DV8000 Series - Keyboard problems. Anyone else?

Well I bought my DV8000 custom order notebook in Febuary of 06 (not yet a year old). At first I really liked it. Then it seems like the longer I have it the worse off it gets. I have had the mother replaced three times now. It has had problems with nearly every aspect of every feature. At one point all of the perifial plug ins quit working (including the usb ports, the card readers, the monitor port, and mic). Of course they are always really nice when you call in for support but I am hear to tell you what I have my little laptop in the shop at least eight times since I bought it. I was really scared to let the waranty expire so I called in to extent my warrenty. I paid like 100 bucks and they sent me a little care pack with a certificate... I tried for over a month to get the care pack registered only to find out yesterday that they sent me the wrong carepack and since it had been more than 20 days they were not yet sure if they could even refund my money. So now I am just sitting and waiting, hoping that I get my money back so that I can turn around and purchase another warrenty. I am scared to death to let the warrenty run out on my computer with all the problems that I have had I just know that the day after my warrenty expires the computer is going to croak and I will be out the nearly 2000 bucks that I spent to have this computer "custom built" for me.
Does anybody know if HP will actually replace a lemon laptop? What should I do?

rdnkgrl

 

Hey guys, I posted an article on the front of this site to try and draw more attention to the issue from HP: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3262

Let's hope it helps a bit with something, thanks to everyone for the input in this thread and sorry for all the problems everyone is having.

 

As a former owner of a dv8000t that I returned to COSTCO and got all my money back making me a big supporter on buying thru Costco (180-day return window), instead of other vendors such as HP Shopping.com with only a 21-day return window, I can feel the pain of the various posters and I think it's GREAT that the moderators are getting into the act to put HP's feet to the fire so to speak on this issue.

(Alot of boards, magazines, etc will not say "bad" things about xyz company, them geting money from xyz company.. Them sometimes trying to suger coat a problem, or say it doesn't exist because of advertising money/kickbacks they may get.)

.

 

Sorry to repeat, but does anyone know where I can find the three return and they have to replace it rule? I looked for it a little on the web but only found lemon laws and warranty disclosure nfo. thanks,
Kevin

 

Lemon Law is the term. I don't know the exact US law, but that's it.

 

I have an HPdv8327cl notebook

The reason the keyboard jumps around is because you cannot turn off the touchpad. The touchpad detects your hand and moves the cursor all over the place.

I find that if I keep my hand far away from the touchpad, my keyboard works fine. I cannot turn off the touchpad on my laptop model, unlike most HP models I have seen on display.

From the response below, I seem to be off topic. Sorry. Maybe this will help somebody who has the wandering text cursor problem like I have. Sorry to be off topic.

Edited

 

We aren't talking about the cursor going all over the place. We are talking about keys sticking when they aren't even pressed, wrong keys being typed when we hit the right key, caps lock and num lock randomly turning on/off, key strikes not being registered when you hit them and strikes being registered when people aren't touching the keyboard.

Trust me, if this problem was as simple as a driver update/conflict or someone having the wrong settings in BIOS or XP, HP would have come out with a solution a LONG time ago. This is an issue in EVERY OS (Linux distros, XP, whatever) regardless of drivers or software installed.

 

Night_2004

Excellent synopsis of the issue, I, and everyone else who has had to deal with this, want to express thanks for putting that on the site!

Jason

 

Still couldn't find anything on three returns but I found this: http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/2/article2.htm#s2-6073

It is the Uniform Commercial Code Article 2. It is long and tedious and I don't have a law degree and I can barely read so it was rough, but what I think it says is that HP owes us some new notebooks or some $$$$

 

I am sending my dv5000 in on dec 15 to get it hopefully "fixed." When I talked to the support agent I brought up the whole HP ignoring the keyboard issue and the agent ignored the statement. I guess I'll see if it comes back fixed or not.

I am also getting wireless and the cd drive fixed.

 

Let's hope that front page article gets some attention. I would personally like to see this fixed...

I'm not a lawyer either, but that's the basic idea!

 

.

I read somewhere, or heard after spending about 8-9 months and more hours of time than I care to admit getting a "Big Screen" TV up and running...

That the mfg has to effect repairs in (30?) days, or be required to offer a replacement.

.

 

I'd love to see that quote in a law somewhere. That would really be beautiful (and an excellent point too). If you dig that up PLEASE post it!

 

I'd love to see that too!

 

Abaxter, You summed it up beautifully, just emailed it to my case manager. Many thanks to you and Night.
When I was researching the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and lemon laws I read on many websites that 3 repair attempts constituted a "reasonable number."

