Kept Light Photography

Photography and Writing by A. Cemal Ekin

Sweet? No, Sour! HP Spectre x360

by

HP Specre x360 Is a Lemon

Summary: HP Spectre x360 Is a Lemon! Details? Read below and in the previous article linked.

(Read the two updates at the end, I added them after HP contacted me.)

I wrote about the problems I had with a new HP Spectre x360, and I thought that was the end. Someone from HP sent me an e-mail after that post to tell me that a new case manager would contact me to resolve my problems. That was a surprise, a welcome one, but still a surprise. Let me state at the outset for those who do not know me, I am a technology person who owned two computer companies, installed large-scale networks, sold many computers, trained many users. So, I am not coming from the novice side of the issues but the expert side. I still have consulting clients and a lot of friends who come to me for computer advice.

Even the knowledgeable people can have difficulties if the companies are intent on creating problems, in more ways than one. Despite their claims that there are no problems like those I reported, if you search the Internet, you will find a large number of questions related to the matters I have been mentioning. For instance “hp spectre x360 screen crash” yields 111,000 results on Google, “hp spectre x360 trackpad issues” 57,000, “hp spectre x360 sound problems” will present a whopping 285,000 hits as of January 14, 2016.

Read on, especially if you are considering an HP product.

The new case manager whom I knew only as Jennifer was a true professional and genuinely interested in helping the customer rather than defending the company and a faulty product. By that time, I had had several conversations with a different case manager, a support person looked at the computer via remote connection, the laptop went to a service center and returned after 11 days the same way. Jennifer understood the difficulties I went through and offered to replace the computer. Since I was going on a three-week vacation we agreed to pick the conversation up upon my return towards the end of November 2015. After my return home, one call to Jennifer was enough to arrange for the replacement computer to be sent with a shipping label for the old one to be mailed back to HP. I was hopeful that the new computer would solve my problems. Alas!

Yet Another Case Manager

The problems continued, sound system would quit, and still does, at random times; the touch pad two-finger scroll would change direction; the WiFi would decide to disconnect; and this one introduced a new problem the Intel HD display driver would crash in the middle of doing something and “recover” with a blank screen. Most of these problems would require rebooting the computer, sometimes even twice.

I called support and after some wait, I was connected to a support staff in India who connected to my computer remotely and updated a slew of drivers, from sound to display to touch pad although the HP Support Assistant, the resident software for tracking such things, did not show any new updates. He offered to call back in 3-4 days and was on time to do so. Unfortunately, in the meantime, the computer continued with the problems and I reported the situation to him. He transferred me to another agent, who in turn brought me in touch with yet another case manager, and I know him only as Christian.

Christian listened to my story, the problems which I have been repeating over and over despite the fact that they were supposed to keep a record of it. After going through the same gyrations I asked if I could return this computer and receive my money back. He indicated that according to the company policies the computer had to be seen by a technician and noticing my unwillingness to ship it once more with all data cleared from it for security and be without a laptop for 10-12 days again, he offered to arrange an authorized HP technician to make a house call. I indicated to Christian that if the technician validated my problems, I would like that to be the end and receive my refund for the computer. Clearly, the starting point is mistrusting the consumer, even after so many calls and problems reported.

Authorized HP Technician Arrives

HP Spectre x360 is a lemon

Technician’s report documenting the problems

At the arranged time, the authorized HP technician arrived and I handed the laptop to him. He was surprised that many things were not functioning, and reported to the person who authorized to open the case that when he arrived “nothing was working.” After obtaining approval from HP on the phone (see the image on the left), he opened the computer and looked at the connections, unplugged a few and plugged them back and restarted the computer.

Spectre Screen Crash

Note the Windows version

During his visit the screen crashed once, the sound was not working, and he observed for a brief moment the trackpad problem. After writing his report and taking a photograph of it for his records he left the original with me and left, the report is on the left. Before he left though, he called Christian and reported to him everything he saw, then put me on to talk with the case manager. I repeated my request to return the computer and receive my money back. He said he would get back to me at a certain time on a certain day.

Another Missed Call by HP and an Offer In Writing With Two Bad Choices

I waited for his call. After about an hour passed I sent an e-mail to him to indicate my disappointment in yet another missed call by HP support. He replied and apologized for not calling and asked if he could call back the following day, I agreed. More yada yada … during that conversation and I asked him to send me in writing his offer on how to refund my money. A few days later I received his “offer” which contained one bad offer and one even worse than that. HP would refund part of my money, $930 of the $1,249 I paid for it because they had to prorate the refund to account for my “use” of the computer. The other offer was an HP gift card for $1,230 with which I could buy another HP product.

I told Christian that making me pay for the faults in their computer was not fair at all and I had spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with not only the computer problems but also dealing with the customer support. Furthermore, prorating the value of anything requires an agreed upon life of the item. Judging by the amount they deducted, 25%, they assumed a two-year or less life for this laptop. My laptops last a good deal longer than that, and perhaps it was telling how much HP trusted their equipment. I told him that I would get back to him with my decision and that neither of the offers was attractive to me.

