Hewlett-Packard Home and Home Office

Steer clear from this company unless want to get screwed. The quality of Compaq computers has gone to hell. Purchase your pc from someone else.

I ordered a brand new COMPAQ PRESARIO SR1730T computer online from Hewlett-Packard Home and Home Office on 06/25/2006. It was shipped out on 06/27/06 and I received it during the first week of July. I paid just under $2000.00 dollars for this computer because it was Vista capable and it had special componets installed per my request. This computer worked fine or so I thought until late Sepetember 2007, when it crashed and died. I began looking around for a computer repair shop and finally found someone who was willing to look at it and repair it for a resonable price. I dropped out my computer to PC Correct and Connect and left. The next day I received the call telling me that the hard drive was bad and needed to be replaced. I told him to go ahead and replace it even though I found it hard to believe that a computer that was just 14 months old needed a new hard drive. This repair man who has had several years repairing computers also said he had never seen a hard drive go bad so quickly in any computer. After my computer was repaired, I paid the bill and took it home.

Installed was one 250 GB Sata hard drive. Labor, save files, install hard drive, install OS and testing pc after repairing originally came to $161.61 After speaking to the repairman about the price, I explained that I was on disability and received a small monthly check, and did not have all of the money to pay for the bill but was willing to give him my wirless router and two wirless cards for part of the bill. He agreed to discount my bill $50.00 for the router and cards, and I was able to pay my bill. The new total came to $106.73

After hooking up my computer and using it for about a week and a half, I noticed that I was unable to stay connected to the internet and was unable to use my genealogy program correctly because of not being able to connect to the internet through my program. I took my computer back to PC Correct and Connect and left it there for more testing and repairs. After about a week and a half, I was informed that my ethernet card on my motherboard was bad. The repairman was able to disable the onboard ethernet card and install a new ethernet card. After explaining that I have had connection issues the whole time I have owned this computer (being connected and then dis-connected from the internet), I was told that the onboard ethernet card was the reason why. The repairman told me that this computer had to have been shipped  from Hewlett-Packard this way and he had never seen so many problems with a computer this new.

Installed new ethernet card and disabled the onboard ethernet card. Tested for 5 days. Even though this bill was only $50.00 dollars, I had to borrow the money to pay it because my checks don't come until the 3rd each month. I noticed on my bill that the Netshell would not reset. I do not know what this means, but I hope that it does not cause me any more problems.

This is an e-mail that I sent to Mark Hurd; Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hewlett-Packard Company on October 19, 2007 October 19, 2007 HP HOME AND HOME OFFICE ORDERED: EK467AV#ABA    PRESARIO SR1730T Serial # MXG62600GN Order/PO Number: CE964201 Reference Order #: H7629786 Order Date: 06/25/2006 Ship Date: 06/27/2006 I am one very unhappy HP customer, and will never purchase another Compaq computer from you or anyone else ever again. This is my second Compaq, and I only purchased this one because I wanted to upgrade to an XP system. My first ME edition Compaq is still working great and I have never really had any problems with it to speak of. But this new XP edition is not living up to my expectations, being only 14 months old, I’m afraid it will not last as long as the ME edition Compaq which I purchased in 2000.  The new XP edition computer crashed and died this September and I had to take it to a computer repair shop to see if it could be repaired for a reasonable price. Initially, the repairman found the hard drive to be bad and replaced it – that cost me $106.73. I used it for a couple of days and then discovered that the computer still was not working properly and it was returned to the shop again. The repairman had it for several days before he found out the on-board ethernet card was not working like it should, and he was unable to keep an internet connection. He disabled the systems Ethernet card and then installed a new ethernet card which now seems to be working – that cost me another $50.00 for a grand total of $156.73. Now that is not all that much to pay…even for me on disability with a limited income, but the fact that this system is only 14 months old is just not right. I shouldn’t have had to pay anything with a computer that is only 14 months old, especially since the repairman said the computer was shipped to me with these bad or defective parts installed. But wait, that’s not all – the double layer 16X max. DVD+/R/RW DRIVE will not open up. Not even when you insert a paper clip into the little hole will it open. I have only used this drawer to re-install the system, and then it wouldn’t even open half of the time. That is going to cost me another $50.00 for the part itself. Now we have a grand total of $206.73…..if nothing else goes wrong.   For what I paid for this Compaq Presario computer from you (almost $2000.00), I think I’m got a raw deal and feel that I should be reimbursed by Hewlett-Packard Home and Home Office. This computer was repaired by: PC Correct & Connect 2534 Ramblewood Drive Murfreesboro, TN 37129 (615) 406-0200 Have a good day, Richard Hickok 204 Boone Drive Smyrna, TN 37167

So far, all I have received from Hewlett-Packard Home and Home Office is an acknowledgement that they have received my e-mail and nothing more.

Well today is November 21, 2007 and I still have not heard one thing from anyone at Hewlett-Packard, and guess what - my computer is back in the repair shop. It's only been 25 days since this computer was repaired and I brought it home. This past week my pc started crashing again for no apparent reason, so I decided to take it back to be looked at after speaking to my repairman. He does not know what the problen is or when it will be fixed, or if it can be fixed. Thanks again HP!

