Hello Guys,
I want to tell you all about the cheat which HP is doing with its customer by selling defective hardware and then refusing to recognize their fault to Indian customer.
I bought my HP laptop from Syscom Technology, Bangalore in April, 08. Notebook model is HP DV2701TX, Product number
KB170PA#ACJ. It was working fine till October, 09 (almost 18 months) after which motherboard of the laptop died.
Symptoms which I saw in my laptop were
• Laptop did not boot up
• Show multiple screen (6-8 screen)
• Excessive heating of laptop (People refer this condition as Fire Hazard), temp of GPU will go up around 80 degree Celsius
• Not able to detect wi-fi
• Not lighting up charger LED though laptop is plugged in to power
• Blue screen with nvlddm error.
Initially I thought it could be some virus, so I reinstalled windows OS on my laptop, reinstalled Nvidia graphics card driver. However nothing worked and laptop kept showing the problems with the same symptoms.
As every customer will do I took the laptop to HP Service center (RT Outsourcing Services Ltd, Noida) for the diagnosis in Nov, 09. At service center, when I power on my computer in front of the tech guy, without even touching my laptop the very first thing was said “System board is gone, you need to get it replaced”. I said fine but at least diagnose the laptop properly. I was told I need to pay Rs 300 for the diagnosis as the laptop is out of warranty. I agreed to pay the money and submitted the laptop with them in hope that they will diagnose it thoroughly and will provide me the feedback. They submitted my laptop with the service number (4607577854-461/ND1195). After 2 days I got a call from service center saying I need to get system board replaced and a quotation of Rs 20,920 was sent to me. I said no for the paid service as it is too much for me to afford.
When I asked for the reason for the system board failure and diagnose done by service center, I was never given a satisfactory answer. Later I find that no diagnose was done for my laptop, it was just kept for two days in their service center and nothing else. No reason was given for the failure with saying that “It’s against HP policies”. HP’s point is even if you spend Rs 47k for your notebook, Still HP doesn’t sell rights to its customer to get info about the defect in their laptop. I forgot yes I was told one reason which goes like this “Sir, Motherboard have buses, which some time changes route (Okay laptop is a one highway on which buses takes their desired route whenever possible ), so it happens when bus change route multiple screen comes”. I couldn’t help me from laughing. Common guys give me some realistic reason. I am not a kindergarten kid who will take this shit.
I collected my laptop from service center after paying Rs 300 as diagnose fee (though there was no diagnose done with the laptop apart from keeping it there for 2 days) and came back home and started researching on internet about the fault in laptop and I came to know about a lot of interesting facts, which clearly tells motherboard died because of the defective hardware shipped. Also this defective hardware could be the possible reason for them not to explain the problem.
Few of my findings:
• Problem was because of the defective NVidia graphics card. Which is accepted by Nvidia in their
Official Press Release
• Problem is faced by HP customers worldwide not only in India. Information of different customer can be find over the websites like
HPLIES and
Nvidia Defect
• HP also accepted about this problem and started a
LWSE in India. However it covers only very few laptops. Roughly 2% of the total laptop sales with the defective nvidia graphics card.
• Found thousand of affected and unheard customer over HP forums and different websites.
• HP is ignoring Indian customer totally for this problem, however in US/Europe there are plenty of people who got free replacement though their laptops were out of warranty and was not covered under LWSE (Limited warranty service enhancement).
After finding these details, I decided to talk to HP and find out what exactly HP is up to. If it’s a known fact then why HP is not rectifying it for the entire customer affected by Nvidia problem.
I fixed few points around which I decided I will have discussion. After my study it was pretty sure that my laptop is also facing issues because of the Nvidia card and I just want a FOC repair just like other notebooks listed in LWSE. I had a discussion around below points, On which all the representative from HP india failed miserably.
• Problem with Nvidia card is a world known fact and Nvidia also acknowledge the issue. In press release nvidia clearly accepted that they will be replacing all the faulty chips so why HP is not doing so.
• Hp listed 9 symptoms which a notebook can have with defective nvidia cards. Out of these 9, 6 symptoms can be seen in my notebook as well. It can’t be a coincidence. I wanted a proper answer not like bus changed the highway.
• In US and Europe HP offered Free out of warranty repair to the customer whose notebooks were not part of LWSE. Why not to Indian customer? We also pay money and buy laptops. I have a lot of serial number and SO numbers who got free repair. Click
Here to get the list. Other list
here
• If my laptop is not included into LWSE, then I want to know the reason. Why it is not included in LWSE, though it have the same Nvidia graphics card.