I Declined The Offer, Reserving My Rights For Legal Action

On January 14, 2016, I wrote an e-mail to Christian and told him that HP’s practice of beating consumers to submission did not amount to customer service. By simply offering bad and even worse choices they rig the system to discourage the consumer from pursuing it further. He called me the same day and I repeated to him that I would decline both offers but retain my rights to pursue legal action if I so chose. He repeated the false claim that “he was there to help me,” and I told him that he may only contact me if HP agreed to pay me the full amount to take the computer back, we parted ways.

This is my second horrendous experience with HP and from now on I will erase it from my evoked set of products if I am in need of something, anything, they produce. I should have trusted my first experience. But, superficial reviewers who tend to write to get traffic to their Web sites rather than truly inform the consumer fooled me. Shame on them too.

A Review Rejected, Surprise!

In the meantime, I wrote a review on HP Web site about this product which they offer to anyone. I read their guidelines and did not use any obscenities, mention any names, did not include any spam, or any links, I stuck to the problems I had with the computer. Yesterday, I heard from the review approval team that my review did not follow their guidelines and therefore could not be published. I replied and asked to see where I violated the guidelines, but I am not holding my breath to hear from them. They essentially want good reviews or reviews that talk about trivial problems. Obviously, they do not want to hear real world problems. Furthermore, they don’t want the real problems to be visible to potential buyers.

A Warning to Those Considering HP, Don’t

So, do you still want to buy an HP? Think twice, thrice, look elsewhere, find something else, … This company does not care about product quality or customer service. They want to push the boxes and then push the customers to ignore the problems they are having through a customer service process that has the wrong premise: Protect the company and call it “I am here to help you” service. I say, this is a push-away type of customer service and this is NOT the type of marketing I taught in my 40+ years of academic career.

HP Specre x360 Is a LemonThere is Lemon Law in Rhode Island which provides some level of protection when products continue to fail after repeated attempts to bring them to the expected and promised levels of standards. Using that, I may file a complaint with the state attorney general and follow the guidelines described for this process. That will make more people aware of these problems at an official level. The amount in dispute is within the limits of the small claims court. I can file a suit and seek legal advice from a lawyer before appearing before the judge. HP has to send at least one lawyer to represent them. I may or may not recover my entire cost back. But, that too will inform a lot of potential customers about the problems that may lie ahead.

You are warned! They produce lemons; you cannot even make lemonade from them.

Note: I replaced the original opening, featured image after the second person commenting reminded me that it was the upcoming 15″ model. I was quite surprised at the speed with which he or she found my post within hours from posting and be so quick to recognize the model mistake. I wonder … ;-)

Update February 5, 2016

On January 27 an HP Americas Executive Manager sent me an e-mail asking to talk to me about my case. The next day we spoke on the phone. I told him that unless HP agreed to refund my money I would not talk with him. He said that HP would pay the entire cost of my purchase and buy back the laptop. With some delay, I received the promised FedEx shipping label and took the box to FedEx. Upon receiving the unit they promised to issue a check within 10-15 days. I am waiting. Interestingly, on the shipping label, the value of the item showed as $100! They must be self-insuring against a problem in shipping.

Update February 23, 2016

Finally! The ordeal is over. I shipped the unit on February 2, 2016, and received a check on February 23, 2016,  for the full cost of the computer. It took a little longer than expected but I am VERY glad this is now behind me.

Comments

  1. Günaydın (in both senses) Cemal!
    The material you wrote is 100% supported by me – because I was also a victim. Luckily that was many many years ago and the coin had dropped long ago.
    HP is for the younger adventurers. For us people, best is to stay away from that brand.

    Have a nice week-end free from HP worries!

    Haluk

  2. I came across your blog after doing a search for the new, yet to be released HP Spectre x360 15″ model. You’re clearly writing about the x360 13″ yet you have posted a picture of the new 15″ model. I read some of your blog but I stopped well before reaching the end.

    I myself had purchased the x360 QHD Broadwell i7 model from Best Buy, back in August. I had a few issues but not the type you mention here. I never had any touchpad issues other than the fact that I was not a fan of the way the large touchpad looked. The problems I had were related to the wi-fi connection being cut frequently and too much heat generated around the left palm rest area.

    I have the receipts to prove that I went thru 14 units over a 3 month period. I went thru 14 units, all QHD i7 models from Silver Broadwell to Skylake models in the beautiful Ash Silver. Most of the exchanges were about the wi-fi issue which turned out to be a driver issue rather than a hardware issue as I was led to believe. I also had 2 units that had sleeping/dead pixels. In the end, what did it for me was the fact that all 14 units would become too hot for my hand around the left palm rest. I do a lot of typing and spend many hours per day, sitting in front of my PC. I loved the design of the x360 and wanted to keep it but I knew the heat issue was too much for me to deal with.

    Again, I am someone who has gone thru 14 x360s and never a once, had the problems you speak of. Furthermore, if you check verified purchased reviews on sites such as Best Buy, you will see that many people are actually very happy with their units and did not have the problems you speak of.

    In my opinion, what you’ve managed to do here, is hurt your own credibility more so than that of HP. Like a child that is upset about something and wants the world to know it.

