AAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!

[RJP]

I know it doesn't help for getting it fixed before you leave but..... How did you pay for it? If it was with a card you've probably got accident insurance. Dunno how long that lats for though.

Have you asked the locals about getting it repaired locally? I had the screen on a Sony Vaio repaired at a very, erm, ethnic establishment in Bahrain. (In the process they managed to shag the sound and 2 of the usb ports but at least I could see something!) (& they did repair the sound / usb ports when I got a bit annoyed...... felt sorry afterwards for the guy who ran the place, dont think he'd ever seen anyone get quite that angry before). They repaired the screen (it wasn't physically damaged) iso replacing it, total bill was about 85 GBP).

The screen on an Alienware laptop is probably from a Dell machine, they seem to have a fairly good dealer / support network. According to http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topic ... l=en&s=gen there are several in Belgrade. Contact details there include mobile numbers for a couple of brand managers.

Do you know where you're gonna be next? If you cant get it done before leaving can it be sent on to the next port? Use FedEx...... the yellow & red company isn't nicknamed Drop Hide & Lose for nothing.

Obviously you wouldn't buy another identical one (with accident insurance), swap the screen & HD & then accidentally drop the new one (with old screen & HD fitted)....

Additionally, Alienware allows customers to send in old computer hardware in exchange for credit toward new hardware as part of their AlienExchange program

Might be worth seeing what deal can be done there?

Good luck!
Richard

[Pielstick]

Well I got a reply from Alienware, a phone number to call to get a quote on repairing it. It's an 0800 number so I can't call from Belgrade, the international number is in Ireland, so I don't fancy spending 20 quid just to phone them! I'll wait until I'm home next week.

Have you asked the locals about getting it repaired locally?

Don't want to risk it. Apart from the fact they probably don't have the right screens, if I get it fixed here and they cock it up I won't have any recourse to get it sorted. I'll just hang on for another week or so.

Do you know where you're gonna be next? If you cant get it done before leaving can it be sent on to the next port?

I'll be in Birkenhead for the rest of March, and probably most, if not all of April. I've been in touch with the guy I'm relieving (we were cadets together) and he tells me it's a complete balls up at the moment and everything is running at least a month late... now there's a surprise :roll:

The problem with getting mail delivered to the ship is the mail goes through BFPO, who send it on to the ship's agent, who then actually bring it to the ship. Too many opportunities for it to get lost or mislaid... I've had parcels delivered before that have chased the ship around the Far East, as well as ones that have criss-crossed between the Falklands, Brasil and Ascension :think: I've never known anyone to get anything delivered via courier to the ship before, and I imagine there would be problems with getting through the dockyard security. However, being a refit, if the boss is a good 'un they usually give engineers every other weekend off, so I could most likely get home within a couple of weeks to pick it up if I send it off for repair.

[Captain Pugwash]

don't worry about bfpo, i had a camera lens shipped out to me via my family to the RFA Olwen. whilst outbound to the russian coast. to my surprise the parcel was hand delivered to the purser's office by one of the helicopter crew. the parcel had written optical equipment handle with care. the other mail was dragged along the deck and thrown through the door as per normal.
as for security at refit, again don't panick. whilst at refit at crombie jetty on the RFA Regent. my father ordered and had delivered via the company he worked for a small parcel just for me. the lads onboard were from scotland, also two of the purser's. a great shout went up as here came a barr's delivery truck on to the jetty. for those none scotish barr's soft drinks are the makers of scotlands national drink. no not scotch but irn bru. there was a shout of the ships system for motorman ........ to the gangway. so off i went wondering what the heck, the driver gave me an invoice already paid and then asked where was the 8 cases of 24 irn bru to go. everyone wanted to be my friend, the purser's were a little miffed as a low life had all this irn bru and nobody wanted to buy from their shop.
so i would say if things haven't changed with bfpo or the agents you should be ok with equipment being sent for repair and then posted back to the ship.