Keeping all these points in my mind, I started my discussions with HP and started from the online customer support and ended up with the executive case manager, that too with the same answers from everyone like a recorded cassettes. Discussion went on for almost 3 months without any results. Details go below:
• First of all I contacted online chat support. I was in touch with HP through online chat since few days. They were all telling me to reinstall OS, reinstall graphics and all. Either no one could really make out what was the issue or they were ignoring the issue. When I asked them about this famous NVidia problem and my laptop also having the same series of Nvidia card. They simply said your laptop is not covered under LWSE and we can’t do anything. When I pressurized they directed me to “on phone support” service.
• Second I called up HP call center to ask them about the issue. And they also said my laptop is not covered under the LWSE and they can’t do anything and I have to pay them mad money to get my laptop fixed up. When I presented them with the facts about the issue and told them it is really issue with HP, they were just speechless and could not even respond properly and too save their ass they just redirected me to HP Case manager Mr. Taranjeet Bedi.
• Third discussion was with
Taranjeet, who is the first point of contact or delhi region available at 01140759700 Ext. 725 , 9999396842. It took me a week to get taran on phone and then he talked like he did a great favor for me by talking to me. Anyways again the same recorded cassette my laptop is not covered under warranty and nothing can be done. Then when I told taran about the nvidia statements and other detailed reports about the problem, he said he will forward it to their backend team who looks after escalation. However I seriously doubt if he ever escalated it. He told me that he will respond back within 2 days, however for 6-7 days he didn’t. He ignored my follow up mails. He never bothered to answer the calls, very well understood that he was trying to tell me. “FUCK OFF” we at HP give a damn to customer. In the meantime I already had decided to file a case in consumer court, so after 10 days without response, I told taran that it’s fine if he don’t want to respond maybe he can respond to court. Suddenly he got up from sleep and got time to call me up and asked me for some time. Anyhow even after 10 more days, I heard the same old cassette. Your laptop is neither under warranty nor under LWSE. You go to HELL.
• Fourth discussion I had was with Kapil Chawla. Taran forward my case to his senior management and Kapil called me to take over the case. Kapil is available at 9999911607, he assured me that he will do best for me and will try to regain the trust in HP. If I say I was impressed with Kapil and I thought that this guy will be any help to me. But my illusion was broken soon, when after 2-3 days I asked me do he understand what the issue is. Why I am escalating it and there he goes blank. He had no idea what is my demand. Anyways I took the pain to explain him whole case once again for one hour. And I was still not sure if he really understood the issue. Because if he had, he would not have repeated me the same old cassette. Kapil told me that he needs some time as he has escalated the case to backend Bangalore HP team to determine the issue and in mean time my laptop was submitted twice with the service center but returned without any resolution. After a number of follow up calls with HP, one day kapil told me that yes they will fix my laptop for free of cost. They have ordered the part. I was happy, but my happiness lasted only for 2 days. After 2 days, Kapil called and totally ran away from his words. He said he never committed me any FOC repair. And here Kapil offered me 25% discount on the total cost which I refused, as I can’t pay for the HP defective hardwares. Anyways as Kapil was also not capable of handling my case, he escalated it to his next level for my fifth discussion.
• Fifth discussion happened with
Ashish Mishra along with Mr Babban from tech team. As usual ashish called me without any knowledge and without any study. So again I had to take pain explaining him each and everything. That how the notebook is defective. How Hp sold me a defective laptop. To be very frank both of these guys were sounding very un-impressive from the first moment and I had a zero percent faith that they will be able to handle my case. In spite of me being try to explain the situation they were just playing the same old cassette of “your laptop is not covered under warranty”. To cut the call short so I was promised my laptop will be taken to submit it to the backend lab and diagnose if it is really problem with the Nvidia card or something else. Imagine after submitting laptop for thrice with service center they are still telling me that they need to take it back once again. I don’t know why they have these service centers and such a big team of tech people sitting over there which even can’t find out what kind of issue a computer is facing. We disconnected the discussion with Ashish promising me to get back with resolution. However as usual we customer are the real culprit who buys product for their luxuries so we only have to face the consequences and circumstances. I wrote a follow up mail to Ashish and again in reply to my mail I got the same old recorded Cassette, this time in written format. “your laptop is not covered under warranty and LWSE”
Apart from all these talks i have sent 10-15 mails to
HP CED and
HP-CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE . HP CED is said to be higher most escalation desk for Indian customers. Its been 3 long months and still i have to hear from them.
In 3 months i talked to 5-6 people from HP and i find no one is educated enough, capable enough to handle this issue. all are bunch of fools just talking some shit sitting in their offices. In my life, I am not gonna BUY HP product ever.
After all this, I have no other option other than filing a case with consumer court. Guys, if you also have HP DV series laptop with Nvidia graphics card and happen to face same problem. Please report it to HP and fight for your right. If a lot of people going to report it then they have to listen.
If you happen to get a free service from HP, then also please post your notebook product number and the service number so that it can help me in getting things done.
Please do write in your comments.