    I had an issue with my first purchase and so I went right back to the retailer who gave me no problem in exchanging the product. Based on my 14 units and all of the online reviews from verified buyers, I find no credibility in your words. I believe that your experience may in-fact be truthful but to suggest that your experience is and will be everyone else’s; is nothing more than being untruthful. I used my x360s, daily for up to 12 hours some days. The problems you speak of, never came to be for me. The heat problem I had, on all of the units, is a problem that many people have not had. I can not explain why that is but I know enough to know that I can not claim that the heat issue is a matter of fact for all x360s and that every x360 owner will experience the same because in fact many have not experienced the same. It would be foolish and irresponsible of me to blog about my issue being a matter of fact that does and will apply to everyone.

    BTW’ I have since settled on the XPS 15 9550 and the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Spin (one that you may want to consider as it is flawless other than the short battery life of 5 to 6 hours).

    • Ace01, thank you for taking time to write a long comment. I am amazed how fast Google indexed my post and you were able to find it among thousands of sites writing about HP and Spectre x360, I wonder … ;-)

      I find it interesting that you indicate going through 14 units in 3 moths yet find that acceptable and my writing about the serious problems childish. Yes, I want the world to know the problems with the product and HP support, that is good citizenship in my opinion. But we clearly disagree. You also are quick to jump to conclusion that you find “no credibility in” my words, yet your words are enough to dismiss my credibility. Why would I find over 400,000 hits on Google with the same problems if they did not exist? If only 10% of those were similar to mine that would make 40,000 other users duped by HP. Why do you think it is OK for me to lose $300 in half a year because HP dragged me all along, did not respond to my support questions on their forum, did not call as promised at least three times, dropped the ball on the product and support?

      As you see, I am approving your comment with no modifications. Your words, even though contrary to your intention, support what I have said; problems with HP products, 14 of them on three months, and that you recommend a Dell or a Samsung. I wish I had a chance to read your views someplace. But, others will now have a chance to see your recommendations here. Thank you. Regrettably, I no longer have the option to try the Samsung or the Dell since HP is forcing me to lose money, not a good option, or live in the HP world, never!

  3. Your blog came up near the top after I did a search for the new HP Spectre x360 15 with a filter for the past 24 hours.

    “I find it interesting that you indicate going through 14 units in 3 moths yet find that acceptable” – As I stated within my first post, it turned out to be that the major problem that had me exchanging the bulk of the x360s, was not a hardware (Wi-Fi card) issue as I had been led to believe by the various online forums. In other words, many of the units I returned, had only needed a wireless adapter driver update (or more specific the newer drivers were causing the problem while one of the older versions of the driver worked without issues).

    What I mean by childish is the assumption that with one unit, you presume that all others must be having the same issue as you and or will have the same issue should they purchase. Yes, there are plenty of bad reviews online. The same can be said for just about all other brands and models. To tell the world, based on one personal example, that an entire brand and model are a failure, is not my idea of being credible and responsible. Your mentions of google hits, is but a footnote. Your main ammunition is your own single experience. I mentioned my 14 units for several reasons. One of those reasons is to indicate that someone like myself, is in a far better position to judge the quality of this product than that of someone who has had perhaps had only one unit to draw a conclusion from. Every company has units that fail. I love my iPhone and iPad but over the years, I’ve had 2 or 3 Apple products that have failed and needed to be replaced.

    I’ve tried many laptops within the past 6 months. The x360, the Lenovo Yoga 900, the Dell XPS 15 and the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Spin. Aside from the Spin, I’ve seen videos and read bad reviews for all of the above. The XPS is loved by some and hated by others. There are dozens of complaints about the XPS build quality. I almost decided to no try the XPS 15 9550 because of the bad reviews. I took a chance and ordered one from Best Buy, knowing that if I had issues, they would take care of me. My XPS, has none of the problems that some users have complained about. You see, often is the case, that users who have no problems and are not tech happy geeks like some of us, and do not buy devices and then get online to talk about them. Most users of most products, are people who want things to just work and then they move on. They don’t wish to talk about their laptops. They just want to use them and get on with their lives. So what you have, are many people, happy with their purchases but are not included in those google hits because they have not left any comments anywhere.

    Again, if you take a look at the Best Buy site, have a look and tell me if you do not see hundreds of 4 and 5 star reviews for various Spectre x360 models. I was surprised to see so many because of the heat problem I had. Regardless, reality is that many people are happy with their purchase of the x360.

    In dealing with tech manufacturer customer service, almost all companies offer a horrible experience (excluding Apple and sometimes Microsoft). Even Samsung who with their wonderful new Spin 2-in-1, has horrible support (I had called them with help on how to upgrade/clone the SSD drive using their included Samsung app). I once had an issue with HP, many years ago. I found a number online for the HP president’s office. I called and sure enough, it was a recording telling me that I had reached the president’s office. I left a voicemail and within 48 hours I received a call from someone who worked directly under the president. He took care of my problem (I bought an HP Pocket PC that had no Pocket PC in the box). A week later, I had a check in the mail for what I had paid for the empty box.

