Firewire port in dv6 1333sa

[DonAlvar]

I just bought a HP dv6 1333sa laptop, which arrived today.   One of the main reasons to choose it was that it is supposed to have a IEEE 1394 (firewire) port.   However, I was very surprised to find that the laptop I was sent does not have a firewire port, but a small metal cover instead. 

I can think of several reasons for this: 

1. The information about this model in every web page I have seen is wrong
2. I was sent another model by mistake (however, according to the sticker on the back it is a 1333sa)
3. I am supposed to take the metal lid out somehow (no clues about this in any manual)
4. I was supposed to pay extra for this feature and was never told (shame on you)
5. I was supposed to ask for this feature when purchasing but again no one told me (shame on you)

 If the port is not included, then I am going to return the laptop and get a refund .   Thanks in advance for any help.

[DonAlvar]

It looks like the problem is about to be solved, by requesting a replacement. In case another customer wants to know the procedure, it goes as follows:

• Get a cheap telephone provider. Otherwise all this will take you to bankruptcy
• Take a couple of days off your job. You are going to need to spend them talking by phone.

• Make yourself clear what the facts are and what the problem is, so you do not get convinced that you are calling because your computer does not start because you have not put the battery in it.

• Start calling. Yo will spend 40 min each time listening to Coldplay, but do not let that deter you.

• Each call is going to take you more or less an hour, and there is going to be several of them, since you have to call Sales, then Technical Support, then Sales, then Technical Support, then Sales, then Technical Support, then sales. This is because they do not have any technical information at all in Sales, and no access to anything at all in Technical Support.

• Have all the information at hand every time, since you have to give it several times every call. You can easily end up learning all the reference numbers by heart.   Some of the employees are very nice and helpful and want to help you, but it seems to be utterly difficult to find a way of replacing a product. Everyone seems to be more comfortable offering a reimbursement..

• Insist
• Insist
• Insist
• Insist

• When everything seems solved but a month has passed and your replacement does not arrive, repeat the process.
  

Message Edited by DonAlvar on 11-19-2009 04:24 AM

[emyr_gareth]

Have had the exact same problem. I had purchased the laptop via Play.com - when I phoned HP, they told me that the item should have the Firewire port and recommended I returned the item to Play.com for a replacement. 3 weeks have now passed and I am still awaiting the replacement - Play tell me that the DV6-1333sa is out of stock and they are awaiting replacements from HP.

Having checked the item description on both Play and Amazon, it's clear that the Firewire port should have been included. Either this is a general mistake on HP's marketing or a rogue batch of laptops have been produced with the Firewire port missing!

[DonAlvar]

They are probably very busy trying to avoid being sued by big retailers like Tesco for shipping a product that does not meet the promised specifications; we small customers are probably not first in the queue. It is almost a pity that nobody has written to a newspaper with this story, that could get bigger on time. If I do not get the computer in a week or so, I will probably do it.

Good luck with your replacement.

[DonAlvar]

What a joy.   I just received the replacement laptop that took more than £20 and several days in phone calls to convince HP to send instead of the one that did not meet the advertised specifications.

There is only one little thing that spoils my joy and feeling of having overcome the corporate uselessness of HP.

THE REPLACEMENT LAPTOP DOES NOT HAVE A FIREWIRE PORT EITHER!!!!

I cannot afford to spend other two months without neither the laptop nor the money, let alone take enough days off from work to make the carousel of phone calls. The only thing I can do now is turn to the Advertisement Standards Authority, the Guardian, the Independent, the Telegraph, and whoever I can address by mail that can make the justified fuss about this.

This makes me doubt whether it was simply a rare misfortune to get a fawlty equipement; perhaps there is an important amount (all?) of laptops of this model that are not as promised.    Once again, I wonder if the big retailers such as TESCO, Currys and PC world are as happy as me with this massive mistake from their provider.

Message Edited by DonAlvar on 12-01-2009 11:22 AM

[emyr_gareth]

I've given up and cancelled my order! The people at Play.com didn't have a clue what I meant when I said that the Firewire port was missing(!) and I was afraid that any replacement would also be missing the port. From your experience, it sounds that I was right to be concerned...

I've ordered the Sony VAIO NW20 EF instead. It seems to have a pretty similar spec. and (if I've understood things correctly!) the "4 Pin i.LINK (IEEE1394)" port is the same as Firewire.

Fingers crossed this time!!

Good luck with your negotiations with HP!!

[stublou]

Just bought a DV6-2010A from PC world - no firewire as advertised. I will only battle for so long, then I'll just send it back and check out that sony.

[emyr_gareth]

Pretty amazing that the same problem seems to be still occurring nearly a year later!

And why have we had no response or explanation from HP???

All in all, very shoddy customer service. It will make me think long and hard before considering any of their products in future.