Upgrade Program for Window 7

[eClaire]

HI, kbpember - For online purchases, the ship date qualifies as the product purchase date for the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program.  Your packing list should reflect the ship date, so submit that as the proof of purchase.

[eClaire]

Hi, jfb00 - I just went out to the website with your product # (NU992UA) and was able to have it validated as an eligible system.  Give it a try. 

[eClaire · Accepted solution]

Hi, tzelee - Sorry for the confusion.  I agree that your existing Vista Business OS is definitely a valid OS version and and have confirmed how this error came about.   You are correct that your PC is eligible for the Vista Business equivilent upgrade of Windows 7 Professional.  Let me work to get the situation corrected and will get back to you ASAP.

[eClaire]

Perrin77 - I am investigating this.  Hang in there.  Will get back to you on what is found.

[eClaire]

Hi, ljdbanatao - yes, your product # is accurate; I stand corrected.  Working to understand what has happened to make your product # not recognized.  I wil get back to you. 

[eClaire]

Hi, checked on the Windows 7 ordering website and your product, NY810AV (HP Pavilion Elite e9150t), now offers the Vista Business operating system as a drop-down value.            www.hp.com/go/windows7upgrade

[eClaire]

Optimum100 - If Friday rolls around and you don't get this resolved, I will step in (you indicated they would get back to you in 5 business days and it was 2 days when you posted).  At that time, provide me where you bought your PC, and what name this situation is listed under at Arvato?    If there is a Reference or Order ID that's the only info you need to provide. E-mail it to me at:   Hp.Total.Care.Upgrade@hp.com .  Hopefully, the news by Friday will be that this situation has been resolved by Arvato. 

[tzelee]

It does work now.  Thanks for your help.

[Optimum100]

eClaire60 - Thanks for the offer.  My problem is now resolved, not by Arvato but by a suggestion from a sharp HP Case Manager named Cole.  Cole explained to me what might be happening that was halting my order processing at Arvato.

I would enter all the required information on Arvato's website and my ordering would halt with the error message:
"There was a problem with your credit card. Please review your info."

I go back and re-enter credit card information - Card type, My Name on card, Card number, Expiration Date, and the 3 digit security code on the back of the card.  No other information is entered on this page.  I submit it and they come back with the same error message.

Arvato's Customer Service people keep saying that some of their Customers are having this problem and it is happening because their system is undergoing updates.  They tell you to try later - next day.  This is their standard stock answer.  I kept telling them something is wrong with the logic in their system - it cannot be due to "updating".  Frustrated, I asked to speak with a Supervisor.  The Supervisor said that he will escalate this problem to their web support and they will get back to me in 5 business days.  Following is the feedback that I got:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Problem with you website - Can't place Order (KMM15087280I14L0KM)
Monday, July 13, 2009 1:46 PM
From:    "HP Upgrade" <hpupgrade@arvatousa.com>

Regarding your concern, we actually do not see any reason why would the system not accept you credit card information, because upon checking, it is actually eligible to process the purchase.

But because of the system updates some errors do occur and that has been the case why some of our customers are having a hard time processing their orders. What i advise you to do is to place the order again by the end of the day today or tomorrow. By that time our systems might already be up and running and you would not experience these errors anymore.

Should you have further questions feel free to visit our website http://www.hp.com/go/windows7 Call our Customer Care Hotline 1800-752-0900.
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Now Arvato is a third party vendor who is using HP name and is directing the customer to a HP, not Arvato's "Customer Care Hotline 1800-752-0900."

When you call the above Hotline, you go through an automated maze of questions answers which lead you to a HP, not Arvato's Technical Support.  In my first attempt I was unfortunate to get a Tech Support person who really knew nothing about HP's Win7 Upgrade Program but asserted that she knew about it and tried to help me.  She asked me to go to Arvato's website read "know before you order" page.  She claimed that she was reading it too.  She made following amazing statements:

1.    The order cannot be placed because Microsoft has not released the product.
2.    Proof of Purchase must be sent before ordering.

It was obvious to me that she knew nothing about the program.  While she spoke in English and perhaps knows how to read English, but certainly cannot comprehend what was on that page.  Finally I asked to speak with the Supervisor.  The Supervisor told me that this problem was not within the scope of HP's Technical Support and my query was misdirected to their department.  He told me to call the HP Hotline again and asked me to explain to them that this query should go to another group within HP.

Next day, I called back the Hotline but was again routed automatically (no human being on the other end) to HP's Technical Support.  This time I was fortunate to speak with "Sam" who understood the situation and immediately conference called with Arvato and me.  For the 12th time I gave them all the details and they got the same error message and they gave the same standard stock answer and reason of "updating" preventing order placement.  Sam realized that it would be fruitless to continue conversation with Arvato's Customer Service.  He assured me that HP will make sure that I will get the upgrade and he will escalate this to HP Corporate.  Sam said that he will get hold of a HP Case Manager who can get this resolved.  He placed me on a hold and within a few minutes I was talking with a HP Case Manager named "Cole".  He asked me a few simple questions and he immediately realized what might be happening because he himself had encountered a particular situation where the credit card inquiry fails.  The credit card bank had assured me that everything was fine with my credit card and they were receiving those inquiries and approving them.  Cole explained to me that a credit card inquiry may fail if the Address used on Vendor website does not match with the Address associated with the credit card account.  I told him that he might have just solved the problem.  I was using an address where I will be after October 22 and not the one associated with my credit card account.  I went back to Arvato's website and specified Billing Address the same as Address associated with the credit card account.  I was able to place the order without any problem.

The real underlying problem is a classic case of poor System Design.  Their System Analysis was flawed in that they did not consider the ramifications of providing vague and inaccurate feedback to User.  "There was a problem with your credit card.  Please review your info."  Well, the System knew what field or fields were not valid.  But it was not interpreted and conveyed to the User.  Reviewing and re-entering results in the same failure.  The page where credit card information is entered has no place for entering address - that was on an earlier page.  If Billing Address was a critical field associated with credit card information, it should be in the same place where other credit card information is entered.  If they highlight fields causing errors, the User would know.

[Perrin77]

My condolences Optimum 100 that you had to go through all that and I feel your pain.  This is the kind of bull**** that outsourcing does when companies try to save money instead of getting people that actually are qualified and understand what is going on and could possibly and actually help you.  This shouldn't have happened in the first place and I can imagine how frustrated you must have felt, just like how I feel. 

I have always or at least for a long while have held HP in the highest regards, I am a Computer Technician and I have liked thierr products for a while and they work excellent with few problems.  But as of late I seeing a change that really bothers me, not so much with thier quality of thier products but how they treat their customers in the way they support them when they need help.  Whether it be troubleshooting, repairing, just some questions, etc and no one should have to jump through hoops to get a company to do it's job and give you what they promised you, you know, to do the right thing.  It's maddening that you can't just get a simple straight answer and have to even have a problem escalated and wait 5 business days and to have HP or that third party company tell you this 3 times or more, someone should know what they are doing. 

Pretty soon HP might see itself losing a lot of it's customers if they keep pulling this crap with their terrible customer service and people having to come up with excuses for their short comings, sugar coating false truths, it's terrible. You know some people spend a small fortune or more and it shouldn't really matter what you spend to purchase a product, but you should always be treated like you are most important to this company that you purchased this product from.  HP has seem to lost this notion and treat us as such, like crap.