HP support -- an oxymoron?

I always thought HP was great. In the last 3 years I've had a 17" desktop replacement, a 14.1" v2000, and 3 HP desktops (a lot, I know, but personal, business and hand-me-downs to kids involved). I always thought they were great, but these systems were well made and I never needed any service.

My tx1115r (2 months old) has caused nothing but grief. The lid is so flimsy that I'm afraid to travel with it -- what's the point of a notebook, then? In case I ever did do so, I contacted their online chat support to get info on obtaining a second 4 cell battery, because mine came with the 6 cell that juts out of back by half an inch or more. The putz online insisted that they were not available for the tx1000. I researched online (some help obtained here, thanks) and now have the battery their tech support insists doesn't exist.

Now one of the rubber bumpers has simply fallen off the flimsy lid of this thing. Here's my 35 minutes of hell transcript (redacted to delete personal info and system info):

Shen: Welcome to HP Total Care for Pavilion NoteBooks. My name is Shen. How may I assist you today?
Thomas xxx: Hello. I have a tx1115nr notebook. One of the lid bumpers (top) has fallen out, and I can't find it.
Thomas xxx: It was purchased from Best Buy only a few months ago.
Thomas xxx: The round rubber bumpers on each corner of the lid. I would need replacements and instructions for replacing, please.
Thomas xxx: Are you there?
Shen: Thomas, I am with you.
Thomas xxx: Is there anything you can do about this?
Shen: I understand that one of the lid bumpers of of your notebook has fallen out. Let me assist you in this regard.
Shen: May I have the Serial, Product and Model number of the notebook?
Thomas xxx: Thanks.
Shen: You are welcome.
Thomas xxx: HP Pavilion tx1115nr Entertainment Notebook PC
Thomas xxx: I don't have the serial number handy
Shen: May I know whether you have the notebook with you now?
Thomas xxx: Yes, I'm using it now.
Shen: The Product and Serial Number of the notebook can be found on a white sticker underneath the notebook as p/n: and s/n:.
Thomas xxx: Alright, just a second ... this is going to be VERY difficult while I'm using it.
Thomas xxx: Here we go ...
Thomas xxx: serial number xxxxxxxxxxxx
Thomas xxx: product ID HP Pavilion tx1000
Thomas xxx: p/n xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shen: Thank you for the information.
Thomas xxx: you're welcome
Shen: Thomas, I regret to inform that the rubber bumpers of the lid are not available in the HP stores.
Thomas xxx: What should I do?
Thomas xxx: This is inexcusable that a part would just fall off after 2 months. Can't the parts or warranty center just send me the part & instructions?
Thomas xxx: Shen, are you there?
Shen: To isoalte the issue I recommend to contact the local HP authorized service centers like Radio Shack, COmpUSA and Best Buy.
Thomas xxx: Wait a second ... what can THEY do?
Thomas xxx: I'm not taking it in for repair at an outside center ... they'll just mail it to HP and I'll be without my computer for weeks over a 5 cent part, not to mention the shipping.
Thomas xxx: Besides, my warranty is through HP ... I didn't buy an extended warranty.
Thomas xxx: I would like to speak with a supervisor, please.
Thomas xxx: Hello?
Shen: xxx.
Thomas xxx: Thank you.
Shen: As the notebook is under warranty shall I set up a free mail in repair service for your notebook?
Thomas xxx: No, I just need the part. PLEASE just have the warranty center send the part.
Thomas xxx: Mailing in my computer is completely unnecessary. It's just a little rubber bumper that fits into a hole. It likely wasn't glued properly is all.
Thomas xxx: Can't you just set up a warranty parts claim?
Shen: Let me explain this.
Thomas xxx: ok ...
Thomas xxx: ?
Thomas xxx: Are you still there?
Shen: As the rubber bumper fo the lid is not available in the HP stores to send individually I recommend to send the notebook to us.
Thomas xxx: You've already said that. And I said that I'm not going to mail in my computer, risk it's safety and be without it for several weeks over a small part that any other manufacturer would send after a two minute chat.
Thomas xxx: Am I to understand that this is the only option that HP is going to offer me for this problem?
Thomas xxx: Can you please answer my question?
Thomas xxx: I'm going to have to take your silence as a "yes" to my question, if you don't answer.
Shen: It would have been fine if we had that part, however as the part is not available I recommend to send the notebook to us ar contact local HP authorized service center.
Thomas xxx: Well, thank you. This was a very well spent 35 minutes.

