HP EliteDesk 805 G8 Mini Order #3
Again here is the timeline. Although these were mostly barebones units, we just focused on the dGPU and CPU options, the big difference was that with the third unit we ordered it after we had the 2022-02-01 exchange with HP order support where we thought that the 2.5GbE NIC was delaying our units. So we ordered this one without that 2.5GbE adapter to see if it would mean we could hit our estimated ship date without order management involvement.
We placed the order on 2022-02-17. The lead time was around 21 days like on the second unit we ordered that was largely the same configuration. The estimated date was 2022-03-10.
Once the second unit arrived with the 2.5GbE adapter, I requested to have it added to this order since it is less than a third the price to get it in a system versus on the HP parts sites. HP’s order management folks said no. To me, that was a bummer, but from an order management policy standpoint, it made sense.
On 2022-03-10, the unit was delayed a month.
On 2022-04-12 the unit was delayed another month.
At this point, on 2022-04-15 I requested to cancel the order. It was getting close to two months past the estimated ship date and was longer than the first unit, even having that 2.5GbE Flex IO NIC out of the configuration (we never got an order management e-mail on this one.)
Unlike with the first unit, even after almost two months, this was not far enough in the process to be within 28 days of shipping like the first unit, so HP let us cancel this one.
I have to say, I strongly prefer the dGPU version of these units so I would have preferred to have 2 and 3 instead of 1 and 2, but that is where we are. Next, let us talk about impact in our final words.
Did you actually take the time to dig up all those emails from the orders just for this? I can’t believe you’d waste the time instead of just saying what happened
Patrick has an axe to grind!
Yeah, I’ve experienced the same with HPE online ordering as well. Unrealistic ship dates which never come. Even our supplier has had to deal with their nonsense.
Oddly, Lenovo jas mamahed to deliver when they estimate, most of the time even a few days early. That leaves the false and valuable impression of better customer service. Go figure!
HPE or HP,Inc?
These products appear to be HP,Inc. (hp.com & not hpe.com)
I recently ordered a device From HP, when I tried to return it I was told I got a great deal and should give it away or resell it.
I’m in a similar situation. Ordered a laptop from hp.com in April and they just pushed out the expected delivery date AGAIN to July. Very frustrating.
Interesting article and good of you to write this up Patrick. Does make me wonder though, have you contacted them as servethehome writer/editor with a request for comment? I’m curious to see if they’d continue misleading customers or promise to do better in the future.
At this point, no one should be surprised that this is the case.
Similar experience in terms of timeline.
Though here’s the interesting tidbit I can provide: Before placing either of my orders, I actually called sales, knowing that the ship dates were impossible.
Sales agrees. They’re very upfront about it. They set expectations with me of more realistic ship dates they actually were correct on (though yes, they were quite far out). Additionally I actually was able to successfully request if there were available discounts available, and they found meaningful ones for me (7% and 11%).
So props to the salespeople based in the US, but I 110% agree with the article. The HP.com and email experience is terrible at best and sets nothing but false expectations.
Shame, because I agree that they make the best x86 1L form factors in the business, hands down.
Always remember that HP doesn’t make any of this stuff. Its all contracted assembly. Also know that corporate orders with supply agreements will *always* get priority over general SKU production or SKU’s from web sales. General SKU production is what gets shipped to distributors. These are made in batches in many of these assemblers.
All of these contract assemblers don’t warehouse anything, its all JIT through the various suppliers and if just one misses their JIT deadline, the build orders will change in priority and timing.
If a supplier (say Intel CPU’s) is late with the i7 CPU’s the line will continue to produce the i5 or i3 SKU’s.
If a supplier is on time, but is short on quantity of I7’s, all of the corporate orders will go first, general SKU’s will go second, web sales will go if any I7’s are left. If what you ordered is exactly the same as a general SKU, then you are in luck.
If an optional part is late or short in quantity (like a 2.5GbE module), again corp sales will be satisfied, general SKU’s then web sales.
If the part for your specific order is not available when your production batch is ready to go, you will get pushed out to when that part is expected to arrive. If the part is not critical to it being used (like a Flex I/O module) you will be offered a credit, but you might get tossed into the next batch if you take too long to decide. But when the next batch is scheduled to go to assembly it might be a different part missed its arrival deadline, and you may get pushed out again.
Because of cost cutting (warehouse nothing), outsourcing of assembly, expectation that JIT parts will always arrive in time, has forced the production decision trees to its limits. That doesn’t even include parts that might fail QA, final assembly defects, inadequate staffing on the exit or entry docks and so on.
I have an HP VR headset, and if you spend any time in https://www.reddit.com/r/HPReverb/ you’ll see a continuous stream of customer service nightmares from them. They might just take your money and never ship, or keep your exchange, or ship you some random product. It’s literally safer to buy from the back of some van.
After reading this article, I wonder HPE or HP,Inc?