    You can see many of my posts, on a site called http://www.ultrabookreview.com/ (same user name; Ace01). Also directly here for the Samsung Spin: http://www.ultrabookreview.com/9207-samsung-ativ-book-9-spin-review/ and directly here for comments and review of the x360 vs the Yoga 900: http://www.ultrabookreview.com/9112-lenovo-yoga-hp-spectre/
    My problem with online reviews, is that often times, people have a bad experience and then they post online, often times, exaggerating tremendously. 14 x360’s, 4 or 5 Yoga 900s and my one XPS and my one Spin (along with several friends who have since purchased the Spin) and what I have come to realize is that some of what’s written by users, has proven to be far from the truth within my own experiences. This goes both ways; sometimes you read good things, only to find it to not be accurate for you. Worst of all, what really gets me are folks leaving one-star ratings on places like Amazon, because the product took too long to arrive or for some other reason that has nothing to do with the actual quality of the product.

    • Ace01, you are quick to use your “judgement” on people but do not allow people to do the same on products. First, I did not write a technical review, it is sharing of my experience with the product. Second, how exactly do you know that I am “exaggerating tremendously” while I document everything I say, including an HP authorized technician witnessed the problems. Third, my experience is not based on a single unit, if you read the related posts you would have found out that I had one unit that was remotely serviced, then went for repair, and then it was replaced. I believe in statistics, the odds are extremely against having two products from the same line, selected at random to manifest exactly the same problems if these problems were rare occurrences. Fourth, I do not want to spend my time going through 15-20 laptops but using one. Fifth, I consider it a consumer responsibility to mention these experiences; if more consumers followed the same path you would likely not go through 14 laptops in 3 months because manufacturers would be more likely to pay attention to quality control. Sixth, and finally, you state “What I mean by childish is the assumption that with one unit, you presume that all others must be having the same issue as you and or will have the same issue should they purchase.” Science does not need to study an entire population of things or people to make a statement about it. Sampling and related concepts are used in all disciplines of science, I guess you will disagree with that as well. My main concern has been the units I own and I have given HP more than ample time, opportunities, and ways of dealing with them. Perhaps that was a mistake, trusting a company to stand behind its product but they chose to drag me for four months with various methods. I suppose that is alright with you too.

      We should agree to disagree, you will not consider my experience “real” which to me has been more than real, perhaps even surreal. No reply is necessary.

    • I would like to join in to say we purchases 2 of these (Best Buy) in August 2016 and both machines are horrible! Freezes, crashes, ghost touch, need an HP monitor to remove blurriness on secondary monitor…

      No amount of driver updates/changes from HP or Microsoft will fix this junk.

  4. Cemal, thank you for informing us about your experience. For me, this is as real as it gets and more reliable than “expert” opinions expressed all over as I don’t suspect your motives. I should also thank Ace01 for enabling you to make your points much clearer.

    Suleyman

  5. Update:

    On January 27 an HP Americas Executive Manager sent me an e-mail indicating that he wanted to talk to me about my case. The next day we spoke on the phone and I told him that unless HP was interested in refunding my money I had no interest in talking with him. He said that HP would pay the entire cost of my purchase and buy back the laptop. With some delay, they provided the promised FedEx shipping label and I put the Spectre in a box and took it to FedEx. Upon receiving the unit they promised to issue a check within 10-15 days. I am waiting. Interestingly, on the shipping label the value of the item was shown as $100! They must be self-insuring in case of a problem in shipping.

    I will also write here when I receive a check from HP.

    Cemal

  6. Hi Cemal,
    I guess you’re just victim to one of the cases where the touchpad was not firmly fixed in some of the early models, resulting in clickpad misses. According to (german) Amazon reviews, some of the early devices also had issues with grounding which probably could lead to the sound problems you experienced. So for me this is a typical issue of early adopting to new hardware (new production lines, customer beta-testing etc.) which is common for almost any modern tech company. I agree with you that this is not okay but realize that in the fight for market shares there’s almost no option to avoid such. Even with my old Lenovo Thinkpad I had issues at first which where resolved later by driver updates etc.. And even if I also have (some massive) prejudices against HP, especially regarding their printers, I must admit my Jan. 2016 x360 works flawlessly yet. So probably, when you receive your refund (which they should give you), you should give it a 2nd try with a 2016 model, tested beforehand by you at a local store.
    Kind regards,
    Bjoern

    • Hello Bjoern, thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. My posts were as much about the product as they were about the senseless defense of the company and the product at the expense of the consumer. I really tried to like the x360, it sure was a handsome looking laptop. I shipped it back on the instruction of HP and now waiting for the refund check. That too is happening in an agonizingly slow manner. I shipped the item on Feb 2, 2016 and still have not received the check.Once a week or so I get a phone call or an e-mail telling me it will take about 10-15 days. I am hopeful that I will get the money back but not without additional aggravation.

      Enjoy your x360, I wish I could mine.

      Cemal

  7. Finally! The ordeal is over. After shipping the unit on February 2, 2016 I have just received a check today, February 23, 2016 from HP for the full amount that I had originally paid for the computer. A little longer than expected but I am VERY glad this is now behind me.

    Cemal

  8. I don’t doubt anything you say but I wanted to add another interesting data point. I purchased one of these for my wife from the microsoftstore. I believe it has a gen6 I7 and given yours was last year it might have been a gen 5. So it’s possible they made some major hardware improvements.

