FedEx came a-knockin' on my door this afternoon with my laptop. I must say, it was a painful process getting to the repair, but the repair and shipping process was extraordinarily quick and efficient! My laptop has a new lid, plastic bezel, and NO cracking.
The hinges feel a little tight, but hopefully this repair will last me another 2 years.
Will I ever buy from HP again? Not sure. To be sure, Jeff Utigard did all he could to fix the situation, but the hassle I endured getting to this place leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Friday, July 24th - Sending off the notebook
My shipping box arrived yesterday from HP, just as they said it would. Even though my hardware/hinge issue is the only thing being repaired, HP warned me to back up my hard drive just in case the technicians do a full restore. So this morning, I ran off to CompUSA and picked up a Maxtor external hard drive - "Black Armor" - with full disk encryption. $59 for 160GB - not bad!
I just finished backing up the notebook and will be signing off shortly to close the lid and pack it away for FedEx. I will attempt to update while the laptop is being repaired - but it's a little labor-intensive on an iPhone.
I just finished backing up the notebook and will be signing off shortly to close the lid and pack it away for FedEx. I will attempt to update while the laptop is being repaired - but it's a little labor-intensive on an iPhone.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 21st - Success!
12:23pm EST - I receive a call from an Ellen Roberts in Jeff Utigard's office. She is calling to inform me that HP is going to give me a FREE REPAIR! Thank God!
She told me that in 2-3 days I'll receive a box at home to ship my notebook to the repair center. They'll be contacting me primarily by email, so I should keep an eye out for an email about the repair process with my order number.
She also recommended I back up my hard drive - while it isn't definite, there's a strong possibility they'll reformat my hard drive. So I will spend this evening backing up everything on the HD and prepping it for sending in - which also means I'll be updating the blog less frequently, as this is the only PC in the house.
I'm glad to hear HP is willing to stand up for their product, even if it takes a little arm-twisting to do so.
She told me that in 2-3 days I'll receive a box at home to ship my notebook to the repair center. They'll be contacting me primarily by email, so I should keep an eye out for an email about the repair process with my order number.
She also recommended I back up my hard drive - while it isn't definite, there's a strong possibility they'll reformat my hard drive. So I will spend this evening backing up everything on the HD and prepping it for sending in - which also means I'll be updating the blog less frequently, as this is the only PC in the house.
I'm glad to hear HP is willing to stand up for their product, even if it takes a little arm-twisting to do so.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday July 20th - No Longer Silent, Still Unhelpful
6:09pm EST - receive a call from a Ms. Yun Sil (pronounced like "Yan" or "Ann") in Jeff Utigard's office in CA. He is her manager, but she's not calling about the voicemails I left, nor is she calling about the fax I sent.
She's calling about the email I sent through the online form to President and CEO Mark Hurd. Apparently, he did read it. She assures me he read it. I don't necessarily believe that, but OK.
She had my timeline all wrong, insinuating that sending my email to Mark Hurd was unnecessary after speaking with Annette at corporate. I clarified everything for her (thank God I keep notes of all of this!!)
Her words to me: "I spoke with the managers in my office, and unfortunately, the support organization is not allowing me to make any exceptions regarding the limited service enhancement."
I asked her what this "support organization" was - she told me it was a branch of HP that makes all decisions. Corporate (her and Jeff) have to adhere to them, no exceptions. Decisions come from support organization, Corporate follows through.
I asked her if there was ANY contact information for this "support organization" branch. She told me that there is NO contact information available to the customer. Of course, there's a phone number, but she's admitted Hewlett Packard will not let customers speak to anybody who has the authority to make any decisions! Lovely. So HP restricts all of its customer service from being able to make any decisions, and then locks the decision makers away, out of contact with the public!!
I told her that I had left a voicemail for Jeff Utigard this afternoon, and while he by no means guaranteed me a repair, he gave me hope that it was possible. She said she'd have to contact him to "see what his intentions are, since we're not allowed to do anything." She promised to get with Jeff and then either she or he will contact me by tomorrow.
