It started several years ago. My laptop screen went out, it just went completely black. I figured out that I could hold a light up to it and still faintly see my files, well enough to back them up at least, and so I put on one of those headband cave light thingies and peered into the screen… backing up every last file. Then I closed the top, removed my ‘headlight’ and said my final goodbyes with a sigh.

It wasnt long after that I came across this sweet little HP Laptop deal. It was perfect - great specs, and at a price I just couldnt refuse…

I practically neglected my desktop computer for a spell, and became very attached to the HP. More so than laptops I had owned in the past. For a couple of years it went almost everywhere that I did. Chicago, Vegas, Boston, Houston - well, just to name a few.

I’m not the only one that felt this way. A very close friend of mine fell in love with this little HP laptop too. She roomed with me for a few months before she moved out of state and she would jokingly hug the HP all the time. She was just that goofy, and the HP was just that cool …

Of course, over time the battery started to lose its charge and the AC adapter became worn. XP started lagging a little. Nothing major. I backed up. Reloaded the O/S. Ordered a new AC adapter from an established merchant on eBay… I thought I had it licked.

Things just went downhill from there. I dont know if I got a bad adapter or what, but it never would charge after that and had this annoying flashing thing going on the entire time it was plugged into power. And then one day the wireless internet just stopped working. Poof - gone. *sigh*

I found myself faced with a major decision. Do I put money into a laptop that is 3+ years old… or buy a new one? That may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you have to understand that I truly loved this HP laptop.

I didnt need any new-fangled whiz-bang features. This one did everything I needed it to do. I wasnt asking it to out-perform my car, make me dinner or win the next gaming tournament. I just wanted to turn it on and write my little heart out. That’s all.

I decided to at least call HP and weigh my options. It was 9:30pm on a Friday night - and believe it or not, a friendly customer service rep answered the line. Not only that but once I introduced myself he knew exactly which laptop I owned and the date I purchased it. Sweet!

I decided it was worth a shot, and I spent $200 on a new battery and new charger. The system itself ran fine, especially with a clean install. I also picked up a new wireless card. Of course I could have put that money towards a new laptop… but I was so attached to this one. And to be honest, I wasnt keen on the idea of making the switch to Vista - which would come with any replacement.

The package arrived from HP within a couple of days, and I was very excited to get my baby going again. I popped in the new battery, plugged up the charger, and very impatiently waited for the amber light to turn green and tell me it was fully charged and ready to go.

I went to sleep that night, and checked on it again the next morning. Hmm - still amber. At this point I am quite sure it should have charged by now, so I pop the top and hit the power buttom to check the status. No charge.

After several more attempts, I finally just shut it down and put it away. Out of sight, out of mind I thought - It was just too upsetting to deal with. Days turned into weeks and I just let it sit. I had decided to return the battery and charger and just buy a new laptop, and could have kicked myself for not having done that in the first place.

Two and a half months later, I picked up the phone and called HP. Mind you, they have a 3 week return policy .

I poured my heart out to the customer service rep. I know this may seem silly I told him but I am just attached to this laptop. He completely understood and went out of his way to see what he could do for me. We ended my therapy session on a positive note, and I was very pleased.

The next morning I received a phone call from one of the support managers at HP’s customer service center. She was genuinely empathetic to the situation, but also mentioned that dreaded 3 week return policy. I know I told her I was just incredibly disappointed at the time and am just now getting back around to dealing with this…

She didnt laugh at me, or say Tough luck honey - either of which I would have totally understood. Instead she responded with an offer that completely blew me away:

“I am going to send you a box by FedEx. What I want you to do is put your laptop in that box and send it to our repair center with the prepaid postage label. I am going to have them look at it and figure out why it wont hold a charge. Your laptop is out of warranty, and this would usually cost $3-400, but I’m going to authorize this repair at no cost to you.”

I have never loved HP more than I did at that moment. Wow. Ya know? I mean, is that above & beyond or what?

As promised, the empty box arrived the very next day. I am sending off my trusty little HP with high hopes of a full recovery, and very much looking forward to its safe return.

In the meantime, I purchased a new Dell laptop. It was a great deal, and obviously I will need an up-to-date system for when I am mobile. Not a replacement (if all goes well), but simply an addition.

After several days of no word, I logged in to Dell to check the status of my order. Apparently it is not going to ship until August 15th - a full 3 weeks after I placed the order. That’s a new twist on 3-5 day shipping, I thought. It just confirmed my loyalties.

I ♥ HP

Tags: laptops, hp, customer support, customer service, computer repair