I've just been trying to help unbox and setup an HP Photosmart Pro B9180. It's not detecting the ink cartridges, despite the ink cartridges being there. The support is almost totally useless. Here is what the booklet which accompanies the printer has to say:
Let HP's award-winning support and services show you the way with assitance online or over the phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(emphasis mine)
The manual includes a telephone number - +448700104320. If you phone that number, you will be informed that technical support is available online through a live chat service on the HP website. The website does not allow you to get online chat support for the make of printer.
The website also lists telephone numbers which quite plainly aren't +448700104320, and which are listed as being not open 24x7. Funny that, you'd think that the booklet that comes with the printer stating that you get 24x7 support would, you know, match up with things in reality. As Colbert put it, reality has a well-known liberal bias.
The lady who did answer on the aforementioned number told me that the technicians don't work on the weekend. Jolly good. People need time off. But why exactly are you advertising 24x7 service in the documentation and then not providing it?
I've always thought printer manufacturers were a bunch of assholes out to take people's money for tiny little cartridges of over-priced ink. Guess today proved me right again. Now the owner of this printer needs to call back on Monday, between 9am and 6pm - when at work. Interesting definition of 24x7.
