They LIE, they do, they really do Lie!!
- HP US Customer diservice
As we say in dear old England: "Bastards!"

Friday Night 27th May 2011
Try calling UK number. Machine - sorry we re closed.
Call US 24/7 for support
"Hello I am having problems with my ... The serial code and Product number is..."
"Did you buy it in the Sates"
"No Australia but I cannot get through to anyone there. They do not have a 24/7 service"
"Just hold"
10 minutes later
"Can you tell me the product code and serial number"
"Yes but I already have but here goes again ... la la la"
"I will give you the UK support number as you are calling from the UK"
"No point, they do not have 24/7 service. It's the weekend. They are closed"
"They are open now, try again"

"Call the number - answering machine - Sorry we are closed.

SO I CALL THE USA AGAIN THE NEXT DAY ... Oh yes .. don't you know our Government always bangs on about the US and UK
"Special Relationship - personally I think it's a load of old bollocks and the only people who think there is a special relationship are some misguided Brits who happen to call themselves politicians. I bet the Yanks laugh themselves silly. - but here goes, one lives in hope...(So I sing to myself .." oh say can you see by the dawn's early light"... Maybe I am just being cynical or.. MAYBE NOT HA HA!"

Call US 24/7 line Saturday morning 28/5/11

Hello I am having problems with my ... The serial code and Product number is..."
"Did you buy it in the Sates"
"No Australia but I cannot get through to anyone there. They do not have a 24/7 service"
"Just hold"
10 minutes later
"Can you tell me the product code and serial number"
"Yes but I already have but here goes again ... la la la"
"I will give you the UK support number as you are calling from the UK"
"No point, they do not have 24/7 service. It's the weekend. They are closed"
"Here is the number...They are open
now"
"EXCUSE ME! I am speaking English from England, did you not understand what I just said?"
"Sir, they are open from 10am in the UK..."
Don't you just hate it when they call you Sir when you know they are lining through their teeth. I'ts like the bloody "special relationship that cons our rather dense British polititicans into un winnable wars"

With dread I dial the golden number which HP America appears to think is going to fix my desk top

I call the number "ring ring...ring ring...ring ring...You are through to HP Iam sorry we are closed, our opening hours are Monday to Friday..."
And they say America give the best service in the world... Hmmmmmmm Not that we Brits are any better ... We just don't delude ourselves that we are. Well I know this wont do any good but at least I got rid of some frustration and had fun writing it.