HP cancels HDX-18t quad-core orders, reports that they are not shipping

FYI:

On October 4th, I ordered an HDX-18t with the QX9300 quad-core chip. On October 20th, HP emailed to ask if I would accept a 2.8 ghz dual-core for $75 less. I said no, I'll wait. The next day, they canceled my order. I called HP and they reinstated the order, read the whole thing back to me confirming the QX9300. Two days later I received an email confirmation, but it included the 2.8 ghz dual-core part. I called again, and after about an hour on the phone got the order canceled.

The HDX-18t has been written up as shipping with the QX9300 but it is not.

I think the HDX-18t is a great design, so I'm not going to buy the Lenovo or Toshiba (or others) that are shipping with the quad-core QX9300 now.

I plan to wait it out. No idea when that will be though. I think if shipping was imminent they would have let me just wait for the order.

 

Uhh this is OLD news...check out the 18t thread...

 

Yes, I am a bit disappointed that HP has not continued the shift to quad-core CPUs (mainstream or extreme) for their consumer Pavilion notebooks. I'm not currently looking for a notebook, but I do wish they'd reinstate the quad-core offering for the HDX18t, as well as add a choice for the HDX16t, dv5t, and dv7t series (such as the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9100).

 

HP is still selling QX9300 HDX-18's in Asia-Pacific though.

 

Really? Thats interesting.

For those that are interested here is the portal link for Australia.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/au/en/ho/WF25a/321957-321957-3806904-3806906-3806906-3769212.html

 

Hmmmm... HP told me there was a problem with the chip. I wonder if that is true ???



==========================================
From: Cto-esc Hpshopping [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 7:43 PM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Urgent: regarding your recent notebook purchase - processor downgrade - 10/16/08
Importance: High

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for purchasing an HP notebook computer. We would like to inform you that the processor option you had selected of the Intel(R) Core Quad QX9300 (2.53Hz) has unfortunately come under issue and has impacted the continuation of your order.

To assist you with this situation, we would be able to have the processor option you had ordered changed to the Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)] so that your order can continue on its way to be built and shipped out to you. With this option, you would also be credited back $75, which is the price difference between the processor option you had originally selected and the processor option your order would be modified to.

Please contact us, by either replying to this email or by calling 1-866-217-6014 to let us know if the option mentioned above is agreeable to you. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you again for selecting HP as your product of choice.


Warm Regards,
Ryan Presley
CTO Customer Advocate
Store Operations
HP Home & Home Office Store
www . hpshopping . com

=============================================

From: (me)
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:43 PM
To: Cto-esc Hpshopping
Subject: RE: Urgent: regarding your recent notebook purchase - processor downgrade - 10/16/08

The main reason I was interested in this computer is that I want a Quad core laptop chip. I’m not interested in accepting a downgrade so I decline your offer.

What’s the issue you refer to?

============================================

From: Cto-esc Hpshopping [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 9:37 AM
To: (me)
Subject: RE: Urgent: regarding your recent notebook purchase - processor downgrade - 10/16/08

There are quality issues with this processor which is why we have pulled the processor. I will go ahead and cancel for you. Should you reorder, I have put notes on your original order noting that you will get a 10% credit off your new order, issued post-shipment. Thank you for your understanding and brand loyalty.

Warm Regards,
Ryan Presley
CTO Customer Advocate
Store Operations
HP Home & Home Office Store
www . hpshopping . com

 

Nope. The truth is HP offered the QX9300 in the US for way under market value.

It was sold as a US$225 upgrade from the base processor. If you look at the Australian models, which are offered now, both are configured identically with the exception of a 2.53 duo core vs. a QX9300 quad core. Price difference between the two models is US$1312.14.

This sounds somewhat correct when compared with what other OEMs (Dell, Lenovo) are charging for this option.

HP tried to get as many people who purchased the quad to cancel or change their order. People were told it was a CPU issue, a motherboard issue, an overheating issue. To be honest yours is the first correspondence I have seen that actually says in writing what the specific issue might have been. Everyone was getting ambiguous answers from support. Most HP support call personnel were reading off a script to change thier order.

Not sure how many total cancelations or changes they were successful with but after almost a month of trying to cancel orders HP finally shipped 133 units of the HDX18 with the QX9300 in the US.

The DDX 18t owners thread talks about this in detail.

 

It was either a mistake or a bait and switch. But basically the deal was so good many people jumped on it... just to find out it was too good to be thue.

 

I have sent the following message to HP via their website. Will let you all know what happens next:

Mark Hurd, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
Hewlett-Packard Company

Dear Mr. Hurd,

There's a rumor with substantial evidence to the effect that HP deliberately lied to potential customers who had ordered the HDX-18t with the QX9300 processor, in order to get them to cancel or accept a different model, allegedly because HP changed its mind about selling the processor at the price it was originally sold for on the website.