For posterity, here's my case number and her contact info:
Ms. Yun Sil
HP Corporate- Palo Alto, CA
800-756-0608 option 7
My case #8027244859
She's calling about the email I sent through the online form to President and CEO Mark Hurd. Apparently, he did read it. She assures me he read it. I don't necessarily believe that, but OK.
She had my timeline all wrong, insinuating that sending my email to Mark Hurd was unnecessary after speaking with Annette at corporate. I clarified everything for her (thank God I keep notes of all of this!!)
Her words to me: "I spoke with the managers in my office, and unfortunately, the support organization is not allowing me to make any exceptions regarding the limited service enhancement."
I asked her what this "support organization" was - she told me it was a branch of HP that makes all decisions. Corporate (her and Jeff) have to adhere to them, no exceptions. Decisions come from support organization, Corporate follows through.
I asked her if there was ANY contact information for this "support organization" branch. She told me that there is NO contact information available to the customer. Of course, there's a phone number, but she's admitted Hewlett Packard will not let customers speak to anybody who has the authority to make any decisions! Lovely. So HP restricts all of its customer service from being able to make any decisions, and then locks the decision makers away, out of contact with the public!!
I told her that I had left a voicemail for Jeff Utigard this afternoon, and while he by no means guaranteed me a repair, he gave me hope that it was possible. She said she'd have to contact him to "see what his intentions are, since we're not allowed to do anything." She promised to get with Jeff and then either she or he will contact me by tomorrow.
For posterity, here's my case number and her contact info:
Ms. Yun Sil
HP Corporate- Palo Alto, CA
800-756-0608 option 7
My case #8027244859
Monday, July 20th - a Silent Workday
After Thursday's conversation with Jeff Utigard, my fax on Friday, and my follow up message to Mr. Utigard on Friday afternoon, I foolishly expected some sort of response today. Surely, expecting a response on Friday was unreasonable (I faxed my letter over to corporate at 1:00pm CA time and 2:00pm Denver time), but I had hoped someone would respond by the end of the day today!
I left Mr. Utigard another follow up voicemail at 3:00pm my time (1pm his, noon corporate) to make sure my fax was received and to ask if there was anything else I can submit.
No word from anyone! Granted, it's only 6pm here and there are 2-3 hours more in the corporate workday, but I'm extremely disappointed in the veritable silence from Hewlett Packard.
I left Mr. Utigard another follow up voicemail at 3:00pm my time (1pm his, noon corporate) to make sure my fax was received and to ask if there was anything else I can submit.
No word from anyone! Granted, it's only 6pm here and there are 2-3 hours more in the corporate workday, but I'm extremely disappointed in the veritable silence from Hewlett Packard.
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17th - The Fax to Corporate
For posterity, here's the fax I sent off to Annette Jones this afternoon, at Jeff Utigard's request.
FACSIMILE
Date: Friday, July 17, 2009
To: Annette Jones - HP Corporate Headquarters
From: Victoria Hahl - HP Customer
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Ms. Jones,
After speaking with him yesterday, Jeff Utigard suggested that I fax you with my story and the details of my experience with HP. My name is Victoria Hahl, and I am the owner of an HP Pavilion dv9000 notebook purchased in December of 2006. The serial number for this notebook is CNF6431K01 and the product number is EZ452UA. This notebook is used primarily as a desktop replacement, and has spent most of its life on a desk in my office, rarely being opened, closed, or transported. It has never been dropped or hit against any surface.
This Wednesday, July 15th, I brought my notebook into my living room and opened the lid. Imagine my surprise when the notebook made an audible crack. Upon investigating the sound, I found the plastic bezel/housing of the screen to have cracked and separated near the left hinge - exposing the screen. A quick Google search revealed thousands of consumer complaints regarding this same problem, a website devoted to the issue (www.notebookhingecrack.com), and talk of a class action lawsuit.
