Compaq/Hewlett Packard
Refuals to Honor Free Vista Upgrade Ripoff Palo ALto California

In November last year, we purchased a Compaq Presario from Best Buy in Midland, TX that included a FREE upgrade to Windows Vista. Upon the release of Vista, HP directed us to a web server to start the free upgrade process.

In common with MANY users across the USA, the servers were almost always busy or down, not allowing us to complete the upgrade process. HP gave us a telephone number of the company they had contracted to handle the process, but it ended up being forward to a call center in Singapore, where their command of English was almost non existent!

A call to HP customer service elicited no further help other than being told to wait a month and try again. This we did; REPEATEDLY!!! Again, we were unable to complete the process due to server problems (an experience being duplicated by several of our clients with HP, Dell and Gateway systems, also trying to complete the upgrade process). A call to HP customer service again told us to wait at least another 8 weeks!

During this period, we moved our consultancy to Lincoln Nebraska, and we discovered that this computer that qualified for the upgrade still had not been upgraded. This last week, several calls were placed to HP regarding this issue. Despite the fact that, in common with almost ALL our existing HP clients who had experienced the SAME problems, caused by HP's choice of processing company for these Vista upgrade claims, HP has refused to honor their advertised free upgrade, stating the period for the upgrade has now expired!

In short, Hp has chosen to ignore the fact that the consumers were unable to complete the upgrade registration process due to server log jams, and that when the third party company was contacted, no assistance could be provided due to the fact they couldn't speak English! While we have found similar issues with our Gateway and Dell clients, without exception ALL of those were able to obtain their free upgrades from those manufacturers even after the time frame for the claims had expired as they at least recognized it was NOT their clients faults!

Unfortunately HP has chosen to be arrogant and ignore these facts and blame the consumer for HP's choice of processing company for the claims! Needless to say, this consultancy is now, not only refusing to recommend HP as a solution provider to it's clients, but is now actively discouraging it's clients from considering them; if HP cannot act with honesty and integrity and honor a nationally advertised free software upgrade then they are not a company that we want servicing our clients in Texas or Nebraska.

HP is fully aware of the problems caused when Vista first came out and the problems that a substantial number of their end users had in completing their free upgrade application process, and, rather than applying QUALITY customer service concepts and assisting these clients, they have chosen instead to ignore them, blame the customer and tell the customer they have to pay HP for a FREE upgrade!

In excess of 30 years in this industry, including several as a National Customer Service Manager with a MAJOR computer manufacturer have taught me that this is NOT taking ownership of the problem, something one would expect from a company the size of HP; instead it is a blatant attempt to profit further from a problem caused by HP's choice of processing agent for the upgrade applications and penalize the end user.

HP is the ONLY manufacturer I and my clients have experienced this problem with; NONE of the other major US based manufacturers have treated their clients in this shoddy manner. Congratulations HP; you have not only lost this consultant as an end user EVER again, but you will almost certainly have lost a substantial number of our clients as well!

Company: Compaq/Hewlett Packard
Country: USA
State: Nationwide
Site: www.welcome.hp.com

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