everything seems to be fixed. Well almost everything. The battery still doesn't charge correctly, and the screen does still go black if you touch the monitor, at all.
Was this review helpful?
Read 1 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
ok4now on 04/21/2013:
Alienware used to be a great company until Dell acquired it. Now you are subjected to the infamous "Dell Hell" tech support. I wish you the very best.
Close comments
Add reply
Very POOR Customer Service
Posted by
Hi folks - I thought you might want to know about a customer service nightmare I'm having with the Alienware Solution Station. My son is 13 and saved up to buy his Alienware M18x. He had a problem and tried to resent to factory settings and made a mistake. His bad...should have looked on line for instructions first. Still, we called Alienware and asked for help. For a fee, they said they would take care of it.
That was five weeks ago. Fourteen phone calls later. Four technician appointments - three of which had NO technician show up. First, they did the basic re-install. However, they couldn't get the wireless card to work and came to the obviously incorrect conclusion there was something wrong with the wireless card (it was working fine before we called them). I waited for a technician a few days later. He showed up, replaced the wireless card and it still didn't work. I called back. They worked on the software some more (remotely) and still couldn't fix the wireless. So, they decided that the replacement wireless card was bad and needed to be replaced again.
I received two confirmation calls from Dell but the technician never showed. When I called, I was told it was because the part was backordered. Nobody ever called to tell me (these are three hour time windows I'm waiting).
Then, two more confirmation calls for a couple days later. The technician never showed and lied about calling me and waiting 20 minutes. At that point I said that I wasn't going to wait again for a wireless card that was unnecessary in the first place. The Alienware support person asked what I wanted him to do - so I said I wanted him to fix the software. After about an hour, he did. He discovered that the technician who did the initial work (a month had passed at this point - and about 10 calls) did it incorrectly and nobody ever went back to check it. Then, however, it turns out we had a problem with graphics that we didn't have before.
He couldn't solve it and instead said that we needed a new graphics card. So, today, I waited again. I got two confirmation calls from Dell and the technician didn't show up. Again, because the part is on backorder, but nobody told me. So now, I've spent countless hours working with my son at times (of course, he has to go to school at some point), taking up time in my working day, and most of it wasted because the support people did the job incorrectly the first time, told me I needed parts I didn't need, and have on-site technicians who lie and don't call customers to tell them they aren't coming.
Today, I asked to talk to someone who might be interested in hearing about this. Tech support transferred me to customer service. They wanted to transfer me to tech support. Finally, I got the woman to understand that I thought they might want to know that their tech support has been terrible and their on-site technicians don't show up. She told me her manager would call me. Who is good for a bet that I don't hear a word?
So...I wait...with my frustrated kid...for the part that is on backorder and the technician who doesn't call and there's nothing I can do, except let other Alienware users know, just as a heads up and just in case someone who cares is looking.
Was this review helpful?
Read 3 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
ok4now on 06/08/2012:
A quick history lesson that may explain the problem. Alienware was a small independent company that made fantastic high-end computers, mostly for gaming. Their sales dropped and Dell bought them out. So now when you buy Alienware it is really Dell with their horrible customer service. My first computer was a Dell and I learned real fast what "Dell Hell" is. I won't make this mistake again.
trmn8r on 06/08/2012:
Like the previous commenter, I made the mistake of buying a Dell (ONCE). What a complete POC, and the customer service, sales and financing departments match the quality of the computer. NEVER again.
As I read this complaint, it brought back memories of my first year as a Dell owner. When a Dell rep called at the end of the year, possibly hoping to SELL me an extended warranty, I unloaded on her big time. They never called me again...
It's really sad - back in 1995 I budgeted, spec'd and bought Dell computers for the offices of the company I worked at. The customer service was excellent and free at that time.
KevinTX on 06/11/2012:
Look at the bright side, your son may want to get into computer repair after this :)
Close comments
Add reply
Alien to Support - What I'm doing
Posted by
The Ant
I purchased an M17x in 2009 - after Dell had acquired Alienware. This purchase followed two other negative experiences. Why did I buy a third, you may ask? Because I was promised that Dell's influence had changed the juvenile Customer, Technical, & Warranty Support previously provided by Alienware.
Guess what - it seems they have actually gotten worse.
The M17x has experienced all kinds of problems. It seems that there was a period where it was experiencing power issues and needed a new BIOS update. Unfortunately, the BIOS update hadn't been developed and it took "them" 3 months to develop it. All the while, my purchased warranty ticking away.
When I made requests for my warranty to be extended during the down periods, the company laughed at me.
Further problems ensued. There have been too many problems with this system to reasonably document.
So, I made the request that the company buy back the machine - to which they also laughed at.
I made a call back to the Florida Division of Consumer Protection, and it seems that my case on the past two machines was "just closed". I was not notified . . . no calls . . . etc.
Since, I have sent letters to the Governor, and the State Attorney General asking why the Division of Consumer Protection is not supporting Florida residents.
Also, I have been in contact with a supervisor from the Division.
My complaints are:
Dell/Alienware advertised an In-Home/On-site Service for which it is not possible to get.
Dell/Alienware did not provide the warranty support for which I paid
Dell/Alienware has denied me periods of Customer Service/Tech/Warranty Support for which I paid.
There's much more, but the key is that I did not get what was advertised; what I paid for; and I'm tired of feeling ripped off.
This lemon and the related experience has soured me to the point that there will never be another Dell product in my home.
My opinion, from reading other reviews . . . in this forum and others . . . is that it is great to vent about your experiences. By doing so, you make other consumers aware that they are not alone.