Believing the best about Hewlett Packard and its customer service, I called the main customer service line and spoke with a woman named Aparna. I explained my situation, and she escalated my situation to a case manager - Chris. While he was wonderful, well-spoken, and polite, Chris was the bearer of some horrible news - Hewlett Packard had acknowledged the design flaw/defect for this model notebook, but was only repairing those notebooks that had broken before January 2009. I’m a bit confused, because the Hewlett Packard webpage regarding this “limited service enhancement” leads me to believe my notebook would have been fixed through May 2009 (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documentlc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c01611512&printable=yes&encodeUrl=true).
I am shocked, to say the least. Maybe if I had been rougher with my notebook, traveled with it more, or made a habit of opening and closing its lid once a day, my notebook would have broken within the terms of the limited service enhancement. The next time Hewlett Packard issues a limited service enhancement for a product I own, I will think about sending it in regardless of whether or not it is showing symptoms - for fear it will break later. I cannot fathom how Hewlett Packard can admit to a design flaw in their product and repair it for some customers - but not for all. To me, this is neither standing behind your product nor supporting Mark Hurd’s statement that “Everything we do must be for the customer. If it’s not, then we need to reconsider why we’re doing it.”
This notebook is the only computer in my household. My employer filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in May of 2009, and since then, my notebook has served as my connection to my resume, cover letters, references, and online job searches. I cannot afford hundreds of dollars to repair a notebook which is only selling for $200 - $400 used on online auction sites. This repair will have effectively “totaled” the notebook.
While I am prepared to do so, I would prefer to avoid contacting the Better Business Bureau with regard to Hewlett Packard’s accreditation, the Service & Support Professionals Association, and any other news outlet or consumer advocacy group that may be interested in my experience.
Up until Wednesday, I raved about my notebook. It has treated me very well over the past two and a half years, and I have told several friends what a wonderful and reliable machine it is. In today’s “throwaway” society, so many products are manufactured to last only through the warranty period before failing, and I have always been proud of my Hewlett Packard’s reliability and functionality.
I would love to continue to spread Hewlett Packard’s praises among my friends and colleagues, and I am writing to ask if Hewlett Packard might perform an exception to their limited service enhancement policy for a loyal customer like me.
Please note that I do not have regular access to a fax machine - please do not fax any responses to the number from which this letter was sent, as they will not reach me. I can be reached by phone or email for any questions. I very much look forward to hearing from you or Mr. Utigard, and thank you for your time and your patience,
Sincerely,
Victoria Hahl
FACSIMILE
Date: Friday, July 17, 2009
To: Annette Jones - HP Corporate Headquarters
From: Victoria Hahl - HP Customer
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Ms. Jones,
After speaking with him yesterday, Jeff Utigard suggested that I fax you with my story and the details of my experience with HP. My name is Victoria Hahl, and I am the owner of an HP Pavilion dv9000 notebook purchased in December of 2006. The serial number for this notebook is CNF6431K01 and the product number is EZ452UA. This notebook is used primarily as a desktop replacement, and has spent most of its life on a desk in my office, rarely being opened, closed, or transported. It has never been dropped or hit against any surface.
This Wednesday, July 15th, I brought my notebook into my living room and opened the lid. Imagine my surprise when the notebook made an audible crack. Upon investigating the sound, I found the plastic bezel/housing of the screen to have cracked and separated near the left hinge - exposing the screen. A quick Google search revealed thousands of consumer complaints regarding this same problem, a website devoted to the issue (www.notebookhingecrack.com), and talk of a class action lawsuit.
Believing the best about Hewlett Packard and its customer service, I called the main customer service line and spoke with a woman named Aparna. I explained my situation, and she escalated my situation to a case manager - Chris. While he was wonderful, well-spoken, and polite, Chris was the bearer of some horrible news - Hewlett Packard had acknowledged the design flaw/defect for this model notebook, but was only repairing those notebooks that had broken before January 2009. I’m a bit confused, because the Hewlett Packard webpage regarding this “limited service enhancement” leads me to believe my notebook would have been fixed through May 2009 (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documentlc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c01611512&printable=yes&encodeUrl=true).
