Good ole Dell and Argos - but thumbs down to HP

rustywallet

I've had quite a week with technology.
First my printer died, I took it back to Argos expecting them to tell me to sling my hook - but they gave me a refund! (It was 7 month's old) I was pleased with their no quibble refund and went back a couple of days later and bought an HP laserjet which was expensive £199.


A week passed and my brand new laser printer just stopped working. Then my Dell computer froze and I got a blue screen - and nothing else. So I called Dell who were WONDERFUL, the tech. bloke spent ages getting my computer back up and running. He went beyond the call of duty, traced the problem to a corrupt file (or something) on the printer. He tried to download some new updated something (driver?), but the HP website wouldn't let him, so he reinstalled the original driver.


So thanks to Dell, I got up and running again. But the next day, I had the same problem, the printer stopped working. This time I just disconnected it and called HP. They were very unhelpful (they charge 5p a minute - Dell are free). The woman was asking me for the code number, which I just couldn't find and she was getting irritated with me and told me I'd need to go online and sort it out as I didn't have the code. I did finally find the code, but only when I was packing the printer away - I swear it was impossible to find unless it was on the floor as it was on the scanner unit but shoved under the plastic border so unless you were a giraffe it would be impossible to see unless it was on the floor. Anyway as they couldn't be 'bothered' to help me, I couldn't be bothered to fix a brand new printer that cost me £199 - so I returned it to Argos. Again I got a refund. This time I bought a Dell printer - I have my fingers crossed - but at least if I have a problem with it I can trust Dell to sort it out.


Thank-you Argos (I made it up to you - I spent loads this week!) and thanks Dell.

cattie

I personally have always found HP very helpful on the very rare occasions I've needed to call them. It probably makes a big difference which person you actually get to speak to to help resolve a given problem.

rustywallet

A couple of people said the same, that HP are usually good. I don't like the fact that when you call their help line about a fault, you are charged 5p a minute. Dell are free.

SimonSays

So a customer who has no faults with products should pay more initially so the few customers can have a free phone number? You want to speak to technical support pay for it. Email is free

rustywallet

So a customer who has a brand new but faulty product should pay more in the long term because they are unlucky enough to purchase a faulty product?

I cannot afford to loose a day's work waiting for someone to reply to an email.

SimonSays

1 in a hundred may be faulty

Why should the other 99 customers suffer?

rustywallet

Sorry what you say makes no sense to me.
You say that 1% of people should pay if their product is faulty. Well over a lifetime chances are each and every one of us will buy a faulty item - so in the end we will all end up paying anyway. HP should pay not the customer. HP's customer support just told me to go to the website and download something - to be honest 'can't be bothered', if they charge me for a call and then tell me to sort it out myself. I'd rather just get my money back.

Besides, if Dell can manage to give free customer support, and sell very reasonably priced (in fact £50 cheaper than the HP) product, then so can HP.

SimonSays

Different price points or construction costs maybe?

If I had a HP printer that works, I don't want to pay more for a product so the few can have an 0800 number.

If Ive needed to contact a company. I email them!!