Warranty

[neuburg]

I recently was informed by HP, that my system was out of warranty as of Jan. 2021.  I bought my computer in June of last year, and my warranty is for a year.  Still haven't found my receipt yet due to our moving to a new place in May 2020  but the  box has a sticker from Walmart on the box and a sticker from HP on the box showing an existence date of Feb 2020, which contradicts HP's claim that the warranty started in Dec of 2019.  I sent them pictures of the labels and stickers but they still claim my warranty to be expired.  I haven't had a problem with the computer but I still haven't had it for a year yet. Anyone else have this kind of problem with HP?  Any ideas on how to get HP to use their common sense?  And yes, I am still working on finding the receipt.  I know I didn't throw it away.

[Prométhée]

Hello
to validate the warranty if the date is not the right one, which often happens, proof of purchase is required!
If you can't find it, it should be possible to ask the seller to provide you with a copy!

[Hibb1]

I *think* HP logs the warranty start date from when the RESELLER purchased the PC, so if Walmart had it on display for 6 months, or whatever, then that's coming off your  warranty. It's not correct, so you'll need to find the receipt.

If you boot into BIOS by tapping F10 as soon as the PC is turned on, under system summary, you should be able to see a 'born on' date. This is the date the PC was 1st turned on after being unpacked by the 1st buyer. See if that born on date matches YOUR purchase date or if it's older, then the PC was likely a demo prior to you purchasing it.

[WAWood]

@Hibb1 

My understanding from what I've been told is that the warranty start date is set at the factory when the PC is built.

So yeah, if a reseller buys it, keeps it on display for six months and then sells it, when the consumer first looks at it, the warranty is already at least six months old.

[Hibb1]

@WAWoodValid point. If an end user buys direct from HP and decides not to unbox it for 13 months, then turns it on and it's DOA then they're in a really tough position to get any warranty.

On the other hand, if the end user purchased it after the reseller accidentally had it stashed at the back of the warehouse for 10 months, then according to HP the end user only has 2 months left.

Different rules for different countries, but that doesn't fly in Australia. It's 12 months from when the 'end user' purchased it.

We're lucky here too, as due to the Australian Consumer Law, HP need to honor warranty longer than 12 months, as it's deemed that something so expensive SHOULD last longer than 12 months. I've repaired HP PC's under warranty, due to the ACL that have been 5 years old. 5 years is the exception rather than the rule, but yeah, it must be very frustrating for HP customers in other countries. 'Extended' warranty companies must make a lot of money. Wasted here in in Aus to buy extended on HP products.
HP appear to the best when it comes to the ACL. Acer, extra 6 months that's it. Not sure with Dell and Lenovo.

Regardless of the brand, it all comes out of the 'same' factory. So the failure chance is the same regardless of the brand. What I tell people here, is it's not the brand per se that's the 'best' but the after sales service. Here in Australia, HP is the best. The other brands don't care a hoot, and will try to blame user induced damage or microsoft.

[neuburg]

I decided to just pay for a "post" extended warranty. (Due to trying to get HP to correct the issue of my warranty, I missed out on getting the warranty when it expired on their date)  It isn't as good as activating the warranty when it expired.  Well back to the story, in my pursuit of buying the add-on warranty, I was able to get $50 off the price.  My added bonus (or so I thought) was that I found HP keeps track of all the HP devices I own or have owned.  They each show the date they were first activated.  It said mine was activated on 04/30/2020.  Wouldn't you think that their information would be acceptable?  Nope, even though it is their records that they inputted, they could deal with the issue in a way that would be at least meeting me half way.  They still insist that I need to show them the receipt.  They said I should be able to get Walmart to email the record for the transaction, (I tried that and never heard back from them). I then will have to contact them and fill out a resolution request. They then will issue a refund for the warranty I bought which doesn't go into affect until MARCH 12TH, (which I didn't know when I bought the warranty). The trail just gets weedier and weedier.  All the answers were great answers, thank you all.  Never expected this and I'm retired and never heard of anything like this until now.  I thought I was registered when the PC was turned on for the 1st time and the HP Support Assistant came on and gave me the tour of my new PC, and took me online to the HP website, where I set up my HP account and filled out my name and address amount other things at that time.  I thought I had been registered, I wasn't.  Very misleading.  If  you look up the reviews for the HP Warranty Care kit I bought, you'll find many comments where HP owners had the same problem that I have been dealing with where HP cut their warranty period short.  I am a little surprised that HP just lets it's customers continue to be mislead like this,.  I hope somehow this gets out to new HP customers so they don't walk into what I did.  Thanks again of you for your help and your answers.

[WAWood]

@Hibb1 

You're certainly correct about different laws in different countries affecting warranty and repair rights of consumers.

I believe that the U.K. has a two-year period required during which the manufacturer has to do the repair for free of a device during that time frame and can't claim any expired warranty exclusion.  And, if the same device fails a second time during that two years, the consumer can demand a replacement for free.

Of course, the downside is that the consumer has to take legal action to assert their rights and that costs money -- lots of money.

[Prométhée]

Indeed, it may be the same situation as in France, but it can be changed!

England having decided to no longer be part of the European Union
It is a European law, the computer is guaranteed by HP for one year!
But the law says that the user can assert his right with the reseller for two years!

Garantie consommateur légale
Only, and this is the starting point, in order to assert a right, it is necessary to be able to prove that the computer is guaranteed, and the date of purchase.
So even the reseller may require proof of purchase / invoice from the user, although he must be able to provide a duplicate if you no longer have it, but they may not all do so. may be possible for a while.

[Enchanted78]

My problem is that I purchased an extended warranty after my original warranty expired. I have the receipt in my inbox. When I check the status on here, it shows expired. I cannot find a way to contact HP. The virtual agent is a joke. How do I contact them to be able to show them my receipt and to allow my warranty to show?

[neuburg]

HI Enchanted! So I went to buy an additional warranty with the discount, I had to pay like $85.  It was then I found HP had on file the date I started using my purchased PC.  It was in their records as the use starting on 4/30/2020.  (I put them on speed dial now😜) The number is ************.   They said I didn't register the PC when I bought it.  I told them that they had activated the "HP Support Assistant" when I first turned on my PC for the first time.  I was under the impression the through using their app, it had been registered since the app had me set up my HP account at that time.  (as noted by their date of 4/30/2020.    You would have thought they would not be so ridiculously hard headed about working with me since I've been a loyal customer of theirs for a long time but unfortunately they obviously believe I must have stolen the PC from Walmart and just didn't register my PC.  If they won't recognize their own records, the money must be the only reason they won't correct their mistake and their irresponsible use of their HP Support Assistant.  This has cost me my warranty and a better extended warranty.  They did agree with me that their records did indeed show my start up date as being 4/30/2020, but I still needed to find the receipt or contact Walmart and see if they could find my record of the receipt on Walmart's end.  So far Walmart hasn't returned any call to me indicating they found a record of my receipt. If I do get that information from Walmart, they could and would issue me a refund.  Looks like I lose but I've done all I can do about this warranty issue.  Good look, and I hope you have better luck than I did......

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