 

P.S. Anyone wanna buy this POS? I had to purchase a Dell Latitude D630 to do what this one was supposed to do -- travel!

 

They actually don't make the little individual rubber things, nor does any other company, thats just how it is.

It doesn't effect the notebook at all besides looks, if it bothers you enough why not just take it to a local service center and have them order the kit for you? It also doesn't help giving attitude to the techs while they try helping you.

 

Exactly. The tech was correct in saying that there is no such part in stock at the HP Store.

It doesn't effect the notebook at all besides looks, if it bothers you enough why not just take it to a local service center and have them order the kit for you? It also doesn't help giving attitude to the techs while they try helping you.

I agree.

When I am talking with someone who is trying to help me, as well as simply being an intermediate part of the process (it's not their fault that the company they work for does not have the part in stock), I'm always polite as possible, because like I just said, it is not their fault. They're just doing their job.

 

Unless this is a deja vu moment, are you cross posting offbase?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2068522&postcount=33

 

Your so mean to the tech xD

 

Yeah, like I said in the other thread, I honestly think you were in the wrong for giving the support tech an attitude. He clearly said that he can't send you the part, that you would have to send it in to the repair facility. That's not his fault.

 

I don't think he was upset at the tech. I think he was more upset that HP did not have an easy way to correct such a minor issue. If you can't correct the minor issues how can you be expected to fix the major ones?

 

That's precisely it, Deputy. By way of update, I did get some exec emails stating that that is their policy. They also stated yet another silly policy: even if it's a cosmetic issue with the outer case, they restore all systems arriving there to their original operating state, meaning they'll wipe out all my programs, data, etc. The data is easy enough to replace, but the programs are problematic with downloaded programs, number of licenses (Norton & Office are a nightmare to try and replace after a system crash when you have no spare licenses), etc. I think that's a rather silly policy.

Perhaps I over-reacted initially, but to have parts fall off a two month old notebook , no matter how minor, is inexcusable. When Dell failed to include a bay drive locking screw (which they obviously don't make) with my D630, they quickly resolved the problem, as they should. There's something very wrong with HP's warranty policies if they make someone send in their machine and wipe out their hard drive because a part fell off of the outer casing. The problem being HP's fault, THEY should be the party put out by the situation they created, NOT the customer who paid $1200 for a notebook only to have parts inexplicably fall off of it only 2 months later. If they really wanted to, they could easily obtain the simple part for a current production machine and simply mail it to me. This implies to me that they won't go out of their way for the customer -- the customer must go out of their way for THEM.

As far as the rep is concerned, I guess you had to be there. There is nothing more maddening than asking a simple question only to have no response at all from the rep for 5-10 minutes, but the minute you ask for a manger or otherwise imply further action, they immediately reply. Notice, too, that while I asked to speak to a manager and the tech agreed, I never did speak to a manager.

I just won't go HP anymore, other than for printers. Case closed.

