[Info-vax] Using CSWB for the HP-forums on their new web-portal

[Neil Rieck]

Speaking about access to the OpenVMS patch site, I had been locked out
for over a month now but have finally (2011-07-12) been able to gain
access after 5-6 attempts at trying to explain my problem to HP via a
self-serve web page. Here is what happened:

1) perhaps a month back, I received an email instructing me to migrate
my "ITRC account (CA???????)" to an "HP passport". I did so and from
this point on, my "ITRC account" no longer worked. (error: either
account name or password are invalid)

2) any attempt to link my SAID (service agreement ID) to my "HP
passport" resulted in an error explaining that the SAID was assigned
to someone else in my company and that I should contact that person.
(Yikes! the proverbial "Catch 22"). Since HP was still in the process
of integrating support for Compaq products into their new site, I
decided to wait.

3) two weeks ago, I was still unable to link my SAID to my "HP
Passport" so I began to log official complaints in the area provided.
Most email responses instructed me to log into the "ITRC account" to
break the link between it and my SAID. I kind of got the feeling that
they were not reading everything I provided so each subsequent
complaint became shorter until the final message read: "I can no
longer log into my old "ITRC account (CA??????); you will either need
to reactivate this account, or you will need to break the link between
my ITRC account and SAID for me"

4) After the last contact on Monday, about 14 hours passed until I
received instructions on Tuesday to go to a certain secure web page
then look for a button containing the word "migrate". I did this, was
prompted for "the old ITRC account" and "ITRC password", then
everything was auto-magically migrated. I am certain this migrate tool
didn't exist earlier (but you can never be sure :-)

This rant is not a complaint about HP per se even though I was locked
out of my paid-up support site for at least a month. I realize that
what they attempted is a huge job and there will always be a few
wrinkles. I'm only posting this so that if the same thing happens to
one of you, then you will have a shot of getting to your ultimate goal
sooner.

Neil Rieck
Kitchener / Waterloo / Cambridge,
Ontario, Canada.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/OpenVMS.html