I am shocked, to say the least. Maybe if I had been rougher with my notebook, traveled with it more, or made a habit of opening and closing its lid once a day, my notebook would have broken within the terms of the limited service enhancement. The next time Hewlett Packard issues a limited service enhancement for a product I own, I will think about sending it in regardless of whether or not it is showing symptoms - for fear it will break later. I cannot fathom how Hewlett Packard can admit to a design flaw in their product and repair it for some customers - but not for all. To me, this is neither standing behind your product nor supporting Mark Hurd’s statement that “Everything we do must be for the customer. If it’s not, then we need to reconsider why we’re doing it.”
This notebook is the only computer in my household. My employer filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in May of 2009, and since then, my notebook has served as my connection to my resume, cover letters, references, and online job searches. I cannot afford hundreds of dollars to repair a notebook which is only selling for $200 - $400 used on online auction sites. This repair will have effectively “totaled” the notebook.
While I am prepared to do so, I would prefer to avoid contacting the Better Business Bureau with regard to Hewlett Packard’s accreditation, the Service & Support Professionals Association, and any other news outlet or consumer advocacy group that may be interested in my experience.
Up until Wednesday, I raved about my notebook. It has treated me very well over the past two and a half years, and I have told several friends what a wonderful and reliable machine it is. In today’s “throwaway” society, so many products are manufactured to last only through the warranty period before failing, and I have always been proud of my Hewlett Packard’s reliability and functionality.
I would love to continue to spread Hewlett Packard’s praises among my friends and colleagues, and I am writing to ask if Hewlett Packard might perform an exception to their limited service enhancement policy for a loyal customer like me.
Please note that I do not have regular access to a fax machine - please do not fax any responses to the number from which this letter was sent, as they will not reach me. I can be reached by phone or email for any questions. I very much look forward to hearing from you or Mr. Utigard, and thank you for your time and your patience,
Sincerely,
Victoria Hahl
Thursday, July 16, 2009
July 16th - A Breath of Fresh Air
4:02pm - My phone just rang. It was a Mr. Jeff Utigard, an incredibly pleasant man calling from corporate. He must be one of Annette's bosses. He asked me to reiterate my problem to him (which I did,) and then asked that I type it up in a letter, and fax it to Annette. Not only did he give me Annette's fax number, but he said "ask if Hewlett Packard can perform an exception for a loyal customer like yourself." This guy is definitely old-school customer service - when I detailed my adventure thus far with HP, he said "Of course you weren't going to get anywhere with customer service - those guys are the policy police! All they do is enforce policy, they can't actually DO anything." I told him I had spoken with case managers. His reply? "Oh! They're even MORE about the policy!! See, I want you to buy more products of ours in the future."
So. No guarantees that my laptop will be fixed - but he was the FIRST person I spoke to who made any attempt to find a solution. He also gave me his direct phone number to his direct line - "the phone on my desk".
So - I haven't been offered any repairs, but at least now there is hope!!!!! Tonight I must draft the letter and see if I can't get my hands on a fax machine in the morning.
So. No guarantees that my laptop will be fixed - but he was the FIRST person I spoke to who made any attempt to find a solution. He also gave me his direct phone number to his direct line - "the phone on my desk".
So - I haven't been offered any repairs, but at least now there is hope!!!!! Tonight I must draft the letter and see if I can't get my hands on a fax machine in the morning.
July 16th - Speaking with Corporate Again
2:35pm: I called the corporate office in Palo Alto again because I hadn't heard back from anyone. I went to the automated employee directory and was transferred to an Annette Jones... who, surprise surprise, was NOT the Annette Jones I spoke with this morning. The woman I was on the phone with was actually pleasant and helpful - but couldn't find contact information for the Annette I had spoken with that morning, leading me to believe she had been fired, quit, or gave me a false name.