I was personally definitely lied to by HP regarding my order, #H104635861. I was told there was a quality issue. I repeatedly politely demanded to maintain my original order, but HP canceled it without my agreement and when I called about it, HP reinstated the order but then changed it to a different processor without my permission.

I have the emails from HP where I was told that the processor had a quality problem and I have posted them on the web at notebookreview.com. Another member responded and provided evidence that HP is selling the model I wanted, but for a greater price, and actually did ship some in the US.

Here's the thread:
forum . notebookreview . com/showthread.php?p=4155997#post4155997

There are tangential issues as well: HP has now charged my card 2 or 3 times and I'm still waiting for HP to straighten that out.

I request that you find out who is responsible for this shabby policy and bad corporate behavior, not just for me but for the other customers for this product who ordered it and were lied to, change the environment within HP that made this even possible.

I also request that you get my billing straightened out, and then ship me the computer I ordered ASAP.

I will be glad to assist in every way possible. I have about 5 emails (all lies apparently) and I am happy to forward them all to you so you can see exactly what took place.

Sincerely,

[me]

 

I received the following email reply from the office of HP CEO Mark Hurd:

From: External ceo-communication [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:02 AM
To: [me]
Cc: EMAIL ECR
Subject: RE: Feedback to CEO and President Mark Hurd from [me]


On behalf of Hewlett-Packard we apologize for the difficulties you are experiencing.
Your message has been forwarded to our Customer Escalation team who will review your case.

If there is more you would like to add, do not hesitate to call the HP Executive office in Palo Alto, California, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM pacific time by dialing 1-800-756-0608, option #7

Sincerely,

CEO Customer Relations

 

HP replies below. Do the claims in this reply seem credible to anyone?


From: Cto-esc Hpshopping [mailto:cto-esc.hpshopping @hp.com]
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 2:17 PM
To: [me]
Subject: RE: Urgent: regarding your recent notebook purchase - processor downgrade - 10/16/08

Dear [me],

We did have quality issues with the Quad Core processor and that is why we were pro-active in notifying customers that were impacted by this issue. We were trying to prevent returns and a bad experience, and not trying to deceive people or bait and switch. Legally we cannot sell something we know has a known quality issue, and in our quality testing it was pronounced so we had to pull the processor immediately. Problem was, we had 130 orders that had already been taken and were at the factory. So we had to do something. We immediately notified everyone to cancel and reorder or accept the downgraded processor.

A week later, we were notified that the quality issue had been resolved and that we were shipping what was left and had not been downgraded, with the quad core. We have not been able to locate supply since this issue. We currently do not have it as an option because of this supply issue.

No, HP did not deliberately rip you off and cancel your order without your approval without a good reason.

Warm Regards,
Ryan Presley
CTO Customer Advocate
Store Operations
HP Home & Home Office Store
www . hpshopping . com

 

I will say for the record, I did recieve an HDX18t with the Quad processor, but also I do not believe that HP intended to do a bait and switch or deceive anyone regarding it. That is obviously my opinion and mine alone, I won't speak for everyone else.

I will say of course that a lot of people will think HP tried to cheat them because of how good the deal was. Instead of considering there may have been a problem with it, most people will jump the gun and think HP tried to cheat them, that's just how society is in general. Also remember those who ordered knew the deal was almost "too good to be true." So all of us should not have immediately assumed we'd get it. If we got it we were lucky, if not, then no real loss.

As for my order, Ryan was completely honest each step of the way and kept updating me as to what was going on. Based on the updates he provided me, yes the email you recieved is credible. He let me know that there was a supply issue (this was after some quads had shipped) and that if they could get some more quads in, they would ship mine. But also to not hold my breath, since legally they could only hold my money on my CC for a certain amount of time. If it passed that time, they would have to refund me. He ended up emailing me a few days afterwards informing me they did get more supply in and were shipping my laptop like a day or two later.

Finally, reading your letter to Mr. Hurd, I don't believe there was or is ever any substantial evidence that HP lied to customers. Atleast they never lied to me. I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt only because everyone makes mistakes, and things happen. Plus with the way things went down and the way Ryan emailed me, I truly believe it was an issue with the processor and some sort of compatibility, then a supply issue.

I feel bad you didn't get your laptop, but I do feel you're going overboard and it's kind of sourgrapes on your end. If I never got my laptop, it would not have been the end of the world. Again, we all knew the deal was incredible, many of us (not all of us however) also knew we may never get them at that price.

Yes, you're entitled to be frustrated and angry due to the other issues, but I don't agree that you should be angry regarding not getting a Quad.