 

i just read this entire thread.... and... concluded:

"you ditched hp for a small rubber bumper"

this sounds just like the apple small rubber feet on the iBook issue... apple didn't fix it, because they couldn't ship a 5 gram rubber foot all the way from china... ...

you know what i did... came to the conclusion it was my fault because of they way i was carrying it in my bag...

well... then came my hp... had the same issue... found the small foot in my bag glued to the bottom... well ... al least it was better than apple's which had no glue and thus was never to be found ever again

my advice.... get some rubber... take out the other identical bumper... sculpt a now one and use non destructive glue to put it back... better yet... make 2 so they look the same... enjoy a hand made solution for an otherwise impossible problem... next time choose a manufacturer that does not neglet their rubber bumpers like that... no phun intended

 

My advice? dont bother calling HP for support. i had a hard drive go bad after 8 months of owning my hp. you wouldnt BELEIVE the BS i got told, and had to deal with. was promised the part in 5 working days, as it was a warranty issue. guess what? it took 4 and a half WEEKS to get the last of 14 people to tell me it was back ordered and would be another three weeks probably.

Thats when i told him i wanted to speak to a supervisor NOW or my next call was the State Atty Gen. for failure to meet warranty obligations. After speaking to a supervisor, they bought me same size and speed and better quality drive from comp usa, and had it next day delivered.

Shame it took over a month, fourteen people, and a supervisor and threats of legal action to get my computer fixed. all for a legitimate warranty claim.

If hp's support techs are so great and are just doing their job, explain why it took so many people and so long to finally admit and tell me my part was back ordered? clearly they COULD have ordered the part from compusa at any time. so what took so long and why so much trouble to make it happen?

HPs support is garbage. and their products are good, not great. there are better makers out there. i just have no respect for HPs service at all. garbage.

ev

 

I have the same experience like you.
I had a hard drive failing after 6 months, the first time i sent in the service tech was fine. The second time i sent in it was heck. Over the course of another 6 months since the first servicing, the hinge of the lid became wobbly, the hard drive failed once more and it failed on me once more. When i told the service tech that the hinge was loose, he merely moved it about and he said it was tight. And when i told him that the hard drive is also failing and i'd like to request a more reliable hard drive regardless of expenses, he merely said "We'll fix it".

When it came back for 2 days, the hard drive's reliability index dropped.

That is why i will never buy HP products again, so that i will not deal with their lousy tech support.

 

Holy...I can't believe this can even happen...

 

Oh, it happened! and i didnt get **** for service til i threatened legal action. at that point they wanted to help. i got hung up on twice, told i was dead wrong three times, and just plain lied to a lot more than that.

yeah, it happened alright. Laptopmag.com was doing a survey for stories about tech support, and asked for reader comments and stories. for the full story go to their website and the forums to read my full post. its a full accounting of just what happened, and im told, will appear in an upcoming issue of the mag.

Yeah HP service is worse than useless, its worthless. ive since upgraded my hard drive on my own, after learning how to do that by myself due to HPs negligence and incompetence. i also changed out the factory OEM RAM for better stuff, from Crucial. now that ive maxed out the RAM, put in an aftermarket samsung 160 gb 5400rpm hard drive, and totally removed XP and all hp's bloatware and replaced it with a fresh copy of Vista Ultimate and Office 07 Ultimate, i am finally a happy guy, and my laptop is awesome. love it. it's not even the same notebook, really. i went into the bios and set it to share some system RAM. i modded the outside of the case to look better. its not even really an hp anymore. more of a custom job.

i ended up with a GPU twice what it was when i got it (came with 128 dedicate, now shares another 128) better RAM, MUCH better HDD, none of the remaining software, and external mods too.

it actually runs a lot FASTER and SMOOTHER with the upgrades and new software suite. im a lot happier.

I will never EVER try HP support again. and you can BET i failed em on every single survey they sent me. lowest marks possible and i elaborated too.

and the service and warranty plans they sell? wow, who would wanna spend money on what i got from them??????

ev

 

Ok, guys, i went and dug up a link to the forum where Laptopmag.com asked us to post our horror stories about support. failing that, they asked us for good stories.

Anyhow, heres the link to the forum where you can read all the stories.

http://laptopmag.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1190&FID=65&PR=3