    Anyhow, the system has been pretty flawless for my wife. I feel like it has entirely lived up to what it stated. The only thing that doesn’t work is it never shows the remaining battery time in windows. Apparently HP removed support for that from their bios because it was misleading. I think it’s lame, but I can live with that minor thing. The other possible big difference is that the microsoft store does not ship the same software installation that HP does. They do a clean windows install and tout this as a feature of buying from them. I know that I personally prefer a clean install of windows. It’s possible HP software crud caused some of your problems too.

    The commodity market is crazy competitive and HP was probably too eager to release this one, but at least from my experience they may have cleaned it up.

    • I am glad it worked for your wife, when things work they are enjoyable. When you are pushed around, they are not. My first one was Gen 5 but the second one was Gen 6 i7. Problems remained the same.

    • You can change that setting in BIOS version F11…

      Under *Send Battery Time to OS* disabled by default.

      My 2016 Spectre has performed well, except for a battery drain while off issue, although this has been handled well thus far, the proof will be in the pudding.

  9. My brand new HP Spectre x360 arrived today. One short hour later, the screen was dead, and refuses to come alive again. Sometimes I hear Windows 10 jingle sounds, but nothing on the screen. No cursor, no message to say I can hit ESC to go into the BIOS. Nothing. Zero.

    Only now have I stumbled across your experiences, and have a sick feeling in my stomach.

    Noooo….

    Mike Gledhill
    Switzerland

    August 2016

    • Sorry to hear your experience Mike. It could have been a great device but HP does not even acknowledge the problems. My suggestion is to return it if you can. I am now using a Microsoft Surface Book and am very pleased with it.

      Best,

      Cemal

      • Hi Cemal,

        Just to add, my 1-hour-old HP Envy laptop’s screen never did come back to life, but (having bought it directly from HP), they gave me absolutely no trouble in requesting my full money back. I’d even bought a 3-year guarantee for the laptop, and that also got refunded.

        Whether they’d have been as nice if it had died after a day, a week or 6 months later is anyone’s guess.

        However, just like with the two HP OfficeJet 6830s I’ve bought in the past year, both of which died of the same very well documented known hardware failure, I’m sickened by how HP continues to sell products with well-known and well-reported hardware faults in them.

        I thoroughly recommend to fellow IT colleagues to stay away from anything HP from now on.

        Their reliability is just shocking, and they do not have the courtesy of responding to lengthy email threads from victims, all of whom have the same hardware faults with their products, year after year.

        Mike

        • Thank you Mike for adding to your earlier comments. The purpose of these reports is not to bash a company but to bring these problems to the attention of them and also other buyers. The more this is done, the higher the quality will be. Some people, for some unknown reason to me, will defend the company (HP in this case) to prove that what we write is wrong, although everything is extensively documented.

          I appreciate keeping up the information flow, this is a service to the consumers and a push to the companies to improve the quality of their products.

          Take care,

          Cemal

  10. Hi there, thanks for sharing your experience with HP – I came across this as I am experiencing something similar with my new HP Spectre X2. Since purchasing it, from day one I have been experiencing a smorgasbord of issues including an ongoing problem with the graphics/display driver issue where the screen stops working and then recovers itself (despite reporting to HP support and installing new drivers this continues – a google search on this issue also reveals it is a systematic problem), issues with the audio, some keys randomly stopped working, computer simply wouldn’t load one day and had to restore OS to factory settings, latest issue is the computer randomly turns itself off every now and then. Some of these problems have been able to be fixed through contacting HP support – but I am at the stage where I am getting tired of constantly contacting HP support with new issues – new computers should not have ongoing issues like this. It is clearly a defective product.

    • Quality control and design specs seem to be lacking along with customer service geared more to defend the company. Sorry to hear that you are subjected to experience similar to mine. I hope, truly hope that HP hears these voices and slows down the design to identify the future problems and when they emerge, responds quickly and appropriately.

      Regrettably, this is the most read post on my site, about 30-50 visits a day. That means a small portion of users having these problems find this post on my site like you did. I feel for you AL, persist, talk to supervisors, escalate your problem. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution.

      Cemal

  11. I have been a loyal HP customer -every laptop, desktop, computer i have ever owned was with HP. So when I purchased the HP Spectre I7 with sold state hard drive on 5/2015 i thought i was investing in a laptop that would easily last me 5 years. I just received my HP Spectre back from from the HP repair facility where they had to replace the motherboard as my laptop failed to turn on one day and could not be fixed remotely or using any of the suggestions on the HP Forum. Laptop is only a year and a half old and was practically brand new as I am not a heavy user. My warranty had expired 5/2016. After speaking with customer service, it didn’t take them long to conclude that i would most likely need the motherboard replaced at a cost of approximately $320.00 to me. They easily diagnosed the issue because it is a known issue effecting hundreds of customers -HP forum has many threads on the issue. So if this is a known manufacturing defect then why was I responsible to pay for HP’s faulty product and their mistake? I had already invested $1500 to purchase and know have invested a total of $1800 into this laptop and am concerned the issue is going to happen again. They only guarantee a 90 day warranty once it is received back from the repair facility. I am very disappointed I had to pay for HP’s manufacturing mistake. If they absorbed the cost, or the cost was very minimal, i wouldn’t be so upset. I’d say to folks to think twice before purchasing the Spectre until HP figures out the bugs!