However, my time and money is important to me. I don't like being jacked around by Dell Alienware Customer Support after paying a premium for their product.
And the bottom line, if all of the complaints listed in this forum and others, found their way to the State Division of Consumer Protection - I think a lot of Alienware's foolishness would stop.
But, it will take consumers organizing - and not just complaining.
I wish you the best - but stop throwing away your money, and just taking the ensuing proverbial butt raping. Make it stop!
The Ant
Was this review helpful?
Read 1 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Alain on 09/11/2011:
Thanks for spreading the word! Perhaps also send a complaint to: http://ftccomplaintassistant.gov
It doesn't take long and though the system is exceptionally slow, I'm assuming (maybe optimistically) that eventually someone may notice.
Close comments
Add reply
Newer Review Alienware
Posted by
Short & sweet -
I wanted to give folks a more recent story on Alienware laptops than 2005-2008, etc. Had my MX15 built May, 2010. Price just shy of $2,400.00. Great looking & great working out of the box - for maybe 5 months. It developed video issues : drivers not responding, blinking, artifacting & BSOD. Burnt up all my roll over minutes talking to support for hours on end. They simply reloaded software & drivers as I had already done.
Finally, a remote assist showed them my LCD & wireless cards were both going bad. After telling me I could return/refund the product they reversed course & had me send it in for repair. A one day rush job & I had it back with only a video card swap out & no mention of the LCD or WiFi card THEY found earlier. Paint scratches all the way down to the metal were found on the lid that they clearly did while turning it over on the bench for service.
I then researched them more & found this site and MANY others with the same types of complaints. In trying to resolve my complaint support offered to take the mx15 back for 50% of its value! People there are better and cheaper lap makers to go to. Sager, IBuypower & Mtech all could have made me a laptop with better components for the same $$$. I really wanted to like Alienware ( I bought 3 - the other two are MX11's -so far no broken hinges or other problems with those...) So please be aware what you are getting into with Dell. High price laps should last years, not be in repair all the time.
Was this review helpful?
Read 4 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
trucxrule on 01/22/2011:
Update: I went to Dells " Unresolved issues" route & a person emailed they would have a resolution within 24 hrs - so far I haven't heard back ( and don't expect to) . Thought I'd sell this lap on EBay but they are already drowning in them!
trmn8r on 01/22/2011:
I am shocked, shocked to learn that a subsidiary of Dell has poor customer service and products of marginal quality. Looks like Dell bought the competition and integrated their company values into it.
DunkinEmployee16 on 05/12/2011:
Dell Customer Service is the worst pile of crap. First of all for AlienWare you're paying for the name brand ever since Dell bought AlienWare they've turned the company to a crap company to deal with.
I'd rather build my own computer, and or buy from less known brands like IbuyPower, Newegg, Sager, etc.
Don't deal with these computers.
rich on 07/29/2013:
Stay away from dell.They have gone down the toilet.Sager is known as the god of laptops among all hardcore gamers.
Close comments
Add reply
Ditto, Ditto and more Ditto!
Posted by
MIAMI, FLORIDA -- Dear Readers:
I ditto everything that has been said about Alienware Customer Service, or lack thereof.
I purchased a new Alienware Area 51-M17 supposed gamer screamer in 2006. Have had nothing but headaches with it since.
Ordering, delivery to spec and all was fine. Problems started about 3 months after I got it. Started acting up with boot problems and video glitches. Called CS. I was told the OS was the problem and needed to be reinstalled. This problem continued over the next 9 months with CS telling me I had to reinstall the OS. I was also haveing problems with the RAID controller and hard drives.
I got them to send me a replacement hard drive about the 6 month point but it did not change anything.
Finally just after the warranty expired, the laptop did also. I called Alienware and their answer was the warranty had expired, the repairs would be on me. I argued to no avail at this point, and sent the computer in for repairs. I was told the computer needed a motherboard, again at my expense.
I argued over a 6 week period until finally they repaired the computer and refunded the charges. I also asked for and received another year of warranty coverage, that I had to pay for.
About six months go by and the video starts to go again. All the while, the computer is performing as if it has molasses for silicon. I call CS. Again with the reinstalling of the OS. I finally get them to troubleshoot over the phone and they decide the video card is bad. They arrange for an onsite repair from a local contract computer guy who does a nice job.
Another 6 months go by and the thing starts acting up again. Same song and dance about reinstalling the OS. By now I am an expert in OS installs.
It dies again. This time when I send it to Alienware for repairs (at my expense, second warranty has expired), they tell me I need another motherboard but sorry, they don't have any and can't get any. I find this to be unbelievable. I am told they don't manufacture the computer parts, just assemble them and their supplier doesn't make the boards anymore. And by the way, they can't replace or upgrade my computer because, you guessed it, the warranty has expired.
I find a repair place in TN that has parts. After receiving it back from ALienware, who BTW is in the Miami area, I live in AK, I send it to the TN guys for repairs. They do a nice job at less than the Alienware quote for the same repair, if they had parts.
It lasted about a year and guess what, same OS issues. I had about given up on it when I got a copy of WIN7 and thought what the heck. I installed the WIN7 and after struglling with a couple of driver problems, particularly the InProComm 2220 Wireless card, it was acting like a new computer. That was about 6 months ago. And guess what? Yup, the video is dying again.
I have just boxed it up to send again to laptop repair to see if it is salvageable. I have owned the thing for about four years and half of the time it was in repair status. That classifies this chassis as a "lemon" by any definition.
