*** Official HP 1080p md5880n/md6580n discussion thread *** (1 Viewer)

[John S]

19 days with your new flagship 1080p display....

Man, I deeply sympathize with you here.

 

[RAF]

HP has been in contact with me regarding the "missing" parts - specifically the light engine, which is the heart of the machine and most likely the major source of the troubles. Apparently, even though it was supposed to have shipped out to me on December 28, 2005 it still hasn't shipped. After much checking (and intervention by at least three "higher level HP people" it was determined that this part was back-ordered and not noted as such in their computer system. I knew it hadn't shipped because the site I was told to check kept informing me "not yet shipped" while the fan module (another potential problem) had shipped and arrived at the service technician's office on January 3, 2006, well in time for my scheduled January 4, 2006 repair which, of course, never came about.

A call to HP today (to my "HP case worker" in this "elevated" status of my odyssey) verified that the part has still not shopped. This time I was informed that it was on "5 Day Backorder" but the good news was that this period had just about expired and that the light engine should ship "any day now."

Excuse me if I'm a bit skeptical at this point but I'm at the close of Day #22 and the set is still in the same non-operative condition that it was the day it arrived, well before Christmas.



Stay tuned....

 

[Parker Clack]

I still don't understand why they just didn't send you a whole new set instead of messing around with fixing the one that you have.

 

[RAF]

Parker,

Exactly my thinking. As of this afternoon the HP site doesn't show the light engine as having shipped yet, even though I was told yesterday that this should be happening "momentarily." I'm giving it one more day. Then, if there is no movement I'm calling up a contact I have in HP corporate who asked me to call if my pleas were falling on deaf ears. At that time I'll ask him to either get HP to send me the part (for a service call) or to send me a new unit if the part still isn't available (it was promised to have been delivered by 12/30/05.)

The real kicker here is that with the fan module and the light engine replaced I should have a brand new set, probably even better than a replacement since I understand they've made a couple of modifications to some of the parts (or at least exercise better quality control) that improves performance based on early units.

I just want this to be over so I can start writing my review. Believe me, the HP service experience will factor into the overall article.

 

[RAF]

Update:

Yesterday I had a conference call with myself, my "Case Worker" from HP on the East Coast and a person in HP Corporate on the West Coast. At that time I stated that I expected them to either get me the required part (the light engine) or a replacement unit. After 24 days it was ridiculous for HP to force me to wait any longer for a replacement part for a set that was delivered DOA. They agreed and my case worker told me that he would definitely contact me today (Thursday) with an answer regarding the availability of the light engine. If it's just a matter of days (not weeks) for the part to reach the service person they we would proceed that way. If there was going to be any protracted delays then they would start the process for a replacement unit.

As the sun rises on Day #25 of this ordeal, I'm hopeful, but not yet confident that HP will honor their word. After all, I've been told a lot of things by a lot of people at HP over the past 3 weeks and actions speak louder than words.

In the meantime, things are backing up in my HT. I've purchased several pieces of new equipment that have on-screen menus and it is not possible to set them up without a working TV monitor in the room for a number of reasons. Using the front projector really isn't an option since some of the set-up requires the HP to be in the loop.

Stay tuned...

 

[John S]

Staying tuned.... I already know, I will not be buy'n an HP 1080p display anytime soon.


Best of luck, keep on keeping us posted. With a saga like this who needs soaps and dramas?

 

[RAF]

Update

Guess what. No phone call from HP today even though it was specifically promised by the "Case Worker." I waited until office hours were over so that he ("Josh") would have ample opportunity to respond regarding the missing part.


At this point I have absolutely no patience, nor any faith in HP. This has been nothing but a series of broken promises and total inaction by all involved. I followed today's non-events with a phone call to my "Case Worker" (left a message - no big surprise), a followup e-mail asking why I wasn't contacted and even another call to HP corporate in California (left name and message at 4pm PST, but received no response from corporate so nothing can be done until tomorrow.)

