TRAIN WRECK #2

I used to be happy with HP.

They sold reliable products that got the job done for a fair price.

But I am now convinced they are trying as hard as possible to go out of business.

At first, I thought the problems I was running into with HP were just anomalies that happen with every business. For example, just before the warranty expired, I had an external media drive begin to make grinding noises. I sent it in, but HP sent it back ‘no-problem-found’. When the drive failed a little more than a month later, I called them again. But they refused to cover the drive because it was now out of warranty, even though the problem had been brought to their attention within the warranty period.

A more sinister issue involved my laptop battery. When I purchased my HP laptop, I purchased a special ‘long-life’ battery which had a three year warranty. (Previously, my lithium-ion batteries have only lasted about two years – so paying for a three year warranty seemed like a no brainer.) Sure enough, the special high priced battery did not last much longer than a regular battery. But when I called HP, they claimed they had never ever sold a laptop battery with a three year warranty, and that I was mistaken. Before they would actually honor their warranty, in addition to my purchase receipt, I had to provide them a link to the actual battery on their own website, with the three year warranty spelled out.

I also had the crazy experience of buying an HP TouchPad. Inexplicably, HP discontinued that product approximately a month after announcing it with great fanfare. I ultimately got it for the price of a picture viewer, but one has to wonder why a company would go to the expense of designing and marketing a product only to kill it days after putting it on the market.

My latest eye rolling HP interaction relates to ordering a new PC. They took my order for a custom PC, and informed me it would arrive in 1-2 weeks. Then they emailed me to tell me they can’t sell me the configuration they proposed and that I had ordered. I had ordered it with Windows 7, and an upgrade to Windows 8 (through HP, the upgrade was a couple $$ cheaper than going through Microsoft). Inexplicably, they claimed they couldn't sell me a factory restoration CD for Windows 7 because I had also ordered the Windows 8 upgrade. They also claimed they couldn't sell me application software designed for Windows 7 because I had also ordered the Windows 8 upgrade. I asked them how I was supposed to make the installed Windows 7 work without these items, but got nowhere.

But my new HP PC order turned even more bizarre. I received numerous email notifications saying my credit card had been denied. Each of these was followed minutes later by another email saying my credit card was accepted. (There never was an actual problem with my card.) I also got emails every few days saying my order was ready to go except that one item was back-ordered. Each time, it was a different item allegedly holding up my order. Their excuses ranged from no web cam, to no Fire Wire card, to no VGA cable, to no Office software, to no video card. It has been well over a month, and I still have no PC. And they tell me it will be weeks before they expect to have all the parts available to ship it.

The bottom line is they have left this customer shaking his head numerous times in the last two years. And I doubt I am the only one.