 

You better tell that case manager to post some contact details cause she needs to replace a LOT of laptops...

 

I agree Night_2004.


I told HP either to fix my dv5000 or to send me a new one, I'll see what happens.

 

At the time on that Big Screen HDTV repair I was being told the "part" was on "backorder".... that it would be in next "week"... week after week, after week... Turned out the part was on "eternal backorder...

It was only after calling the head offices of the mfg, and stiring things UP a bit that they "found" a part (digital converance board) One upper managment guy I talked to let it "slip" that the needed part would NEVER be re-stocked.

That was like 5 months after waiting.... Part arrived, unit was "repaired", came back all screwed up, and then died again the next day. Called head offices (I have the HEAD of customer service in my cell phone on speed dial, in memory at one point due to all the calls it took to get a working unit)

The head of CS was the one that "found" the part... Got her to issue a replacement, we agreeing on a certain model /specs.... 3 weeks later received replacement. But it was NOT the model we agreed upon. Called her, she saying specs were the same as we agree upon... I accepting shipment based upon that.

Upon unloading unit from truck the screen came off, it appearing the unit had "been into" at the factory (screw depressions in plastic, but NO screws)

Screen popped off, almost hit the ground, chipped case...errrrrrr... That night found the spec's were NOT what we agree upon.... So I had two big screen TV's, one DEAD, plus the boxes for both in my living room...

Called head of CS.... got a replacement unit issued (the one we agreed upon that was supposed to ship)... While I was "waiting" I deceided to "practice" a calibration on the unit going back..Upon removing the screen (remember no screws) there was a foot and 1/2 long greasly ARM print on the first surface mirror, plus crap, and fingerprints ALL over the lenses... For those that don't know a first surface mirror is NOT to be "touched", oils, acids in your skin will attack the mirrored surface since it is on the FRONT side of the mirror instead of the backside as in a "normal" mirror.

Got the unit cleaned up, and calibrated... Picture was "perfect"... unit worked fine... but it was not as we agree spec wise...

Unit #3 shows up about 2 weeks later, it was air-freighted in... When I called about unit #2 I was told to keep the box, packing material... so I had to store (in my living room the units, the boxes for several more weeks)

Unit #3 dies on the 2nd day, totally differant model than unit #1... same "type" of part gone bad (digital converance board)

Unit goes in for "repair"..... 2 weeks later it comes back from "repair".... converance is ALL screwed up (lines wavy), plus looks like crap. Luckly BEFORE I had sent it in for "repair" I pulled access panels off and took PICTURES. Called the head of CS, and explained to her that the wiring looked like a "rats nest" after the "repair", that the HIGH VOLTAGE leads that carry like 30,000 volts that are supposed to be in "stand-offs" that raise those wires OFF the board were laying DIRECTLY on the board, and that I wasn't going to have my house burn down because of such.

Head of CS authorized another company to come take a look.. repairs to be at least $400- $500 to straighten out the wiring loom, repair the unit....

Called back the head of CS after receiving a phone call told by the man that had previously let it slip there were NO parts for unit #1 . Him saying that they would NOT authorize repairs to unit # 3... Him saying to call "customer service" and request a replacement unit... Him NOT knowing at the time I was on a first name basis with the HEAD of CS.

Called my contact, told her the above, and we agree on one of the "new" 16x9 sets.... It was air-freighted in at a cost of $356... and it worked ok, and looked gorgeous after I tweaked it.

PS: On every unit each time it was moved they were damaged, except for unit #4.

Unit #1 was damaged, it being picked up from Sams, I helped the guy load it.... he pulled the strap down too tight and busted the case... repair shop was 1 mile away directly off the interstate.. smooth, flat road... Unit #2 damaged by shipper moving it 15 feet into the house, NO stairs, and even a handicap ramp to roll the unit up on!!!! ditto for #3... Stupid shippers taking the upper box off, then trying to "force" it out of the boox by pushing the wheels out of the lower box, breaking the styroform lower packing paller instead of just lifting it onto the wheels....

Above took more time than I care to admit.... House was cluttered with dead units, boxes for those units...for many months....

After all the above I read somewhere that a repair has to be made in a time effective manner.... that if parts are delayed (as in the case of unit #1) that the customer is due a replacement unit. Yes 3 repairs are the law... but that pertains to parts being in supply. It was something to the effect the repairs are to be made within a certain time frame... if they can't effect repaired within 30 days that rule does not apply.

