Cupid's Day: I Love HP, Absolutely Hate HPShopping.com

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Not willing to blog about private emotions, I'll stick to professing love, and hate, geek-style.

I absolutely love HP. In my professional life, my server racks are filled with HP servers. I believe in HP/Compaq server engineering and it lives on to this day. These babies just keep humming and crunching whatever it is thrown at them, so much so, that my experience with these magnificent works of engineering over the years has made me equate the term "reliability" with "HP" - if you're thinking of having a "box" do something serious, the "core" or "critical" kind, you'll sleep better if that box has HP bloodlines.

The love fest has its kinks though, not the usual kind you can brush off, I mean irreconcilable differences that leads to an ugly divorce. The culprit? HP's "kid", hpshopping.com. I won't generalize and be very specific:

If you're shopping for an HP "custom configured" machine, stick with your reseller.

By "custom" I mean the online customization features that we all expect, ergo "standard" customized options. I actually think "customized" isn't the right term since you're just choosing from "pre-chosen" items anyway - you're just "opting" for this option, or that option....you're not exactly asking your initials be engraved on it!

What's the problem you ask? Well, it will take about three (3) weeks, to get your "customized" machine (laptop, in this specific case). Maybe I've just been spoiled over the years, but know what? "Customized" servers from Dell take about a week and half, tops, to be in our offices. Dell laptops, a week, tops.

Did I try to "expedite" things? Yes, willing to pay extra for it too. But alas, HPShopping.com isn't just inefficient, they've got some stubbornness to go with it too. We've all heard it before, "you can't change your order after it's placed". I understand that policy, but I'm not exactly saying change the machine....I'm just asking to speed things up, as it is, and I'm willing to pay for it.

In my opinion, this molasses like fulfillment process questions the validity of HPShopping.com. I could have ordered this from my reseller (should have, I know...now), received order confirmations, status, etc. (unless our SPAM gateway killed them, I don't think HPShopping sends email confirmations...sigh), and be on my merry way. There's a reason why we shop online, chief among them is "instant gratification". I gave HPShopping a shot, since I didn't have time to speak with my reseller, for a single machine that we needed. As it stands, time is exactly what we lost...by buying stuff online...a contradiction, right?

So, if you can get machines faster through your reseller, or through your local Best Buy store (pre-configured ones that is), get better service, why'd you shop for one at HPShopping?

To be fair, this experience only applies to "customized" items. If you're purchasing standard stock items like printers, inks, etc., you'll experience normal fulfillment schedules....although that's one of those "stretches" since it's to be expected. Although I have no experience with purchasing a pre-configured machine, I think things will go smoothly...but as stated I wouldn't know...don't want to know actually.

So, HPShopping, it's best we part ways. I wish you the best and hope that some day, you earn the respect that the HP brand has. You must see the error in your ways, lest you damage the well earned respect of your parent. Perception is reality to some, and although I can distinguish the difference based on experience, others will not. This is not the HP way.