Incredibly horrible support for TX2Z

[Los]

I'm posting here because I am SOOOO mad at HP, I could scream.  There IS no good option to voice my opinion to management found on the website and all my attempts to talk to management have failed miserably.  So here is related my experience with my TX2Z laptop to date:

Where to begin? Foremost, I hope this experience can effect change on HP's part for the betterment of future customers. I almost certainly will not choose HP in the future unless this complaint is dealt with in a professional and personal manner.

5/6/2009 - Purchased factory refurbished (to "new condition") notebook, model Touchsmart TX2Z

5/9/2009 - Notebook delivered via FedEx Ground

5/12/2009 - Package opened, notebook charged, all software installed

5/13/2009 - support chat to resolve non-working stylus (digitizer pen).  After at least an hour worth of chat and following all troubleshooting suggestions, I am given service order number VPS###-## for a replacement stylus, to be delivered by 5/26/2009.  Absolutely RIDICULOUS and UNHEARD OF wait time for a replacement part on a currently shipping model.

5/27/2009 - no stylus was delivered and the "scheduled ship date" is still set as "not yet shipped".  I called the customer service number listed on the "Service Order Status" page only to be connected to a representative in India who I can barely understand.  I give my details and though she has all the information already listed in the service order, I have to give her *EVERYTHING* again, from serial number down to my name and address and description of the problem.  I am routed to at least four more representatives and go through the SAME thing each time. At EVERY step of the way, I ask for a Manager or Supervisor and NONE is ever provided.  Finally, after being on the phone for OVER two hours, I get to a Supervisor who asks all the same questions, yet again, and he tells me absolutely nothing.  He cannot give me an ETA for a replacement part, when it will likely ship or why I have not received it yet.  Frustrated with the lack of ANY help after 2.5 hours on the phone, I start a "customer service" chat. The chat representative discloses that my original order has been CANCELLED!  I was FURIOUS!  Now a new order is placed and the "Expected Delivery Date" is set as 6/4/2009.  I ask for a US support line and am given the Canadian support division number for the Touchsmart PC line.  I proceed to call and ask them for a Manager to find out why I can't get a digitizer after more than two weeks to replace one from a brand new unit.  No help other than to tell me to "wait" until the new service order has come and gone.  Very well.  To this point, I have wasted two hours in chat ( I have the transcripts to prove this) and over 3 hours on the phone.  I give up for the day because I have a life.

 5/28/2009 - I login to the new ticket number VUE###-## only to find it has been CANCELLED!!!!!  It's a good thing children were not present.  I promptly called the Canadian Touchsmart support line as I intend NEVER to talk to anyone in India again as long as I live. After 40 minutes on the phone, the Canadian support line cannot give a reason why the order was cancelled and promises to submit a new order, but cannot do so at the moment for some reason I did not understand.  At this point, I decide to find a replacement myself, so I start a Sales chat.  The sales individual claims HP doesn't sell a replacement stylus for the TX2Z, a currently shipping model.  Not believing her, I call the Parts number and find out that a part does indeed exist, but it is out of stock with no expected delivery date.  Not accepting that either, I start yet another chat, this time with Customer Service.

Kathy V. in HP customer service chat department is to be COMMENDED and if she were my employee would get an immediate raise and recognition for her efforts! She not only found a replacement stylus available in the parts store, she listened to my experiences and voluntarily submitted a complaint without my asking! You need MORE people like her and fewer like EVERYONE else I dealt with.  I proceeded to order a replacement digitizer for $24.99, as it was said to be "in-stock" and "ships same day".  I then decided to get on a Technical Support chat to see if I can help them expedite my order and get me a replacement stylus for the defective one that shipped with the unit.  I proceeded to explain the situation to the representative and send him the link where HP has these in-stock and ready to ship.  He told me that meant nothing to my situation and as a different department I would have to wait until the support department has these in-stock to receive one.  At this point, I am given a new service order number of VUQ###-##.  This claims that a replacement unit will be delivered by 6/4/2009.  A claim I don't put ANY faith in at all.

 At this point, I will wait patiently to use my new laptop which was defective as shipped from the factory. I want to use my computer as the art tool it was intended to be when purchased. I have other computers for work and play, but this was specifically purchased for the on-screen drawing functionality provided by the digitizer and as yet, I have been unable to use it. So far, 22 days after purchase and indeed 17 days after my first attempts to use it but still no replacement from HP and VERY MUCH frustration and the feeling that HP is much too large for it's own good.   My suggestion is this: since HP is already greatly compartmentalized, why not let the division that made this laptop support it solely?  In other words, let them sell, support it, provide parts and service and DON'T let any other divisions touch it.  In the 6 or 7 departments I dealt with, none had a clue as to what the others were doing.  This experience has soured me on HP and I don't see any competitive advantage to your technology that I cannot find in another company, so I don't know why I'd stay for a repeat performance someday.