This new Annette Jones is a project manager, and has little to no interaction with consumers in her daily duties. She did listen to my complaint, and sent an email to her manager about my situation. She promises as soon as he gets back with her with what to do, she will call me back with his recommendation. She told me she sent it to her second-most-high-up manager, and went over a few heads in the process, so we'll be skipping over some of middle management. My fingers are crossed.
This new Annette Jones is a project manager, and has little to no interaction with consumers in her daily duties. She did listen to my complaint, and sent an email to her manager about my situation. She promises as soon as he gets back with her with what to do, she will call me back with his recommendation. She told me she sent it to her second-most-high-up manager, and went over a few heads in the process, so we'll be skipping over some of middle management. My fingers are crossed.
July 16th - Facebook involvement.
Today, I found a Facebook group dedicated to the notebook hinge crack problem: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=8941&post=47109&uid=191187460289#/group.php?gid=10711180665
I joined immediately.
Upon further searching in Facebook, I found that HP has a page:
http://www.facebook.com/HP?ref=mf
They've disabled comments/wall posts, but I AM able to write on their discussion board - "What was your first HP product?" I wrote a post detailing how this is my LAST HP product.
I joined immediately.
Upon further searching in Facebook, I found that HP has a page:
http://www.facebook.com/HP?ref=mf
They've disabled comments/wall posts, but I AM able to write on their discussion board - "What was your first HP product?" I wrote a post detailing how this is my LAST HP product.
July 16th - Speaking with Corporate
At 11:14am on Thursday, July 16th, I called the HP Corporate Office. The Better Business Bureau has their corporate office as:
3000 Hanover St
MS1247
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1112
Tel: (650) 857-1501
Fax: (650) 852-8330
I followed the prompts until I got to an operator. I asked the woman if I could speak with someone in the department that handles service enhancements, recalls, and warranties. The operator was the first person to start attempting to derail me.
"In regards to what kind of product?"
"A notebook."
"A Pavillion? A...."
"A Pavillion."
"Okay, if you're having technical trouble, you should call the customer service department at 800-917-4380.."
I explained to the operator that I needed to speak to a person about their policies. She reluctantly transferred me to the Consumer Relations department, where the phone was answered by a woman named Annette.
Annette has no sense of listening, comprehension, or social skills. I explained my situation, and asked if she knew anything of the order coming "from corporate" banning customer service from offering free or discounted repairs to consumers. Our conversation went something like this:
Annette: "Ma'am, the order came down from the higher-ups that we are not to offer ANY free or discounted repairs."
Me: "I understand, Annette. I know you are not authorized to help me and you don't have the authority to help me. I want to speak to someone who can. Can you give me contact information for someone in the department that issued the order?"
A: "Ma'am, there was no department that issued the order. The memo instructed us not to offer ANY free or discounted repairs to customers."
M: "Surely some person's name was signed to the memo, or it came on letterhead from a specific department. The memo didn't come from nobody, did it? I'd like to speak to the department that issued the memo."
A: "Ma'am, there was no department that issued the memo."
M: "So you're telling me that the memo came from nobody? Or do you routinely follow memos from unidentified personnel?"
A: "Ma'am, the order came from higher-up, NOT to offer any free or discounted repairs to consumers."
M: "Annette, you're not understanding me. I understand you cannot help me. You are not authorized to help me with a repair, because someone higher-up told you not to. I would like the opportunity to speak to someone higher-up, so we might fix it."
A: "Ma'am, the order came from higher-up, there's no person, there's no department."....
And so on. Annette was unwilling to give me any information regarding a supervisor or other department. I asked her repeatedly if I could speak with HER supervisor or manager - appeals which she completely ignored and spit out "We've been told NOT to offer"... again.