I don't think Dell has been able to clean house at Alienware yet with their reliability and CS issues. If that ever happens, maybe the Alienware laptops will be a item worth acquiring. Until then, steer clear!!
Was this review helpful?
Read 1 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Alain on 08/10/2010:
Ya know, given your detailed experience, I'll take your advice and steer way clear of this product.
Close comments
Add reply
Posted by
MIS Director
FLORIDA -- December 2008, I purchase an Alienware M17 laptop with all the bells and whistles costing right at $5000. The machine arrives two weeks later and seems fine.
We moved and a couples weeks later I start to play with it more. I find that the visual recognition software has stopped working and is asking for a license key. I call tech support and explain the problem and the tech has no idea. After spending three hours on the phone and multiple re-installs of the software I find that it works fine until you log in using the finger print reader at which time it stops working. The tech tells me he has to research it and get back to me. To this day I have not received a call back.
The next issue starts mid January. The machine has two hard drives in a RAID 0 stripe. Upon boot one of the drives does not appear in the RAID array. After rebooting the drive shows up but the array is not accessible. After rebooting a second time the computer will find the OS.
I call tech support, which tells me I need to back up all my data because we have to break the array to test the drives. I get the chance to do this and call them back a month later. We spend four more hours on the phone while he has me test the drives and he figures out that one is bad, so he sends one to me, but I have to pay to have it shipped in advance to me. After receiving the drive I open the box to find it is a refurbished drive they sent out for my three month old computer.
I install the drive and install the data back and guess what, upon reboot it does the same thing. I call them back and I am now told that I have to send the computer back. Oh and I did pay extra for the on site warranty. After waiting three weeks for a shipping box and two additional calls to get it sent to me, I ship it back.
I get a call from a woman telling me she works directly for the CEO of the company and that she will be handling my case from now on and that she will ensure me that my laptop will be repaired correctly and come to me like new. I told her that I wanted a new hard drive put in to replace the refurbished one they had sent and she told me no problem.
Two weeks later she calls and tells me that my computer was shipped and will be to me in a couple days. I asked her if they replace the hard drive and she told me yes they did.
It arrives and I turn it on, WOW it fails to find the hard drive in the RAID array. Rebooting it finds the drive but no OS, rebooting again and the computer boots. (sound familiar?)
The computer boots to Windows and low and behold the OS was not a new install (which was one of the reasons they said it had to be sent back and they promised to replace the hard drive which would require a re-install)
I shut the computer down and pulled out the hard drive bay that I had installed the replacement drive in and guess what the refurbished drive was still there. I know because I marked it with a sharpie.
I called her back and told her what was going on, she told me that she wanted me to send it in to her and that she would personally repair it. I told her that I wanted it replaced since it was only six months old and it had not worked for four of those months. She told me she would send me two new hard drives and if that did not fix it that I needed to send it to them for repair that they would not replace it.
Buyer beware do not by Alienware.
Was this review helpful?
Read 1 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
The Ant on 09/10/2011:
Have you considered filing a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection in your state?
The first step is figuring out what the company has advertised.
Then document it.
If all of the complaints posted online were forwarded to an organization with some regulatory oversight, then I imagine the poor behavior that you have described would soon stop.
Best wishes.
Close comments
Add reply
Alienware = Defective Laptops
Posted by
CM Frank
LEVITTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA -- My husband purchased the Alienware m9750 in February 2008 as a gift for me. The system worked fine for a few months, but then began having problems keeping time. We contacted Alienware and they sent us a CMOS battery to replace. That did not fix the problem so October 2008 it was sent into their repair depot. After 2 months in the repair depot we stop receiving communication about the status of our system. We were unable to get a response for a month. It was returned to us January 14, 2009 and were told that the Motherboard, Hard drive, Wireless Card, and TV tuner card were all defective and replaced. However we received it back with all the same hardware issues as before the repair plus the optical drive no longer worked. On January 16, 2008 we were contacted by a representative on behalf of Alienwares CEO. She informed us that they shipped a new optical drive and to let her know if it fixed the problem. It did not of course since the motherboard was defective.
On January 26, 2009 she issued a cancellation of our system and told me to pick out a new system which matched the cost of our original since she could not issue us a refund. Which is what we requested. We ordered the Alienware m15x. Which we were forced into as none of their other systems came with windows XP which is what we had originally and wanted. That system was delivered on March 6, 2009. Immediately open using the brand new system it had hardware problems. It was locking up, crashing and overheating. It was also not shipped with correct specs. It was supposed to have an upgraded LCD and did not. I contacted the representative and explained the situation.
She was extremely apologetic and though extremely hesitant, I agreed to have it returned to the repair depot. She guaranteed me she would personally test the system to ensure it was functioning perfectly and that the LCD would be replaced with the correct one. And that if I had any problems she would do everything in her power to get us a refund. The system was returned to us on March 14, 2009. On March 18, 2009 the system began turning itself off immediately upon going to battery and the system was getting red hot to the touch. I sent the representative an Email about the situation and also left her a message on March 19, 2009.
I was in contact with her on March 20, 2009 where she once again despite her earlier promise wanted it shipped back to the repair depot. I told her that this was simply unacceptable as the system was just returned to me and should not have been sent to me in this condition. I requested she keep her promise and issue us a refund. She told me it was not an option. All she could offer me was to ship it back to repair depot and upgrade my memory. This has been an ongoing matter that seemingly has no resolution. We have been trying desperately to work with the representative to get our money back since we cannot get a working laptop from this company and to no avail. This system is under warranty until February 2011 and I am getting the impression that all I will be doing until the end of warranty is sending it back and forth to the repair depot and still not have a working system. This laptop has been at the repair depot more than it has been in my possession. This is a $3,666.95 laptop that has not worked properly since its purchase.
