A not so very “HP” experience

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Nothing lasts forever . And it happened so one morning that an incident in my life reiterated this fact . When I came back from the class ( yes you heard it right … I said “class” ) …… So when I came back from the class and switched the power button on , the machine refused to start . I was too much of an optimist and concluded that my system has gone rusty and it just needed a few attempts to get it back to normal . But it was not to be . 1…2…3…4… even after n number of attempts , it won’t start .

God helps those who help themselves . Going by this great line from some Mr. ABC , I made a valiant effort to go for a self diagnosis . The innocent machine was ripped open by some ruthless screw-driving 😛 . But as it was obvious in the end , I didn’t know what to do next with the parts that I had disassembled .

Sanity prevailed and I did what had to be done . The patient was taken to the doctor . The “ever so caring and truthful” HP Service Center guys were delighted to see a screwed laptop with an expired warranty period . Dollars…Dollars…Dollars…

The engineer at the desk took special care to prepare me for the worst possible fault . I was told that the repair cost could range from anything between 300 bucks to some 5-digit amount . The optimist within me sprung into action once again . Somehow I assured myself once again that the thing will be repaired within minimal cost .

3 days went by and I hadn’t had a single word from the HP guys about the current status of my machine . I took special care to bug them 3 times a day , hoping that this will hasten up the process . Everytime they told me that the quotation will be mailed to me . And so it did . 5 days later I received a mail for RT outsourcing and the contents of the mail killed the optimist within me with a single stroke .

Rs.20341/- was what I was supposed to pay for the apparently damaged system board ( or mother board as it is usually called ) . Hell I could buy a brand new laptop instead of paying for the repair . Every other work could wait , I rushed to the Service Center , and this time I assured them that there was not a single thing that they could do , or say that will coax me to fall for it .

HP guy : Sir there is no other alternative .

Victim : Really ??? …. Ever heard of something called “Nehru Place”

HP guy : That will be foolish sir . Even if you get it repaired by some xyz for a lower sum , you will have to live up with the constant faults that will resurface from time to time .

Victim : Huh ………

HP guy : And if you get it repaired from someone else …. that would mean that we won’t be able to extend you warranty period .

Victim (thinking) : Kindly take your warranty and put it in your *** .

And just when I completed the formalities , paid for the diagnosis charge and prepared to leave , the so-very-kind HP guy came up to me with a Festive offer that was supposed to finally trap me . After a lot of permutation and combinations and crap that he scribbled on a piece of paper , he came up with an announcement that ” If you are ready to go for a non-exchangeable part we could cut down the cost to a mere 14k+ , just for you sir ” ……

I felt like saying ” That was so kind of you , but kindly mind your own business and let me leave ” but I just came up with the reply that ” I will think over it ” …..

It had over 15 days since my system was not put to any use ( longest period by far since it was bought ) . I procrastinated my visit to the technology market day after day . The terrible heat of Delhi forced me to do so . Meanwhile I borrowed a Sony Vaio from Abhishek . He had approached me many times earlier ( when I was busy with my own system ) , requesting me to have a look at his laptop which was in a pathetic condition ( DVD writer was not working , video driver was all corrupt , recovery dvd gone to drains , every now and then the blue screen would appear signaling memory dump ) . In short , it was also as useless as mine . Every time when he requested me I would change the topic and would always escape the ordeal . But Homo sapiens is a very selfish creature . Now I was in a need and it hardly took me half an hour to bring it back to the working condition . It was very sweet of Abhishek that he didn’t create any melodrama and happily handed over his system to me for time being ( According to him , I would have died without it and he didn’t want being called a murderer )

One month went by in a ziffy and I was starting to forget about my system when the same “always caring and helpful” HP guy decided to contact me once again .

HP Guy : Hello Harsh Sir . Sir I called to inquire whether you have got your system repaired from somewhere .

Me : No . I haven’t got it repaired yet .

HP Guy : Sir there is a brand new offer just for you from HP . If you get your system repaired by the end of March , it will cost you just 9k bucks .

So now there was a twist to the tale . The repair cost was just at the threshold point now . I finally decided that I would prefer getting it repaired at the authentic center rather than risking it at some local market . When I handed them my system that evening , the HP guys appeared to be at the top of the world for getting there most “beloved customer” back for their service .

But the story doesn’t end here . The most elating news came to me the next evening when the protagonist of the story , the same old HP guy contacted me once again and informed me that afterall , there was nothing wrong with my system board , and it was RAM which needed to be replaced , and the new repair cost was just a meager 4k bucks ( including service tax + VAT ) . For the first time in one month I felt like not getting into the phone and thrashing him black and blue . Further , when I went to collect my system after repair , he made it a point to remind me over and over again of the kindness that he bestowed upon me by saving me a lot of money .

So this was the complete HP story and infact , the generalized story of the current globalized market . The vultures are everywhere , watching everyone with their greedy eyes , waiting for the slightest of chances to loot anyone who comes across their way . I advice everyone to be at their toes , look out everywhere and don’t let yourself fall a victim to these thugs . I myself , am beginning to wonder if there was anything at all wrong with my system afterall .