You might want to get a cup of coffee and a muffin before you begin to read this one. You’re going to need it - for this one isn’t going to be easy. Where it started: We (my husband and I) had not been able to connect to the internet for over two weeks and initially we though that it was a server issue, but since we could connect using a wireless router, we figured out that it was a LAN issue. Also, the music would stop if we moved the laptop. After another week of juggling schedules we decided to get it repaired. At the Service Center: I submitted my Compaq laptop for repairs to Maha Electronics, 1st Floor Dega Towers, Raj Bhawan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad on the 11th of June, quoting the above as my problem.
They said that if it was a hardware issue it could take up to four days to repair it, and we wouldn’t need to make any phone calls or worry about it since we’d be updated via sms. We left it at that. The Waiting Period: Six days, several canceled presentations and no updates later, we started calling, trying to find out what happened.We were hung up on several times, and the rude staff had no answers and promised to cal back within 10 minutes each time. Of course they didn’t. The next day I got an SMS saying that the LAN Card was burnt and it wouldn’t be covered under warranty. Having been in the IT Industry for quite a few years, I understood, and called back to ask them how much it’d take to get this fixed.
The staff asked me to wait for "ten minutes" and promised to call back with the quote. I waited all day, and for the next three days, I kept calling and waiting for he promised callback. It didn’t happen. By now I was at my wits’ end and numbed out of my senses. Eventually, the quoted 17000 as the price - this after they’d made me wait four days. I asked them to just return the laptop to me since I was able to connect using a wireless router anyway, and didn’t need the LAN card immediately. Since I needed the laptop immediately - I went to fetch the laptop immediately. The service center closes at 5:30 everyday (though they have no fixed timing for the opening of the store). I was not given a demo, but was assured it was working, and it was 5:30 already, I was nearly pushed out of there. But not before I’d given them a piece of my mind - the laptop and the bag were covered in dust, there were scratches on the screen and the charger cable was mangled beyond the purview of human understanding.
When I got home, I tried to switch it on - but lo and behold! There was no starting up! All I could hear was four beeps, and the screen remained blank. Once it actually booted to the desktop, then displayed a blue screen with errors and didn’t boot again. The Next Morning: I reached the service center at 8:45 am - you can imagine how desperate we were to get this resolved. I was made to wait till 9:30 because "we open at 9:00, but start meeting customers at 9:30". I asked for the floor manager - who refused to to do anything about it. When reminded of customer service ethics, he responded with "We don’t do all that - we’re engineers". We escalated the issue and I met a certain Mr. Upendra - who has been on the phone with me forever now, and has not been helpful at all. After two weeks of harassment, he still insists that the burns "spread" to the rest of the system board - which is incredible, given the fact that the LAN card isn’t even receiving any power. He insisted that I pay the Rs. 1700 - later came down to 13000.
I agreed to pay 10k, and no more. Every time I call him he refuses to take ownership. So I’ve stopped calling him. My understanding of law tells me that I can take Maha Electronics and/or HP to court, considering that the Customer Service Order says under Repair Summary - "REPLACED SYSTEM BOARD AND AUDIO BOARD TESTED. UNIT WORKING FINE." The sheet has a stamp on it - dated 21st June. Here’s what I’m willing to do - Forgive and forget - provided that I’m given my laptop back in exactly the same condition as before. I don’t want anything to be fixed. I don’t need the LAN card to be functional. Just give the darned laptop back.
I was willing to pay 10k initially, but I’ve had to reconsider my decision. Why should I have to pay for someone else’s carelessness? When I submitted my laptop, it had been working for two weeks despite the "burnt" issue. How do I know that the board wasn’t burnt when the system was at the service center? Why else would it take them over two weeks to give me an answer? I’m NOT paying anything anymore, and I’m not being good either. Since I do not have my notebook, I spend the additional time I get looking for lawyers in Hyderabad. My sister’s contacts in the print media can help, too. Or yours.
If you know someone who can help, I’ll be thankful. If you’ve had bad experiences with HP in the past, please tell me about it. I’d liek more and more people to know their true face. Hope you enjoyed your coffee :)