Finally, she agreed to take my phone number and have "a manager" call me back within 2 hours. That was at about 11:30am on Thursday, July 16th. Before hanging up, I asked her for her last name - she told me it was "Jones." Ahem. Yeah, right.
3000 Hanover St
MS1247
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1112
Tel: (650) 857-1501
Fax: (650) 852-8330
I followed the prompts until I got to an operator. I asked the woman if I could speak with someone in the department that handles service enhancements, recalls, and warranties. The operator was the first person to start attempting to derail me.
"In regards to what kind of product?"
"A notebook."
"A Pavillion? A...."
"A Pavillion."
"Okay, if you're having technical trouble, you should call the customer service department at 800-917-4380.."
I explained to the operator that I needed to speak to a person about their policies. She reluctantly transferred me to the Consumer Relations department, where the phone was answered by a woman named Annette.
Annette has no sense of listening, comprehension, or social skills. I explained my situation, and asked if she knew anything of the order coming "from corporate" banning customer service from offering free or discounted repairs to consumers. Our conversation went something like this:
Annette: "Ma'am, the order came down from the higher-ups that we are not to offer ANY free or discounted repairs."
Me: "I understand, Annette. I know you are not authorized to help me and you don't have the authority to help me. I want to speak to someone who can. Can you give me contact information for someone in the department that issued the order?"
A: "Ma'am, there was no department that issued the order. The memo instructed us not to offer ANY free or discounted repairs to customers."
M: "Surely some person's name was signed to the memo, or it came on letterhead from a specific department. The memo didn't come from nobody, did it? I'd like to speak to the department that issued the memo."
A: "Ma'am, there was no department that issued the memo."
M: "So you're telling me that the memo came from nobody? Or do you routinely follow memos from unidentified personnel?"
A: "Ma'am, the order came from higher-up, NOT to offer any free or discounted repairs to consumers."
M: "Annette, you're not understanding me. I understand you cannot help me. You are not authorized to help me with a repair, because someone higher-up told you not to. I would like the opportunity to speak to someone higher-up, so we might fix it."
A: "Ma'am, the order came from higher-up, there's no person, there's no department."....
And so on. Annette was unwilling to give me any information regarding a supervisor or other department. I asked her repeatedly if I could speak with HER supervisor or manager - appeals which she completely ignored and spit out "We've been told NOT to offer"... again.
Finally, she agreed to take my phone number and have "a manager" call me back within 2 hours. That was at about 11:30am on Thursday, July 16th. Before hanging up, I asked her for her last name - she told me it was "Jones." Ahem. Yeah, right.
July 15th - Adventures in Emailing
Since it was too late at night to call corporate, and I needed to do SOMETHING, I decided to launch an email assault. Here's the email I drafted:
Mark Hurd, President & CEO of HP through online form at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/email/hurd/index.html
The HP Board of Trustees at BOD@hp.com
Several executives from the HP executive info. website: corpmediarelations@hp.com, ethan.bauley@hp.com, ann.finnie@hp.com, sheila.watson@hp.com
And then, seeing how HP formats its email addresses, for good measure I sent one to mark.hurd@hp.com. His middle name is Vincent - so I may try mvh@hp.com or other variants in the future, since his actual email address is not published.
In addition to my phone efforts, I will send this email to all of these addresses, EVERY DAY, until the problem has been resolved.
Dear ___,
I am the owner of an HP dv9000 notebook, purchased in December of 2006. This notebook is used primarily as a desktop replacement, and has very rarely been opened/closed/transported. It has NEVER been dropped. It has NEVER been hit against any surface. It has NEVER had any liquid on it or near it.
Imagine my surprise when this morning, the left hinge connecting my notebook screen made an audible crack. I noticed the plastic housing had cracked and separated, exposing the screen. A quick Google search revealed thousands of other consumer complaints regarding the same problem, a website devoted to the problem (www.notebookhingecrack.com,) and talk of a class action lawsuit.
