HP Printer Hell
I’ve been thinking about getting a new printer for some time now. My printing needs are not very high and I have owned a workhorse of a printer for years. It was an HP 5L that lasted me well over 12 years. It stayed by my technical side through thick and thin years and dutifully spit out whatever copy I requested. It was getting old and had to be hand fed, but every time I turned it on, it blinked quickly and said, ” I’m ready to go!”
But a couple of weeks ago, Staples offered a printer sale I just could not pass up. I should have.
I went to Staples and purchased an HP P2035 printer. I saved enough money with the discount and the “Trade in Your Old printer” rebate that I was able to get the printer, an extra toner cartridge and a 10 foot cable for less than the original printer price. (Hp declares only 6′ cables should be bought.)
I brought the printer home after asking the salesman several questions about compatibility. While I do have a relatively new and strong PC, I am still running XP on it and never followed the Vista or the 7 Herds. I was assured that this printer would work with XP and it would be no problem!
I got it out of the box and began to notice immediate quality differences between it an my old 5L. It took four attempts to get the toner cartridge to seat properly, because of a cheap plastic gear that wobbles out the right hand side of the cartridge and catches on everything inside the machine. I almost had to hammer the cartridge into place. The trays are a joke and the start button wobbles.
I loaded the HP Software into my CD Drive and proceded with the HP installation. It got about 1/3 of the way in to where you are supposed to plug in the printer and connect the USB cable. It spun for a while and declared that the printer could not be recognized as a plug and play device. Then it erased out the software and shut down the install routine. I tried a different USB port and the same thing happened a second time. So I said the heck with it and used Windows “Add a Printer” and the thing finally went into place as an “unrecognized USB device.” It printed so I figured, let it go.
I turn this printer off most of the time; I don’t print that much. But every time I needed to print something, it came on, warmed up louder than a 747, and printed whatever pages I needed to print. The neighbors complained about the noise, but I didn’t care because I was getting even for their two kids. This routine went on for two weeks. Then yesterday, December 10, 2009, a day that will live in infamy, I tried to print two pages of a PDF file and the document spooled, the printer sat there quietly and did nothing.
I tried to force it back online and that didn’t work. I tried shutting it down and restarting it and that didn’t work either. So I deleted the drivers and reinstalled the printer yet one more time. I went up to the HP web site and this printer has some technical files there that have nothing useful in them, but no online support. This printer is considered a business printer. So, I called the business support center which according to their web site is supposed to be open 24/7 and got a recording that they are now only open 8-8 EST. So much for updating a web site…….
So, I shut things down last night and first thing this morning, I got my call in to HP support. HP support is all Indian and I got one of those Indians who was out drinking last night and sounded like he was chewing something while trying to speak. I finally deciphered that they claim nothing wrong with this printer even though there are complaints all over the web, including on the HP forums. I mentioned a Beta Hardware update file I had seen mentioned in one of the forums. That file does not exist! I then asked for a supervisor and Ghandi started reading from a script and refused to connect me to a supervisor.
I hung up and called Staples. They have offered a swap to another printer of equal dollar value or a refund, less the $50, because they can’t give me my old printer back. They tried to talk me into a Brother printer and that just isn’t going to happen. The last Brother brand product I ever bought, still works better as a doorstop, than it ever did as a piece of technology equipment.
I then went out on to the HP web site for a second time. I finally found the Contact HP emails and sent one to both business support and their CEO. Some 8 hours later neither has been answered. I also posted messages in several places on their support forums. Someone finally answered me and suggested I run their Scrubber Software that comes on their CD and redo the Windows “Add a Printer” routine to make sure the bad original disk install, did not leave any garbage lagging behind. I did this and the printer drivers loaded and the machine actually recognizes the printer as a USB Printing Device. (Insert Heralding Trumpets Here)
I have been brand loyal to HP for years. I have never purchased any other brand of printer or scanner for myself or my many clients. That brand loyalty died today. Like many other large high tech companies, HP has adopted a screw you attitude toward their customer base. One of the articles I read last night, claims they have moved their printer production from Japan to China and many of their printer lines have this installation problem. I don’t believe that is the issue. They are letting the Indians write their software drivers. Their entire install disk is branded to an Indian Company.
Well, I have some news for HP, Microsoft, ATT and others who are using Ghandi for your tech support. I am banning your products from my suggestions list. Americans built and funded your companies, and you need to bring those jobs back to AMERICA!
If anyone would like to buy this HP piece of junk to donate it to a Destruction Derby or something similar, it will cost you $299.00 plus shipping. How about you Myth Buster Guys? There’s a myth that this piece of junk works right out of the box with a simple install. Or maybe you could test how far out of an airplane it can fall without busting to pieces. Blow it up! I don’t care as long as you give me my money.
Take HP products off your Christmas List. Save yourself the hassle and the grief.