Gee , sorry Mr Smith, we can't issue a replacement because the parts are on "order"... should be here in 6 months though... You'll just have to "wait" Mr Smith because we "have to" do three repairs..


I'll try to hunt up that info, but I think all the bookmarks and data pertaining to that was deleted when I SOLD set #4. The above is from memory... burned into memory even remaining after 12,876 cases of whiskey, 63,896 lbs of reefer were consumed in an effort to forget and 832 shock treatments.


Took right at 8-9 months to get a working tv set!!!!...


.

.

 

Wow...that's just sad. What company was this (I kind want to avoid them after hearing that)?

 

Toshiba...

One unit #1... they tried to do a money back deal after several repairs on it... I declined ONLY because I got a really good deal on unit #1 (markdown deal)

If I had paid normal price, I would of course gotten my money back... (and I'd make them pay 5 months of interest on that money for jerking me around and lying to me).. Spent more hours than I care to admit on that little "repair saga".

Yes Mr Smith the parts are on order... you'll have your unit back next week. Yea... right...

I told the asssitant to the head of CS that if they were to say buy me another competitors model with the same specs I would be "ok" with that, but a refund wouldn't do me a bit of good.


The above, and other "life" experiances are the reason I tell people to go to COSTCO...

I'm of the mindset that if a defective unit is shipped out, the unit should be returned so it goes into the refurb pile of the mfg as a way to penalize $$$$$ the mfg for poor quality control. Mfg loses money which equates into tighter quailty control ... More units that are returned, the FASTER someone's going to starting addressing those quality control issues!

Consumer puts up with sloppy work... no skin off mfg's teeth so to speak and units keep getting shipped out with sub-standard parts.
(Yes I know not every part is perfect, before anyone brings that up)


PS: I don't work for, nor profit from people buying from COSTCO, unlike other people here that may recomend a certain mfg or vendor.

Alot of people working for, or having stock in say Dell, HP, etc, but say they do not. (Aka: A Shill for xyz company)

I do wish someone who works for COSTCO would explain how they are credited back by HP on returned units so HP bears any loss, instead of the vendor.

This is what I think may be the case on returns...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=86901


COSTCO is one of the few places that do offer an extended return window... and I would hate Costco to put further restrictions on returns.
(Costco used to be unlimted on the time frame for computer returns.)

From the info I have, 0-21 days Costco gets a full credit back for any return, working or not working. (Not surpising since the HP return window is 21-days)

From 21 thru the 180th day Costco bears the loss on any return, (taking a huge loss btw) the units being sold off to a salvage company for like 30 cents on the dollar, if they are marked "resaleable".....
It is only if the unit is DEFECTIVE in some way and is marked non-resaleable that COSTCO gets credited back from the 21st thru the 180-day.



.

 

thnkx Abaxter for the nice sum up of everything on the front page of NBR

 

Some states have computer lemon laws, my state does not. Reasonable replacement or repair time varies from state to state judging by what I could find. However, warranty law is federal. HP has breached its warranty obligation, is unwilling or unable to make successful warranty repairs and has not acted in good faith to remedy consumer problems with these factory defective notebooks. The computer must function as warranted by the manufacturer and deliver the same performance as was promised at the time of sale and/or in the promotional materials. If not, the company must accept the product back and provide the consumer with a choice of a new computer or full refund. No ifs, ands or buts. As Abaxter stated in his article, only 2 people we know of have received a satisfactory replacement. I received a replacement that was not the replacement I was told I would receive, got a cheaper downgraded dv9000 that arrived broken. I didn't have any connections at HP or a video on U Tube. Still have not been able to get a call back from a case manager, still under warranty.
Just got a private message from another HP under warranty victim who also was hung up on by her case manager. The case manager did not think that 6 repairs was excessive for a 1 1/2 year old dv7000 and hung up on her. The poor girl, a desperate student, has had the motherboard replaced 3 times. Mama mia!!!
After I emailed Abaxter's article to HP I got an immediate email response from HP from a real person saying they were trying to locate my case manager. First time HP has answered one of my emails in about 5 months. Maybe now is a good time to go shopping for a class-action attorney.

 

Hey...if you guys have any case information go ahead and send it to me. I have some (if not all of) Jason's transcripts that helped his case. The more chat sessions and records of failed repairs the better...

 

Night, do you want the BBB transcripts?

 

By all means! I'm just being a data collector just in case, and data is better than no data. Plus, if HP ever decides to do something...

 

They will only do something if you get data and make it public... otherwise they know that percentage wise most people are going to never know about the problems, the crappy service , and the treatment people are getting.