    • Renee, I am sorry to hear another poor experience with this computer and its manufacturer, HP. Unfortunately, many users suffer in silence or silenced by the support staff. This kind of writing is actually a positive thing if the company could take them to heart and figure out what to do about the issues. A poor customer experience, once it is shared, travels far and deep. This post is the most read post on this site and periodically visitors like you share their experience and add to its impact. Unfortunately, our voices are too small to make it to the ear of the people at HP. I concur with your warning to think twice before buying this laptop.

      Take care,

      Cemal

  12. Hey, Cemal!

    I am having the same issue with my Spectre x360. I bought the $1399 laptop in its most expensive model in August 2015, and the motherboard crashed in January 2016. The one year warranty meant that hp had to fix it and send it back to me, so they did. I wasn’t aware of the fact that it was possible for it to happen again, so I trusted their repair.

    It is now November 3, 2016, the motherboard on the laptop was confirmed to have fried itself again by my local repair shop. I called HP and told them about my situation and how I am a college student who took a leap investing in this product that I rely very heavily on to get through school, and cannot afford to replace or fix, only for them to inform me that they refuse to give me any solution other than a $500 repair charge and that it was impossible for them to repay me the large sum of money that I spent on the machine a year and some months before. Now, out of common sense, why would I pay that much to fix something that is obviously going to occur again? If it has twice, it will continue to.

    After asking the technician to refer me to her supervisor or someone of higher position in the company, I read him the same act I did his colleague. After an hour he continued to give me no option but a $400 price for the repair, and eventually stopped answering me altogether until I had to ask if he was still on the line because he would not respond to me and my issue and wanted me to quit.

    I’m not sure what else to do, but it seems that the law was the only way to get HP company’s attention. I don’t think that law is applicable in New York, where I purchased the laptop, or in Georgia where I currently am attending college.

    Email me if you have any ideas that could help!

    • Oh, Ryan, I am so sorry to hear these stories, especially to a college student with limited financial resources. HP should be ashamed of first putting a poorly designed product with a handsome shell, and second, for not standing behind their mistakes. And, all those reviewers who gave the false impression that this was an excellent laptop should bow their heads too.

      That said, you may try directly contacting the HP executive suite. Visit their corporate site, find the contact page with a contact form. Write a courteous and clear note and show them how you found yourself in a corner with no place to go. In the mean time, contact the Better Business Bureau and your local state’s office of the Attorney General consumer affairs division and ask for advice.

      Best of luck, I hope you get some help from HP.

      Cemal

  13. I know that your machine has been returned a long time ago and that you’re now not interested in buying anything from HP, but the first thing that I do when I buy a laptop is go through the different component support pages and download the latest drivers directly from the suppliers.

    These drivers are generally a couple of months ahead of what Windows Update offers and 6-12 months ahead of what the PC manufacturers put on their support pages, so by doing this I can have the latest fixes and hopefully less bugs to encounter.

    Having said this, I have not had any problems with my Spectre x360 yet, and I really hope that I don’t run into any of the problems described in this post in the future.

    The title “HP Spectre x360 is a failure, so is HP itself | Kept Light Photography” that’s the Google result is a bit misleading, though, so it would be great if you could change it. I’m not a HP rep but the x360 has done pretty well over the last two years and HP isn’t dying any time soon.

    • Justin, first of all, I am very glad that you are not having any problems with your device. That is always a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, my experience had been exactly the opposite with multiple service calls, one HP technician visit, a depot repair attempt, and a replacement computer did not yield a usable device. On top of the device failures, HP support site did not even reply to my question for about two weeks, and after that they mainly defended the company and the device rather than trying to find solutions to the problems. These are, in my book, failure points; and I consider pointing them out a consumer responsibility and a favor to the company.

      Given my experiences, multiple, serial failures on the part of HP and the product, calling them both “failure” is entirely fair. I am sure you have also read the favorable and unfavorable comments here that point to a problem. One reader who strongly defended HP and the device admitted going through a half dozen computers in three months which I cannot understand. How could anyone defend a product and its manufacturer after six of them failing him.

      I am perfectly willing to publish a letter from HP apologizing for the way they dragged and treated me. Accepting failure is the beginning of its elimination.

      We all do what we think is best. Take care, and enjoy your HP. I sure am my Microsoft Surface Book.

      Cemal

  14. I purchased an HP Spectre x360 in July 2015 for CA$1610 from Best Buy, therefore it is barely 1 ½ year old – and I’ve already had two major issues with it. It is in perfect condition and has never been dropped or mistreated. It works great, but it unfortunately is NOT reliable. First issue appeared in January 2016 and somehow resolved itself without any intervention after a week (the laptop would not power on for a week). Now, the second issue is that the laptop will not charge anymore. The laptop was functioning well and I got the low battery message which made me plug the cable to charge it. However, the laptop would not charge (the LED light did not turn orange) and my laptop eventually died because it had no battery life. I am 5 months out of the 1 year warranty period and HP said it would charge me CA$413 for repairs – my laptop is not even 2 years old! I find it completely ridiculous to have to fork out CA$400 in repair fees for what is supposed to be a “premium laptop” in the early years of its useful life especially when it has not been mistreated. I am seeing many posts on online forums from individuals that seem to be experiencing the exact same issue as me. It must be due to manufacturing or design issues on HP’s part if we are all experiencing similar problems right after the warranty period ends. It is deplorable that HP is not owning up to the mass issue and leaving its customers to cover the charges. I will definitely think twice when purchasing an HP product in the future.