WOW, while going through my files I found an extended 2 year warranty for my pc that I had forgot about. After reading through the warranty, I got on the phone and called Hewlett-Packard.  Monday 12/17/07 After I spoke to the tech department about my pc, I was told my pc was fine. Tuesday 12/18/07 I had the repairman at the computer shop call them and after he told them all of the things he had found bad while testing my pc, they told him my pc was fine. Tuesday 12/18/07 I called HP back later in the day and was told their computer system tools were down and they were unable to help me. They asked me to call back on Wednesday. Wednesday 12/19/07 I called them back and after much begging on my part and speaking to several different people, I finally got through to someone who agreed to send me a prepaid box so that I could return my computer for repairs or replacement, whichever they deemed necessary.  Friday 12/21/07 The box arrived and I took it over to the computer shop and had the repairman help me box it up properly. Monday 12/24/07 The computer was picked up by FedEx and returned to HP. I have agreed to pay the computer repairman another $40.00 for all of his testing and his help with contacting HP.

Wednesday January 2, 2008 My pc came back to me with a paper enclosed, describing what HP had checked/tested and then replaced. They have replaced my hard drive, motherboard, and supposedly the DVD-writer/CD-writer drawer. I don’t know if they replaced this drawer or not, but I do know one thing, it is not right. It works but when you insert a disc and it starts spinning, it sounds like the disc is bouncing all around inside the tower, very loud and very annoying. As far as I can tell my pc is working pretty good but haven’t really used it that much.

Friday January 4, 2008 I contacted HP back again and asked if they would send someone out to replace my DVD-writer/CD-writer drawer. After more begging on my part, they supposedly tried to set up a service call, but said they are having computer problems or something. I was told to expect an e-mail or phone call confirming my appointment, but so far have heard nothing back from them. Let me just explain something here – If you have a warranty, it is only good if you can get them to honor it. I was told repeatedly that there was nothing wrong with my computer. I had to call HP several times and my pc repair man even called once for me, and each time we had to explain my pc’s problem over and over and over to someone different, even though each of them were given my service ticket number. (It appears to me that these people are trained to tell you that there is nothing wrong with your computer, no matter what the problem). I finally got a repair set up for the weekend of January 12-13. Someone will be out to repair my DVD drawer. Thursday January 10, 2008 I contacted HP again and expressed my concerns as to whether or not my pc was operating correctly, because I have been seeing more new problems developing while using it. While trying to explain my problem, I was told that they would be unable to help me because of computer problems on their end and they were unable to access my records. After being told this same thing when calling them the last four times in a row by different employees, I asked to speak to a supervisor who only identified himself as Lee. I asked him what the hell was going on. I told him I found it hard to believe that they were have computer problems every time I have called them, and if they were have problems that often, they need to upgrade to a better computer system. I then asked him if it was their company policy to tell customers who called in with pc problems that they couldn’t be helped because they were having problems with the computer system on their end. He asked if he could put me on hold for about a minute, and when he returned he had miraculously found my records. Now we got down to discussing my pc’s new problems. My system will not reboot by itself and it must be shut down manually. I discovered this while installing my software back onto my pc. After most software installs you get a message that your system must reboot or restart for changes to take effect. When I click onto the box to reboot, nothing happens. This happens every time I install software. This pc used to do this before I sent it in for repairs. My Cd’s and DVD’s will not auto run in either drawer. I have to click onto my computer, right click onto the drives icon and then click open. This is the only way my drawers will work. Auto run worked fine before I sent my pc in for repairs. My MS Word program will not install onto the pc. I tried to install this program several times with no luck. After much disgust, I tried to install this program onto my old Windows ME computer. It installed with no problems, went right over my MS Word 2000 program and upgraded it. That told me that there was nothing wrong with the MS Word software. Again, I had this program on my pc before it was sent in for repairs. Now after explaining these new problems, this supervisor “Lee” says to me, I can send you out a new MS Word CD to replace the one you now have. I’m thinking, is everyone who works at Hp a moron or do they just not give a shit. We went back and forth on this problem for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Then I asked him to explain how he figures my software is bad when it will install on my other pc with no problems. I said, if it was bad, it wouldn’t install on anything, now would it! Then I asked him how replacing this software would fix the other problems. At a loss for words or excuses, he says he will add these new problems to my existing work ticket and when the guy comes this weekend to replace my DVD drawer, he will have him check out my entire computer.   I’m sure this is not over yet, I mean after all, we are dealing with morons! January 15, 2008 I called HP and asked where the tech was who was supposed to come out and install my DVD drawer and look over my pc. I was told that I didn’t have any warranty on my pc, that they could not find any information in my records about the problems that I was describing for my pc, and there was no record that I spoke to a supervisor last time I called in. I got disgusted and told them to go to hell. January 16, 2008 I called HP again and told them that I had installed the DVD drawer myself because I was tired of waiting for the tech, tired of being lied to by them, and tired of their bullshit. I also tightened up the hard drive which was loose and vibrating, and then re-installed the operating system. Guess what? Everything is working just like it did before I sent my pc in for repairs. The system reboots itself, CDs auto run, and MS Word installed with no problems. The bottom line is this; Hewlett-Packard’s warranty is not worth the hassle and neither are their products. Why pay for a warranty when HP is not willing to honor it? Do yourself a favor and purchase from someone else. Try to find online customer reviews of the product’s you are thinking about purchasing….read as many as you can find and then buy! I now do this with everything I consider purchasing.