Without a doubt I will be on the phone first thing in the morning to find out why I didn't even receive the courtesy of a call - especially since they told me they would definitely call today no matter what transpired. They are great at apologizing but not so good at doing their job.

This has not only become frustrating. It has also become insulting. You don't promise a call back and then not call.

DAY #25 and no end in sight.

Unbelievable!!

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Even Bose has better customer service!!!

 

[RAF]

I can't disagree with you, Kenneth. I've been buying gear for over 50 years (back to my Heathkit days in the 50's) and I've never seen such callous disregard for the rights of the customer. The events that have unfolded here are so unbelievable that a lot of people have e-mailed me with comments like,

(I was even accused on "another forum" of bending the truth to serve my purposes but that site is famous for being confrontational rather than reasonable so I'm going to focus on telling my story here on my "home" forum.) Believe me, if anything I've toned it down a bit so that I wouldn't be accused of bias or sensationalism. But facts are facts and everything that I've chronicled here so far is based on first-person experiences not hearsay.

I'm going to have to escalate things a bit since I'm not getting anywhere by trying to remain civil in this matter. This unit might turn out to be the greatest 1080p set out there but the lack of support by the manufacturer has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I eagerly await the day that I can try to report on the characteristics of this set, not on the actions of the characters who purportedly support it.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

I will play devil's advocate for a moment:

What is this stuff is new to them, and nobody has any idea on how to work on this - there are no systems or organization to take care of these issues.

Anyway, yes, this sucks bad. Just keep grinding away, get it fixed, and retell this story as best as you can in your review. I think the only thing HP can do now to even midly satisfy you is send a new TV out, haul away the old one, and do some other free/nice stuff.

I guess this service isn't unusal for a computer company. This is why the only name brands on my computer are Lian-Li, Asus, MSI, Intel, etc. DIY - its all on me

 

[Derrik Draven]

Damn, Robert...sorry to hear about your VERY lousy experience with HP. My blood boils reading your posts. I would have a verrrrrrry hard time being a gentleman on your end of the phone, by now.

My ex brother in law had quite a similar experience with their computer line, a few years back. It was incredible what he had to do to get a replacement.

On a different note, I'm one of the guys that bought one of the units that converts 1080i to 1080p: Samsung HL-R6178.

I've had a small problem with the built in TVGuide not downloading the program info and, Samsung was very helpful in getting it fixed, first phone call.

Here's hoping that you get some satisfaction, Robert! I seriously can understand how pissed you must be...

 

[Gregg Loewen]

HI RAF

I am just getting back from CES and Christmas with the inlaws in Canada.

Your issue is with the color wheel. what helped me with this discovery is your mentioning of the solarization of the picture. With a solarization problem, it is DEFINITELY the color wheel.

The repair tech will most likely replace the whole light engine. He will also need to know how to adjust the color wheel (which is quite simple on most dlp displays).

Best of luck!!

Gregg

 

[Adam]

Robert,

You are just too patient. I would have blow a fuse by now.
I have read through most of this thread, and maybe I missed it, but did you try contacting the vendor? Or, did you buy it direct from HP. A vendor might be able to get through to the right people over at HP.

I would call up HP, ask to speak to the highest level manager they could get on the line and tell them what they could do with this TV. They should also compensate you for the lost time you had not being able to watch it. Tell them that you are contacting the Better Business Bureau and you have had enough of waiting for them to do something.

Tell them the only thing that would make you happy at this point is if you get shipping confirmation of a new set by the end of the day, and ask them when they are coming to pick up the broken one.

Another thing, did you buy this with a credit card? Call your credit card company and tell them the story and that you not paying for a piece of plastic that is supposed to be a TV.

As you can tell, this thread has gotten me very frustrated, and it isn't even my TV.

Good Luck!
Adam.

 

[RAF]

The continuing saga...