Believing the best about HP and its customer service, I called the main customer service line and spoke with a woman who informed me her supervisor authorized escalating my case to a case manager. I gave her my phone number and patiently waited.
I heard back from my case manager, Chris, this evening. While he was wonderful, well-spoken, and polite, he was the bearer of some horrible news - HP Corporate had instructed them not to issue any discounted or free repairs to consumers complaining of this problem, as the "limited service enhancement" had expired for my model in January 2009.
I am flabbergasted. Maybe, if I had been rougher with my notebook computer, travelled more with it, or given it a harsh drop or two, it would have broken within the terms of the service enhancement and I would be able to have it repaired. It seems that HP makes a practice of rewarding those customers who are rougher with their notebooks, and screwing over those who are gentler with them.
I am unemployed (my company filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy liquidiation in May of 2009) and my notebook is the ONLY computer in my household. It is my connection to email, my resume, references, cover letters, and online job searches. I am absolutely amazed and speechless that in this economy, HP would allow its "valued" American customers to suffer from a KNOWN DEFECT on their main employment tool yet refuse to repair it. I cannot fathom the logic in admitting a defect but refusing to fix it.
(THE PERSON I ADDRESSED TO), I urge you to make this right.
I am prepared to contact the Better Business Bureau with regard to your accreditation, as well as the Federal Trade Commission and any local news network or Problem Solvers organization that will hear my story. I understand World Law Direct is in the process of filing a class action lawsuit. I am prepared to start a publicized blog regarding my experience with HP customer service, and prepared to send out press releases to any news organization that will hear me.
If you have one shred of a conscience, I urge you to make this right among your consumers. You find yourself with a golden opportunity here - if you make this right, you will have made me an HP customer for life. If you do not, not only will I NEVER purchase another HP product, but I will see to it that everyone I know and everyone that will hear me will refrain from buying one, as well.
Please contact me as soon as possible.
-Victoria Hahl
Mark Hurd, President & CEO of HP through online form at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/email/hurd/index.html
The HP Board of Trustees at BOD@hp.com
Several executives from the HP executive info. website: corpmediarelations@hp.com, ethan.bauley@hp.com, ann.finnie@hp.com, sheila.watson@hp.com
And then, seeing how HP formats its email addresses, for good measure I sent one to mark.hurd@hp.com. His middle name is Vincent - so I may try mvh@hp.com or other variants in the future, since his actual email address is not published.
In addition to my phone efforts, I will send this email to all of these addresses, EVERY DAY, until the problem has been resolved.
July 15 - First Round of Customer Service
Trying to stay optimistic, I called HP's customer service number (800-474-6836) at 11:20am. I spoke with a woman named Aparna, whose accent was so thick I could barely understand her. We spoke in circles for a little bit, with me having to repeatedly give her my name, serial number, and product number. After a few minutes on hold, she told me her supervisor had authorized her to escalate my problem to a case manager. I gave her my phone number, and reluctantly hung up the phone - waiting for them to call me.
Success! At 8:30pm that evening, my phone rang. I spoke with a wonderful representative named Chris, who told me he was my case manager. He gave me my case number (7501025437) and his contact information. I reiterated my problem to him, and he told me that unfortunately, he was in no position to help me. While HP was issuing free repairs for this defect under a "limited service enhancement" (corporate-speak for "recall",) that service enhancement expired in January 2009 for my model. It's a little confusing, because this hp page(http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c01611512&printable=yes&encodeUrl=true) indicates that my notebook would have been covered through May 31, 2009. What a surprise that on July 15th it breaks.
I told Chris how upsetting this was - HP, by issuing the limited service enhancement, has admitted that they producted a faulty product. Yet, because mine broke in July and not in January, I was not owed any repair. I explained that my employer filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in May, and that my notebook (the only computer in my household) is my connection to my resume, references, cover letters, and online job searches (not to mention claiming my unemployment benefits!) He empathized with me, but apologized again - "Corporate has come down on us really hard not to issue any more discounted or free repairs." So, repairs for some, but not for the unlucky.