Was this review helpful?
Read 2 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Soaring Consumer on 03/20/2009:
Alienware = Dell, and Dell = hell. And this is a perfect example of Dell Hell.
At this point, I recommend suing them in small claims court. I think this has gone long enough.
CM Frank on 03/20/2009:
Thanks. It certainly is! Yeah that is my next step. Small claims action against Alienware and Dell. I sent a message to he CEO's of both to that effect and I'm waiting for the BBB to contact them as well. I also filed a complaint with the Attorney General Consumer Protection. I was hoping to get somewhere w/o having to take legal action, but obviously I'm not.
Close comments
Add reply
Alienware Sucks
Posted by
MIAMI, FLORIDA -- My husband and I bought a refurbished laptop computer on April 10, 2008 and when we received the computer it did not work. We bought this computer for $1033.98 through EBay Alienware Outlet Store. I now believe that we received a computer which had been returned to them broken and was then roughly patched up and passed on to us. I called their technical support on eight separate occasions and spent at least eight hours on the phone trying to get the computer working. Their best solution was to have me, a person with no computer experience, take the computer completely apart and try to fix the problems. Technical support had me remove the hard drive, install all drivers, take the keyboard off, and remove and replace almost every essential component of the computer. When I repeatedly asked to send in the computer for repair they refused and instead had me (again) remove the hard drive and mail it in. They then sent me a "new" one. What we received several weeks later was password protected for some other person's user profile with no password. I called them again and again their best answer was to have me take apart my computer and re-install all the drivers. The warranty is now expired, but the computer still does not work. I had asked on several occasions, within my warranty, for them to take the computer back and fix the unit properly. Alienware refused. We now believe this was done intentionally to cause the 90 day warranty to expire thus requiring us to pay for the parts.
We had saved for a year to buy this computer. All we want is that which was promised to us when we purchased the machine, a working computer. We have called Alienware and asked them to please take it back and repair the unit. They refuse unless we pay for all the repairs. We took the computer to Falcon Computers here in Waimea to see if they could fix it. The technician looked at it and immediately knew that the problem was probably a faulty motherboard and stated that there would be no reason any computer technician would not be able to diagnose this repair.
This further cements our feelings that Alienware purposely and knowingly ran out our warranty to avoid paying for this repair. We want either a working computer or our money back.
Was this review helpful?
Read 2 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Soaring Consumer on 01/03/2009:
That is Dell Hell... we all wish Dell didn't buy out Alienware.
I'd sue in small claims court because it is obvious that they sold you a lemon product.
CM Frank on 03/22/2009:
I feel your pain. I am going through something similar with Alienware. We paid 3,666.95 for a M15x brand new and it has been in repair since the moment it came out of the box. after a year still refuse to give us a refund and everyitme it comes back from the repair depot it is still broken. They are registered with the bbb at the following link. https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
I sent my compliant to several news agencies and filed a complaint with the attorney general. I f don't hear anything in 30 days I am taking them to small cliams court. It costs a hundred bucks to file but is a step worth taking.
Close comments
Add reply
Product Failure Is Not What I Paid For
Posted by
DALLAS, TEXAS -- Just like everyone else I had been wanting an Alienware computer for years.
Then the day came when I was able to purchase my "dream computer" from Alienware.
I spent over $4,000 for it.
An Alienware Aurora M9700 laptop with all of the extra goodies I could get including a year extended warranty.
Just to let you know, this is merely a summary of what Alienware has put me through.
It took a bit more than the estimated amount of time for it to be shipped out to me.
I had ordered it in October of 2006 and didn't receive it until after that Christmas.
Once I had finally received it I had nothing but problems with it, mainly problems with the video.
I kid you not that it took, from the very first tech support phone call I made to Alienware almost a month after I received it to the time it actually got half-haired repaired and sent back to me with the same problems as
before, about 4 months.
It was pure hell dealing with anyone from Alienware and still is.
After several months of talking with tech support about my laptops video problems they decided it was one of the video cards.
After sending me a replacement video card, they sent out an incompetent tech person to fix it who said and I quote him, "I don't know what I'm doing" after he had just about damaged the casing and ultimately damaging one of the speakers.
That guy had to call in to Alienware tech support to find out how to open the case properly (after he had it open half way exposing the inside components).
He couldn't get proper help from the tech support himself.
I ended up on the phone with an Alienware tech support manager while that guy was still at my residence who told me that he was going to send the guy away after I had expressed my distress over the situation to him.
The entire month following that situation was spent trying to get my address changed which they had refused to do at first but I finally succeeded in getting it changed after much Hell was given to me by customer service.
I had to change my address due to several moves I had made since I had bought the computer before they would further any repairs to it.
After that and after way too much hassle from Alienware employees telling me that I would have to foot the bill for any shipping, labor, parts cost even though my warranty was still in effect, they finally agreed to have me send it in to their repair center for
the repairs free of charge.
I sent my computer out to them on a Monday and received it back from them two days later on Wednesday.
They said my video problems were caused by "the video cards dirty heat sinks" and that they cleaned them.
They had also told me that I had a "bad image of Windows" they had originally put
on my system and the restore disc which they refused to replace.
They never repaired the speaker that was damaged by the tech guy they had sent out to my residence and would quickly change the subject every time I mentioned it.
I still had all of the same problems after I got it back from them. I've been putting up with these problems for a year and a half now.
