**********Cliff's notes below*********
Well, I posted earlier about the fact that my father purchased an HP Media Center 873n back around Christmas (2.53 ghz, 512 ram, mx420 graphics, 120gb hard drive, Klipsch THX 2.1 speakers). We purchased an upgrade hard disk for him (120gb, 7200r, 8mb cache) and I installed it. It was a IBM/Hitachi DeathStar and died about about three months. My father sent it in to HP because he didn't think the hard drive I installed had anything to do with it. Well, it became a huge HP hassle with customer service... they refused to work on the harddrive because it didn't come with the computer. They did, however, take out the bad 120gb IBM drive, and put in a new 120gb drive at no cost. This took about three weeks and my father couldn't wait for them to keep working on it, so in the mean time, he ordered a Dell, and made it point to tell HP that.
So anyway, they wanted to service my father so they asked him what they needed to do to make him happy. At first he said, "Why don't you pay my long distance bill since I've had to make numerous calls to your corporate office in Palo Alto?" They said ok, just go ahead and fax us your phone bill. My dad said... that's extremely inconvient and I don't know how to use a fax machine anyway. So finally, a gentleman at corporate calls and says "Well, sir, I'm going to go ahead and buy back your 873n and send you our top of the line Media Center 884 (3.06ghz, 512 ddr, ti4200, tv/mpeg card, DVD+R, Klipsch THX 5.1 speakers). Since my father purchased his Dell, he had no use for his new HP and gave it to me.
Now, my story: The HP 884 arrived and the DVD+R/W/CD-R/W combo drive was broken...the tray would not eject. It came with a 4xDVD+R (HP 300i) and they sent me a 200i to replace it. So, I called them up and told them I do not expect to receive downgrades for a failed part and they apologized, yada yada and told me they would make sure they sent me a correct 300 series drive. Guess what? They sent me ANOTHER 200i.... so now I've had a broken 300i and two 200i's.... I called and raised hell of course (like father, like son). I was on the phone with a supervisor for an hour and a half explaining the problem and he got in touch with their parts department and ASSURED me the correct part was going to be sent out. I also requested that recovery CDs be sent since they did not come with the computer. This call was placed on the 23rd of July and I was ASSURED my new DVD burner and recovery disks would arrive within 3 business days. Well, Tuesday, the 26th, I received my recover disks. Yesterday I called and told them that I had received my disks but my DVD burner is late. The gentleman on the phone said that I should have received it yesterday (weds) according to his screen. Well, who signed for it, I asked. Well, I don't have that information, my screen says it should have been delivered yesterday. So then I ask him what the CSO (HP's online tracking page) # is and I tell him to stay on the line while I look it up.
I look up the CSO and it says that the product has not been delivered yet.... and then he asks me, "You haven't received your new computer yet?" sure enough... I look on the CSO page and it says product being sent: HP Media Center 884. I exploded. I told him my whole story about how I was assured by a manager they would send me the correct drive the third time, yada yada and got another manager on the phone. I told him the story... I was very firm and professional like always, and he gave me two options: he said we can either try to ship you out the correct item AGAIN or we can ship you can empty box to send back your HP and we can do a bench install and make sure the right product is sent. I told him that niether option is acceptable... I'm not going to waste my time trying to have the right product shipped to me, and there is no way I'm going to ship my computer back... they have all the part #s there. I demanded some type of escalation on the call, I asked the supervise who he reports to and I wanted to make it clear that niether of his options are satisfactory. He told me an escalation supervisor would be calling me at my home within three days.
I told him we can keep it simple and to make sure he notes this to the escalation supervisor. This HP Media Center 884 without a monitor lists for $2300 on hpshopping.com .... I configured a Compaq 3.06ghz, with 1GB of ddr, GeForce 5900 Ultra, etc, etc for the same price and I told him that I want that computer because I am sick and tired of dealing with this computer and I have lost faith in HP branded products... he said he agrees that my problems are ridiculously inconvient and he will make sure he notes what I want.
Sooooo, I'm waiting on this supervisor to call and hopefully I'll get this new compaq with a 5900 ultra and other goodies.
*********Cliffs Notes*********
Father buys an HP 2.53ghz Media Center computer in December. Has serious issues with HP and they buy back his computer and ship him a brand new HP Media Center 884, 3.06ghz Media Center with nicer specs.... he purchased a Dell in the meantime and gave me the 3.06 HP.
The DVD burner (Hp 300i 4x DVD+R/W) was non-functional when I received the computer. They shipped out a 200i (downgrade). I called and then they shipped me ANOTHER 200i.... screwed up twice. And then a supervisor assured me they I would receive a 300i drive within three days. I hadn't received it within 3 days so I called back for a status and the supervisor told me somehow they had screwed and we sending me an entire new HP media center unit. Things got seriously screwed up somewhere.
Things are in the escalation stage @ HP and so now I am requesting a Compaq 3.0 or 3.2 P4 with 800 fsb, 1gb of DDR, 160gb hard drive, geforce 5900 ultra. And I am going to find out today, tomorrow, or the next day that they will be fulfilling my request. Woot woot.... I am 20 years old and I cannot count how many free meals, gift certificates, rebates, apologies, and now computers that I have received because I don't let anyone walk on me. I'd hate to work in customer service and get someone like myself on the line if service wasn't being extending with the utmost ability.