I asked him if there was absolutely ANYTHING he could do. He asked me to hold while he spoke to his Executive Case Manager, Elrick (or Elrich, or Ulrick - I didn't get the spelling.) After a few minutes on hold,he came back to apologize again - he couldn't help me. They simply hadn't been endowed with the authority to do it. I felt bad for this messenger of bad news, but was getting even more and more frustrated.
I asked Chris for the phone number for the corporate office, which he gave me (650-857-1501.) He told me they are open from 8:00am until 5:00pm CST. I thanked him, and immediately went online to do more research.
Success! At 8:30pm that evening, my phone rang. I spoke with a wonderful representative named Chris, who told me he was my case manager. He gave me my case number (7501025437) and his contact information. I reiterated my problem to him, and he told me that unfortunately, he was in no position to help me. While HP was issuing free repairs for this defect under a "limited service enhancement" (corporate-speak for "recall",) that service enhancement expired in January 2009 for my model. It's a little confusing, because this hp page(http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c01611512&printable=yes&encodeUrl=true) indicates that my notebook would have been covered through May 31, 2009. What a surprise that on July 15th it breaks.
I told Chris how upsetting this was - HP, by issuing the limited service enhancement, has admitted that they producted a faulty product. Yet, because mine broke in July and not in January, I was not owed any repair. I explained that my employer filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in May, and that my notebook (the only computer in my household) is my connection to my resume, references, cover letters, and online job searches (not to mention claiming my unemployment benefits!) He empathized with me, but apologized again - "Corporate has come down on us really hard not to issue any more discounted or free repairs." So, repairs for some, but not for the unlucky.
I asked him if there was absolutely ANYTHING he could do. He asked me to hold while he spoke to his Executive Case Manager, Elrick (or Elrich, or Ulrick - I didn't get the spelling.) After a few minutes on hold,he came back to apologize again - he couldn't help me. They simply hadn't been endowed with the authority to do it. I felt bad for this messenger of bad news, but was getting even more and more frustrated.
I asked Chris for the phone number for the corporate office, which he gave me (650-857-1501.) He told me they are open from 8:00am until 5:00pm CST. I thanked him, and immediately went online to do more research.
Day 1 - The Problem Appears
This post is a summation of the phone calls, activities, and interactions of Wednesday, July 15th, 2009.
Wednesday morning. I walk to the office in my house and carry out my laptop, an HP dv9000, to the living room. I rarely use my laptop as a laptop - since I received it for Christmas 2006 it has been used primarily as a desktop replacement computer.
I open the lid, and hear an audible CRACK. Uh-oh. I hear the plinking of plastic on the floor, and notice a small black crumb of plastic by my feet. Upon further inspection, I realized that the left hinge of the laptop lid has split open - exposing the LCD screen and the innards of the lid. I panic.
A quick Google search brings me to http://www.notebookhingecrack.com/ - a blog dedicated to this specific issue. I see over one thousand complaints from other HP users about this very problem - and realize it has nothing to do with me or my use of the notebook. I also saw information about a possible class action lawsuit, and read several consumer comments with successful repair outcomes.
Wednesday morning. I walk to the office in my house and carry out my laptop, an HP dv9000, to the living room. I rarely use my laptop as a laptop - since I received it for Christmas 2006 it has been used primarily as a desktop replacement computer.
I open the lid, and hear an audible CRACK. Uh-oh. I hear the plinking of plastic on the floor, and notice a small black crumb of plastic by my feet. Upon further inspection, I realized that the left hinge of the laptop lid has split open - exposing the LCD screen and the innards of the lid. I panic.
A quick Google search brings me to http://www.notebookhingecrack.com/ - a blog dedicated to this specific issue. I see over one thousand complaints from other HP users about this very problem - and realize it has nothing to do with me or my use of the notebook. I also saw information about a possible class action lawsuit, and read several consumer comments with successful repair outcomes.
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