HP laptop issues

[mruffin75]

I've had quite a rough time trying to get my laptop fixed by HP...here's the story..

I have a HP Pavilion DV6000Z custom built laptop (which is quite a nice laptop).. which we purchased with HP's 3-yr Accidental Damage Protection warranty, which specs are:

- 3yrs of accidental damage protection (against spills etc.)
- mail-in warranty (upgraded from 10 day turnaround to 3 day)

I've had two problems with this laptop:

1 - The network card would "drop off" the system and refuse to work. It started as just needing a reboot, but it got to the point where it didn't work even with a reboot.
HP sent a replacement network card but that didn't fix it, so I had to send it in, where they replaced the mainboard and network card (Note: No I didn't blow up the mainboard, I'm an HP certified tech..I know what I'm doing..). Got it back.. all working well, so there was no problem.

2 - A couple of months later, my wife spilled milk on the laptop, and it (of course) died. I used HP's online tech support and let them know we spilled milk on it and it didn't turn on. This was ok after the tech looked up that we had an ADP warranty, and said a box would be sent out to return the laptop.

A week later, no box... so I went on HP's online tech support again, and this tech told me that there was no ticket issued for my laptop, but he *did* have the log session of the previous tech and could not tell me why the ticket was not issued. So he did it and I waited.

A few days later the box arrives, we pack it up and send it off the next day.

I keep checking HP's website to check the status of the repair..

10 days later I check the website, and it says that the laptop is "out of warranty" and is going to cost over $700! So I call HP this time, and the tech I talk to says that it's normal for ADP warranties because they have to assess the damage and send it to a claims dept. to get it accepted. I thought this was rubbish, so I went online to speak to an online tech again. That conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi, my laptop is in for repair and it is under warranty but the website says that it's out of warranty and it's going to cost me $700.."
Tech: "Don't worry, you'll get your laptop back"
Me: ".....uh.....what?? When will it get back?? It's been in there for 10 *business* days already..Your warranty says it'll take 3 business days!?"
Tech: "Uh.....ok"

So I demanded that I get a case manager to look into it (I've had to have this done before for a previous laptop..I swear that should've been a sign)..

I get a call from a case manager the next week, and when I get back to her she looks at my repair status and says "Have you had any contact from the repair center?" "No.." "Oh, because it looks like they're investigating if the damage was caused intentionally.."

At this point I was wondering if *anyone* would intentionally damage their own laptop...I mean...spilling milk on it wasn't done intentionally..??

Then she continued "Oh but I see you have a accidental damage protection warranty...so this shouldn't be an issue"...so she click click clicks, and what do you know? The website changes from "Out of warranty" to "In warranty" and the cost changes to $0.00.

About 4-5 business days later I get the laptop back. It now turns on and works, but has the new problems of:

- There's an 'X' scratched in the top of the laptop lid.
- The keyboard and speaker grill have a substantial "bulge", as if the laptop wasn't put back together correctly.

I call the case manager back and complain about the repair and ask if I can get it repaired locally. She um's and ah's and says "Do you know of any local HP repair agents?" and I said "Yes I used to work for one..." and she says "Can you get a quote of how much it'll cost to repair"...and eventually tells me to take it to my local Staples as "they will have the parts" (having worked for HP repair agents for the last 9 years, I can tell you they *don't* have the parts in stock, they have to order them from HP)..

So I end up sending it back to the repair center...where it takes them ANOTHER *11* business days for the repair to happen (so much for 3 days!)..and when I get it back, more parts have been replaced...but the scratch is still there!!!!!

At this point I'm fuming! So I call her back and complain...and at this point she calls back and says that they'll replace the laptop for us.... with the exact same model and specs..

To me, this was unacceptable.. HP has screwed me over for over a month with this laptop and they get away with it by just sending me the same laptop again?? I don't think so!!

So I fax her my demands, which are basically the same laptop, but with higher specs. And to her credit she did get me a laptop with higher specs (although not quite to the same that I wanted).

It just arrived today so at the moment we have two laptops, but I'm going to take my sweet time moving the data across to the new laptop and making sure it doesn't have any problems.

So in summary, Thankyou HP for the updated laptop, but no thankyou for the horrible service. If you *must* buy an HP, buy one with onsite repair... do NOT accept the rubbish mail-in service they offer.

 

[TheStu]

So sorry to hear about your issues. I think that you may have gotten the worst possible service available, but that is not to say that makes it any better. All companies have issues like this, but again that is unacceptable, and it is good of you to post this here so others can see it and consider it.

 

[Fraggable]

Whlie that's horrible CS, you can't really expect any better than that anymore no matter what you pay for a warranty. That's just the way companies treat customers anymore and you have to accept that when you buy their product.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone is really going to get 'onsite' repairs even with an onsite warranty. Every computer store is going to have to send the laptop out to a repair center if it needs parts, no one really stocks parts. Even if you're lucky enough to live close to a certified repair center (I've taken mine to one in Dayon, OH) they still have to take a few days to order parts. Dell may be able to do it onsite since they actually have Dell certified techs on the field and can send them parts, but again, it's going to take a few days for them to get parts.