The LCD is now about to go out and they are refusing to fix the issue which is something they should have tested and fixed before.
Once again they have told me if I wanted it fixed the costs of everything from the shipping, labor, parts and so forth would be coming out of my pocket and not theirs.
The cost they estimated would be well over a thousand
dollars. This is a defective product they sent to me in the first place and never actually fixed.
It would be an awesome computer if they had just fixed all of the issues the laptop computer had to begin with without giving me so much hassle over it.
If it wasn't for the video problems it would have been "the awesome computer of my dreams".
It would be nice if they were to fix the problems now without any cost to me since it was their failure to make sure everything in, on and about the computer was in tip-top working order before they shipped to me since that is what I paid for, a perfectly working Alienware computer.
Was this review helpful?
Read 13 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Principissa on 07/24/2008:
A friend of my husband's uses his 8,000.00 Alienware desktop as a door stop. He just gave up because their customer service and tech support are useless.
Anonymous on 07/24/2008:
$4000.00 $8000.00!!! on a computer???? Holy Sh*T! Is it gold plated or something?
Anonymous on 07/24/2008:
Alienware has a terrible name and reputation in the computer business. Total lack of customer support for starters.
Principissa on 07/24/2008:
I don't know steve, but for that price it should be! It is a very nice doorstop though.
Anonymous on 07/24/2008:
LOL.expensive door stop.I guess I'm not into computers that much.I can see spending that much on strippers. J/K!
jktshff1 on 07/24/2008:
I must not be like everyone else, my ThinkPads have always worked fine....$4,000 for a personal computer system!!!!Holy S! Why? Must have had a really good salesman
Anonymous on 07/24/2008:
I'm with you Jkt. I have a five year old ThinkPad, I maxed out the memory and put a larger hard drive in it and it works great. Can't kill the thing off. It's been dropped, kicked, treated poorly, been back packed to Europe and the Middle East and it just won't die.
jktshff1 on 07/24/2008:
yea super mine has been to h & back and still kicking!
old fart on 07/24/2008:
$4000...?? I remember not that many years ago when you could buy a Cadillac for that kind of money..Who would be fool enough to spend that kind of loot for a 'puter??
jktshff1 on 07/24/2008:
Cadillac h, you could get a limo that long ago OF!
old fart on 07/24/2008:
Hey Sonny.. a Stutz bearcat doesn't come cheap...!
Korthtron on 09/08/2008:
Well I don't want to be this guy but I had trouble with my 9700i notebook. hard drive related I will admit there customer service as just god awful min. waiting time is about 16 min I would say out of my 6 calls but I got through and after an hour of troubleshooting they agree'd to replace it so I cannot complain I suppose but some of those reviews sound rough so I will keep you posted.
Soaring Consumer on 11/15/2008:
Here is a partial explanation of the problem - Alienware is now owned by Dell.
This article is from 2006. http://news.cnet.com/Dell-to-acquire-Alienware/2100-1003_3-6052842.html
Close comments
Add reply
Next Page >
Top of Page
Next Page >
Consumer Resources
Company Responses
Site Rules
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
About Us


text:
In the second leadership change at Stanley CSS in 16 months, Marty Schnurr—who was named president of Stanley CSS North America in May 2012—has moved to a new non-security role at Stanley Black & Decker.
Brett Bontrager is acting head of Stanley CSS, along with running Stanley Security Solutions, according to John Nemerofsky, Stanley VP Global Vertical Market Solutions.
Asked about the leadership change, Nemerofsky told me that Bontrager is expected to stay in a dual role for "four to six months" until a new CSS president is named.
Asked details about a search for a new president Nemorofsky said "no search was taking place."
An internal candidate will be announced within that time frame, he said.
Schnurr's reappointment was announced in an internal memo in at the beginning of the September.
Schnurr replaced Tony Byerly as president of CSS. Although he had worked with Stanley for 16 years, Schnurr had not worked in the physical security industry before being named president of Stanley CSS. He was president of Stanely Hydraulic Tools at the time of that appointment.
News reports lead with stories about how the U.S. government shutdown this week is sabotaging people's vacation plans at national parks. But Honeywell Chairman and CEO David Cote is concerned about how a long shutdown could have even greater negative repercussions on businesses and our economy.
According to an article this week from MoneyNews, Cote is among a number of CEOs of major corporations to worry the shutdown could harm the economic rebound both at home and abroad.
Here's some of what Cote had to say, according to that article:
"Everyone will get more conservative and pull back on hiring and investing," Cote, who served on Obama's bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's Trish Regan.
Even if the budget fight is resolved, lawmakers would immediately move to the next dispute over raising the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling.
It also would be a "horrible idea" to block a boost in the federal debt ceiling, as some lawmakers vow to do, Cote said. "When you hear people starting to think that maybe we should default or not raise the debt ceiling and we will play chicken with it, are you actually serious?"
"Everyone will get more conservative and pull back on hiring and investing," Cote, who served on Obama's bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's Trish Regan.
Even if the budget fight is resolved, lawmakers would immediately move to the next dispute over raising the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling.
It also would be a "horrible idea" to block a boost in the federal debt ceiling, as some lawmakers vow to do, Cote said. "When you hear people starting to think that maybe we should default or not raise the debt ceiling and we will play chicken with it, are you actually serious?"
Of course, Honeywell is a huge, diversified company. But if the fears of Cote—recently named "CEO of the Year"—come true and we go back into recession again, smaller security companies also could be impacted in a negative way.
Let's hope this all gets resolved soon.
