OT - HP Customer Support

[Shelby Crane]

This is my recent conversation with HP customer support. My laptop case broke. I did not drop it or jar it on anything so I don't feel I should have to pay to repair it.



... a little more before this

Shelby Crane: it seperated on the left side at the bottom left of the screeen

Violet: Could you please provide me the Serial Number (eg: CNS34915MC) and Product Number (egS542U) of your Notebook?

Violet: You may find that on a sticker attached at bottom of the Notebook.

Shelby Crane: s/n: cfnxxxxxbb

Violet: Thank you for the information.

Shelby Crane: prod num: ezxxxxua#aba

Violet: Thank you.

Shelby Crane: any ideas?

Violet: I will assist you regarding this, please give me a movement. Let me check what best I can do in this regard.

Shelby Crane: thank you

Violet: You are welcome.

Shelby Crane: if you look at it, i am confident you will see i did not damage it. the case failed on it's own where the screw holds it together

Violet: Its Ok.

Violet: Shelby, your notebook is under warranty, so if you any problem with your notebook. We will arrnage a free mail-in-repair service.

Shelby Crane: thank you. please let me know how

Shelby Crane: my email is [email protected]

Violet: Shelby, I checked the details. Just for confirmation, is it happend when you tried to open the notebook?

Shelby Crane: yes, every time i open the note book it seperates a little more

Shelby Crane: seems like the screw that holds the two halfs of the screen part of the notebook does not hold any more

Shelby Crane: i could send pictures

Shelby Crane: the screen and keyboard work fine

Violet: May I know how this damage was happend?

Shelby Crane: sure. i opened the notebook one day and saw it was seperated

Shelby Crane: then over the next couple of weeks it got worse

Shelby Crane: there is no external damage to the notebook, surely others have experianced this problem with the 17" models

Shelby Crane: .

Violet: If you opend personally and any damage happens, it comes under ADP.

Shelby Crane: what does that mean? adp?

Violet: Accidental Damage Protection.

Violet: It will be charged.

Shelby Crane: so you are not willing to look at this problem as a defect?

Violet: Iam Sorry Shelby, I checked the information, you are not under ADP, so it will be charged for you.

Shelby Crane: again, you are not willing to invistigate this as a manufacture defect?

Violet: I understand you concern, As this notebook is puchased on Oct 2006, we can't consider as a manufacture defect.

Violet: its around 8 months old notebook.

Shelby Crane: i purchased the notebook with a 1 year warranty.

Shelby Crane: so hp warranty is now 8 months?

Violet: Yes, I understand, this problem was happend when you tried you open the notebook right? If there is any problem with your notebook with in 1 year. we will doservice free of cost.

Violet: This problem happed from your end, so it comes under ADP.

Violet: ADP is Entirely different from warranty.

Shelby Crane: the problem has nothing to do with any thing I did. Therefore, there is a probem with the product.

Shelby Crane: to my amazement, hp is not even willing to look at my laptop to tell me the problem

Shelby Crane: you are able to tell me the problem with my notebook from 3k miles away and you are POSITIVE it is my problem?

Violet: Ok Shelby, I will arrange a free mail-in-repair for you, If the Damage is identified as cosmetic damage it comes under ADP and it will be charged. If it Manufature defect the service will be free of cost.

Shelby Crane: thank you. that is fair.

Violet: Mailin process:



1. HP sends a box to end user (should take 1-2 days).

2. You have to pack the unit in the box.

3. Have to send the unit to HP in with the return label provided in the box through FedEx.

4. Service center receives the unit and repairs it.

5. Service ce

 

[Tom Schindler]

I am still flying on my no name Laptop I got from Aldi.



Been running great fo 4 years now.





Tom

 

[Josh Langel]

Try calling them. Do they still use India?

 

[Wes Davis]

To me it sounds like when they asked you how the damage occurred you replied when you opened the notebook. Is it possible with the language barrier they took this to mean when you opened the case of the notebook to access the internals? This of course would void your warranty.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Here is a list of computer support links and numbers that are not published for the most part...



