HP 8510W reliability and warranty

Hello I’m new to posting in this forum always a lurker before. It is a great resource that I’m very thankful for.
After reading the review here I bought an HP 8510W.
When this Laptop works it's great. I run Solidworks on this and the video is smooth. Nice looking laptop, Nvidia Quadro works good with games and Cad.
2nd month of ownership unit died, I had HP on site service come to my work and replace motherboard. This took 2 weeks to take place because they didn't have the part. Nothing really seemed to happen until I complained to the CEO customer relations.
4th month display died. After 2 weeks HP onsite came to replace it but brought the wrong part. Forward 2 more weeks still no answer on when they will get the correct part. Unbelievable! Laptop down for a whopping 30% of the time I’ve had it. Inquiries and plea for help fall on deaf ears to offshore service.
I bought this notebook with a special business 3 year onsite warranty. This warranty is worthless because they don’t stock any parts. If small businesses depended on HP service they would go out of Business. HP never again!
Hopefully other people that bought this have a better experience than me.
I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated.
Darryl

 

where are you located ? i'm suprised HP would not stock a truckload of parts within a days travel ? that gets me worried if i ever run into trouble with my 8510 ! and i bought business class just to avoid these problems !

 

I'm in Seattle Washington hardly off the beaten path of technology. I did finally get a call today stating they would be here tomorrow with the new display. It's been 26 days since it went down

 

that is not acceptable ! . i thught you were in the mountains of Tibet with those times ! I'd raise a bit of a stink about the time it's taken for a fix .

 

Here's an update....HP service showed up today, they brought the wrong part...again! Display quits working I've waited 1 month for it to be fixed, two failed attempts by HP service to repair my notebook.

 

I think if they fail 4 times you can request a replacement instead of just a repair.. It seems like you got quite the lemon Although.. I was looking at buying a 8510p and this is not the kind of thread I like to see LMAO

 

Yeah, definitely a lemon. Sorry to hear that I'd be pushing for a full replacement after 3 repair attempts myself. It's not worth their money and its wasting your time.

I've seen a few people (3 or 4 now) make lemon posts about the 8510 line but I'd still say the number of duds are lower than most other laptops.

 

I would say the computer might be a Lemon. The real lemon is customer support. I tried CEO relations they emailed me back 2 days later with a number to call. I called it today, after the second failed repair attempt. It started out ok, then they shuffled me down the line 3 times. After 30 minutes I was talking to someone I could barely understand who had no clue to what I needed. This is business support. I would never never by a HP server for a business. I'm at a loss at who to call.

 

Don't HP US have dedicated Case Managers assigned or has HP US vanished into thin air and replaced by HP India? Many of the Indian side I've spoken to actually sounded pretty clear, although your mileage may vary.
I'm surprised HP is that bad in their home market, especially when they can easily expedite shipping and get parts in Asia (although most of the AP regions were previously Compaq operations, but the integration must be complete by now).

 

When I ordered an 8510p, it had screen problems. I was within the first 30 days of ownership, and I purchased it from HP direct, so they just cross shipped me a new replacement, which turned out to be worse than the first one, so I just got a refund and called it quits.

They did assign me a case manager, that was pretty helpful for the most part. If you don't already have a case manager, get one ASAP.

 

Here's an Update on the lengthy Saga
HP showed up today. This time they ordered the correct part. Everything was looking good. Unfortunately the part was mislabeled and there was a 17" screen in the package instead of 15.4". The on site tech was speechless. I'm really pushing for a new laptop now. If they send me a new one, I'm going to sell it and buy a different brand. This is ridiculous!

 

So sorry to hear of you continued trouble. I sure hope this isn't the norm for HP business tech support!

 

It is not. I've always had great experience with them. There seems to be serious miscommunication going on.

 

In Canada,
Ordered the 8510W from CDW.
Screen was DOA. Talked through it with CDW , my case person at CDW contacted HP Business(US) where a case worker contacted me and accepted my trouble shooting(external LCD worked)
Got a call back from CDW, they cross shiped me a new one(next day it was here) worked fine. The support was as good as I could imagine.
That is 6 months ago, lappy has worked flawlessly in XP for all games and all work I have thrown at it. I travel several times a month on work and it really has been fantastic.

 

Actually, this absolutely seems to be par for the course when it comes to my experience. I purchased an nc8430 from HP last year. The backlight on the LCD was buzzing like a swarm of bees when I received it. After 3 attempts to fix it by replacing the hard drive (?!?!?) and holding on to the laptop during the final replacement for nearly 3 weeks I was finally given a replacement unit. I purchased the device in October -- I finally had a usable laptop in mid-January.

LCD screen issues started up again in early January of this year. I sent the unit in for repair on the 28th of January after being told it would take 3-7 business days to replace. As of today -- no repair. Each time I call, I'm told it will take another 3-5 business days to take care of. Initially, they seemed to be surprised that they actually received the unit -- I had to give them the Fedex tracking information in order to show them someone had signed for it.