What HP should do if they're saying this only affects a small number of people, blah,blah,blah is to do swap outs without giving people the runaround... A "happy" customer will send you business, a unhappy one will kill business for you...

On an item that is "portable" it's really stupid to have "unhappy" people out there.... as they are going to say bad things about the product given the chance...

JOKE:
Q: How do you tell who owns a HP laptop of one of the affected models at a "hot-spot" where you can't see what kind of computer someone is using?

A: You can tell the HP owner, because he types alittle, then cusses alittle, typing a little then cusses alittle... over and over... and over again...

Sometimes you can see the veins in his/her neck throbbing as the anger level goes up, up, up... and then they sometimes burst out saying things I can't repeat here, mumbling over and over they wish they had a time machine waving their arms around over their heads with their fists clenched, running around the room several times.

.

 

HP is behaving badly, same way they did with all of the spying scandal. They covered it up until they were outed. I read in the paper that the HP spying lawsuit has been expanded to include insider trading. Hurd and 7 others sold millions in HP stock right before HP admitted using illegal tactics in their little spying adventure. Hurd is too busy cashing in to worry about our little computer troubles. What a dodgy bunch.
WeAreNotAlone, would be nice if a disgruntled case manager came forward to blow the whistle.

 

Lol... THis can't be possible...

I WAS GONNA BUY A HP...U HEAR ME, U stupid HP!!!! I ANIT BUYING UR PEICES OF sh*taksoczx/!!! ahh!!!!

OMG... WHY is it everytime I wanna upgrade some bs scares me and makes me hug my old baby R40 ... Were we ment to be.... Is my R40 my technology soul mate ?

Gosh, this is like with the A900 (Samsung CDMA Cell) .... Bluetooth is messed up, T9 won't add new words etc etc... And Guess what!? They keep telling me it's a hardware issue but I read on forums, people who sent it in 3 times and they had the same issue!!!!

COMPANIES ARE JEALOUS THEY DONT CARE ABOUT US! THEY CARE ABOUT KILLING THE OTHER COMPANIES! WE ARE NOTHING TO THEM.. BUT THEY MAKE US THINK THEY LIKE US CUZ WE ARE THEIR SOURCE OF MONEY!

I went to try out some Dv8000 series around local small and big PC stores... Their demo models had no keyboard issue :S.... WAT I DO!?

EDIT: Im gonna shoot HP!

 

True. However, we aren't going to release any personal info unless you guys say it is okay. Andrew (abaxter) is handling the product tracker program (see HP Announcements and your PMs), and I'm collecting data.

If we can get say, x number of cases that all have the same earmarks...that'll show a really bad pattern.

I've got two people who have sent in enough data that, quite frankly, could land HP in court case they'd loose.

 

Waterloo, Flush your money down the toilet, less aggravation. If you read about the problems with the dv8000 and other HP models you will see that the keyboard issue is not consistent, doesn't always show up immediately, has no pattern and is full of surprises. It will type fine for 2 days and then all hell breaks loose.

 

Just got off the phone with a case manager, firm but I wouldn't call him rude. Just doing his job which is that the customer is always right unless HP doesn't want them to be. 1st time I actually got to talk to a case manager and someone in English, those Indians have always kept me in a runaround. My laptop was sent in on the 1st of Dec. and now they say they need to replace the whole motherboard. Great fine dandy, do whatever you need to do to "fix" it. Oh wait the motherboard is backordered until the 23rd. This means in the 3 months that I have owned this laptop, it has been returned three times (an average of once a month) and has been out of my possession for a full month or 1/3 of my ownership. What a joke. The case manager did state that if this repair wouldn't fix it then I would receive a new computer. We'll see.
Night, would you just like us to PM you our case info? And does anyone know if you can have class action that isn't just relegated to your state?
Thanks

 

I don't see how a class-action suit could be only in one state. There are suits against major companies frequently and it includes anyone who bought the product who had difficulties. Don't really know, good question. I'm sure the answer is somewhere on the internet. It will be interesting to see what Night accumulates. Could not have gotten as far as we have without Night and Abaxter, bravo guys.

 

Class action lawsuits typically start in one state, and then a judge will open it up to nation wide class action status given the "evidence" and scope of the problem.

I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.

 

There was a time when HP was a great company that offered excellent customer support. I can say that my opinion has now changed. I have personally purchased 3 HP Pavilion Notebook computers over the past 5 years. I have also strongly recommended HP to my friends and co-workers, 4 of which purchased HP notebooks directly because of my recommendation. One of my customers also installed all HP desktops in his business because of my recommendations. I will NEVER recommend HP again.

