A Consumerist reader called HP to ask whether they could help him with a broken computer. They couldn’t, of course, but that didn’t stop the CSR from trying to ever-so-politely upsell a brand new HP computer at a low, low price. Thanks for calling HP Total Care for Desktops! What can we do to put you in a new computer today?
Kingston S: Welcome to HP Total Care for Desktops. My name is Kingston. How may I assist you today?
Consumerist Reader: hello my compaq has expanded leaking capacitors
Kingston S: Hi [redacted], how are you doing today?
Consumerist Reader: my compaq has expanded leaking capacitors
Kingston S: I understand your concern. Let us go through the issue and check how best we can resolve it.
Kingston S: In order to understand the issue better, please let me ask you few questions.
Kingston S: May I confirm your email id as: [redacted, but misspelled]?Consumerist Reader: it’s [redacted]
Kingston S: Alright. Please let me know if the operating system in your computer is Windows XP.
Consumerist Reader: it’s xp
Kingston S: May I know when this issue started?
Consumerist Reader: it’s been intermittent for a while it’s gotten progressively worse with the compter hanging or not starting
Kingston S: May I confirm the model number of your computer facing the issue as: Compaq Presario 6010US Desktop PC?
Consumerist Reader: that’s correct
Kingston S: [redacted], I am sorry about that but I will not be able to assist you in this regard as it is out of my support boundary. Shall I share my views with you instead?
Consumerist Reader: what?
Kingston S: [redacted], you can contact the Authorized Service Providers and they may be able to do something for this.
Kingston S: This is because this was one of the best computer model when it was released.Consumerist Reader: is there a phone number?
Kingston S: Now, that it has become old, and the options for taking it for a bench repair is not left at all.
Kingston S: The phone support is a paid support.
Kingston S: [redacted], don’t you think it is high time to upgrade your PC?
Kingston S: Why I suggested that because HP is selling new computers at attractive discount prices which has got all the Advanced features and latest technology support.
Kingston S: It is also shipped with the latest Windows Vista operating system.
Kingston S: There is an instant rebate going on with HP. You will get computers from HP even with the latest Windows Vista operating system preinstalled starting from $ 350. Isn’t that an awesome offer?Consumerist Reader: I think I’ll buy a Mac
Consumerist Reader: Compaq/HP obviously doesn’t support what they sell.
Consumerist Reader: I’ve heard there are nothing but problems with VistaKingston S: If you are getting an operating system with same features and if it more user friendly, you should go for it. I am sorry. This product has become obsolete. So, Authorized Service Providers may be able to assist you.
Consumerist Reader: So you/hp can’t help me?
Kingston S: I am sorry. I can only assist you with a PC upgrade now. If you are interested, we can arrange a call back only for upgrading to the up to date PC which we support completely.
Consumerist Reader: This is the last hp product I will ever buy.
(Photo: Getty)
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Fine; this isn’t under warranty. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate reason to be upset.
Capacitors DON’T usually fail like this. There were many reports in the early 00′s of poorly-made caps coming out of China and going right into motherboards. These were the exceptions that proved the rule.
Would you not get upset if a you bought some statues, and then a few years later some suddenly turned to mud? I’m shocked at the number of people defending a poorly-made product just because it’s out of warranty.
@Clold: I think it’s the point that the person thinks that HP should service a 6 year old computer. The person is batshit insane if they think HP owes them anything.
It was probably just the power supply with leaking capacitors. Just amble down and get a new PS at any computer store. It’s what I did for my creaky old Athlon. Didn’t stop me from building a new dual core…..
6 years, maybe the person was angling for a freebie.
LEAVE THOSE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE FOLKS ALONE!!
Don’t you know they’re just trying to make a living like everyone else?? No doubt the dude had a very tight script he HAS to stick to on every call…and obviously don’t train them worth jack. It’s the management that causes these fiascos, not the schlup on the other line.
i just got a new hp…the one it replaced was 6 yrs old….the new one has vista home premium…so far i’m satisfied with it…i never had a bit of trouble with the old one either…never had to call hp for support….the old one just kinda wore out, and i didn’t think it was worth upgrading…..sorry, at this time i can’t knock hp…..tho i can bitch about the high cost of their printer ink…..
i don’t see a problem with this at all. he gave the guy options – try authorized service providers or buy a new comp. he even sidestepped the mac bait. probably the only mistake was not suggesting that he could “downgrade” to xp when the OP expressed reservations about vista.
overall, not a bad convo.
