Hugh Fuller buys the wrong warranty for his HP Pavilion laptop. The company promises a refund, but then sends the money to the wrong bank account. Now HP says the case is closed. Is it?
Q: I have a problem with a warranty I purchased from HP. It started when my HP Pavilion wouldn’t connect to the internet, though my other devices worked fine. I called HP Smart Friend, a service I was paying for, but its technicians were out of their depth. They kept trying to reinstall my operating system, which didn't fix the connection and actually messed up my files.
Eventually, I figured out the problem was my internet provider, not the laptop. But before I realized that, a Smart Friend representative convinced me my laptop was failing and sold me a Care Pack hardware warranty for $40. I bought it on the last day of my eligibility because I was worried.
When I later contacted the actual HP warranty department, they told me that Smart Friend had sold me the wrong type of warranty for my machine. They even said my laptop didn't need replacing. Since then, I’ve been caught in a loop of useless phone calls. I’ve contacted the HP support community, but no one seems able to make a decision.
HP finally agreed to a refund, but then the situation grew even more absurd. An executive in the escalations department, claimed they sent the $40 to a Bank of America account. I don't bank there.
HP now claims the matter is resolved, but I don't have my money. They need to cancel whatever they think they sent to the wrong bank and just mail me a check. Can you help me get my $40 back? — Hugh Fuller, Portland, Ore.
A: HP should have diagnosed your problem correctly, which would have avoided this entire absurd mess. Sending money into the void of a nonexistent account and then declaring the case "resolved" is not the kind of customer service you should expect.
Your experience highlights a common problem in corporate America. Companies often silo their support services, meaning the people selling you a "Smart Friend" subscription might not have a clue as to what the warranty department is doing.
You did the right thing by trying to resolve this through the HP support community and case managers. But you should have stopped the useless phone calls much sooner. When you're dealing with a giant like HP, phone conversations are like mist—they vanish as soon as you hang up. You need a paper trail. Always move your dispute to email so you have a written record of who promised what and when.
When a company gives you the runaround, you can also escalate your complaint to an executive. I publish the names, emails, and phone numbers of the HP executives on my advocacy site, Elliott.org.
I contacted HP on your behalf. I pointed out that while its records might show a payment was initiated, you never received it.
HP finally took a second look at its accounting. After our intervention, the company confirmed it had finally resolved the matter and has refunded the $40—this time to the correct account. Next time, skip the Smart Friends and stick to your own tech instincts.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/