Today (Friday, Day #26 and counting) I finally reached my "Case Worker" and asked him why he didn't call me yesterday as specifically promised. He apologized and told me that his "meetings ran late" and that he had some other people to call back as well. This guy certainly lacks any people skills at all!

I then asked what the final resolution to the missing part (light engine) situation was and he told me that he did not have any information as to when, if ever, the part would be available (I find that hard to believe - the part not being available at any point) and that HP would be happy to take the set off my hands and send me a check to be used to purchase a set that would fit my needs. All I had to do was fax him a copy of my bill of sale. He would then authorize someone to come over with an empty box and pick up the set.

After I got off the phone and was assembling the paperwork it occurred to me that he never mentioned a replacement. I was so taken back by his comment that they would recompense me for the set and let me buy a different brand that I lost sight of the fact that this would cause a lot of additional problems and given HP's track record on this so far there was no guarantee if and when I would get my money back, much less when I'd be able to install a set from any other manufacturer in my house. This could last for several more months before sorting itself out! Besides, I based my decision to purchase the HP model on its features and what I had seen at CEDIA and it wasn't a question of whether or not this was the set I wanted, but a question of getting one that works. If, after using a working model for some time I found that it had flaws then I would consider asking for a refund. But it seemed a bit premature to give up before the set ever turned on normally.

A little background regarding my purchase. When I decided on this set in early December I went to HP shopping to buy one. Unfortunately, they were out of stock on the 58" model (the one that fits perfectly in my HT) and couldn't promise anything prior to the holidays. A friend of mine is a custom installer (and an authorized HP dealer) and he told me that his distributor had them in stock - they just didn't have any stands in stock. Although the unit would be shipped from Washington (state) to NY there wouldn't be any problem since HP would warrant the unit no matter where it shipped from/to in the states. So I went ahead and ordered the display from him and ordered the stand from hpshopping.com on 12/12/05. The stand arrived two days later and the set arrived via freight on 12/19/05.

That's when all the fun began as chronicled in these pages. When I found out the set was defective (even HP customer service agreed that the sound they could clearly hear over the phone wasn't "normal" and needed attention) I naturally assumed that "service" would either mean prompt attention to fixing or replacing the faulty unit. We all know now that this assumption was a little presumptuous. Ironically, after all these weeks of stalling, missing parts, broken promises of call-backs, etc. I think that we've reached the point where HP is authorizing a replacement unit from, of all places, hpshopping.com. This actually pleases me since that's where I wanted to purchase this set from in the first place and, based on comments from others who have had warranty issues, this vendor is very good at replacing faulty units and components without any hassles.

I also just received a call back from HP corporate where someone has been made aware of the situation and has promised to oversee this until its resolution, so maybe things will turn around.

All the comments and advice mentioned here have been welcomed. I appreciate and understand where you all are coming from. Now I think you understand why some of the normal avenues of redress were not available to me. Since I didn't use a credit card to pay for this unit through my friend but mailed him a check it wasn't possible to hold up the funds as per credit card purchases. After all, it's not his fault that HP packed and shipped a faulty unit from his distributor. He has been working hard with me to get this whole thing resolved and the bottom line is that at some point HP had to make good on their products. If hpshopping.com had had the MD5880n in stock when I ordered then I would have been dealing with a giant supplier rather than a custom installer. Giant companies deal, literally, with truckloads of sets and are better equipped to handle product exchanges when it's not something you can simply put in the trunk of your car and drive over to the UPS or Fedex depot. Chalk it up to economies of scale.

But none of this takes away from the fact that HP should have acted in more timely fashion to deal with this whole matter. A customer shouldn't have to go through all the steps I had to go through in order to get some response.

So now I wait for confirmation that my replacement is on its way from hpshopping.com I would think that I should be in their system within a few days (if obligations are met) and that it should be smooth sailing from then on.

We shall see. I'll keep you all posted as a prelude to an eventual review of this product.

Fingers crossed....

