Viva HP Computers in America !!!

After a long and difficult morning struggling through HP's customer services here in Europe, I went to the city to buy a cheap laptop for the Italy trip.

HP Europe had called back and told me there was no way they could help me as my laptop was bought in the States and HP Europe doesn't talk with HP America.

Okay ... makes no sense but okay.

I was almost in the city when Gert phoned suggesting I go to his computer guy and see if he would replace the faulty motherboard.

I catch the next tram heading home and take my laptop to PC House here in the suburbs.

The guy was laidback and lovely but no, replacing the motherboard would be horrendously expensive however he sold me a powerful usb wifi stick so I at least had wifi again and I did get to talk with his Bandidos motorbike friend for quite some time.

So the screen has returned for the moment but there's still no wifi and quite some heat from the harddrive under my hand.

Home and I suddenly thought maybe I would try phoning the States, the point of origin for my much-loved little Pavilion HP dv2000.

Even the robotic voice that led me through the required services was lovely ... warm ... inviting ... encouraging even. Really, you should phone them and see for yourself. Who knew a computer-generated creature could do that ...?

I was still laughing quietly when the real person answered the phone.
It was like phoning home ... HE. WAS. SO. NICE. AND. POLITE! He was nicer than phoning home actually, as they do mock a bit back there in the home country.

We worked through my laptop issues.
He was happy to help ... I was stunned.

I was then passed onto David who again, was just stunning.

Customer service ... dear lord, I had forgotten how good it could be.

Okay, so there is a problem, they will replace all, I just need to get it back to the States and at the end of the day, I will do it ... it's just shipping which is horrendously expensive (think more than a new cheap laptop) and a month without it but the customer services people were so very good that the experience is almost worth selling that other kidney of mine.

Oh, and Dell can't promise me a laptop in time. There is no way to get them to say anything other than 10 working days. I'm not even allowed to pay my own shipping and have it mailed out fast. There's no point in buying something I can't take with me on Friday ... Italy is all about laptop accessibility and if something goes wrong and my Dell doesn't arrive well, it doesn't bear thinking about. Anyway, I haven't received my order details from them via email to confirm so I guess that is that ...although who knows what will happen tomorrow.