The bite of chilly weather hasn't yet snapped southern Maine, but that doesn't mean I don't welcome the opportunity to go 500 miles south for 48 hours, where stronger vestiges of summer remain. Tomorrow morning I'm off to Maryland with Tim Purpura, SSN's publisher, to attend the Dynamark Convention 2013 in Hagerstown, Md.
The event kicks off in earnest with a vendor show tomorrow evening, which will showcase products from a slew of manufacturers, with an emphasis on new and emerging technology trends. Day two opens with a joint presentation by Dynamark founder Wayne Alter and Wade Moose, owner of The Systems Depot, followed by workshops tailored to dealers, technicians, installers and sales personnel.
My Hagerstown stay will conclude with my inaugural central station tour of Dynamark's facility, which opened in 2011. I eagerly await this phase of the trip, not only because it's my personal debut in a central station, but because the descriptions I've heard of Dynamark's facility tend to be peppered with superlatives.
I plan to be active on Twitter during the vendor show and workshop sessions (https://twitter.com/SSN_Leif), and I'll also be updating my blog over the course of the next two days as events unfold, distilling the sights and sounds and key takeaways from the speakers.
For those attending, I look forward to meeting you there.
AT&T's 2012 announcement that it would phase out 2G service left most in the alarm industry, well, unfazed. With wireless technology, such changes come with the territory. Moreover, it's not the alarm industry but the mobile phone industry that dictates network "sunsets." As Lou Fiore, Chairman of the Alarm Industry Communications Commission, put it in a recent conversation: "As long as you go cellular, there is no endgame here."
A few months after the initial announcement, AT&T attached a deadline (Jan 1, 2017) to its 2G sunset. Since that time, the AICC has established a regular line of communication with AT&T, which sends a representative to attend the organization's quarterly meetings.
AT&T informed AICC that, while interim changes would take place in advance of the 2G sunset, the changes would not affect the alarm industry. AICC members, Fiore said, were "skeptical."
"We tried to impress upon [AT&T] the fact that our control sets hang on the wall, and if you change the operating parameters of that network, it may not work anymore," Fiore said. "You can't ask the homeowner to move the unit around to see if it works."
Fiore, who is in the process of gathering information regarding possible outages for units tied to AT&T's 2G network, said that in given locations, customers might still get 2G coverage but that there's a chance it "won't be as deep as it was before."
Fortunately, there are some steps alarm companies can take to mitigate outages. Companies can switch to AT&T's 3G or 4G network by choosing matching hardware from a cellular alarm communicator, or to one of AT&T's competitors (the 3G and 4G networks of Verizon and Sprint are an option, Fiore said). Certain companies may be able to go with a wired network, but this is highly contingent upon business model, Fiore noted.
Still three years from the deadline, AT&T's 2G sunset promises to be a story with several more chapters. I'll be watching closely to see what kind of ripple effects it has on the industry.
Members of Security-Net, a group of 20 independent integrators that work together as a single national integrator, is having business meetings and doing some celebrating (its 20th anniversary bash is tonight) here in Chicago during the ASIS show.
On Monday, I spoke to Jim Coleman, president of Operational Security Systems, and newly elected president of Security-Net for 2014 and 2015. Other new officers include Skip Sampson, VP, Koorsen Security Technology, Steve Morefield, founder, Firstline Security, and Mike Painter of Alpha Corporation.
Coleman took some time out from training sessions that were taking place for the integrator's SalesNet and TechNet groups. SalesNet and TechNet are networks of sales people and technicians from the different companies. The groups' members communicate frequently and meet in person several times a year.
Coleman said the SalesNet group had a four-hour training session. "We brought in an expert to walk through the module and talk about sales leadership—how to be a sales leader in your organization," he said. The TechNet group was in a meeting about "how you use technology internally in your organizations, how the same databases and networks that we use in the systems we install [should be used] to make your company more efficient and productive … to keep up with change in your company."
Both groups were also spending time with Security-Net vendors working on product training. And speaking of manufacturers, Coleman said that Security-Net has negotiated an agreement with Honeywell, where "our members are going to become qualified to install and service Honeywell video and access control systems for national accounts that we would execute." I asked him if the group would be attending Honeywell Connect, a conference in November that will for the first time bring together dealers from Honeywell's three dealer groups, FAP, HIS and CSS. He said that Security-Net will have a large presence there. I'm going this year as well.
Asked what initiatives Security-Net is working on, Coleman said it plans to make further investment in its national accounts software platform that the group uses to share documents and other information among the different companies. Specifically, the group is working on some mobile apps for salespeople for when they do surveys, for installation people to report progress on what got accomplished, any issues in the field," he said. The apps will be used by individual Security-Net companies internally and in concert with other companies when they work on the same national account, he said.
I'm off to the McCormick Center now for a day on the show floor. Looks like a beautiful day in Chicago from my hotel room. It took me all day to get here from Maine yesterday, but I did get to sneak in a run along the lake in the early evening. I'm looking forward to me meetings today, but I'm hoping to get out on that running path asap after the showfloor closes.
In another illustration of the industry's evolution, Baton Rouge La.-based Skyhawk Security, which offers remote video monitoring, IP camera systems and access control systems for commercial customers (most in Louisiana, but some as distant as California), acquired local IT firm Big Networks. With the purchase of the firm's assets and intellectual property, the Skyhawk Group (the name of the merged company) will have an in-house IT unit to supplement its security offerings.
The move establishes an interesting hybridized security company in the Louisiana capital. Brett Lofton, one of three managing members with Skyhawk, said the acquisition, in addition to bringing in an "in-house IT decision maker," also presents some major cross-selling opportunities, particularly with respect to some of the clients the company inherited through the Big Networks buy.