To be fair, I will provide the facts as they are. The reason for my unhappiness is as follows: My wife purchased her HP laptop in August of 2005. She is overly "Protective" of her computer and has never abused it. Recently (since about early October, 2006) her keyboard started to act up. She would type and only a few of the letters she typed actually would respond. Increasingly, the problem got worse and now it is nearly impossible to type using the keyboard. Without ever looking at it, I assumed that maybe some dirt or something had gotten into the keys, etc... I told her to buy some compressed air and try to clean it. This did no good. After two months of living with the problem, today, (Dec 11, 2006) she came to me and said that she was too frustrated to continue to use her computer. Knowing HPs steller customer support, I recommended that we contact HP. While sitting on hold for about 20 minutes, she happened to Google "HP Keyboard Problem" and found many links to forums with people that had similar issues. After reading the forums it became very clear that there is a legitimate issue with the Keyboard on her particular HP model (and a few other HP models as well). To make a long story short... calling HP support resulted in nothing more than frustration. According to them, the unit is 99 days out of warranty and therefore they can't really help. At the end of the first call I asked to speak with a supervisor and ended up in the never, never answer cue. After a total of 4 irritating and frustrating calls where I needed to go through the whole explanation again and again (two calls ended up in India (George and Roger), one that ended in California (Oscar), and one that ended up with Bryan in Mexico) I could not get beyond the scripted responses that the call centers provide their call screeners (calling them "Tech Support" really gives them too much credit). On all of my first three calls, I was told that if I wanted a real resolution I should go to the Chat Support on HP.com where they would be able to help me better. So I did this. I include the text of that chat below for completeness. After all that, they referred me back to telephone ‘tech support.”

To put it bluntly, HP does not offer any resolution (other then to pay them to fix it) if your unit is out of warranty, regardless of the fact that the issue is a documented and a known defect in their product. (In my humble opinion, if it was not a defect, there would not be thousands of forum posts about this specific problem.) It is also in my opinion that this practice of building substandard products works to directly benefit HP and defraud unsuspecting customers. I will attempt one last time to resolve this issue by contacting HP corporate offices in the morning.

HP needs to step up to the plate and fix the issues with their keyboards. I purchased a new DV9030 two weeks ago. It is going back. I refuse to settle for lousy customer service and you will never hear me recommend another HP product in my life ever again


Transcript from online tech support chat:

