Dodgy HP printer software, even worse customer service - Do I have a leg to stand on to complain?
Bulunnge
Posts: 3
Newbie
in Techie Stuff
Hi, apologies if this has been covered elsewhere but a simple search didn't come up with anything akin to this so I'm asking here.
I bought a HP all-in-one printer (Envy 6032) online from Currys PC World earlier this year and it has been a pain in my rear end to get it working as I want.
It comes with a link to install their HP Smart software, which is meant to be a super-easy to navigate user interface to get the bulk of your printing/scanning/copying done.
To start with the software installation process was convoluted if you wanted the free 5 month Instant Ink trial, to the point where I had to get through on the phone and they ended up manually adding the free period it to my account.
Then one of the functions of the software decided it wouldn't work - the scanner should be able to 'detect' the edges of small-ish documents like receipts etc and only scan that part of the scanner bed, the user interface shows a snazzy screen where it 'zooms' in on the area where it thinks your document is... 9 times out of 10 it gets it wrong and thinks I want the blank space next to the document or an element - like a barcode - within it. I spent weeks with HP Ireland's WhatsApp customer support team (none of whom appeared to be native English speakers) trying to get to the bottom of it, uninstalling, re-installing and going around the houses doing various tests which weren't necessary, but due to the the apparent language barrier they had to follow the script they'd been given rather than understand and respond to my issue directly.
Eventually got it sort of working and then realised the software was in US English, and maybe at this point I should have been greateful that it was working at all, but I do like to nit-pick. So back to HP Ireland's WhatsApp team I went asking about how to get it sorted, but their answer was to undo the resolution from my first issue and even then it didn't work because they gave me a circular task to do (download this file, only install it offline, but it sends you online to install, so cancelling that ends the installation, and around it goes)
Was eventually given a phone number for the technical support team, his response was 'language is a preference', basically 'just deal with it', and at that point I asked for a manager. The manager sympathised with my frustrations with the WhatsApp support team and said that they are known as being awkward and it is being 'dealt with' internally, however I wasn't able to escalate it any further as 'that team doesn't take calls', they 'just see them in meetings'.
The long and short (mostly long) of it is I am fed up with HP and their crummy software and utterly terrible customer service, the printer works fine appart from the bugs in the software and I'm well out of the returns period for sending it back even if there was a definitive issue.
What can a consumer do when the tangible thing you bought is fine but all the stuff that comes with it; software, technical support, customer serivce, is abysmal?
I bought a HP all-in-one printer (Envy 6032) online from Currys PC World earlier this year and it has been a pain in my rear end to get it working as I want.
It comes with a link to install their HP Smart software, which is meant to be a super-easy to navigate user interface to get the bulk of your printing/scanning/copying done.
To start with the software installation process was convoluted if you wanted the free 5 month Instant Ink trial, to the point where I had to get through on the phone and they ended up manually adding the free period it to my account.
Then one of the functions of the software decided it wouldn't work - the scanner should be able to 'detect' the edges of small-ish documents like receipts etc and only scan that part of the scanner bed, the user interface shows a snazzy screen where it 'zooms' in on the area where it thinks your document is... 9 times out of 10 it gets it wrong and thinks I want the blank space next to the document or an element - like a barcode - within it. I spent weeks with HP Ireland's WhatsApp customer support team (none of whom appeared to be native English speakers) trying to get to the bottom of it, uninstalling, re-installing and going around the houses doing various tests which weren't necessary, but due to the the apparent language barrier they had to follow the script they'd been given rather than understand and respond to my issue directly.
Eventually got it sort of working and then realised the software was in US English, and maybe at this point I should have been greateful that it was working at all, but I do like to nit-pick. So back to HP Ireland's WhatsApp team I went asking about how to get it sorted, but their answer was to undo the resolution from my first issue and even then it didn't work because they gave me a circular task to do (download this file, only install it offline, but it sends you online to install, so cancelling that ends the installation, and around it goes)
Was eventually given a phone number for the technical support team, his response was 'language is a preference', basically 'just deal with it', and at that point I asked for a manager. The manager sympathised with my frustrations with the WhatsApp support team and said that they are known as being awkward and it is being 'dealt with' internally, however I wasn't able to escalate it any further as 'that team doesn't take calls', they 'just see them in meetings'.
The long and short (mostly long) of it is I am fed up with HP and their crummy software and utterly terrible customer service, the printer works fine appart from the bugs in the software and I'm well out of the returns period for sending it back even if there was a definitive issue.
What can a consumer do when the tangible thing you bought is fine but all the stuff that comes with it; software, technical support, customer serivce, is abysmal?
0
Comments
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never ever buy from them again ?1
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Don't know about the CS, I've never had to call them.....HP smart installation was painless and the printer works seamlessly.
I see how your experience was frustrating, to say the least, but, I use the system at home and the office without problems, so, not a universal experience.Drinking Rum before 10am makes you
A PIRATE
Not an Alcoholic...!3 -
So what if the language is in US English? Not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination.If the item is physically faulty or doesn't work at all, that's one thing. Anyway you don't need all the superfluous crap you get with printers, you just need the drivers. The Envy 6032 is a wireless printer so have you connected this wired or wireless?2
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I've got a HP all in one printer, not installed any of their software, all the native Windows apps deal with printing and scanning perfectly, just uninstall it all and use directly from Windows.
With small docs like receipts, are you aligning them on the scanner glass to the top left margin rather than just plonking them on randomly?
YNAB enthusiast and extreme coupon-er.
Discounts, coupons and cashback:
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Hi
Hopefully some help....
https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c06642926
https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-envy-6000-all-in-one-printer-series/29256672/model/33518705
These are recent, maybe relevant????
DownloadHP ENVY 6000 All-in-One Printer series Firmware Update
001.2124B 48.3 MB Jun 22, 2021
DownloadHP Easy Start Printer Setup Software
13.0.6 9.5 MB Jun 17, 2021
To add to dodgy software, Microsoft are included........
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/hp-smart/9wzdncrfhwlh?rtc=1&activetab=pivot:overviewtabForum, Agin 'em or Just Neutral?2 -
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tallmansix said:I've got a HP all in one printer, not installed any of their software, all the native Windows apps deal with printing and scanning perfectly, just uninstall it all and use directly from Windows.
With small docs like receipts, are you aligning them on the scanner glass to the top left margin rather than just plonking them on randomly?
In the end I gave the printer away to someone who didn't need it for the same purpose and found myself a decent 2nd hand Canon printer and haven't looked back.0
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