@chiieddy:
The holy Apple comes to the rescue!
Or not.
Do a search for “iMac Lines” on google and you’ll see what I mean.
Apple has a very limited line of products. They charge a lot of money for average hardware. You *could* get your machine repaired if needed but it would cost you $500-$1000 easily.
HP produces a lot of different models and with the price coming down it just does not make any sense to support 6 year old PCs since you can buy a new one for $300. Seriously how many people would opt in for a repair at $500-$1000 if they can buy a brand new, updated machine for that money?
BTW it does not matter what part failed. If the warranty has expired you are responsible for repairs. Of course there are exceptions like the XBOX red ring of death etc but this only happens when there is a widespread hardware flaw.
Now am I missing something or are there 1000s of people complaining about their 6 year old PC not working due to caps leaking?
Consumerist dropped the ball with this one.
I’m happy I got an HP before the s- started to fly. Five years and it works like a charm. At least I never got a, ugh, Compaq. How much it sucks.
@Clold: Your analogy doesn’t hold up. Computers have a lifecycle, like cars. After a certain amount of time it takes more money to keep it going than it would to just purchase a new one. Nobody buys a statue knowing that one day it will turn to mud. People do however buy computers knowing that it isn’t going to last them a lifetime.
@AnderBobo:
I’m actually quite surprised how long my Dell desktop has lasted me. I bought it about 6-7 years ago and still works great! It’s got 3gb of RAM, a decent video card…really no complaints!
I’ve been looking for a new PC but really had no reason to buy.
WTF? I don’t believe this conversation is real.
PEOPLE, don’t you know? THAT’S THE HP WAY. Flood the market with their crap, because they know uneducated morons will buy them. I just had a client yesterday with one. This guy is an HP and Circuit Shitty saleperson’s wet dream. Had a $1500 Hp Media Center piece of crap, bought ALL the useless extra software a CC salesscmuck could sell him, and got NO recovery CD’s. Of course, he needed them, and the awesome recovery CD’s HP gives you take FIVE hours to install!!!! WHAT A GREAT COMPANY OF INCOMPETENT MORONS! And idiots STILL buy their crap
@2719: A. You can buy a new Piece of CRAP for $300. A decent computer, however, will cost you a little more than twice that. B. It doesn’t cost $500-$1000 to repair it.
It is usually a good idea to check facts BEFORE opening your mouth. Makes you look LESS like a schmuck, although the know-it-all moniker is attractive to some
Wow, the issue here is with the caller. Sure the support person has a conflict of interest, but wasn’t trying to scam or anything.
I mean, that computer is so far out of date, I would suggest the person buy a new computer too. Take it to get it repaired, you are looking at $300 – $400 for what most places charge. Might as well buy a new computer at this point. Even a low-end for that price would outperform the relic this person has.
@freejazz38:
Believe me, there are plenty of people who don’t need to even spend $500 for their computer. The biggest investment for most is one capable of playing games. For simple stuff, people don’t need that much.
But for those getting Vista, be sure to load it with 2GB of Ram. It is fairly cheap now, and you will notice the boost in performance.
@freejazz38: Wow, you are a bit of a jerk. I think 2719 was right on except for the repair charges being a bit high. I also think that if the OP is making due with a computer that has a 1.4ghz Athlon xp cpu, 256 mb of ram (if they havent upgraded) and a 40gb hard drive, a 300.00 computer today would be a significant upgrade. (These were the original specs that came with that model)
I will agree with one thing you said though, it is good to check YOUR facts before opening your mouth. Makes you look like less of an arrogant ass, though that moniker is attractive to some.
This computer is also 6 years old, a bit of a stretch to ask for support 6 years later. I would have done exactly what the HP rep did, because the OP obviously needs a new computer!
How did this end up on the front page? It’s a total non-issue.
I bought my wife a Dell (my very First Dell!) from MicroCenter, and it has capacitor problems, too You can look up “Optiplex GX270 bad capacitor” in Google, and find out that nearly every GX270 motherboard they made failed due to cheap capacitors. Called Dell, and they can’t help me, as the replacement program ended a couple of months ago. I can’t order a new motherboard – they don’t have any. However, I can have an on-site service tech replace the motherboard. At a cost that exceeds what I paid for the system in the first place. They should have recalled them.