 

[John S]

I'm pulling for this display to be a winner for you after all that has happened.


I tune in frequently to this thread to see how it's going for you.

 

[RAF]

You and me both, John.



One small correction to the details of today's events. I got a call back from the HP "Case Worker" this afternoon confirming that they had received a copy of my bill of sale and were now in the process of sending me a new unit. They had previously mentioned that they were using hpshopping.com as the vendor. They corrected this to say that they were using the same shipper as hpshopping.com (North American Van Lines, I believe) to send me my unit and that HP itself (not hpshopping.com or my original dealer) would now be considered my "dealer." In other words, no more intermediaries. They also said that the shipment would be handled in two stages. First they will ship me a new unit (allow 7 business days so I'm estimating the middle of the week after next, around 1/25). Then, a separate shipper will come and pick up the faulty unit, using their own box, etc. The reason for this, according to HP, is so that they can bring the set to their facility to determine what went wrong (and probably to sell it as a re-furbished unit if they can ever find a light engine).

In any event, assuming that things go as planned (I'll believe it when I see it) there is a good chance that I will finally end up with a working unit and, if I have any further problems, will be dealing directly with HP itself since they are now considered to be my dealer.

As soon as I find out anything else I'll post it here. I'm currently in negotiations with Paramount regarding the screen rights to this story.

 

[Parker Clack]

Man what a cluster. If anything HP should be embarrassed by the whole ordeal and knocking themselves out to rectify the situation overnight. I know that if it was a company like SVS or any of our other fine vendors they wouldn't even hesitate to send out a new unit the next day.

I have found myself getting more and more dismayed at the large companies selling a product that doesn't work for any amount of time and that they do not support after the sale or the support they do offer is worse than no support.

I know that when it comes to buying products in the future where I am able I am going to be buying from the smaller companies that offer a great product with great service and the icing on the cake is that it will end up costing me a lot less in the long run. The bottom line mentality of large corporations puts their customer at the bottom of the list. And they wonder why so many of them are folding, laying off people, having to cut pension plans..the list goes on and on.

You not only have to build a better mouse trap to have them beating down your door you also have to make sure it will work in the first place. There are too many other companies out there today just waiting for them to get out of the way so they can take over and show them how to do it right the first time.

I will bet you that you never see a new set for several weeks even after all of this.

 

[RAF]

Unfortunately, Parker, I can't disagree with your prediction regarding the timing of the delivery of my new set even though I hope that you are wrong. And I completely agree with you regarding relying on small personalized companies rather than big ones to support their products after you purchase them. However, the small companies are limited in the type of products that they can offer. Building subwoofers, speakers and some other items are relatively simple things but more complex products like 1080p displays generally have startup costs, R&D and economies of scale that more often than not preclude the little guys from becoming serious players in a fast changing environment. But your advice is sound - keep with the little guys as much as possible if you run into a problem like I did here with HP. BIG = impersonal in most cases.

The only "big" company that I still use on a somewhat regular basis for things I could also do myself is DELL. I've had tremendous luck with their products over the years and they are generally competitively priced since I no longer relish the do-it-yourself aspect of technology. Besides, I feel that I possess the skills to tackle most technical problems that might be associated with computers and have no problem opening the box for minor repairs whereas I don't feel comfortable (or feel that I should have to) opening a $4000 display to get at the heart of the problem. As they say in the movies
and in this case the stranger turned out not to be so friendly.

 

[Steve Berger]

There is a significant chance that the TV was built by someone else and rebadged or assembled from someone else's components. A part number from a circuit board or major component might give a clue as to the source of the set but not the HV power supply for the lamp, they are all vendor supplied. The board containing the tuner would be a good choice The tuner itself might not since tuners can be vendor items. (a Sony part number would be a clue but a Phillips or Mitsumi would not)

 

[John S]

I'm considered an extremely competent tech and would not even think about opening up a brand new display for servicing.





Hang in there, I can feel it is almost over for you.