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HP: Appalling Customer Service Alert
HP Customer Service Line | 09/19/04 | william clark

Posted on 09/19/2004 1:12:50 PM PDT by william clark

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To: william clark

Maybe you should consider yourself lucky that you got a power cord.

1.) Install power cord (purchased separately)....

My HP psc 2110 did come with a usb cable, but maybe they figure that usb cables are so ubiquitous that most folks have a couple spares.


21 posted on 09/19/2004 4:43:46 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Islam: Men defend most violently, not what they know to be true, but what they fear may be false.)
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To: william clark; ecurbh; Rose in RoseBear

Sorry doll, but you sound like a real jerk.

USB cable doesn't come with it. End of story. I can't believe you wasted a couple MONTHS for an item that costs a few dollars.

Customer support is hard enough with reasonable people!


22 posted on 09/19/2004 4:49:14 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog (Republicans are better at balloons - It's a simple kind of competence. ~Chris Matthews)
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To: william clark
I would agree with you except for one thing. As I've repeatedly stated, the box did NOT clearly state that the cable was not included, and the setup instructions strongly implied that it was.

I am looking right now at the empty box that my new HP AIO came in. On the side, under a list headlined "Contents," it clearly states, in large boldface type with a box around around it for emphasis, "USB cable not included."

Underneath that, it says, "Please purchase separately: • USB cable: for best performance, use hp USB cable, hp part no. c6518a".

I do agree that the warning should be larger, though. For what it's worth, when I bought it, the salesman wouldn't let me leave without either buying the necessary cable or swearing on my parents' lives that I had one at home already. He said lots of people come back, sometimes bringing the entire printer in an open box, thinking the cable was left out.

23 posted on 09/19/2004 4:56:10 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War (Calvinism Fever: Catch It! (Or don't. It's not like it's going to do you any good anyway...))
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To: william clark
Maybe it's just me, but the thought that an item necessary for the most basic hookup and use of such a device wouldn't be included, simply never occured to me.

That's how it works, buddy. When I bought a ~vey~ expensive Epson inket printer a few years ago, no cable was included. I was a bit annoyed, but just took it in stride, and drove back to the store to get the cable.

The model I bought could be connected by USB or parallel. Both types of cables are available in various lengths. How are they supposed to know what kind and what length you want or need? Should they include an assortment, and let the extras get thrown away?

Why all the bitching and moaning and weeks wasted with HP when a few bucks at the local Target is all it would have taken to get you hooked up?

24 posted on 09/19/2004 5:01:01 PM PDT by ecurbh (Having come this far, our tested and confident Nation can achieve anything.)
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To: HairOfTheDog

Thanks for your understanding. So in your view it's okay, I guess, that they can lie to me twice about sending me something.

I see nothing unreasonable about expecting someone to deliver what they've promised. The reason this has taken as long is because there was no urgent need to get this device working right away, and I do have a life apart from placing customer service calls to HP. Also, I was naive enough to think that they would honor their promise.


25 posted on 09/19/2004 5:33:54 PM PDT by william clark
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To: Wingy

I'll say it once more. I have looked that box over several times, very thoroughly. NOWHERE does it say "cable not included." Only be scouring the list of included items do you get that indication.

And by the way, it's incorrect to say that printers never come with cables. My prior Epson printer came with one, as did the Canon I have hooked up to my Mac


26 posted on 09/19/2004 5:35:45 PM PDT by william clark
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To: william clark

W/o power it won't work. So, you should demand free electricity too.


27 posted on 09/19/2004 5:36:26 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: Wingy

And, incidentally, your car analogy is fundamentally flawed. The customer could leave the lot and use the car on a quarter tank of gas. However, if the car came battery-not-included, it would be a different matter. The car can be operated on a quarter-tank. This OfficeJet cannot be operated with what came packaged.

I still say that it is disrespectful to the customer if the product doesn't come with at least enough components to allow you to get through the setup procedure. That said, I could live with it if I did have advance warning, because then I could have made an informed decision (and in all likelihood, would still have purchased the item with the knowledge that I'd have to provide the cable). But since there was no such warning on the packaging (apparently they've learned a lesson somewhere, if other devices are carrying the warning now), I bought it with false expectations.


28 posted on 09/19/2004 5:42:38 PM PDT by william clark
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To: william clark

Right.... it wasn't an emergency it was only your wife's printer ;~D

Yeah - it's a shame they promised you something they didn't deliver on.... They didn't do a perfect job here, but you stayed on the phone and ranted and raged up through the chain of command ~twice~ to demand something you were never entitled to. I think I'd be more embarrassed to be ~you~ than I would be embarrassed to be HP ;~D


29 posted on 09/19/2004 5:42:48 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog (Republicans are better at balloons - It's a simple kind of competence. ~Chris Matthews)
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To: spunkets

Man, you sound like a Democrat. Completely unable to follow a line of reasoning without dragging something irrelevant into it.


30 posted on 09/19/2004 5:43:59 PM PDT by william clark
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To: HairOfTheDog

Well, I guess we have to just agree to disagree, since in the absence of clear packaging indicating (combined with my past experience purchasing other computer, audio and video devices) that I was not getting a crucial component, I do believe I am entitled to it.


31 posted on 09/19/2004 5:47:46 PM PDT by william clark
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To: william clark

I'm hardly one to stick up for bad service, but you are being totally unreasonable here. First, I've never bought a printer that came with a cable -- parallel printer or USB. I have bought several printers that, when I got it unpacked, I discovered it didn't have a cable and went, "oh, ____", then went back and got it. Or stole a cable from some other hardware item. Either way I never called the manufacturer.

I've bought several HP printers over the years and frankly, consider HP one of the best hardware companies going. All have worked flawlessly. I've bought a Deskjet, an Office Jet, a LaserJet 5MP, my wife's color one (don't know model number), and recently a 1012 that I use on my desk at work. On the other hand, I bought a Canon machine for copies and faxes that I am now having trouble with.

If you are that unhappy with the product, why don't you return it?


32 posted on 09/19/2004 5:55:50 PM PDT by 1L
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To: william clark
"Man, you sound like a Democrat. Completely unable to follow a line of reasoning without dragging something irrelevant into it."

Right democrat. HP didn't include a cable with anyone's printer. They told you that. The cable's only ~$7. You wasted how much time on this?

33 posted on 09/19/2004 6:01:08 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: 1L

It's a little late for me to return it. I wasted too much time anticipating that they'd honor their promises to me.

I should probably note that no one from HP ever gave me any justification for not including the cable, as several have done on this thread.


34 posted on 09/19/2004 6:03:18 PM PDT by william clark
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To: william clark

Why not take it back and get a refund. I boycott HP and dear ole Carly. What makes them think they're entitled to a sale when they treat people this way?


35 posted on 09/19/2004 9:27:09 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING (He is faithful!)
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