Jeremy: Hello Martin.
Martin: Hello
Martin: Let me give you my case #
Martin: 733#######
Jeremy: Sure, please give me few moments while I check the resources.
Martin: Thank you
Jeremy: Thank ou for staying with me.
Jeremy: *you.
Martin: no problem
Jeremy: I have checked the case and understand that you are facing problems with the key board and as the notebook is out of warranty you will be charged for the mail in repair.
Martin: The issue is that there is a known problem with the keyboard and HP should fix it at no cost
Jeremy: I understand you r concern but HP fixes the problems and replaces the parts with in warranty notebooks.
Martin: ok... then what I need from you is the following
Martin: I need the phone number for your legal department
Martin: and I need a phone number to contact the president of US operations
Martin: Please note that I am returning my new DV 9030 that I purchased from circuit city two weeks ago tomorrow as well
Martin: http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/...14017&admit=-682735245+1165889479528+28353475
Martin: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3262&article=HP+Laptop+Keyboard+Problems
Martin: http://www.epinions.com/content_239627701892
Martin: This will not be a difficult case to bring class action status to
Martin: I am very dissapponted in HP
Martin: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=57325
Martin: I can keep sending you links... but just so you know why I am being so persistant
Martin: and why I feel Hp should resolve the issue
Martin: I have 3 Pavillion laptops because I was a loyal HP customer but I see that does not count for anything either
Martin: at least after tomorrow it will be back down to two...
Jeremy: Please be with me while I contact the supervisor.
Martin: thank you
Jeremy: Before that may I have the serial number and product number of the notebook.
Martin: CNF####X#X
Martin: EC300UA#ABA
Jeremy: Thank you for the information.
Jeremy: Thank you for staying with me.
Jeremy: Martin the key board keys problem only exist with the DV 5000 model notebook and not with any other notebook and also there is a solution for that .
Martin: Wrong
Martin: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=57325
Martin: Try again... and you might as well get those phone numbers I requested because it does not appear that HP wants to resolve the issue
Martin: and I will be just one more Previous HP fan
Martin: I can send you more links from other foums if you still dont believe me
Jeremy: We feel really great to have such Hp loyal customers, So I recommend you to contact our phone support so that you can talk to a supervisor there. Here is the Phone number :1-800-474-6836.
Martin: is someone there now?
Martin: I have already discussed the issue with "Technical Support" which is the number you gave me....
Martin: they told me to go to the online chat...
Martin: and speak to you
Martin: so do me a favor... please provide me the phone number to your legal department and the phone number for the president of US operations
Jeremy: All the level 2 and higher level cases can be done at Phone support and the best possible thing I can do is that I can escalate the case to the supervisor.
Martin: please provide me the phone number to your legal department and the phone number for the president of US operations
Martin: I am three hours into an issue that could have been resolved in 15 minutes... You are wasting my time
Jeremy: I understand your concern .There are no such numbers available to us.
Martin: All I am asking for is that HP stand behind the product they sold me... there is an obvious issue with the keybaord....
Martin: then you need to contact your supervisor
Martin: Why do I need to call 4 times and spend 30 minutes chatting online
Martin: I am calling your "Level 2" technical support while we continue this chat.
Jeremy: Martin, I understand that but there are no supervisors avilabel her.The best possible tjhing I can do is that I can escalate the case to the level 2.
Jeremy: *thing.
Martin: Great... I am back in India speaking with "Roger"
Martin: I am trying to accomodate your request... but I can tell you that the only resolution I will accept it that HP fix the defect.
Martin: what number may I call to obtain the phone numbers I requested?
Martin: here are a few more links to enjoy while Roger reviews this case:
Martin: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=59073
Jeremy: Martin , there are no numbers avilable with us. The best option is to contact phone support.They will help you .
Martin: Jeremy - stay with me... Roger does not seem to have clue
Martin: see, this is the problem...
Martin: Roger now wants to start this whole conversation over...
Martin: I have hung up with him because he wants to revisit this whole issue atgain
Martin: from the start
Martin: Jeremy... I can tell you this... I hate lousy customer service...
Martin: tonight I have recieved nothing exceptlusy suppport
Martin: lousy support
Martin: I know that you are only doing as instructed but this does not work for me
Martin: I requested roger to move me to level two support and he asked me what was the issue I was having...
Martin: I asked him to read the case notes to which he said "I just need to verify a few details..."
Martin: etc... etc...
Martin: Please let your supervisor know that they need to provide me the information I have requested...
Jeremy: Martin I understand your concern , but there are limited options for us.We dont have any link with or data base related to the phone support. I can only escalte the case to the supervisor so that they will review and send a reply to you.
Martin: Jeremy... thanks for your help... I am through
Jeremy: You are welcome.
Martin: I do not generally post on forums
Martin: but this is an issueHP needs to fix
Martin: I am extremely dissapointed
Martin: and it is not your fault... but HP has changed and the company I once knew is no more
Martin: I will never buy HP again
Martin: I am posting our conversation on each forum I can find
Jeremy: I will definitely escalate the issue to the supervisor and I ma sorry for the inconvinience.
Martin: Because other consumers should know what they are in for when they deal with your company
Jeremy: HP finds the solutions to the issue and updates it regularly and also in the new notebooks so that the problem doesnt persist any more.
Martin: well that is too late for loyal customers like me that have purchased 3 notebooks over the past 5 years... poor customer service is never acceptable.
Martin: and I refuse to accept it
Martin: Jeremy, Thank you for your effort. I am sorry that your supervisors have not left you any options
Jeremy: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Martin: no, that is it.

 

Marty, Thanks for taking the time to post your HP lemon notebook ordeal. Sorry you are having the same dreadful experience we all have with these scoundrels. Very interesting that the person you spoke with admitted in an online chat that there was a problem with the dv5000 keyboard. I don't know if you have read through this entire thread but Night and Abaxter have been putting a lot of effort into trying to help us resolve this situation with HP. Please PM your HP online chat to Night. Do you know about the U Tube video, Night's data gathering, the notebookreview poll and Abaxter's article on HP customer service? Here are the links:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/announcement.php?f=3&a=11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDDeMik-8c
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3262

 

Not a lawyer, but can tell you all a little bit from what I learned from a class action suit I was a member of. It's not the same type of case, but the facts illustrates the point we all need to know.