Lofton said some of these accounts could potentially be a boon to Skyhawk's security business. "We'll certainly be cross-selling and trying to get in front of them to talk about [our security offerings]," Lofton noted, adding that this applies especially to companies with guards—customers who could find the security services palatable. Commercial customers may find value in the prospect of replacing or supplementing nightshifts with video monitoring, Lofton said.
Skyhawk also plans to explore cross-selling its hosted access control service, which Lofton believes is gaining traction. It will be interesting to follow what kind of role video monitoring and access control play in the company's primary near-term plan: organic growth—much of which could be fueled by business in its own backyard. Stay tuned for more on Skyhawk's plans and near-term goals in Louisiana and beyond.
Exactly why the board of Toronto-based AlarmForce forced out the company's CEO and founder, Joel Matlin, this summer remains unclear. Deepening the mystery is the fact that over the past year, the publicly traded company did very well with Matlin still at the helm, according to its recently released third quarter results.
I've gotten one side of the story: Matlin told me in August that his ouster in July as company CEO and president was "a mutiny created by my CFO, Anthony Pizzonia."
Pizzonia, who is now interim CEO and president as the company searches for a replacement for Matlin, has not responded to my repeated requests for comment.
Matlin, who resigned from the company's Board of Directors after his ouster, also told me that the company he founded in 1988 is "probably one of the best growing alarm companies in North America, with zero debt." Third quarter figures released earlier this month confirm AlarmForce is very healthy.
For example, the company said in a news release that "revenue in the third quarter grew by $3 million to $36 million, or 9 percent, over the comparative period of 2012. Canadian revenue was up 4 percent to $28.0 million and U.S. revenue was up 29 percent to $8.5 million over the comparative period of 2012."
Also, it said that RMR "increased by 8 percent in the third quarter and accounted for 91 percent of the total revenue. RMR growth was driven by an increase in subscribers and by a 2.5 percent increase in average revenue per subscriber, which rose to $27.07 as compared to $26.40 in the third quarter of 2012." RMR is now more than $3.7 million.
The release also confirmed that the company has no debt and "funded all growth and product development from internal cash resources."
Pizzonia said in a prepared statement: "For the remaining balance of the fiscal year, we will focus on growing our subscribers, increasing operating efficiencies, pursuing accretive investments that drive organic growth and returning excess cash to shareholders in the form of both dividends and share buybacks."
AlarmForce provides security alarm monitoring, PERS, video surveillance and related services to residential and commercial customers throughout Canada and in the United States. The company is a leading provider of two-way voice alarm systems in Canada.
When I reached out to Matlin this month about the company's earnings, he said his lawyer had advised him not to comment. Pizzonia has not responded to another request for comment.
Matlin had told me previously that he was working with his legal team to hold a proxy vote that he believes will result in the replacing of the board that forced him out.
However, the company already has moved to replace Matlin on the board. AlarmForce said Tobias Behrenwaldt "would serve as an independent director of the company until election at the next annual meeting of shareholders in 2014." Behrenwaldt is currently a partner in Behrenwaldt Investment GmbH, the company said.
Matlin previously had complained to me that the board has too many investment types on it. "Now you have the financial guys running the company, certainly not the marketing guys," he said. The board this summer also suspended Matlin's son, a key member of AlarmForce's marketing team, Matlin said.
Marketing expenses last year were substantial, according to the company's third-quarter results release: "EBITDA increased to $7.6 million, or 78 percent, due to the reduction of advertising expenses related to the launch of VideoRelay in 2012. Excluding the impact of these marketing expenses that result in a charge to operating income, adjusted EBITDA increased by 1 percent to $17.4 million from $17.2 million."
Was this an issue? Your guess is as good as mine. Stay posted as I follow this story.
As some know, the world of alarm monitoring can have murky legal waters, and it's sometimes difficult to tell what risks you're exposed to as a company until it's too late. Even exculpatory provisions don't necessarily make you immune to legal repercussions. If contracts aren't worded with sufficient clarity or designed with the correct protective provisions in place, the exculpatory clauses may be unenforceable.
Clearly it's best to err on the side of caution, and to ensure, if possible, that contracts are designed under the guidance of legal professionals with alarm industry expertise. A question posed today on Ken Kirschenbaum's newsletter illustrates some of these good instincts. And it touched on a growing vertical that's created something of an industry buzz: marijuana.
In summary, the questioner asked what kind of legal risks securing a marijuana dispensary or growing facility entails for an alarm company. Of course, with the substance being legal in certain states but illegal federally, it's unrealistic to imagine that risks are the same across the board. From a legal standpoint, the most interesting sub-question, posed by the same questioner, follows below in paraphrase:
What if, for example, a driver under the influence of illegally stolen marijuana gets behind the wheel under the influence of the stolen substance and strikes a pedestrian, killing them? Would the alarm company to any extent be culpable?
In his response, Kirschenbaum said all businesses, illegal or legal, carry some kind of risk, and marijuana dispensaries or growing facilities are no exception. If an alarm system is well-maintained, functioning properly and code-compliant, risk is minimized considerably. "Why should the alarm company care what's going on in the subscriber's premises when that alarm signal comes in?" he asked. "The decision is whether to dispatch and to which agency, police department or fire."
The marijuana example was merely the kernel which Kirschenbaum convincingly expanded into a much broader topic about what alarm companies can and can't control. "I don't think the alarm company is responsible for subscriber activity," he noted. These words from an industry attorney should, if anything, be a source of comfort for alarm companies, who may not have to worry about another front opening up in the war against legal liability.
