Hewlett Packard Desktop Computer
My son and I purchased a Hewlett Packard desktop computer at Costco in Winnipeg, Manitoba in November of 2009 after looking at all of the various models and options at Costco and a few other retailers. We chose this particular model – a Pavillon Desktop – because the box and the packaging material said it would receive wireless transmissions. This was important as our hardwired internet connection is in another part of the house. After 3 days of being unable to determine why we couldn’t get an internet signal finally Costo customer support advised that this model infact didn’t have wireless capacity. The HP “support” person we phoned initally didn’t figure this out, and said probably I needed a stronger signal and thus a better router, which I went out and bought for $100. The second HP “support” person I called on the 3rd day was arrogant, said I “should have looked at the box” and also that there was no wireless card or adapter available for this computer and that I would have to go and buy a receiver. My son went out and bought the wireless receiver for about $120.
I wrote to HP “customer service” in Canada in January documenting this situation and sending copies of all of the bills and got absolutely no answer. Then in February I emailed the CEO of HP and got a call and an email from a customer “support” specialist who had (of course) not taken the time to look into my original complaint and made me re-submit everything. This person also suggested that I should have 1) taken the computer back to Costco (disassembled a desktop, repacked it in the packaging we had since thrown away etc) and 2) should have asked HP for a wireless card when I called instead of buying one (!). Which of course, was exactly the opposite of what arrogant customer “support” person #2 told me in November.
The “specialist” did say they would look into it once I resubmitted all the receipts etc and gave them serial numbers. I did so, got no response until I followed up with another email a week later at which time I was told they would do nothing for me unless I proved I was right by sending them photos of the box (which I’d stupidly thrown out after buying and unpacking their product).
I will never again deal with HP – although I suspect they, like most large retailers do not care.
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.
May 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
I custom ordered a Pavilion Elite from HP direct. I received the machine on schedule had a number of problems upgrading from my old XP system to the new 64 bit Windows 7. HP techs were sometimes helpful sometimes not but one problem they could not solve was with the Creative X-Fi Extreme Audio card mic port which would not operate and neither would the front panel port. After a week and many hours (two restores causing me to spend about 20-25 hours reloading software and date files)
I gave up and ask for a replacement. I received the replacement and discovered it had the exact same problem! HP’s Senior Case manager’s solution to this problem was to suggest I ship the PC back to the factory for repair! This was after, I refused to do another restore since I knew after two on the first NEW PC that wasn’t going to help.
I tried to get another case manager assigned but at least, when this Alex was at lunch I got to talk to someone who was more helpful and told me she would get a Tech to come to my home office and see if he could resolve the problem.
Turned out the tech was a sub-contractor from AT&T? He did manage to get the front port working but left me with a new computer with a hole in the back where he had knocked out the cover to try the card in another PCI slot.
I finally got assigned another Senior Case manager who as as rude and arrogant as the first one. Even though the tech they had sent suggested an upgraded sound card and request a cover for the slot he had opened, this case manager was the same as the first guy.
He couldn’t solve the problem and wanted me to send the computer back to the factory for repair.
I told him he was nuts and that it clearly was a software problem. His reply: “thanks for doing my job what makes you are qualified?”
I told him it was because I was pretty smart. I didn’t tell him that I had built and modified PC’s for years or that I had worked as a programmer/systems analyst and as Digital Equipmenht Corp Special Accounts manager. (Why bother?)
I alos didn’t tell him I had done something neither of those arrogant jerks had done, I had gone to the Creative site and discovered that this problem was on their FAQ list.
After several more rude exchanges with the new Senior Case manager Albert (aka Jose?)I emailed to the Corporate address to the HP President, a guy named Hurd.
End result my email got kicked right back to good old Albert who contacted me to say he was giving me his contact information so when I decided to send the computer back to the factory I should contact him.
So I used the info from the Creative site, fixed the problem and called that supercilious case manager back and told him if any other poor unfortunate customer got stuck with the same problem, he could give them my email address and I would tell them how to fix the problem since he didn’t know how.
I have used HP computers and printers for years in my home and home business and NEVER received the incompetent, arrogant “service” I received from these two people. I have always found the equipment and support to be excellent and especially on the printer side but, at this point after 10-15 with HP products, doubt that I will ever buy another one.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:00 am
Wow, I have never had to deal with HP customer service, but always found their products excellent, so that’s too bad. I usually search online for my own solutions, because, fortunately, there are people like you out there who know how to fix problems and share that knowledge.
A lot of the time these customer service reps don’t have people skills; a big mistake by the companies hiring them.