Remember the old Volkswagon story where management knew a $5.99 part was defective, and could cause injury? A business decision was made to for go a recall, hoping that settling a limited amount of lawsuits would be cheaper than recalling the defective parts. They guessed wrong of course, and the rest is history. Sadly, every major company will take this approach because, whether you like it or not, it's a risk large business can take, and they usually come out ahead. In my case it was a defective hip prosthetic and management guessed wrong on this one. The common denominator? When seeking a lawsuit, you must have damages. You must have been wronged in some way. Then you have to measure those damages. In my case, my hip had yet to fail so I opted out of the class action suit because the only people who received any sizable amount of money were the laywers. So ask yourself, what are the damages you can prove in court. 800.00 bucks for a defective laptop is about it. Emotional distress? Make believe. Never usually given.

So 1,000 folks sue in California, the courts see a number of similar cases adding up, but no physical injuries are present. So far we have 1000 X 800 per computer, subtract 1/3 in attorney fees,~ 2/3 in costs, and the actual owner of the computer gets an award of about 1.99. Are you all ready to do this two years from now when a judge finally recommends to a federal district court to appoint a representative and turn these law suits into one simple class action suit held at the Federal level because more than 1 state is involved. The courts do this because it's cheaper for them too.

I ask again, what are your damages? 2 years from now, how strongly will you feel when your 1.99 check arrives? You'll already have another computer, and most likely will throw away the check. Damages are the key. Why are so many laptap batteries being voluntarily recalled. Physical injury = $$$$$$$. HP will not fix this problem. Why should they? Nobody really got hurt. What would you do if you were in business to maximize profits?

I tell you what I would do. I would use the advances in technology, such as the Internet, and chat logs (keyboard issue only applies to 5XXX models made me laugh), all the forums, (especially at HP forums where they conveniently never replied to any complaint) and keep logging the evidence. The problem is that it is human nature to just let things go after a year or so. If your anything like me, don't ever let this go. We got royally screwed, and although we may have lost 800 bucks, the price of taking down a major PC manufacturer is well, priceless. That's what will keep me going. what about you? Two years from now, you still going to be upset? I sure hope so, because that's what we need.

I will close with this final note. If you are convinced that the retailer knows these devices are defective, yet they still sell them to clear their inventory, go buy one, keep it, and tell your credit card it was fraud. The retailer won't argue. That is if you can prove they knew they were defective.
So there you have it, the best case scenario, and HP doesn't get burned, your local retailer does. But, together, as a group who is still upset 2 years from now, there is very good chance of the little guy taking down a major player.

 

I'm waiting for my HP warranty to run out so I can then go to my credit card where I'll have an automatic extended warranty. The class action suit would come under the Manguson-Moss federal warranty act. It would not be the same as a class action suit seeking damages as you were talking about. Under the warranty act the company is obligated to pay all attorney fees separately and on top of that reimburse the consumers for their amount of purchase. It's about HP not honoring warranty law not seeking damages. As consumers under warranty we are protected by federal law. We talked about the warranty act and lemon law earlier in the thread and there are many links to it online.

 

Oh believe me I will still be mad in two years if this doesn't clear up. If it was just a question of my christmas bonus of $800 be wasted I might just sell the **** thing on ebay for $600, cut the losses and go stand outside one of the largest, if not the largest HP plant in my town (Fort Collins CO) with a sign saying that HP stole my $$. It would work too because they are a street that is directly off the highway where everyone comes into town.
However I spent $1440 on my computer and paid for it with a college loan, which means a) I am broke and $1440 means a lot to me and b) I am now paying interest on a computer I don't have and when I do have it doesn't work.

 

.

Disgruntled Dell customer finds crafty path to lawsuit settlement
Posted Dec 10th 2006 1:31AM by Conrad Quilty-Harper
http://hdtv.engadget.com/2006/12/10/disgruntled-dell-customer-finds-crafty-path-to-lawsuit-settlemen/

Pat Dori, a disgruntled Dell customer who found no resolution to the issue of a broken laptop after five long months and 19 wasted phone calls, decided to go legal and sue the company for failing to adequately address the problem. The method by which Mr. Dori initiated the claim is the juicy core of this story: instead of going through the normal process of sending the court papers to Dell's headquarters in Texas, Dori thought to have the papers delivered to a Dell shopping mall kiosk instead. Quite unsurprisingly, no-one from Dell turned up in court on the stipulated date, resulting in Dori winning a $3,000 default judgment and a ruling to allow bailiffs to close the kiosk and seize items if the judgment was not paid. Dell has now settled the case out of court for undisclosed terms, although the company would have appealed the decision -- had it actually turned up to court, that is. Mr. Dori, our latest hero for sticking it to the man in such a crafty manner, says that he thinks "any regular person can do this," as long as you "have the law on your side." Apparently the key is to "get their money" first, which will inevitably be followed by "[getting] their attention." It's gotta beat screaming down the phone, that's for sure.

