HP Never Fails... to do what?

Perhaps you'd like to see more pictures of David? Well, OK... read the post first. But this is my platform for the world to read, so I want to let it be known how horrible "HP Total Care" can be.

I will give them credit for this - the replacement camera arrived in only 2 days from my last conversation with HP. Of course, they sent the wrong replacement camera. I have an M517. They sent an M417. Which number sounds like the better camera to you? Uh, huh...

Here's a taste of what I've been dealing with... this is from the transcript of our last support chat session that took place this afternoon:

Martina: I will escalate the issue to our concerned department and they will try updating the replacement soon. Your case will be taken care and you will be receiving a replacement soon. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Me: So I will be getting another replacement?
Martina: Yes.you will get a replacement soon.
Me: Should I go ahead and send the M417 back or wait until I get the correct model replacement?
Martina: Please do not send your camera until you receive your M517 camera.
Me: I will not send my camera, but what about this camera that was sent to me in error?
Martina: You need to send it back again with defective one after you receive your M517 camera.
Me: So I'll send them both back at the same time?
Martina: Yes.Exactly.

Then I get this email later today from "Martina's supervisor":

At this point, I request you ship the M417 back in the same box. Please make a note of the expected date on when it might reach HP. It usually takes about one or two working days for the records to be udpated. You may hence contact us in chat again a couple of days after it reaches us. We will then have to setup the service once again. This time we shall take special care and make sure you get the correct camera model.

Did I not ask if I should send it back & was reassured to keep it until the correct one arrived? And those last 2 sentences sounds like the whole don't-call-us-we'll-call-you mess with the credit card number is going to start all over again... and Martina's "you'll get a replacement soon" was a lie. Oh, and at tea bottom of the "supervisor's" email was one of those, "do not reply to this email" lines.

Did you read through my whole rant???
OK.

Who remembers this in 2004?

Or this in 2005?
Remember, that was carpet burn on his forehead!