[Resolved]  HP Pavilion DV6 Laptop — Defective replacement TFTs/DVD

Address:

Gurgaon, Haryana

Hi,

This is regarding the pathetic after sale services for the following Pavilion Notebook

Model DV6114TX
Serial No CNF636229K
Part No RE149PA#ACJ
Date of purchase 25th Nov 2006
Bill No CCPL/0607/0001402
Amount Rs 57,300/-
Seller Compton Computers Pvt Ltd, IInd Flr, Rampuri, Kalkaji, New Delhi
Service center RT Outsourcing, Sec 14, Gurgaon, Haryana

Further, I purchased HP care pack part no U4817E with serial no G05UIN648B05 for extension of my warranty to 3 yr from Axis Computech and peripherals, G-28, Second Flr, Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi - 110024 with invoice no 2008-09/04/15 for Rs 6,000/-

After a year o[censored]se, my laptop was not detecting the DVD Drive, so I submitted the laptop to HP authorized service center, RT Outsourcing, Sec 14, Gurgaon for repairing. They replaced the DVD drive and return my laptop after 3-4 days. Also they replaced my Bluetooth module as it was also not functioning and did some tweak around as my USB port was not properly working. After 2-3 days, again my laptop was not showing the DVD drive. I visited the same service center and I was in anger that time as just 2 days back I received the laptop after repairing for the same problem. Center in charge Mr Ajay Pandita, got my laptop checked on priority and on founding that problem is there, replaced my DVD drive immediately. On asking about the problem he assured me that this problem will not come in future as this time they have replaced a different brand DVD Drive (some Matisha Brand). After 2-3 months, same problem occurred and I visited the same service center regarding this. Also by that time, laptop screen had started developing bright dots on screen so I asked center in charge Mr Ajay Pandita to replace the screen. First he tried to convenience me that these are minor dots and can come after a year o[censored]se and assured me that he will replace the screen if these dots increase in size after few months o[censored]se. For DVD drive, they told me to submit the laptop for thorough checking and it might take 1 week or so as they don't have parts ready in stock if some parts come out faulty on checking. He also indicated that they might need to reinstall OS after formatting my system and advised to take the backup of data. As there was lots of data on system that time and I was using it for some urgent work, I decided to visit later. After few months o[censored]se, I decided to submit my laptop to RT outsourcing for repairing as it developed few other problems also by that time.

Finally I submitted my laptop on 22 Aug 2009 for repairing with the following defects for repairing and from there started my painful numerous visits/calls to HP

Date Ticket no Problems
22 Aug [protected] 1. Cracking noise from speakers
[protected] 2. Few more bright dots on TFT/Screen
3. DVD Drive was not working from last few months
4. Hanging during operation

As the part of process, they informed me after 2-3 days thru call that parts needed have been ordered and they will update me about the status on next call.

After few days, they confirmed that they have replaced my speakers and drive and another part ie TFT panel is yet to arrive and they will inform me on call. After waiting for few days, calling many times on service center, they asked me to collect the laptop and use it as they are also not sure how much time this will take. For system hanging problem, they restored my system to factory defaults. I collected the laptop and started using it. After a week I got a call from center to submit the laptop for TFT panel replacement. I submitted the laptop and when I went to collect it after 2-3 days, I found they replaced it with a panel with no mic and web cam. After lots of argument they finally admitted that my original TFT had inbuilt mic and webcam. Center in charge Ajay Pandita advised me to submit the laptop and assured me that he will get it delivered on my address after proper replacement. From this point, I visited service center around 12-13 times for following this. They replaced my TFT 5-6 times, every time with wrong ones .. one time they replaced with some Non-Brighta view screen, one time with scratched one, one time with screen with patches, one time with some used TFT. During this period of 45 days, I used my laptop for 7-8 days and again got replaced my DVD drive for the same not detection problem. Finally they gave me a replacement screen which is not at par with the original one but better than the previous ones. I was so frustrated with this back and forth that I decided to go with the one which was available that time. Finally before delivery they decided to kept my system for thorough checking for 2-3 days.

After 1-2 days they called me for recovery disks as during the restoring process, my laptop got stuck and they needed recovery disk to reinstall OS. I gave recovery disk available with me. After 2 days, I got call from service center saying that those recovery disks are corrupt. They forced me to either purchase a new OS for Rs 4,000/- or take away the laptop is that condition and write to help desk for new set of recovery disk. Again on arguing on this several days, they finally agreed to arrange a recovery disk for me. They took their time and called me after few days that they have arranged a new disk and I can come to collect my laptop tomorrow. Next day when I reached there to collect laptop , a surprised came across me. The new set of recovery disk is giving blue screen dumps on installation. So they apologized me for this and promised to give me a standby system to work on till the time my laptop comes in working condition. As promised, they gave me standby laptop. After number of follows up visits/call, they informed me that my laptop’s mother board is faulty and need to be replaced. They ordered the motherboard and asked me to wait for another few days. After a week, they called me that my laptop is working fine and its under testing. I went to collect my laptop after 3-4 days and found few window’s applications was not working. They admitted it and asked me to come back after their call. They called me after few days to come and collect the laptop. During this period, I called Mr Raina, one level up escalation point for this and he assured that my laptop will be delivered soon and he will look after my case personally.