    —–

    I posted a very similar message (slightly less opiniated) on one of HP”s Instagram posts and it was deleted within an hour. I am completely appalled with the fact that they thought it was acceptable to mute my opinion. My message was stating facts and was respectful.

    I understand that one could defend HP’s products if they’ve only had overall good experiences. However, I think it is very telling of HP as an organization that they leave their customers to fend for themselves with known issues and gag us to prevent negative words on their products from spreading to potential customers – THAT is something that cannot be defended.

    I was also fooled by multiple seemingly reliable bloggers into buying this product. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find authentic bloggers. Cemal, do you have any recommendations on honest laptop-IT reviewers/bloggers?

    • I am very sorry to hear your experience with the same laptop, yet another similar story. I am surprised that HP is just letting these stories hang in the air while it would take them little investment to at least take care of the customer. As you see, some people defended HP in the comments even after going through several computers in a couple of months. Hard to understand.

      Regarding the reviews, unfortunately the reliable ones seem to base on bad experiences, like mine and yours, and others who shared their stories. Most of the sites are under time pressure to publish their reviews and invariably they are based on a few days, maybe a couple of weeks of occasional use. Perhaps next time anyone wants a review they should start by searching for trouble reports for the model they are considering.

      Do call HP, go up on the corporate ladder. Their corporate site has a contact form, use it. Best of luck to you, I feel your disappointment.

      Cemal

      • Thank you for your reply Cemal.
        I will definitely do more in-depth research before my next purchase.
        Happy holidays!
        Janny

  15. Thanks for your post. I was seriously consider the HP, but after reading about your troubles along with others, I’m going to steer clear. I’ve had great results through the years with Acer, so I think I will stick with them.

  16. Thank you so much, Cemal, for taking the time to document your experience with the Spectre x360 and HP.

    I am expecting a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a high-end laptop I would not be able to afford otherwise, via a voucher as part of a workers’ comp settlement. This laptop needs to last me, as unfortunately now that I am injured I cannot count on having the income to be able to afford a nice laptop otherwise, nor can I expect to be able to pay for expensive repairs (not to mention a replacement laptop!).

    My husband previously worked as an IT tech and warned me against HP, but I became so enamored with this model from looking at online reviews that I was leaning towards ignoring his advice and investing in one anyway. Now I will look for something different. Thanks again.

      • My current laptop is an Acer, and I picked it out because I liked the keyboard but unfortunately over time various keys have started failing to register. Admittedly, mine is a lower-end model purchased by my stingy employer which also saw very heavy use over a period of two years, so hopefully you will have better luck with yours!

  17. Wow, wow, i had the same problems you mentioned. I’m on my second Spectre, and am taking it back to Best Buy this weekend where we have arranged that I will return it for something entirely new I will probably exchange it for the Lenova Yoga. Thank God I had Geek Support already lined up – as I have literally had to work with them 12 different times, in 3 months, for two computers
    Many of us use our computers for work and cannot afford to have two new laptop break down with hardware issues.

    • Glad to be of help Margot, if more consumers talk and share their experiences we will probably use better products! I am enjoying my Microsoft Surface Book very much.

      Cemal

  18. Glad I’m not the only one! My Spectre did manage to squeak just past the 1-year warranty (terrible for a $1200 machine) before the screen began to fail (vertical lines, freezing). I did have wifi issues as well, but was aware of it being a driver error through my own experience as an IT amateur. HP wants $400 to replace the screen, and it’s not even the QHD version! The screen issue is in a good many places in the forums, all ending in a sad state of coughing up large sums of money on a $1200 machine that only lasts a year. I am well and truly done with HP. What I have had great luck with are refurbed Dell Latitudes on eBay, if you know what to look for. Many large companies will buy in bulk, only to have a handful go unused, so they they send them back, then Dell certified refurbishers bid on, check over, and re-sell these $800-1500 machines for $400-600 and they are recertified with the full 3-year warranty (hear that, HP….3 year!) from Dell themselves. I’ve purchased 3 Latitude E7440’s for our company and have not had a single issue in 2 years!

  19. So here it is, I’m not crazy after all! Ive had nothing but problems with this Spectre 360 15″ 3-in-1. I purchased it July 4th and have actually been able to use it for less than 2 weeks total. Unfortunately I purchased it from a retailer that insists on, “trying” to fix it or I have to try and go through HP which has been a nightmare. I’ve spent hours on the phone with them doing ething they ask and still, the same thing. The “technician” (who claims he cant duplicate the problem) insists on replacing part after part (Its gonna be a franken computer soon) but still claims hes nor sure because hes never worked on one of these before. UGH, any advice/suggestions??
    thanks

    • Jessica, I am sorry to hear of your problems and that the problems still plague at least some HP products. My suggestion would be to escalate the conversation to the supervisor, then to manager level. Engage your state’s Attorney General’s office of consumer protection, seek help from them. Don’t hesitate to contact HP at the executive level from their Website. Although this post is one of my most popular posts (unfortunately) the word has not spread enough to alert the buyers before plunking their money for one of these machines.

