Complaint Review: Techno Intelligence - Cleveland Ohio

TL;DR The base computer is okay, but the upgraded version I bought from the seller came with a used, defective SSD and the drive they replaced it with after that one died was a fake SSD.

This is basically a mid-range gaming computer, and if I were evaluating just the stock laptop as shipped by HP, I would give it four stars (not five, because the camera is low-grade and there is no fingerprint reader). But if I could give the upgraded computer I actually received a negative-five-star review, I would. It stands out as the worst computer experience I’ve had in 40 years of buying personal computers.

The computer was advertised by the seller, Techno Intelligence, as having a 2TB SSD + 2TB HDD configuration, which is what I was looking for. They provided the upgrade from the HP original configuration at what seemed to be a reasonable, though not cheap, price. Instead of the 2TB HDD, they even shipped the computer with a 2TB SDD, which I assumed was due to an error in the listing. At the time, I didn’t care either way, though in retrospect I should have seen the substitution of the SSD as a warning sign.

The Problems:

A week after receiving the computer, I discovered that the substituted 2TB SSD had more than 1200 hours of prior use on it. I called to talk to them about it. They apologized and claimed that their supplier must have inadvertently shipped them the used drive. They offered either to exchange it for a new one or rebate me $69.00, which they said was their cost for the drive. I had no experience installing drives in laptops, so I accepted the rebate rather than risk screwing up the computer. They said I could keep the SSD and assured me it would last far longer than the 1200 hours of prior use. I took this to be a good-will gesture for charging me for a new drive but selling me a used one instead. At that time, I was again a satisfied customer.

But not for long. Four months later, over the course of a week that included many hours of troubleshooting strange problems, the used SSD failed. Techno Intelligence replaced this failed SSD with another 2TB SSD, which also immediately malfunctioned, causing further issues and more hours of wasted troubleshooting time. At the same time, the AC adapter also failed to charge the computer.

I sent them the computer and adapter. They replaced the adapter and said there was nothing wrong with the computer and they wanted to wipe my boot drive because, their technician figured, the problem must be Windows. I told them I didn’t think the Windows installation was the issue because the errors even occurred when I ran CHKDSK at boot time. I figured it must be the motherboard; it never occurred to me that they would send me a second defective drive. They agreed to install the 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD that were part of the computer’s original, pre-upgrade equipment so I could send it back to HP for warranty repair.

Before I did that, I tested the computer with the stock drives; no errors. Instead, I determined that the second drive they sent me was counterfeit. The supposed 2TB SSD was a fake no-name Chinese drive with a real capacity of only 111GB, modified to appear to be 2TB. I even found a YouTube video documenting how that exact drive was fake.

I requested, as a way to get my computer running again with a trustworthy drive and to restore my faith in their company (which offered a two-year warranty), that they refund me the cost of a new, name-brand 2TB SSD. Instead, after more discussion, they eventually offered me a 2TB HDD. I replied that I could not count on them to ship me a reliable drive, after first getting a used, defective drive and then a fake drive. I reiterated my request for a refund to cover the cost of a name-brand 2TB SSD. At that point, they stopped communicating with me.

So far, the other components they upgraded (memory and boot drive) seem to be functioning correctly. I ordered a replacement SSD drive, and after I install it I should, I hope, have a reliable, functioning computer again, but I’m out the cost of that drive and about 40 hours of wasted time I would not have wasted if this company had simply shipped me the computer I paid them for. Also, I don’t know whether other upgraded components are also used, fake, or defective. Instead of the cool new computer I thought I bought, I have what feels like another accident waiting to happen.