Dealing with tech issues is never fun, but it’s something we all face, especially in a business environment reliant on technology. When you choose a brand like HP, known for its laptops, desktops, and yes, even scanners, you expect a certain level of reliability and, crucially, dependable customer support when things go wrong. Our company, carw.store, invested in HP, purchasing laptops and desktops with the assurance of a 3-year on-site next business day support agreement. However, our experience with HP’s customer care has been consistently and shockingly poor. If you’re considering HP products, particularly if you anticipate needing their customer support for scanners or any other hardware, you might want to seriously reconsider after hearing our story. This isn’t just about laptops; it reflects a systemic issue within HP’s customer care that could impact any product line, scanners included.
The Laptop Freezing Fiasco: Three Months of Futility
Our first major encounter with HP support involved a seemingly straightforward issue: three brand-new laptops were randomly freezing. What should have been a quick fix turned into a three-month ordeal. After weeks of back-and-forth, HP finally dispatched an engineer who replaced the system board on one laptop. Predictably, it didn’t solve the problem. In a move that defied logic, another engineer was sent out to replace the system board again on the same machine. Unsurprisingly, this also failed to resolve the freezing.
Alt text: Frustrated engineer attempting laptop repair, highlighting the inefficiency of HP’s on-site support.
It took three months of persistent complaints before HP finally agreed to send replacement laptops. However, the relief was short-lived. Soon after, all laptops of the same HP Elitebook 745 model started exhibiting the exact same freezing symptoms. Instead of investigating further or providing genuine support, HP simply dismissed us, stating they couldn’t replicate the issue and therefore, we were on our own. This was our first glimpse into the frustrating world of HP’s “customer care”—or rather, lack thereof. This experience raised serious concerns about relying on HP for support, whether for laptops, desktops, or even crucial office equipment like scanners.
Battery Blues: Tickets Closed and Support Gone Missing
The laptop freezing incident wasn’t an isolated case. My personal laptop battery failed, leading me to navigate HP’s notoriously user-unfriendly online support portal. Why HP, a tech giant, consistently struggles with website usability is a mystery in itself. After struggling for hours, I managed to raise a support ticket. Three days passed with complete silence from HP. Then, I received an automated email from a no-reply address informing me that my ticket had been closed. No explanation, no solution, just a closed ticket. Completely exasperated, I resorted to ordering a replacement battery from Amazon – a far more efficient solution than relying on HP’s official support channels.
Alt text: Amazon box containing a laptop battery, symbolizing a more reliable solution than HP customer care.
Another colleague faced a similar battery issue with the same laptop model. He contacted HP support by phone. Weeks turned into months with no resolution. After two weeks of silence, he chased them, only to be told the battery was “on the way.” Numerous phone calls and emails followed, stretching over seven weeks, before a replacement battery finally arrived. This painfully slow process highlights the inefficiency and lack of urgency within HP’s support system, making you wonder if getting support for a simple scanner issue would be equally agonizing.
The Booting Nightmare: Engineers Turning Away and Tickets Vanishing
The Christmas break brought another HP support saga. Upon returning to the office, we discovered a laptop refusing to boot, its keyboard backlight flashing erratically. Another ticket was raised with HP, and an engineer was scheduled for the next day. However, typical of our HP experience, the engineer’s visit was postponed, then further delayed.
Alt text: Close-up of a laptop keyboard with a flashing backlight, illustrating a hardware malfunction requiring support.
When an engineer finally arrived after multiple delays, he spent four hours working on the laptop, even replacing the system board. Instead of fixing the issue, he somehow transformed the flashing backlight into a strobe light screen, leaving the laptop completely unusable. Another engineer was scheduled to investigate, but upon arrival, he refused to touch the laptop because a previous engineer had worked on it. He simply left, promising to reschedule the original engineer. Unsurprisingly, no engineer showed up, and no follow-up call was received. Chasing them again led to the shocking discovery that the second engineer had reported the issue as resolved and the ticket was closed – despite the laptop being completely broken. This level of incompetence and disregard for customer issues is simply unacceptable, especially when you consider relying on HP for business-critical equipment, including scanners and printers.
The Never-Ending Chase: A Support System That Ignores You
Even escalating the issue through email proved futile. We learned that emails regarding closed tickets are simply ignored. To even chase up the still-unresolved booting issue, we had to open a completely new ticket to address the original closed one. After further persistence, we were assured an engineer would visit again, only to have that visit canceled at the last minute and rescheduled for the next day. This cycle of broken promises and missed appointments continued for weeks, highlighting a complete lack of accountability and customer focus within HP’s support structure. The final engineer who eventually arrived did identify a display and power supply issue and ordered replacement parts. He was, notably, the first HP engineer who seemed competent. However, even after this positive interaction, the subcontracted HP support company failed to schedule the promised follow-up visit, leaving us in limbo once again.
Final Verdict: Avoid HP If You Value Customer Care
After weeks of frustration and wasted time, we can definitively say that HP’s customer care is deeply flawed. Their hardware might seem appealing initially, but the abysmal support experience completely negates any potential benefits. If you are considering HP products, especially for your business where downtime and efficient support are crucial, please do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Pay a little extra for a brand that values its customers and provides reliable, responsive support. Our experience, spanning multiple incidents and product lines, clearly demonstrates that HP’s “customer care” is, in reality, “customer care, no thanks!” This applies not just to laptops and desktops, but is a strong warning for anyone considering HP scanners or any other HP business equipment. Don’t make the same mistake we did. Choose a brand that actually supports its customers.
