Hewlett Packard & Avangate Manage My Computer
Complaint 281354 Details

I called Hewlett Packard service about a printer that stopped working. Somebody speaking English with a Chinese accent said probably my computer does not communicate with the printer & I need to give them access to my computer. Then a person with an Indian accent came on the line & gave me instructions how to do so. When done, I saw a list of programs or messages that went like a lightning through the desktop of my computer, all numbered, & stopped at the number 4000. I was told by the Indian man that my computer has been taken over by some people & I won't be able to use it unless I buy protection at once. They said protection for 3 years costs $ 299, protection for 5 years costs $ 399. Frightened by the imminent loss of my computer & all that I have on it, equivalent to my not being able to do my job, I agreed to the "protection" for 3 years & gave my credit card information. The foreign programs/documents disappeared.

Only then the same man started to give me advice how to get my HP printer working. His advices were unrelated to my computer, such as "unplug your printer from electricity" and did not help. After wasting my time, I told the man that I do not have more time, need to participate in a meeting at work. We disconnected. Later on I repaired the HP printer myself. The issue was the paper feeder.

Soon after the conversation with those people I realized that there never were any foreign programs or documents on my computer. The crooks have put them in themselves after my providing them with access. During their "fixing the computer takeover" a program or message # 4001 appeared. I never saw foreign messages with low numbers. Possibly the list started at 3950 or so, the list went through the screen of my computer too fast to see the beginning.

We have been charged $ 299.99 on our credit card by "AvangateManageMyComputer", ostensibly based in California. There are some leads to Amsterdam; we do not know where the crooks are really located. If HP now finds the guilty employees and succeeds in reversing the charge, that would be the end of the story. Otherwise we shall have to inform our credit card company how we have been tricked into paying $ 299.99 for nothing - apparently by HP employees or at least by people with access to the HP service line.