Shocked and amazed is what I have to say. I am an IT professional, and work on both windows and some linux platforms, so computer illiterate I am not..
I purchased a brand new DV8000T CTO laptop from hpshopping.com in March of 06. Upon receiving it, I contacted HP via chat 2 days after getting it due to the unit having dead pixels on the lcd screen. Hp chat support explained to me that I can exchange my unit, but there is no guarantees that a replacement unit will not have the issue. I decided that for the few that were on the screen, it may be a lost cause to exchange it. I was also experiencing a strange issue with my keyboard locking up while typing. It seems when you type quickly, after about 20 minutes, the keyboard stops accepting commands, and all keys act as a right mouse click... Frustrating to say the least.
I am a member of quite a few web forums, and found that there is a large number of people having this problem with this exact model laptop. After seeing people saying they are on their 3rd, and 4th repair trips, with no fix, I decided to contact hp about the issue, and they suggested I send in the unit for repair.
At this point I'm not exactly thrilled with the concept of being without my laptop, as I use it for daily work.
I explain to the HP rep about the quantity of people complaining about this specific issue, and ask to have my unit exchanged with a replacement unit. The csr on chat transfers me to his manager, a person by the name of Santiago.
Santiago says HP is aware of the problem, and asks if I would please let them repair it, and the stuck pixels on the lcd, and he promises that it will be fixed. I figure if they can fix it, great, I like the unit other than these 2 issues. Santiago promises they will send out a box and label within 24 or 48 hours for pickup on the laptop.
Santiago aslo asks me to return the laptop to factory defaults (reloading it to square 1) 1 week later, no box, and of course, I can't use the laptop due to it having none of my software on it... I contact Hp chat yet again, asking to speak directly to a supervisor, this time I get an apology, and a promise yet again for the box to be shipped out immediately. Lo and behold, I get the box the next day, Bravo HP I think.
I ship the unit back, next day to HP for repair. 2 days later, I get the laptop back, with a label saying No problem found! I turn it on, and sure enough, stuck pixels, same place they were, and keyboard still locks up.
I'm more than frustrated at this point, So I contact HP via chat again, and ask t speak to a supervisor. The HP support rep, Aaron, and during the first few lines of chat, my keyboard freezes.
After it unfreezes, Aaron apologizes for the promises I've been made about my unit being fixed, and says he would like to go over my chat logs. I agree. 10 minutes later he comes back on and asks me for the case ID Santiago had given me, and the log with what he had said. He comes back and says (this is from my chat log)
Aaron "At this point, you got two options: "
Aaron "From my side I can arrange again Mail in repair or I can escalate the your case."
Aaron "Secondly, you can call our phone support and refer the case no. Enquire about the Supervisor commitment."
Jason Kuenkler "Ok, here's where I'm at, I was ensured that my unit would be fixed, I expressed my concerns with the multitude of complaint s on the internet from folks with dv8000t's and the same issue, many with multiple 3 and 4 returned units. I again was told it would be fixed, and that Hp knew of the issue as well."
Jason Kuenkler "Ok, what is going to either A. Get my unit exchanged, and I can hope for the best with a new unit, or B. Refund my unit and I will purchase a notebook elsewhere without these issues?"
Aaron "Okay."
Aaron "In order to claim for the refund or exchange, I will escalate your issue."
Jason Kuenkler "ok"
Aaron "After escalation of the Case."
Aaron "You will get a call."
Jason Kuenkler "Ok, do you need my phone #?"
Aaron "Please provide me a Best time frame for callback and phone."
Aaron "Yes."
I give him my phone #, and he says:
Aaron "You will receive a call back from a Case Manager within 24hrs."
Aaron then gives me my chat transcript # so I have it when the case manager calls within 24hrs.
Surprise, the case manager never calls. 2 days later, I contact HP via chat again. This time I ask directly to speak to a supervisor, and ask to have my unit refunded or exchanged. I provide the logs and the case# which the manager reviews. (his name is Sam, this is today, June 22nd 06). Sam reviews the logs, and agrees, saying I had been misled by HP staff, and I did not receive a call. He asks me to contact HP customer service directly at 1-800-474-6836 and to ask for a case manager, not to talk to anyone else. I say ok, hold on the chat while I call.
I call, and first get someone, they find my information, and transfer me to a "case manager". Only it's 30 minutes, 15 of which is on hold, and they drop my call. I call back again, get a person by the name of Amit Bunso, who proceeds to take my information.
I explain to him that by now I'm nearly an hour into hold and waiting to speak to a Case Manager, and would he please transfer me. He says ok. 15 minutes later he comes back on the phone, and says can I trouble shoot this issue with you.
I say this is now the 3rd time I have asked you to transfer me to a Case Manager, would you please do so. He says Ok. 10 minutes later, he comes back on, asking me to explain the problem to him. I say during this part of the conversation, please transfer me to a case manager, 4 times. (now on my 7th time asking him). He transfers me, saying I will next speak to a case manager.
Isaac gets on the phone, and asks me what the problem is with my laptop. I ask him if he is a case manager, he says No. I ask to please be transferred to a case manager, now my 8th time and nearly 2 hours on the phone. He puts me on hold, and drops my call. I passed the angry stage at this point. I called back, and lo and behold Amit gets back on the phone, I tell him I am doing my best at being patient, but I have asked now to be transfered to a Case Manager, per a supervisors request from HP support, and this is now my 10th time asking, 8 of which have been asking you. Transfer me NOW. He puts me on hold, 15 minutes later a person by the name of Troy Nunemaker answers, stating he is a case manager. He says he has reviewed my case, and tells me he would be happy to set up the unit for repair. I explain that I am now 2 hours, and multiple transfers into this issue on just that day, and I would like my money back. He says No, can't do that, you can have it repaired or nothing else! (in probably the rudest tone a CSR has ever used with me).
I say look, I'm an IT tech, I work on computers for a living, there are hundreds of people online complaining about this issue, and you obviously do not have the ability to repair it. I say I will settle for an exchange for a new unit, and hopefully it doesn't have the issue. He says No, repair it or nothing. And then he has the balls to say, your using this for your business, too bad for you, should have bought an Hp business laptop, and not cheaped out with a regular line unit! I said are you serious, your basically telling me too bad, I bought the wrong unit, and HP will do nothing to properly rectify the issue?! He says yes, repair or nothing. I ask to speak to his manager, upon which he says no one is above me, The only people here are accounting folks, and no one else will speak to you. I curtly say thank you and end the call.
I pop into my chat, and after 5 different chat people, all of which end my chat, I still have no answers. Basically I paid $1500 for a unit that works for a while, but can't be fixed, under warranty, by the manufacturer. I received the poorest customer service I have ever had, and am told Too bad by a "Manager" at HP. I will be reporting this to the proper BBB contacts, and have since switched to other providers for the 3 companies that I manage for IT work. Even Dell, while bad, has never treated me as a customer like this, and I've had them exchange defective units, weeks before their warrantys were up!
After many years faithfully buying HP laptops, this takes care of it.By the way, I typed this on my defective laptop, and something that would normally take about 20 minutes, took 2 hours with the keyboard lockups!!!
Jason
Hayden, Idaho
U.S.A.
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