Still, some caution is advised. But what's Kirschenbaum's advice for having dispensaries or other high-risk premises as subscribers? "If you get a call to alarm a pot dispensary, take the job and price it right," he said. "At least you don't have to compete against ADT."
There's news in the finance and investment world today. Bill Polk, who's been running the security division of Capital One since its inception in August of 2011, is moving into the private equity world.
Polk is joining Egis Capital Partners, an investor in alarm.com. ECKey and, as of last May, CSSN. Here's a video interview I did with Egis founder Robert Chefitz in June.
Tom Pagnani, who has worked with Polk at Capital One and at CapitalSource before that, is taking over as managing partner at Capital One.
I spoke to all three this morning.
"We continue to see enormous opportunities at all levels of the capital structure. … From my point of view [there is great] equity opportunity with fast-growing younger companies. [Working together with Robert] is something he and I have talked about for a long time. And I think it's a great opportunity to move forward," Polk said.
Polk noted that lately the private equity community "has had a sharp focus" on the security sector, but most in PE groups are generalist who lack expertise in the physical security business. Young companies looking for PE partners can benefit from working with a group, like Egis, that has that expertise, he said. Chefitz said that Egis likes to "work closely with management teams and with private equity funds that want to invest in the business." He said he's ecstatic that Polk is joining Egis full time, noting that Polk brings experience and relationships with management teams of target investments and relationships as with other PE funds.
Chefitz said Egis is excited to continue working with Capital One.
Founded by Chefitz in 2007, Egis targets companies with enterprise values of $30 million to $200 million "that require a total investment between $10 million and $40 million." In addition to its investment in alarm.com, Egis closed in May on an investment in CSSN, a company that does passport and drivers license authentication and identification. "And we did that with the well-regarded Insight Venture Partners," he said, adding that Insight has a brand new $2.5 billion fund as of this past April. Insight is an investor in Twitter and LinkedIN. "They have a tremendous brand name in technology and it's interesting that [they're investing in] security," Chefitz said.
Egis has also "worked with Joe Grillo [former CEO of HID and Assa Abloy's global technology division] in his business activities at ACRE," Chefitz said.
Tom Pagnani said that this move is a logical transition for Polk and said that it's an opportunity for himself and John Robuck to "continue to make the Capital One name known in the security alarm industry."
"Egis is going to be quite active," Pagnani said. He called Polk is a key addition to the Egis operation. "We're excited about the prospect of doing deals with Egis," Pagnani said.
The projected expansion of the PERS market will be fueled by several realities playing in its favor. First and foremost, the demographics, highlighted by an aging baby boomer population, are compatible with growth in the PERS space. Similarly, PERS devices make seniors better equipped to remain in their homes and possibly reap considerable cost savings. The market is relatively resilient. The technology is simple. One of the biggest barriers to entry may be tapping into the right marketing channel, Josh Garner, CEO of AvantGuard Monitoring Centers, told me in a conversation we had earlier this year on the state of the PERS industry. The marketing hurdle is not to be underestimated. But it also seems far less an obstacle than, say, mastering the technical ins and outs of a product truly difficult to integrate or install.
These are all PERS-relevant realities of which the industry already has a fairy sound understanding. While much is known, many questions still linger with respect to the future of the market. That much became clear in a recent conversation with Barry Epstein, president of Dallas-based Vertex Capital.
One question with many ramifications for the market: what will reduce the annual attrition rates for PERS devices? Will it simply come down to a broader (and younger) customer demographic? Metrics are far from perfect, and the market is still green from an acquisition standpoint, but Epstein says the attrition rate for PERS devices hovers somewhere between 24 and 36 percent. Even at the lower end of that spectrum, these rates are not conducive to huge RMR value, and they could make private equity firms leery about getting involved, at least right now. A huge ancillary question to the one posed above will be what kind of innovations, on either the dealer or manufacturer end, can companies make to reduce these less than sterling rates.
Another question: Can smaller alarm companies do PERS? Or is the market going to remain the province of larger dealers or wholesale monitoring companies who can afford to support a PERS-only division? To what extent will traditional alarm companies have a share in the space at all? Epstein, who recently moderated a panel at the PERS Summit in Park City, Utah, said the conference naturally featured an abundance of PERS dealers, but only a small fraction of them had alarm accounts.
The development of this market will be worth watching closely. When will the acquisition tipping point occur? What will be the force behind it? What factors, as yet undeveloped, stand to drive the market's upward trajectory? And what about mobile PERS units?
In a broad sense, we're mostly sure where the PERS industry is going. But regarding specifics, questions abound.
Find out moreSubscribe Now
On the Editor's Desk Martha Entwistle
Monitoring MattersSpencer Ives
News and notesAmy Canfield
Guest Blog
© 2014 United Publications Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


text:
Follow Us
3 1371 Island Hwy,
Office Location G Dock At Discovery Harbour Marina, Campbell River,
British Columbia,
In operation since 2000 & is one of Campbell River's most experienced tour operators with over 40 years experience on these waters. Transport Canada certified. Guaranteed sightings; see website for details.
Rated by TripAdvisor as the #1 attraction in Campbell River.
Click the checkboxes below to display the appropriate item(s) on the map.
Arrival Date:
Departure Date:
Book Now
View all locations
Order Now
Find over 6,000 restaurants, activities and accommodations in BC on your smartphone or tablet.
We value your privacy and never share your information, and you may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe at any time.
Privacy Policy
Login Make a Reservation