Finally I got my back on 20th Dec 2009 ie after 4 months from date of first delivery for service and after expiration on extended warranty.

After a week, I again visited the same service center to get my DVD replaced as the DVD drive’s cover was not closing properly so they replaced it with another one immediately. I thought my painful days were over but this was not the case. Again in January 2010, I visited the same service center for same old DVD drive problem and multiple while patches on TFT screen. Just in months time, lots of white patches appeared on TFT screen. Center in-charge Mr Ajay Pandita, initially refused to listen to me on the plea that my laptop is out of warranty but finally after lots of arguments and seeing the genuineness of case, replaced my DVD drive immediately and assured me that he will take my TFT case forward for approval and till the time I can keep using it.

Again in Feb 2010, suddenly display of my laptop turned blank while working. I took my laptop to nearest service center and found that display (NVIDIA) on motherboard gone faulty causing display failure. Computer vendor informed me that HP has recalled lots of laptops globally with NVIDIA chips for the same failure. I researched on internet and found that HP has in fact recalled lots of products with NVIDIA chips and motherboards from vendors in India also. So I decided to contact same service center for this. By the time, center in-charge Mr Ajay Pandita was shifted to some another location of RT Outsourcing. I contacted new center in-charge Mr V Sundar regarding this problem. He simply refused to listen to me by saying that my laptop is out of warranty and he cannot do anything. I tried a lot to convince him that same center has replaced my mother board 2 months back and chances are that they might have replaced it with the defective one. He checked his system and refused that there is no entry in the system for this replacement. He checked my laptop for service tags and confirmed that in none of the tickets mentioned on laptop’s back, system board replacement is covered. Also he said that there is no connection of OS installation failure with motherboard. I was shocked to listen to this. I called Mr Satya, the service engineer who was handling my case to verify about my mother board replacement. He started talking here and there about mother board but didn’t accept the replacement. Left with no choice, I called Mr Ajay Pandita from there and tried to make him recall about the replacement. After trying for around 1 hour with number of calls to Mr Ajay, Mr Neeraj & discussion with Satya, Mr V Sundar agreed that there is a ticket under which my laptop mother board was replaced and neither this id was mentioned on laptop’s back nor linked to other parts replacements. He took my laptop and assured to take this forward for approval. Finally I got a call from center after 3 days, confirming mother board replacement acceptance and asked me to collect the laptop after 2 days. As asked, I went to service center to collect the laptop and found laptop working and in good condition. I asked Mr Sundar about the status of TFT patches case (for white patches). He said there is no such log in system and these white patches are not covered under warranty and are customer induced damages. Again, I explained him that these dots are present since installation of this TFT and Mr Ajay assured me that he is taking this case forward for approval. On this, Mr V Sundar assured me that he will discuss case in some meeting and update me on this. I collected my laptop on 25th Feb from center with TFT issue pending. Again I visited center after few days and Mr V Sundar confirmed that as this case has been rejected and TFT cannot be replaced.

I was so much frustrated with these visits/calls that I no more wanted to follow on this TFT issue and started using it as such, as my personal work affected a lots on account non functioning of laptop during the last 5 months.

But again on 28nd March 2010, while working, when I was required to copy some files from CD, I noticed that my laptop was not detecting my DVD drive. I tried a lot myself to fix this issue like restoring my system to old configuration but all in vain. Infact BIOS is also not detecting DVD drive. The same DVD drive detection problem is back. This time I lost patience but do not want to visit same service centers.

In a nut shell, during the warranty period I got my DVD drive replaced around 10 times for the same problem of non detection of drive even in BIOS, so it seems like
1. There is some serious issue with the laptop since purchase and HP is not addressing it
2. No quality control as to replacement of products (replacing old, defective parts – case of defective TFTs, faulty mother board with major product recall which even a small town vendor is aware of)
3. Incompatible staff/not aware of various product models (case of replacement of TFT without web cam/Mic, not able to differentiate between brigthaview, non brightaview screens)
4. Lack of audit trails/quality control checks at service center (replacement of mother board – major component of laptop without service tags/links to machine)
5. Procrastinating attitude of staff/center in charges – (case of deferment of replacement of defective product till last of warranty like in case replacement of TFT)
6. Not well equipped - Service center are not equipped with proper set of basic resources like take case of arranging OEM OS.. they took 1 month just to arrange a media for OEM OS.

Apart from bunking my office number of times just to visit service center as timings of service center and my office working hours (9:00 am to 5:30 pm) are same , spent thousands of rupees on cyber cafés just to complete my personal work, lost lots of data during transferring of files from this machine to that machine, required to purchased portable HDD of Rs 4,700/- to keep data safe, and as I’m Chartered Accountant by profession and is using laptop for personal part time practice work, lost around Rs 50,000/- of professional fees which I would have earned during my peak season of earning ie from Sep to Nov.

After numerous of visits/calls to service center in last 6 months, my laptop is still in the same state
1) Not able to detect the DVD Drive
2) White patches on TFT panel (Worst than my original one.. I’m regretting for asking service center to change it)


Vivek