Personally, I have all HP products. I have had good luck with them including a still working HP laptop from January 2000. It is a dinosaur but it works fine for word processing.
The only time I tried buying something other than an HP I got it home and it kept turning itself off during the set up process. I had paid a fee for them to do what they call an in store set up (CompUSA). What they do is supposedly plug it in and start it up to make sure it works. Well obviously they leave it turned on for about 2 seconds since longer than a minute and it turned it self off. I stood at the customer service desk loudly telling them what a joke their service was and that I would call Discover Card and charge back the set up fee. They refunded everything.
So if you have a computer problem always -
1. Document the problems you have and all steps that you took to get them resolved.
2. If you are dealing with a store talk loud so the other customers can hear. They don't want a scene and they don't want other customers to know that they aren't helpful. Tell them loadly that obviously they don't stand behind what they sell and they want to charge you extra for inferior products by charging you a restocking charge. You might be surprized at how helpful they can become. Also never hesitate to ask for a supervisor or store manager. And if that fails ask for the number for the Vice President of the store chain. I did that with the Staples rebate service. They screwed up and kept giving me excuses so I called Staples Customer Service and asked for the vice president of stores or operations. They gave me the number I called talked to the secretary and I had my rebate in 5 days.
3. If you are dealing with them through emails or phone calls ask for a supvisor. After my friend told me about the problems he was having with Dell over the same problem for 18 months, I told him to ask for a supervior and if he didn't get any where to contact his local Better Business Bureau and to write PC World magazine. They love to publish such letters and get on the phone with the companies. I've seen a number of them where they got stuff straightened out for readers. -- He did this and the supervisor checked the records and saw where he had called repeatedly about the same problem and realized no one had diagnosised the problem properly - a short in the motherboard - and sent him a new computer and a box with shipping paid to return the old one. They sent the new computer before they even had the old one back.
SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A RUCKUS - CAUSE A SCENE. This is your hard earned money involved and they don't really what to give it back and everytime we return something it cost them money to do the paperwork. So what they are trying to do is pass that cost to you but you shouldn't have to pay it. It is between them and the companies of the products they carry.
I know of what I speak - I've worked in the hotel industry I believe me if someone is standing at the front desk we get them away and try to placate them. Heck people who have really been disatisfied with a stay at a hotel chain can get free stays to make them happy. So people when you feel you are getting ripped off be vocal about it. You paid for a working computer so darn well give me a working computer.