COMPANY SUPPORT URL PHONE

ABS www.abspc.com.support 800/685-3741

Amax find.pcworld.com/43282 800/889-2629

Dell support.dell.com 800/624-9896

EMachines find.pcworld.com42384 801/401-1419

Fujitsu PC find.pcworld.com/42516 800/838-5487

Gateway support.gateway.com Small Office 800/369-1409 Business 888/888-1904

Hewlett-Packard find.pcworld.com/42386 HP’s 800/474-6836 Compaq’s 800/652-6672

IBM www.ibm.com/pc/support 800/426-7378

Micro Express find.pcworld.com/42388 800/989-9900

MPC find.pcworld.com/42390 877/894-5693

Polywell www.polywell.com/us/support 800/300-7659

Sony find.pcworld.com/42392 888/476-6972

Sys Technology www.sys.com 800/613-9963

Toshiba www.pcsupport.toshiba.com 800/457-7777

 

[2]

I have had good results with HP customer support when I have called them. I have never had great luck with their chat support. As for who answers the phone, it appears to be 50/50 for someone that sounds american vs. someone with a heavy accent. HP has their contact numbers available in the support section of their website.

 

[Ryan D]

Same thing happened to me. I ended up having to file a BBB complaint before they replaced my printer!!! I hate HP phone support. I called about a my printer not feeding paper or being able to print, and the guy tried to sell me ink and paper . .uhg ..

 

[Bill V]

Ironbar, I agree with Me--when I was reading that transcript, it sounded like they were meaning "open" as "opening the case to access the inner circuitry", while you meant "open" to mean "flip up the screen to use the computer in the conventional manner". And once each of you started down your own interpretation, the conversation was doomed.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

I agree with BillV and Me...the tech support person seems to think you cracked open the laptop, not simply opened the screen, that's why they moved the issue from the regular warranty to the accidental damage protection warranty which you didn't have, Ironbar.



To understand how such miscommunications can happen, click the link below:



TJR

 

[Dre L]

ditto, you need to explain that you did not open the case or unscrew anything.. you opened the laptop, meaning you flipped open the screen for use.



Always call, don't use e-methods for problems.

 

[Shelby Crane]

Guess you all were correct. I called and re-explained my problem. The first tech said it would be covered under warranty "as long as it occurred under normal every-day usage. He gave me a confirmation and transfered the call to his "shipping department."



"Shipping department" ask me all of the same questions again. Then he ask me if the previous tech had informed me of the charges. I stated "the first tech said it would be under warranty." After going back and forth a few more times, and 41 minutes later, he agreed to send it in but informed me they would let me know if there was going to be any charges.



They are sending me the box. Thanks for everyones' help.



Much like Ford, I love HPs products but their customer service is horrible!



That clip is funny TJR.

 

[Shelby Crane]

For anyone that cares -



I went back and forth for two weeks with HP because they wanted to charge me for the repairs. In short - they said the LCD screen was cracked and it was $751 for repairs. I did not send it to them with a broken screen. (see above)



After many phone calls, I requested to file a claim with FedEx over the broken screen. FINALLY I got a manager on the phone. He looked through the records and I explained how I had been a loyal HP customer and was disappointed. He pressed a few buttons and a week in a half later I got back laptop back for $0.



At least my confidence is partialy restored.

 

[shawn stonbraker 2]

Good to hear Ironbar. I have only ever had HP's and yes, thier CS does leave something to desire. You just have to get the right person when dealing with them. Luckily, (knock on wood) I haven't had to deal with them that much.

 

[Chad Merry]

How about this tech spport person:



Technical Help





If you can't laugh about this you need help.... This is a supposedly a true story from the Word Perfect help line. Needless to say the help desk employee was fired; however, the person is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "termination without cause". This is from the taped conversation leading up to dismissal :

"Word Perfect Technical Desk, may I help you?"



"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with Word Perfect."



"What sort of trouble?"



"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."



"Went away?"



"They disappeared."



"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"



"Nothing."



"Nothing?"



"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."



"Are you still in Word Perfect, or did you get out?"



"How do I tell?"



"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"



"What's a sea-prompt?"



"Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?"



"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type!"



"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"



"What's a monitor?"



"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV.



"Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"



"I don't know."



"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"



"Yes, I think so."



"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."



".......Yes, it is."



"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"



"No."



"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."



"Okay, here it is."



"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."



"I can't reach."



"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"



"No."



"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"



"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle-it's because it's dark."



"Dark?"



"Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."



"Well, turn on the office light then."



"I can't." "



No? Why not?"



"Because there's a power outage."



"A power... A power outage? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"



"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."



"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."



"Really? Is it that bad?"



"Yes, I'm afraid it is."



"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?" "



Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."