 

I'd be angry..maybe not angry just frustrated. Basically HP didnt bait and switch, they just realized like someone else said, that they were undercutting what they could charge for the quad option. I'd guess in a month they come out with the quad core option and charge double what they originally were. I mean the day they released the hdx16t I bought the 1080p screen as a $25 upgrade option, lol, now they charge $175 and its still selling like hot cakes. There just trying to make as much money as possible...very shady. Also good luck calling the # they give you, I live in San Jose/Palo Alto area by HP corporate and have 10 different "escalations" numbers, all phone **** they just send you to HP home and home office and give you excuses how they are not the right department or they deal with commercial/business services.

 

See I really don't agree with that, they could have just not sent off any Quads. They then would have no need to have said for me to wait to see if more supply comes in, they could have said no more quads came in, but instead as I stated earlier, a few days later, more came in and so thus mine shipped. Logically speaking, if they were worried about the price, they would not needed to have emailed me back stating my quad was shipping. Also Ryan would not needed to have given me a credit for the long delay.

 

Jonathan360, may I ask when you placed your order?

I placed mine on October 4th.

 

I placed mine around then as well, but I think even earlier. I pretty much placed it right around the time when it was first posted for sale on the HP website. So it may have been earlier, I don't remember the exact date, only that it was pretty much the time the 18t was posted for sale on the site with the quad option.

 

Actually, you may have ordered it later, because the latest story I got today from HP is that (paraphrasing HP here) the first group of orders all got downgraded or canceled because those were the only options at that point in time. Then the next batch of orders got the few chips they had.

That's what I was told.

So assuming HP's story about all this is absolutely true, then HP's own explanation is that they failed in planning, production, marketing, and communication with customers.

You know, SNAFU's happen. To every company at some time. I understand that.

So why the heck doesn't HP just admit they screwed up and that when the QX9300 HDX 18t starts shipping again, then anyone who had an order canceled will be first in line to get the QX9300 HDX 18t at the price they originally ordered it for, if they are still interested?

 

I may have, as I stated, I don't remember exactly when. But it was among the time most of the members of this board ordered, like lancorp and others. I don't doubt that many of the very early orders got theirs cancelled. I ordered mine early, but I'm sure there are MANY that may have ordered even before me. I did choost to wavy a bit.

 

im surprised that the difference from the t9600 to the qx9300 was only $75. LOLOL.

 

My assessment now is that the quad-processor QX9300 version of the HDX-18t was destined to be a low-production flagship "reviewer" version.

Hopefully they will come back online in volume next year.

Intel has a multi- billion dollar assembly line built for these things so I'm guessing they plan to sell more than 139 of them to HP !

 

FYI, I got a nice message from HP today suggesting that there is a possibility of quad-core HDX 18's shipping closer to the sooner side of things than the later side.

And people who got their orders canceled might get emails notifying them when the quad-core does start shipping again.

If it goes that way, that would be a happy resolution to an unfortunate episode.

 

Ok this is extremely odd to hear!

I've already ordered my HDX 18t with the 2.53 QUAD Core processor from HP (I ordered it Nov 28th). I should say that I didn't get any great deal as it added nearly 900.00 to the cost of my order - by the time I had finished with all my configurations it was about $2600.00 - adding the printer and other stuff it was just a few dollars under $3K.

My laptop was shipped from Shanghai CN on Friday and is scheduled to be delivered Wednesday here in Missoula, MT. I didn't recieve anything other than a thank you from HP for my order via email.

I will post picks this Wednesday (or even a myspace video of me opening the package) to confirm to all of you that HP is shipping and selling the HDX 18t with the quad core processor intact/included.

I sure hope I've not been duped by HP on this order. You've all got me worried. Here's a paste of my order:

HP HDX18t Premium Series customizable Notebook PC
SAVE $60! Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Processor QX9300 (2.53Hz)
18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
HP Color Matching Keyboard
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
$30 OFF! Extra 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
No Productivity Software
System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
$2,594.03

HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier
$109.99
3-year HP Pick Up and Return Extended Service Plan for HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario Notebook PCs
$248.39
HP 564 Inkjet Print Cartridge Combo Pack
$16.99
HP 564XL Photo Black Ink Cartridge
$14.99
Summary of discounts for order H105119097
Instant discounts you received:
$200.00 Notebook instant rebate
$70.00 PC+Printer instant rebate
$10.00 Multipack rebate

Order subtotal $2,984.39
Shipping
(Standard 5-7 Business Days) FREE
Estimated ship date:
Your customized HP HDX18t Premium Series customizable Notebook PC will be
built by December 12, 2008

MT Tax $0.00
Grand total $2,984.39

 

The issues raised in this thread have been resolved.

If you ordered and got a confirmation on the quad-core then that's what you'll get.