My first Dell – likely my LAST Dell.
Took an old PC case, put in a motherboard/CPU combo I bought for less than $100, loaded Linux. My wife’s happy.
Those damned capacitors. A bunch of component manufacturers started pumping them out maybe 5 years ago now, stopped maybe 3 years ago when people cottoned on, and now they’re lurking everywhere waiting to be a pain in the arse.
FWIW, I don’t mind my own HP laptop hardware-wise. The crapware is awful and I’m wary of their customer service, though.
Why was this posted?
This is the exact same advice I’d give my friend if they were having the same problem- and I’m not even motivated by profit.
HP is offering the best solution here…
Forgot to mention – the Dell rep I talked to was just like this HP rep. Except she tried to sell me cameras, printers, even more memory for the computer that didn’t work.
Sounds like “Support” is backwards now. Today, you call the Support Center in order to support the company, not you call them so they can support you.
It’s not really obsolete in that the parts can’t be had anywhere, but it will be obsolete as far as HP is concerned after 6 years. I built my own 6 or 7 years ago and I put close to top of the line in there. I can still get upgrades and replacement parts, but I also bought name brand stuff. But it’s not like I expect Maxtor or ASUS to be supplying the same parts they did 6 yearsa ago.
Companies are trying to offset the cost of free support by selling support customers more junk. This is pretty typical of the computer industry these days, with a few very rare exceptions. It’s even common among parts vendors these days. The rep may or may not want to share these things with you, but more likely than not, they’re being ordered to as part of their job. There’s no point in taking it out on the rep. Far more effective to take your objections to the executive level, because that’s where the decisions are being made.
In addition to that, unless you’re dealing with an insanely expensive system to begin with (i.e. a server or extremely high-end desktop system) it is never, ever more cost effective to replace a system board with a part purchased directly from the manufacturer. OEMs charge so much for replacement parts you could buy a whole new system for what the replacement part would cost. Perhaps two. Better to get a part number for it and search eBay, as parts are often available there for a fraction of what they cost from the OEM directly (the downside being no warranty, and the usual risk of eBay. But it’s still better than buying direct from an OEM.)
Guys, HP doesn’t even do software update after you bought the PC/Notebook. Don’t expect them to service your computer after 6 years. If you really need computer, buy a new one for like as low as 199 from Fry’s when they have this deal. It’s way cheaper for you to spend the time on the phone or online with the customer service and pay for the repair. Think about it, time is money. The time you spend on waiting, you can spend it somewhere else where you can generate the cash you need to help your problem.
@BoomerFive:
Agree 100%. Even that $300 CRAP PC will outperform his old one. BTW I know of at least once case where Apple wanted $738 to replace the logic board on an Apple computer (not sure what model).
This model came out in January 2002 and came with 256 Megs of ram (32 shared with video), 40GB Hard Drive and a 1.4Ghz CPU. Although it’s a dinosaur by computer standards, it would still be a usable PC if it worked and you upgraded the ram to a gig or so.
That said, when you buy a Compaq you’re not going to get a lifetime warranty. These are cheap-o computers where the manufacturer uses the cheapest parts they can source from the cheapest factory in China THAT DAY. I know, because I worked for HP and saw how bad their consumer line was.
The CSR was right. I new motherboard would probably cost the guy more than just buying a new computer. Not that mobos cost that much, but they do when you’re getting them replaced through an authorized whatever-ma-goo.
What is more disturbing is the OPs apparent technical knowledge, yet the fact that he thinks HP is going to support a 6 1/2 year old computer.
Guess what, Apple isn’t going to support anything after 6 years either.
You could probably find a comparable compaq at your local salvation army for around $25, though.
@Clold:
This is actually an exceedingly common failure mode for electrolytic capacitors. While there were some notable bad capacitors made by Chinese manufacturers due to issues with a stolen electrolyte formula, this problem affected the entire industry due to the rising power requirements of CPUs during this timeframe. Power usage of a processor went from 30W to 60-75W (and on to 150W+ today), and this additional load places a lot of stress on the motherboard’s electrical components. The actual problem is that water in the electrolyte is broken up into hydrogen and oxygen, and the catalyst designed to “mop up” these compounds either doesn’t work or eventually stops working. This causes an increase in pressure inside the capacitor, eventually breaching the pressure relief valve and venting the electolyte. This appears as a orange-brown dried gunk on top of the affected capacitors. Prior to the venting of the electrolyte, the tops of the capacitors will be visibly bulging upwards.