I've finally submitted the case to the BBB for mediation. I know there are some folks on here who have had good experience with HP's customer service, but each time I have to interact with them my experience has been atrocious. Oh well -- once bitten, twice shy -- I'm staying away from HP from now on.

 

HP sent the wrong part again, that makes 4 times, 6 weeks. The tech didn't even show up this time. He just called and told me. Now HP calls and wants me to send it in for repair. They stated they are unable to order the correct part. So basically my 3 year on site warranty I paid extra for is a sham, they can not make good on it. I'm wary of sending it in for repair. At this juncture I've accepted the fact that I wasted $1800.

 

Hmm this is very highly improbable since the parts can be traced by simply using your notebook's product number and serial number. If you don't mind and trust me, PM me your product number and serial number and I can assist you in looking it up. There could be something funky acting up.

 

I know the correct part number, I got it from the repair manual. Sometimes they know it also because 2 out of 4 times they ordered the correct part#, the incorrect part was in the package. It just shows how screwed up they are at every juncture. They just called again. They will be here today with display number 5. They told me if it's incorrect they will just give me a new laptop because it will then have reached the maximum number of repair attempts.

 

HP service is a bunch of confused people. I've had 3 calls today from 3 different people with completely different story's. It's almost like a Monty Python skit. Evidently display panel #5 is wrong also. They sent me a box today to send my laptop back. 1 person called to see if I received the box. Another called to say they were going to send me a box having no idea that a box had already been sent. The 3rd person said if display panel#5 wasn't correct that they would send me a new laptop. Well I told 2 of them that there was no way I'm sending my laptop in because I'll probably never get it back. I paid for on site service and I'm gonna get it! HP keystone Cops of service.

 

I know HP doesn't see this, I'm just venting to make myself feel better. Here is the timeline of events. Still no working laptop after 6 weeks!

01/26/08 Display quits working
02/05/08 1st display sent, on site tech came. Incorrect part display for 8510P
02/13/08 2nd display sent, on site tech came. Incorrect part again. Same as 1st part. display for 8510P
02/20/08 Display#3 Correct part # on packaging wrong display in package-Onsite tech was here
02/27/08 Wrong part sent 4th repair attempt-tech did not show up he knew wrong part was sent.
02/29/08 Wrong part sent 5th repair attempt- tech did not show up because he knew wrong part was sent
03/03/08 Replacement display #6 ordered, HP will call back in 24-48 hours 25 Minutes on Phone
03/05/08 No call from HP. I called. No answer on status, they have no clue on what is actually going on. 14 Minutes on Phone
03/05/08 Called CEO services, connected me with case manager-passes the buck, no action taken 16 Minutes on Phone
03/06/08 Called HP services for status, had conference call with Larisa, she is going to email my case manager
who hasn't responded for 2 days, complete waste of my time. 28 Minutes on Phone

 

The reason they don't have parts is because SO MANY hp notebooks are dead. Screen problems, mother board problems, video card problems that hp has trouble getting the parts in for all the notebooks awaiting repair work.

I'm glad you finally saw what a real dump HP is. I don't have the time to deal with their idiots so I gave up and bought a working Toshiba (even though the hp junker is still under 'warranty'.

Spoke to the tech guys who work for us and 5 out of the 6 agreed that HP was the absolute worst one you could buy from. The 6th guy had hp tied with another manufacturer for worst... They recomended either a Thinkpad or a cheaper alternative a Toshiba. So far so good.

What was so ridiculous is that tech support would deny ever hearing of a problem like mine (beeeep beep beep, dead lcd). When i gave them HP's own web site where they have EXTENDED warranty for 2 years because of all the issues hp laptops have the tech guy would claim that they didn't have authorization to access the internet.

BTW the website is:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?docname=c01087277&dlc=en&lc=en&cc=us

The great thing is that I've talked several people out of ever buying hp. I've cost them at least 7 sales in just the past 6 months alone!

 

This is not right. I have owned 10 HP laptops but only first one failed when it was 3 years old. All the rest were brilliant and still working perfect!

 

Nonsense. Your case may be the exception, but most have had great experiences with HP. The Thinkpad is not so superior once you put it next to an 8510p/w.

 

damn, I would have sent it back with the first onsite repair man. What's the point in keeping it at that point? It must be easier for them to fix it and ship it back vs. sending another human down with the part to fix it. Id go with the fastest option since your laptop is unusable anyways and it also would elliminate this wrong part bull****.

As much as i hate HP customer service, once I finally settle with them on somehting the laptop is always repaired promptly. Turn around time is always 7 business days and this is with the 3 year Accidental Damaqe Protection Pick-up and Return service. I always wondered how well the onsite service would work. I imagine big corporations get the bulk of the "good service" from HP business.

