If Hewkett Packard HP Singapore is reading this, so much the better. I have been more than patient, in fact I have even be docile. I was protecting some arse of your engineer by not writing in a couple of months back and think that maybe he was having PMS. Anyway, this apparently is not the case. I think the whole of HP is having PMS.

Scene 1: My new laptop (it's a Compaq but HP took over after some bought over or something) of 2 months+ had a heart seizure. Was told by your engineer that it's okay to bring it in, even though it was a Saturday. Let me re-enact a little:

Me: Hello, HP, do you think you can help me, tomorrow is a Saturday and I need my laptop badly as all my office data is inside and I have some overseas order to put through.
HP: Yes mdm, bring it in. I'll try to see what I can do. Let the counter know when you reach.
Me (after rushing there and finding full house in service centre): Hello counter, can I have this brought to the engineer. He said he can see this immediately.
HP Counter: errr......

Me rings up engineer to tell him I am there..
HP ENGINEER: ok, you are here? wait a moment.
Presumed Engineer walks out to counter (there are a few but I can guess, being a Piscean).
He WHISPERS AND MUMBLES TO COUNTER STAFF then goes back in.

Me waits for another 15 minutes.. no sign of life and no call.
Me calls up engineer: I'm still here. Is everything alright?
HP ENGINEER: oh you are here ah?
Me: *puzzled*
Yes, I am. Didn't you just come out and spoke to your counter staff a moment ago? The staff who is sitting on the right side, two desks away from the wall!
HP ENGINEER: errr... yes... Mdm, today is Saturday, we cannot service it for you. You have to leave it here.
Me: But I told you it's a Saturday and you told me to bring it in and you'll see if it can be fixed immediately.
HP ENGINEER: Wait a moment. I'll call you back.

Me waits for another 20 minutes.
HP ENGINEER: Sorry mdm, no parts available for replacement. That section is closed for the day, they cannot issue out parts at this time.
Me: Can you get someone to override this order? Could the supervisor okay the issue since everyone is still working at this hour. (HP Service Centre is opened till late afternoon)
HP ENGINEER: Wait a moment, I'll get back to you.
HP ENGINEER (after ten minutes): No mdm, we cannot issue the item to you.

To cut a long story short, I had to leave it there. He offered a replacement set but I told him all my datas are inside, and unless they can transfer those, otherwise it's pointless.
To be truthful, he was condescending and suggested many stupid things that a computer noob would even sniff out.
A wasted trip costing tens of dollars for cab fare and a wasted Saturday afternoon when I am needed in the shop badly. I asked him who was going to reimburse my cab fare, but obviously I knew the answer. It was just disappointing that a used-to-be-great company is behaving hopelessly.

Anyway, as luck would have it, the said laptop busted again barely 3 weeks after repair. (Or somewhere close to that. Am too traumatized to dig out actual dates here, but my record file is there if HP bosses are reading this.)
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Another story which makes me decide to print this out.

My 3-in-1 HP Printer/Scanner/Fax machine's adaptor blew out because of a power surge caused by the technician in our building. (That's another story that is just waiting to get printed. Moi being a patient goose, will still lay on it and give them more time.)
HP ding dong my adaptor problem for close to a month!!!
Each time promising to call back, and no one calls!!
Don't buy from HP unless you want to spew out blood from your guts or intestines dealing with the service centre.

(this is obviously not a sponsored post)