HP Shopping.com (Home and Home Office) Review

Bottom-Line: The selection is outstanding; its service after the sale that need work.

I like Hewlett Packard products.  I have used HP printers for the past two decades and they have always been reliable products.  Until recently I bought all of my HP stuff at the local computer or office supply store, but after I applied for and was granted a HP Shopping Credit Card account I have made my last three HP purchases at HP Shopping.com (Home and Home Office).

The website is a colorful affair and very easy to use.  Along the left hand side of the site the product categories are listed in vertically.  They include Computing (Notebooks, Desktops, Monitors, and Accessories); Printing & Supplies (Printers & All-in-Ones, Ink/toner & paper, and Accessories); Consumer Electronics (Televisions, Digital Cameras, and Entertainment Centers); Mobile Devices (IPAQ Handhelds and Calculators), and finally; Other (Service Plans, Outlet Center, and Scanners).

I purchased a couple of notebook computers and a notebook expansion base from the site and in all cases the experience was pleasant.  The ordering process is straight forward, the terms of the sale clearly stated and the checkout process flawless.  And in each case the product arrived when stated at checkout and in case before.  Oftentimes one can find free shipping on product costing over $50.00; sweet! 

Service & Support            

Not too long ago HP was known for their world class technical service & support organization.  I could call HP technical support and in short order resolve the issue at hand.  Not so anymore.  HP has move its support for Home & Home Office user overseas to India and the results have been a marked reduction in customer support and satisfaction, at least from my perspective. 

As I stated above, I recently purchase an expansion base for my HP zv5000z notebook computer, which I passed down to my daughter after I purchased an HP dv9000z.  At the times of purchase there was special going on that shipped the HP xb2000 Expansion Base with an expansion base adapter needed to connect the notebook to the base.  Indeed when the box arrived, the expansion base adapter was listed on the side of the box, on the invoice, and there was an instruction booklet for it inside the box.  But there the actual expansion base adapter was nowhere to be found.  So I called customer service, and so began a 2-hour odyssey with the support technicians from India names Bob, John, and Mary!

First up was Bob (who spoke with very thickly Indian accented English), who after I explained that I needed my expansion base adapter, stated that the HP xb2000 Expansion Base did not ship with the adapter; it was sold separately.  I conceded that that may be the case in most instances, but that I had indeed purchased the expansion base adapter in the box with the Expansion base.  But he insisted that I would have to order it despite the fact that I had the invoice, box contents and instruction booklet in hand to prove that the adapter should have shipped with my order. 

After fifteen or so minutes of this merry-go-round I asked for Bob's supervisor; Bob put me on hold, and subsequently dropped the called after 10 minutes.  So I called back and this time got John (who spoke with very thickly Indian accented English), and the process I went through with Bob began anew.  After another 15 minutes or so of back-and-forth with John, punctuated by lengthy times on hold, while he looked something up, I asked to speak to a supervisor, explaining to John that I would looked very unfavorably on another dropped call. 

After about 30 minutes Mary came on the line and the whole process began anew; I cut her off and explained to Mary in very unambiguous terms that my company did a lot of business with HP, and if she was willing to lose it over a $35.00 part, I would hereafter take my business elsewhere.  That seem to do, for I was forwarded to the U.S. wherein I was promised the part would ship in 5 - 7 business days.  

That was some 45 days ago and I have yet to see the part in question; it is on back order. To HP's credit Mary did call me on two separate occasions to explain the delay; did I mention that Mary speaks with a very heavy Indian accent and is very hard to understand? I am not a fan of the wholesale globalization we have seen over the last decade, I the consumer have not benefited in the least.  I prefer to be able to understand my customer service reps; call me selfish!  

My Viewpoint

Overall I would rate my experience with HP Shopping.com as mostly positive, but I am very, very disappointed in the customer support.  Throughout my call to customer service, the representatives were very apologetic and polite, but they were not very helpful at all.  It is only through struggle, frustration, and finally threats that I was able to get my part, and I still don't have it in hand.  So will I order from HP Shopping.com again?  Probably.  It doesn't seem to matter what company you choose these days, the customer service is bound to be horrid and speak English with a heavy Indian accent.