 

The laptop is functional with an external monitor, so I'm still able to get work done at home on it. I'm scared to send it back to them, because they seem so confused on every level. I'm sure I'm in the minority. HP sells a lot of notebooks. I'm partially chalking it up to bad luck on my side. I definitely will never do business with them again though. My next Laptop will be from someone locally that I can speak to in person if I have a problem.

 

This does not bode well for me. I believe the system board on my NC8430 just died, and I am about to send the unit back for "repair". I am not looking forward to my next nightmare with HP customer support, or lack thereof (see links below for previous nightmares).

NX8220 Problems (of multiple varieties) ***LONG***
Unacceptable Business Notebook Warranty/Customer Service

 

Actually, I think these problems are limited to the 15" HP Compaq machines. My (now sold) 17" machine was perfectly fine, and I've never heard about serious problems with the other HP business lines.

But my nc8430 has SO many issues, that 10 major repairs later I got it replaced with a 17" machine thanks to HP's warranty. The 8510w, which I reviewed for this site, clearly has some build quality/design issues that I mentioned in that review.

I'd never buy another 15" HP Compaq again, but I'd buy a differently sized one from them.

 

Given all the troubles you have experienced, I would ask them to replace the notebook with a better model.

 

Ok here is an update on the continuing saga. I gave in to HP service and sent my laptop in for repair. The day after I send it. I get a call from a new case manager assigned to my case. He states that I qualify for a new laptop. but I need to send it in before they send out a new one. I told them HP already has it and signed for it that morning at the HP repair facility. He told me I have to wait to get it back from repair then send it to his department. I asked if there was any way around this since repair could potentially have it for weeks. HP already has it, can't they just verify the info between departments. Anyway amazingly I got it back the next day repaired! It looks like they repaired it with a used LCD and it is still blinking a bit when not plugged in. I've called and left a message with my case manager stating I still want the new Laptop...

 

Another Update; Situation still not resolved.

So I try for 3 days straight to get a hold of my case manager, I leave a message every time. He finally answers the phone yesterday. I told him I would like the new laptop he offered since it still wasn't working correctly. He put me on hold for a while then said someone would be contacting me within 24 hours about the new laptop. Today (18 ours later)I got a new laptop sent to me. It's the wrong part#. lol..Now I have 2 laptops. The new one is pretty close to the old one yet different. What's really funny to me.is that they couldn't send me a new laptop while mine was in their facility for repair.Now they send me a new one without even getting the original laptop back. I would have bet money they wouldn't send the correct laptop. I guess I'll wait for them to call me now.

 

I can add my own little saga to this.
Yes, 8510w owner.

I got the machine last fall and it's been working well.
I dual boot XP & Vista. Took several months to get it all setup.

Last week the drive crapped the bed for no reason (sitting idle on my desk.) Currently thinking this is a Vista issue as it will hammer the piss out of the drive constantly when it's in suspend mode.

Anyway, I spent the obligatory hour and a half teaching someone in India basic english so it could understand the problem. (man is that painful.)

Tech shows up, by then I've replaced the drive on my own (bigger 250gb) and reinstalled, after the horrible phone support I didn't expect much so I solved it on my own. Tech takes one look at it and says "that screen is terrible, you should get it replaced".
It has one dead pixel and a little light bleed at the edges, but is much better than a POS T61p that Lenovo refused to do anything for and is even better than the Sony. I figured I just had to suck it up and live with it.

So tech calls into his support line (again India.) They refuse to update the case and enter the defective part, so tech says I have to call and report it. WTF?
Another hour on the phone wasted telling them the same thing the tech says. Finally they get it entered (after some english lessons) and the part shows up with the tech the next day.

He replaces the LCD and leaves. I was swamped and didn't get a chance to check his work.

Now the bezel around the keyboard is totally warped, the keyboard itself has a big hump in the middle of it and this is totally unacceptable on a nearly new $2k+ machine.

I have the tech's tel# and left a message with him to see if he wanted to deal with this on his own. He was a nice guy and I had no desire to bust his balls. After 2 days of no response I figured I had to run it thru support
I'm still on the phone with HP (India) after being transfered no less than 6 times (I have a case number) I had to look up several words in the dictionary and assist this Indian person to understand what the problem is.
Now I'm on hold again...



I have to say, the machine is very nice, even with a low end processor it's FAST (someday soon I'll get one of the new 45nm chips and replace this one.) Quality control is fair. HP's India support is worthless. They are completely incompetent and dealing with support issues is a nightmare. It's like talking to someone who's had a computer described to them, but has never actually seen or operated one.

Which unfortunately seems to be the industry standard now that we've exported all those nice American jobs to some third world where you can hire a body for a buck a day w/ no bennies.
I found Lenovo's support to be even worse - they flat out refused to take care of problems and simply reduced their quality standards to meet the defects. Sony's support was bad at first until I asked for a Level 2 tech (USA based) and then it got very good. Had to call Dell about a 24" LCD last fall and their support is just as bad as HP's, though not as bad as Lenovo's.