Yesterday, I called Kristen at HP Express Services at 408 626 3832 and was EXPLICITLY told that the Care Pack only covers hardware. It does not cover support for software problems.

According to the wording of the agreement, it would seem to only cover hardware:

This HP service provides high-quality remote assistance and onsite support for your covered hardware, helping you to improve product uptime.

Shutterbug2006 posted the following in another thread:

I just called Stacey at the contract division (1-877-271-3113) and she stated that if you buy the 2yr Care pack, it covers software support as well as hardware. Which makes sense, really.

Obviously you get different stories from different people at HP on this very important issue. Is there anyone current ON a Care Pack agreement who can speak to this issue? Have you been able to get software support under the Care Pack?

I have sent a separate e-mail to Ben Wolf to get his view on this.

Ed
Baltimore

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Ben Wolfe will give you the definitive answer obviously. And I'm sure he will agree it covers any HP software support you might need. But don't expect HP to provide you with Photoshop support, only the stuff that was shipped with the printer and/or later updated by HP.

Just my two cents.....

I don't expect HP to give Photoshop support! Why would you think I did?

Why are you so certain that the HP person you talked to is right and the one I talked to is wrong? I would think this would set off alarm bells for you--as it did for me. HP OBVIOUSLY does not have a set and consistent policy here.

I would really like to hear from people who have had positive or negative experience getting software support--drivers, print utility, APS, etc.--under the HP Care Pack. I would like to hear from people who actually know something not just those who have strong opinions.

This is an important question for me. I have a few days left on my original 1 year warranty and have the choice of getting a maintenance agreement from a local shop (not the official HP Care Pack) which provides all the hardware stuff that the HP Care Pack does and weak software support. They do not have the depth of software experience that HP does--if you are willing to spend hours or days working through their phone system.

As a sweetener the local shop's agreement--which is about the same price as HP's Care Pack--includes a yearly cleaning/maintenance of the printer.

If the HP Care Pack does NOT include software support--as I was told--then the local shop--not HP--gets my business.

thanks for any help on this.

Ed

Baltimore

I am so sure, because it is logical. It would not make any sense whatsoever to sell a HP Care pack that would only cover the cost of parts and labour to service a defective printer, if the problem was a software driver or supplemental software distributed WITH the printer by the manufacturer.

However, to determine if I was correct or not, I called HP's Care Pack Designjet Support Team, and they absolutely confirmed exactly what I said. The Care Pack covers hardware and software issues for the product the HP Care Pack covers. They specified they would not offer support for say, Adobe products, but they would offer support for the HP printer driver and APS software.

If you would rather let a local repair shop play with your printer, by all means, give them your money. But for my money, I'd rather have the designers and manufacturer fix my equipment should a problem arise.

As far as them providing the exact same hardware support as HP, get it in writing. And what does a yearly cleaning/maintenance of the printer mean? They use a can of air to blow out dust particles and oil the print-head carriage?

I'm not trying to be argumentative or faceitious. I think you're comparing apples to oranges in terms of the service and support the local repair shop says they provide. They just wouldn't have the backing, the depth of knowledge or the commitment to solving potential problems.

I'm also looking at the HP Care Pack vs the local company which sold me the z3100. The local company did the installation of the Z3100 and seemed to be knowledgeable.
I have never ever had any of my questions answered by HP. Dealing with them has been an amazing frustration. After reading the forums, it seems some people have made responsive, knowledgeable contacts at HP. Do you or anyone out there have a phone number or contact info for someone knowledgeable in HP's Care Pack Development Support Team?

Thanks!

Well, the dead line for getting some kind of warranty got here and I had to make a decision.

The fabled Ben Wolf who is always supposed to be there for us, never answered my e-mail. I had asked him what the truth was about their Care Pack: Did it or did it not cover the software that came with the printer? (drivers, print utility, APS) I explained that I was asking his question because the Care Pack sales people gave different answers.

I asked this forum if anyone had any actual experience of whether or not Care Pack warranties covered such software. Apparently no one had any experience to throw in the pot.

I spent an hour looking around for HP web site for a DETAILED statement--something in writing--of what the Care Pack covered. The only thing I could find said it covered hardware, parts and labor, on site. No mention of software.

My "local shop" --where I purchased the printer, has HP trained technicians. These would probably be the ones sent out by HP if I had a Care Pack. I can pick up my phone and talk to the head of the technical group at this local shop anytime I want. They say they will cover hardware and printer software.

Their warranty costs only slightly less that HP's. It includes a yearly cleaning--the details of which were spelled out and seem worthwhile.

Worse case, I think I can solve any software issue myself: erase the disk and start over. (Don't get hung up in residuals from mistakes.) I am doing a install of leopard to make such scrub and reinstall it all easier that it is now.) I like my Local group. I was very frustrated the few times I got stuck and had to spend hours getting to the right person in HP. I did get to the right person and they did help me.

I went with the warranty from the local shop--with some anxiety. But I think I would have had more anxiety going with HP.

thanks to Shutterbug2006 for his advice. I pondered all he said but went a different direction that he thought prudent.

time will tell.

ed
Baltimore

when i worked for hp... all 3rd party programs were given "best effort support" meaning we would try to help... but there was no gurantee that it would work

Please expand. I don't understand what you are saying.

thanks

ed
baltimore