      Persist, insist, endure! Best of luck.

      Cemal

  21. You didn’t mention colour banding issues.

    I got the HP Pavilion x360 13.3 and later discovered that the screen wasn’t good for viewing gradient images. A lot of colour banding would occur, but you wouldn’t notice such with flat colours. I returned the laptop and tested another unit with same configuration and it was the same problem.

    If you want to test the quality of your screen against colour banding, simply google “linear gradient image” in Google and click on an image result that has colourful gradient. If you notice that the image has some sort of blocky colours across it, your screen has colour banding issues, indicating a bad screen quality.

    I had to exchange it for a traditional touchscreen 15-inch laptop with comparable budget that I didn’t plan to buy, because I urgently needed a laptop.

    • OH, my! A never-ending story! I feel for all the people having problems with HP computers. From now on, I will no longer even consider an HP if I need a computer or related equipment. They can yell all they want on TV commercials, their quality control is a major problem. I trust you are satisfied with your current laptop as I have been with my Microsoft Surface Book, no glitch, no fuss, no mess, it just works!

      Cemal

  22. I have been using HP Spectre x360 for the past 6 months and its has been showing very frustrating problems on the very basic functions on the 4th month !!!! I am so mad about the touch pad, It doesnt scroll down slides when I use the power point! and the cursor has a tendency to just flicker on the left bottom side of the screen and wont respond to any command and every time it happens I have to intentionally shut down the screen. So very pathetic and frustrating if you have some work unsaved! NEVER AGAIN HP!! The commercial is so overly exaggerated. Oh well.. LESSON LEARNED!

    • This post is turning into a crying wall! Too bad you had similar problems. We all seem to have reached to the same conclusion though, Never again!

      Cemal

  23. Hi. I wanted to buy the spectre x360, but after reading your post I decided not to. What other ultrabook do you suggest? I don´t mind whether is 2-1 or not. I will only use it for basic stuff, i.e. navigate on the web, word, mail, google docs. Despite that, I want a good and easy transportable ultrabook.

    • Hello Catalina,

      I have been using a Microsoft Surface Book since I returned the HP with no problems whatsoever. It has a detachable screen that can be used as a tablet although I use it as a laptop practically all the time. Best of luck to you.

      Cemal

  24. While other commenters are correct that one example of a lemon doesn’t mean all computers are bad, even one example of extremely poor customer service when a bad laptop is identified, is too many, so I fully sympathize with your frustration. And unfortunately, I am brought here by the google search for trackpad issue with the latest Spectre360. Just purchased a few days ago, updated all the drivers right away. To no avail. Just like many others, I observe the machine working fine for 5-10 minutes, after which trackpad/cursor freeze rendering it impossible to perform any work.
    Back to my 6 year old 17inch Vaio I go – only lasts 4 hours on battery, but at least these 4 hours can be spent productively!

    • Oh, my! Is this still going on? These posts are almost 2 years old and one would hope they would have taken care of these problems. Sorry to hear your experience and that the problem still continues! Try to take it back, hope you get some satisfaction.

      Cemal

  25. I just bought HP Spectre x360 and its heating up like crazy. Called HP they said please return it where you bought it from. Is that the only solution?
    Could you please recommend me the same size, lightweight laptop with good processor and memory?
    Please keep in mind that I am in IT when you make a recommendation. Thank you so much!

    • Sorry to hear the problems are still continuing with this device. Since you are in IT, you have access to the best advice direct from the industry experts, I will not presume to offer advice to a pro. In my case, I chose a Surface Book and have been living happily with that with no reportable problems.

      Best of luck,

      Cemal

  27. Hi there,

    I wanted to add to your post about the HP Spectre X360. I just got one and I’m starting the process of returning it. Now I’m concerned that I’m going to have the same experience as you.

    I actually like using it except for the trackpad and keyboard freezing.

    I don’t think you are childish. I agree with you. HP should do a better job of customer service. They took my money quickly enough and made me wait 30 days for a computer that didn’t work. I bought it through their website, not a store, so it’s a hassle to send back and wait.

    They actually want to charge me for the replacement and then refund me for my old computer.

    Any advice.

    ps. Is it okay if I use your article in a letter I send to their corporate office?

    pps. Do you have the number of that last corporate person you talked to?

    • Hello Alan, and I am still amazed that they are doing the same things even now! Sorry to hear your bad experience. I did like it too, if it worked I would have enjoyed it.

      As to charging for a new one and then refunding, that is probably proper protocol to make sure they ship a new one while you use or ship your computer. I think, I am not a lawyer though, so long as you have the refund promise in writing you should be OK.

      There is no problem if you used any reference from my blog, send it to them, refer them to that post with all the comments. It is out there for everyone to see. The person I last spoke with was a regional manager and I don’t remember his name. For that matter, he may not even be there!

      Best,

      Cemal

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