Well, I posted earlier about the fact that my father purchased an HP Media Center 873n back around Christmas (2.53 ghz, 512 ram, mx420 graphics, 120gb hard drive, Klipsch THX 2.1 speakers). We purchased an upgrade hard disk for him (120gb, 7200r, 8mb cache) and I installed it. It was a IBM/Hitachi DeathStar and died about about three months. My father sent it in to HP because he didn't think the hard drive I installed had anything to do with it. Well, it became a huge HP hassle with customer service... they refused to work on the harddrive because it didn't come with the computer. They did, however, take out the bad 120gb IBM drive, and put in a new 120gb drive at no cost. This took about three weeks and my father couldn't wait for them to keep working on it, so in the mean time, he ordered a Dell, and made it point to tell HP that.
So anyway, they wanted to service my father so they asked him what they needed to do to make him happy. At first he said, "Why don't you pay my long distance bill since I've had to make numerous calls to your corporate office in Palo Alto?" They said ok, just go ahead and fax us your phone bill. My dad said... that's extremely inconvient and I don't know how to use a fax machine anyway. So finally, a gentleman at corporate calls and says "Well, sir, I'm going to go ahead and buy back your 873n and send you our top of the line Media Center 884 (3.06ghz, 512 ddr, ti4200, tv/mpeg card, DVD+R, Klipsch THX 5.1 speakers). Since my father purchased his Dell, he had no use for his new HP and gave it to me.
Now, my story: The HP 884 arrived and the DVD+R/W/CD-R/W combo drive was broken...the tray would not eject. It came with a 4xDVD+R (HP 300i) and they sent me a 200i to replace it. So, I called them up and told them I do not expect to receive downgrades for a failed part and they apologized, yada yada and told me they would make sure they sent me a correct 300 series drive. Guess what? They sent me ANOTHER 200i.... so now I've had a broken 300i and two 200i's.... I called and raised hell of course (like father, like son). I was on the phone with a supervisor for an hour and a half explaining the problem and he got in touch with their parts department and ASSURED me the correct part was going to be sent out. I also requested that recovery CDs be sent since they did not come with the computer. This call was placed on the 23rd of July and I was ASSURED my new DVD burner and recovery disks would arrive within 3 business days. Well, Tuesday, the 26th, I received my recover disks. Yesterday I called and told them that I had received my disks but my DVD burner is late. The gentleman on the phone said that I should have received it yesterday (weds) according to his screen. Well, who signed for it, I asked. Well, I don't have that information, my screen says it should have been delivered yesterday. So then I ask him what the CSO (HP's online tracking page) # is and I tell him to stay on the line while I look it up.
I look up the CSO and it says that the product has not been delivered yet.... and then he asks me, "You haven't received your new computer yet?" sure enough... I look on the CSO page and it says product being sent: HP Media Center 884. I exploded. I told him my whole story about how I was assured by a manager they would send me the correct drive the third time, yada yada and got another manager on the phone. I told him the story... I was very firm and professional like always, and he gave me two options: he said we can either try to ship you out the correct item AGAIN or we can ship you can empty box to send back your HP and we can do a bench install and make sure the right product is sent. I told him that niether option is acceptable... I'm not going to waste my time trying to have the right product shipped to me, and there is no way I'm going to ship my computer back... they have all the part #s there. I demanded some type of escalation on the call, I asked the supervise who he reports to and I wanted to make it clear that niether of his options are satisfactory. He told me an escalation supervisor would be calling me at my home within three days.
I told him we can keep it simple and to make sure he notes this to the escalation supervisor. This HP Media Center 884 without a monitor lists for $2300 on hpshopping.com .... I configured a Compaq 3.06ghz, with 1GB of ddr, GeForce 5900 Ultra, etc, etc for the same price and I told him that I want that computer because I am sick and tired of dealing with this computer and I have lost faith in HP branded products... he said he agrees that my problems are ridiculously inconvient and he will make sure he notes what I want.
Sooooo, I'm waiting on this supervisor to call and hopefully I'll get this new compaq with a 5900 ultra and other goodies.
*********Cliffs Notes*********
Father buys an HP 2.53ghz Media Center computer in December. Has serious issues with HP and they buy back his computer and ship him a brand new HP Media Center 884, 3.06ghz Media Center with nicer specs.... he purchased a Dell in the meantime and gave me the 3.06 HP.
The DVD burner (Hp 300i 4x DVD+R/W) was non-functional when I received the computer. They shipped out a 200i (downgrade). I called and then they shipped me ANOTHER 200i.... screwed up twice. And then a supervisor assured me they I would receive a 300i drive within three days. I hadn't received it within 3 days so I called back for a status and the supervisor told me somehow they had screwed and we sending me an entire new HP media center unit. Things got seriously screwed up somewhere.
Things are in the escalation stage @ HP and so now I am requesting a Compaq 3.0 or 3.2 P4 with 800 fsb, 1gb of DDR, 160gb hard drive, geforce 5900 ultra. And I am going to find out today, tomorrow, or the next day that they will be fulfilling my request. Woot woot.... I am 20 years old and I cannot count how many free meals, gift certificates, rebates, apologies, and now computers that I have received because I don't let anyone walk on me. I'd hate to work in customer service and get someone like myself on the line if service wasn't being extending with the utmost ability.
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