Certainly in the current economic climate, you cannot afford to treat customers this way.

[KoD]

10 days and no answer!!
how remarkable

[Los]

This is no suprpise to me.  I don't ever expect a response from HP and will be shocked and awed if one ever comes.  This is the second NIGHTMARE experience I've had with HP support this year and I most certainly will never buy another HP product if an HP rep doesn't respond to this thread with something meaningful.  I have no idea what "AWARD" the "AWARD WINNING" support department at HP won but seemingly, it was purchased by HP and not "awarded" by an impartial third-party.

I finally received a replacement digitizer on 6/4/2009, 22 days after placing the initial order and three service orders later.  The time I wasted was worth FAR MORE to me than the money saved by opting for the HP TX2Z over the DELL XT.  Next time, I will undoubtably buy the DELL.  DELL has never treated me as poorly as HP did over a $24.99 (priced as shipped from HP) digitizer (stylus).  Oddly enough, the separate replacement digitizer I purchased to replace this defective part was ordered 6/1/2009 and arrived 6/4/2009, only three days after the initial order.  That speaks volumes to me about how HP deals with ISSUES as opposed to SALES.  It's all about the sale and screw you if you have a problem. 

Interestingly enough, I purchased a BRAND NEW printer from BestBuy for my mom.  Took it home, set it up and the drivers in the box were not compatible with the operating system, though it was advertised on the outside of the box.  Went to HP site to download updated drivers to install the brand new printer and the download was 225 MB. My mom has only dial-up.  I called HP and got the same type of run-around with that situation as with this one.  After several attempts at support, I finally gave up, drove home 200 miles, downloaded the updates, burned them to a CD and mailed them to my mom.  NEVER another HP printer.  EPSON kicks HP's butt in quality and color anyway. Canon also has a printer that more than rivals anything I've seen from HP. 

HP, you are in trouble.  Keep mistreating customers and you'll find you've lost too many.  Then you'll be like GM, looking for my tax dollars from a moronic government that thinks it can spend it's way back into prosperity.

[Zachxw]

I do have to agree with you that something has to be worked on HP's customer support!

I've sent an email to them and the website says that they would reply within 1 business day. An automated reply would also be received within 1 hour after the email has been sent. Despite that, after a day's waiting, neither did I receive the automated reply nor any reply from a HP staff. I'm obviously sure that I did not block off any HP emails as I could still receive newsletters, forum updates etc.

If I'm in your situation I would commend on that staff too! But instead of calling, why don't you frustrate your anger over at HP company, I think that would be better and they may solve your problem without directing you to anywhere else (:

And considering the current support provided, my warranty seems to be useless and I certainly have no intentions to buy HP products anymore, despite trusting it's reputation unless something CHANGES FOR THE BETTER =D

[fflintstone]

DITTO - FROM THE SUPPORT TO THEIR PART AVAILABILITY  - NOW I AM STUCK WISHING I WENT WITH DELL OR MAYBE A USED MACBOOK.  IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT HP DOES NOT CARE - BELIEVE - AND CONSIDER YOUSELF WARNED. 

[deepinc]

So what was the part number for the stylus? I dropped mine today and although I got it back together it may not be working 100% so I figure I should get another if for no other reason than that I will probably drop it again.

[Gangles]

To he post above, here is the part number you requested

516454-001

[deepinc]

Thanks for the part number. It also goes under FV268AA in the HP store. I will have to wait until mid September to get one from the Canadian HP store. Apparently no one in the US is able to ship accross the border. It was probably easier to ship something accross the Berlin wall when it was up!

[Los]

AMAZING!  An HP representative finally comments THREE MONTHS after my initial post!  And, SURPRISE! The comment has NOTHING to do with the original post. HP is a joke. Get rid of your top "management" and streamline your processes and procedures.  Then maybe, just maye, you'll start treating your customers with some respect. Short of mailing me a complete laptop replacement for free, there is no way to save me as an HP customer. 

[WendyM]

Hi Los,

These forums are user-to-user support, and not a venue to receive direct help or feedback from HP. Everyone who participates here, including HP employees, does so on a volunteer basis on their own time. If you need to contact HP directly, please use the link below:

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/wwcontact_us.html

Thanks!