It's horrible I know, anymore you just have to buy your own loaner system for when one of them goes out.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Fraggable
Whlie that's horrible CS, you can't really expect any better than that anymore no matter what you pay for a warranty. That's just the way companies treat customers anymore and you have to accept that when you buy their product.

I have to disagree with you here. I recently had to call Logitech because my 6 month old mouse suddenly stopped workign properly. The computer recognized that it was plugged in, but it couldnt connect to the mouse. After calling their Tech Support and talking with 2 separate (called twice since I was just calling for info the first time) native english speaking individuals that ran through all the possiblities, I was authorized to be sent a brand new mouse, no further questions asked and this is the 2nd most expensive mouse they sell (to the best of my knowledge). This is all apparently covered by the default 3 year! warranty that comes with the mouse. All I have to do is send them the broken one, but that is standard practice.

The best thing about all that was that I connected to a Tech very quickly (about 10 second wait at most) was not treated like an idiot, and the Tech did not have to transfer me to a supervisor to authorize the replacement. They covered every possible condition, from the mundane (is the mouse plugged in?) to the slightly less mundane (When you were checking the other VX Revolution, did you mix up the recievers?) to the more complex (Is it possible that when you had it plugged into the Windows machine that it was in a different port than when it was previously plugged in and wasn't loading the drivers?)

So, what happened to the OP is not the norm, and I pray that it never becomes that norm. We, the consumer, should not have to deal with incompetent and rude support staff when we purchase a product. In my circumstance, I paid $1250 for my MacBook (tax and upgrades) and even though that is not the most that can be paid to Apple for a product, it is not the least either. I expect that every customer get treated the same (unless of course one buys a special warranty) and that same should be good treatment, not crap.

 

[mruffin75]

Originally posted by: Fraggable
Whlie that's horrible CS, you can't really expect any better than that anymore no matter what you pay for a warranty. That's just the way companies treat customers anymore and you have to accept that when you buy their product.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone is really going to get 'onsite' repairs even with an onsite warranty. Every computer store is going to have to send the laptop out to a repair center if it needs parts, no one really stocks parts. Even if you're lucky enough to live close to a certified repair center (I've taken mine to one in Dayon, OH) they still have to take a few days to order parts. Dell may be able to do it onsite since they actually have Dell certified techs on the field and can send them parts, but again, it's going to take a few days for them to get parts.

It's horrible I know, anymore you just have to buy your own loaner system for when one of them goes out.

Not true...I've also worked at two Dell repair centers... and every time the client calls Dell, explains the issue...Dell make their own decision on what the problem is, sends the parts out *next day* to the repair agent, and we get sent out that day (IBM was the same with their laptops at a client of ours).

I've been an HP fan for years...but this kind of cost-cutting service really soured me on them.
I'm still sure they make great products, but their support really sucks..

 

[mruffin75]

Also as a quick update... at one point the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop came off...so I went on HP's online tech support and asked for some rubber feet to be sent to me. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "I need to get some rubber feet sent to me for my laptop. Some of them came off and it's still under warranty"
Tech: "We cannot get rubber feet, they are not an available part"
Me: "What!?!??"

So I checked partsurfer, and sure enough the rubber feet *were* available... so I decided to call HP instead..

Me: Same as above
Tech: "Sure no problem, we can send those out to you..."
...Some conversation about where to send them etc...
Tech: "Can I please have your credit card information.."
Me: "Uh....what???"
Tech: "We need your credit card information in case we need to charge you for not sending back the parts"
Me: ".... you want my credit card details in case I don't send back the rubber feet.......are you kidding me????"
Tech: "Hold please..."
2 mins on hold...
Tech: "Sorry to keep you waiting... No we will not need your credit card information.."


And the worst thing...I never received them...as far as I know there's still an HP order floating around somewhere...

 

[Gimmpy]

wow, I was looking into getting a HP but im glad STU refered me here... I think ill get something else now lol.

 

[TheStu]

To be fair, mruffin referred you

 

[dementedlemur]

Originally posted by: Fraggable
Dell may be able to do it onsite since they actually have Dell certified techs on the field and can send them parts, but again, it's going to take a few days for them to get parts.

Depending on what time of day you talk with a tech at Dell, they can set it up to have the part out to you next day. I chatted with them last week about getting my bottom casing replaced around 1:00p.m. and the tech was out at my apartment at 12:00p.m. the next day with the part ready to work.
With their complete care and next day onsite warranty I've received all my parts next business day so long as they're contacted early enough and the part is not on backorder. I cannot speak for any other type of warranty they offer, but this has been the same for all of the latitudes and inspirons I've ordered for family and friends.