Modern, high-quality motherboards use solid ceramic capacitors that can never fail in this way. Cheap computers, especially OLD cheap computers, don’t. The system exceeded its 5 year expected lifespan, so the capacitors didn’t even fail early by any reasonable expectation.
@2719: Yep, you are right. I was thinking pc parts and service, as was jerky boy there I’m sure. It certainly can cost an arm and several legs to get Apple to fix anything.
As the OP of this article I’d like to make a few points:
1. I’ve had other manufacturers i.e. Dell and Gateway replace a motherboard with defective capacitors well after the warranty was expired – that’s what I was inquiring with HP about. I’m certainly not stating that Gateway or Dell’s support is stellar – far from it.
2. If anything, the chat session with HP demonstrates the incompetency and extremely poor mastery of English at these outsourced call centers.
3. To answer the analogy comparing the computer to a car, a more appropriate comparison would if a component on a car was defective the manufacturer would issue a recall regardless of the age of the vehicle and fix it for free.
@mike-w: Mike, to address point 3 where you compare a computer to a car.
Computer = 1 yr warranty
Car = Generally 10 year warranty
6 1/2 year old Computer = 65 Year old car.
When was the LAST time, you saw ford, repair a ’43 free of charge.
When was the last time, a car manufacturer issued a recall on a component even 20 years old?
Dont compare cars to PC’s
@BondJBond: Testify!
@mike-w: I would like to point out that a defective capacitor will probably not kill anyone, while a defective car part just might.
You said, “Compaq/HP obviously doesn’t support what they sell.” Maybe so in a lot of cases, but that is a bad inference here. This item is over 5 years outside the warranty. Bottom line, you expected something you had absolutely no business expecting and you got mad when you didn’t get it.
You also expect me to believe that this is your third run in with bad caps since supposedly dell and gateway repaired boards with this issue for you? That’s some bad luck. Maybe you should stay away from computers all together.
And lastly, you say this demonstrates “incompetence” on the part of the rep? Well I think he was polite and offered the only solution that he could.
As I stated previously, I think the HP rep did exactly what he should have done.
@mike-w:
You state that a car company would repair a defective car… even years later… OK I’ll give you that. But this isn’t a defect, its normal wear and tear. Or better yet, its the usable life span of an electronics item. I’m sorry your computer broke but I think your being a big cry baby. Companies aren’t responsible for every little thing after the warranty expires, they have to make a profit! It would be one thing if it was like… oh a month or even a year after the warranty was over… but come on! 5 years? Buy a new computer!
I hope Mike-W doesn’t reproduce and instill his expectations in his children.
@mike-w:
Wow really? A computer manufacturer is only going to offer such a kind of service if it is a common problem for that particular line. The comparison as mentioned is quite bad. Faulty car parts can cause death, can you really say that about most electronics?
Only biggest recalls have been batteries which caught fire and what does that do? Oh yeah, that is right, threatens lives.
1. Your expectations are simply way too high of any OEM company. Did you expect them to give you a whole new computer? I doubt they have those motherboards just laying around just for you… I am assuming you were expecting them to service the thing too…
2. I didn’t really see any issues with “English mastery”. Perhaps you say that because you didn’t get the response you hoped for. To be honest, I would be hell surprised the guy didn’t just break out laughing when you expected HP to fix a 6 1/2 year old computer.
He offered the only solution he was able to offer. You took this as offense when it was not and you are now looked on as someone who lacks intelligence.
I think we have beat up on this guy enough. At best he just didn’t know what to expect. After all, he hasn’t been in the market for a computer for 6 years.
@geoffhazel: There’s a big problem with that. HP as a whole would have, but it’s not their choice. Do you know who Microsoft is? Yeah they develop that software and when they stop(oh wait they already have) HP would be up a creak without switching to Vista because no one would have used it and then would be yelling that they would have liked the chance. As a whole HP made the right choice I say.
@Angryrider: <——At least I never got a, ugh, Compaq. How much it sucks.
You know HP owns Compaq, right?