Complaint against Hewlett Packard Customer service
I bought a HP Pavilion notebook pc in July 05 and began to have problems with lagging and graphics within 6 months of purchase. I called HP cust support and was told I needed more ram. I had the ram upgraded shortly thereafter and it seemed to help... For a couple of months. Lagging was no longer a major problem, but the graphics problems increased, and there was a distinct rattle when the pc was moved around. I contacted HP once again, and was told to send it in for repairs (still under warranty at this time) They sent packing materials, I sent the nb on June 16. It was gone almost 3 weeks. The rattle was still there (they said there was nothing loose, it was 'just the sound of the floppy drive when it was moved') and it did take about a month for the graphics to start messing up again. During this month, it started overheating and shutting down at random.By this point there is no way to send it back in while still being under warranty. (Although the problem wasn't fixed the first time, they considered it a different problem of course) Now they say it 'probably needed a new screen, about 400.00, so we deal with the graphics and feel very cheated. The overheating problem continues. I take it to an authorized pc repair shop to check the fans, they don't see a problem, and can't figure out why it overheats off and on or why the graphics randomly mess up (maybe a short/loose wire?). I call HP and they suggest buying an external cooling pad, which we do. It seems to help the overheating, maybe, but it is so bad my son barely tries to use it because it is more trouble than its worth. Imagine if you will, spending an hour writing out an essay, only to have the pc shutdown and having to start all over, not to mention any online activities. (graphics are worse than ever, rattling still present, overheating constantly) To explain the graphics situation... When they go haywire, and you move the notebook up/down or sideways, they will clear up. So. For about the last 9 months the pc has been useless. Fans sometimes work, sometimes not, overheating and shutting down more than running. During this time I call HP once again to see about ordering fans, or getting a part number, but they can't even find a parts list for this pc, to the best of my understanding, since I can barely understand the guy I'm talking to and he can barely understand me.By the way, you have to pay for phone support now. I give up. This past July my brother visits from across the country and is not afraid of laptops, so he takes the back off to get a part number for the fans and finally discovers the cause of all of the problems we've had with this nb. There is a factory tester cd floating around inside the body of it, blocking fans/airflow and scratching back and forth over everything, and has been doing so from day one! I take the cd to the Geek Squad for identification, and they tell me that it is the disc used on the assembly line when testing the motherboard. I called HP support and was told sorry, out of warranty. Next talked to their manager, same thing and he says no one is higher up than he, unless I call HP headquarters. Of course he will not give me a number, so I go online and chat with HP. They asked me to let them help instead of calling HP hq so I wait for week for the return call and satisfaction that is promised. I go back online to try and get a contact # for HP hq and am told the same thing which I decline this time, and finally get the number. I call Hp hq and am sent to their manager who tells me that it isn't under warrenty, and even had I bought extended warranty, they would not even touch it for repair because we took the back off. I understand we aren't under warranty still, but this is not a case of normal wear and tear or dropping the thing, it is a factory defect (screw up) not mine, and had we not taken the back off, it never would've been found. If it were a car, it would've been called a lemon. I feel that HP should stand behind a product that came off of assembly with a screw up, even if we were the ones to find it when even they couldn't figure it out. I understand that people and companies make mistakes, who doesn't, but when it happens, they should be held accountable for it. HP support has been pitiful and no support at all. They seem to have no interest in the individual customer. I am posting this for not only my benefit, but for others who may be considering HP products. I am also sending a link to HP support, and if they choose to listen this time and remedy this problem, I will repost so everyone will know that they came through.
Thanks!
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