 

[mruffin75]

And I hate to sound like a broken record.... but this is what happened to our previous laptop (Presario X1000)...

It also had a 3yr accidental damage protection warranty...and it worked great...until about 20 days before the warranty ran out...when I believe the video card died in it (common problem I believe)..

I sent it to HP for repair... and it took them 3 tries to get it working.. (the first time I got it back, the laptop didn't even turn on..no lights no nothing!).. The case manager at that time was going to replace the laptop after the 3rd time if they didn't get it working (luckily it was fine after the third time).

Maybe HP does have good service....I just have never seen it in action...

Also, this laptop I have now (the Pavilion DV6000Z):
The time I sent it off to get the mainboard and network card replaced, it came back and wouldn't charge the battery (I didn't send the battery off...never do..they should have a spare to test it with)... I called HP and their tech was *sure* it was the battery...treated me like an idiot too... even though I told him that the battery never left my house and that it worked perfectly fine beforehand...

So he sent me a battery anyway (the wrong capacity as well, so I'm sure I would've had my credit card charged for that if I sent back my original battery!)... but I had fixed it myself before the battery arrived. It seemed that the replacement mainboard was running an older firmware (I'm pretty sure it's common policy to upgrade the firmware on any HP mainboard before giving it back to the client...), so I thought I'd give it a try and install the latest firmware....that did the trick...

 

[Cutterhead]

Hoping I won't have to deal with such issues. My wife's dv6500t special edition was just delivered this morning. Got a very good price on it with the $300 off coupon a couple weeks back.

 

[mruffin75]

Cutterhead...they make good products...it's just the repair service that sucks...I'm still happy with the performance of my DV6000.. now it's a 2.0Ghz Turion X2 and 2.0GB of ram.. (the old one was a 1.8Ghz with 1GB RAM)... Just when I look into replacing this one, HP won't be on the top of my list...

 

[Cutterhead]

Yeah, I understand your experience certainly sucked. I have to say it seems out of the norm though, as I have actually heard mostly good things about HP customer service as compared to Dell and others. I've never dealt with them myself though, so I guess I'll see first-hand if/when that time comes. I unpacked the new lappy on my lunchbreak and started uninstalling some of the bloatware (of which there is a fair amount). My initial impression of the laptop itself is pretty positive - nice design, and the screen is actually a bit better than what I expected. Specs are:

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7500 (2.20 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
- 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
- 75% OFF upgrade to 2GB DDR2 (2 Dimm)!!
- 383MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
- HP Imprint (Influx) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
- Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
- 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
- High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery


Paid $1106 including Virginia sales tax and free shipping. Haven't spilled milk on it yet, but then again my wife hasn't used it yet either

 

[Fraggable]

I would have jumped on that DV6500SE deal long ago if they had a migher res 15.4" screen. 1280 X 800 just doesn't do it for me anymore. I mean really, Dell sells a Latitude with a 1920 X 1200 15.4" screen, isn't it about time to offer 1440 X 900 or 1680 X 1050 as an option?

I like the design of their laptops a lot more than any other manufacturer, as a matter of fact I work on my DV8235NR at least 7 hours/day during the week and love it. Only problem I've had is the CPU fan dying and BB took 11 weeks to fix that. Not HP's problem though.

 

[Emulex]

never had this issue with hp business laptops. thats why i got my workstation (XW4400) for my htpc. gotta love NBD on-site repair. worth the extra few bucks imo.

you'll find this is industry wide on personal items, and in the case of HP you never get off the phone without a case # in hand.

 

[mruffin75]

I would *gladly* pay extra for an onsite NBD warranty... but HP don't offer them at all on their non-business laptops..

 

[Gimmpy]

So what company should I look into to for a laptop lol. I know Dell's CS is supposedly horrid and aparently HP isnt any good unless you have a business laptop.

 

[Rottie]

Damn I am sorry about your issues with HP. I bought a Compaq notebook but instead of 5 years warranty from the store I purchased will do me better than at HP.

 

[Fraggable]

Originally posted by: Gimmpy
So what company should I look into to for a laptop lol. I know Dell's CS is supposedly horrid and aparently HP isnt any good unless you have a business laptop.

If you want good support, I guess I'd suggest Lenovo. I've heard that their phone support is much better than average, though I have no personal experience with them. IBM desktop support actually has real people answering the phone, I've called them before.

If support isn't your primary concern, I don't know who to suggest anymore. If I were buying a new laptop I'd go with HP just because at this point it doesn't seem like any 1 company is much better than the next, and Dell is backordered up to 2 months.

 

[heymrdj]

I have the 3 year ADP, and when I broke my DVD burner, it took all of 15min. to have a new one sent. And that was a week after I bought it Maby you got an idiot for a customer support rep?