.

 

Hey guys...feel free to PM me case info (and don't forget to submit a problem report). Right now I'm basically the info bank...

If HP follows the lemon law for you, a new computer might be coming around soon. Though I'd argue that since they can't fix it in a timely fashion they should give you a new one now. I don't think HP is that stupid to think you'd wait for them for 3 months and not get another computer from someone else...or are they?

Seriously, I'm somewhat certain these CMs are just a PR company doing HPs dirty work now...

 

Guys good news... I was on this thread awhile back ranting about lousy service just like you guys. I have a dv8000 media center dual core etc. It has the crappy keyboard problem like everyone else. Well I sent it in a total of three times! and every time it would work for a few days then screw up again. Also they messed my casing up and my screen now snaps when I open and close it.
I called HP support and talked to india who gave me a number for trade in. Well quickly I realized this was just a place to trade in anything for HP bucks... not the refund/exchange I demanded. A very nice American lady gave me the # of a lady to call in some other department. This gal tried to offer me a crappy $600 laptop for the lose price of 200 bucks with mine traded in. I was like so you want me to give you my 2 grand laptop + 200 bucks for a 600 dollar laptop with half the specs.... Then she transfered me to her manager.
She must have had some importance b.c. after I told her I had sent it back three times she said I wont make you send it back I'll get you a brand new laptop to replace it.
So end result I now have a Brand New DV9000z being built for me and she even through in some extras. By default it has 5400 rpm/raid drives,same ram,blue tooth,double layer dvd,built in webcam, same ram, Nividia 7600, better resolution monitor. The only downside is that its AMD but I got her to bump it up to 2ghz vs my old intel 1.6ghz.
But they have to give you at least equal value.... so if you really sly I bet you can get her to give you the superior DV9000T since you demand INTEL like before. I think th email advantage to this is that the T series has an HDMI OUTPUT I didnt bother since I was happy with this result> CRAP MY KEYBOARD I S BREAKING_

anyway email me at [email protected] if you are still in warrenty with the dv9000 keyboard problem & want to talk to this lady.

No offense but I am going to wait a week to give it out. I didn't actually have permission to share it so I want to make sure my stuff goes through all right. I'm not sure how she will react when people start calling her all with the same problem...lol

Oh and the key in my case was that I had sent it in three times and I said under the lemon law don't I get a new one?
Anyways my advise is to just send it back in as soon as you get it. Just say the keyboard is still broke. I don't think they can test it so they just replace the keyboard each time. Keep in mind if the keyboard isn't broke it will in a few days.... So don't feel bad.

 

Hey Folks, what do you think of this?
All of a sudden it's out of warranty (still have 7 months, had it 5 months). Just got this today, they said they tried to contact me before they could go any further. They never emailed or called.
The repair cost is more than the 850 I paid for it! New, not a refurb.
---------------------------------------

Order number:
FXXXX - 01
Entry date / time:
12/12/2006 1:13am PT
Model number:
EZ579UA , HP PAVILION NOTEBOOK PC DV8305US
Serial number:
CNDXXXXXXXXXX

Replacement serial number:
Order type ROBABLY BEYOND ECONOMIC REPAIR
Failure : Keyboard Other
Warranty status:
out of warranty
Service charge:
$1075.35
Payment method:
not applicable

---------------------------

Here's the email that sent me the link above, it's still in warranty and not in the same day.
---------------------------

HEWLETT
PACKARD
.............................................................................
Dear Customer,


In an ongoing effort to ensure satisfaction with our service, we have
attached a confirmation of your recent Hewlett-Packard Support Solution.
Please retain this document for your records.


The warranty status listed below is contingent upon the accuracy of the
model number, serial number and proof of purchase (if required). Please
verify that all information is accurate. If any of the information is
incorrect, or if you have questions regarding customer service on your HP
product, please contact our HP Customer Care center using the appropriate
telephone number listed in your product user manual.


***Important: Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not set
up to receive email.***


You can check the current status of your order online at:


https://warpum-----=US


or by starting at the following web address and entering your order number
of FXXXXXX and zipcode/postal code of XXXXXX:


https://warp1.external.hp.com/CSO_Status/Order_Lookup.asp?country=US


Great support is still available around the clock by logging in to
http://www.hp.com/go/support . Award-winning HP Customer Care brings a
world of support services right to your desktop. You'll find tips and
tricks, troubleshooting help, drivers, community forums, e-mail technical
support (only available on some products) and much more to help you quickly
get the answers you need.


Sincerely,


HP Customer Care
.............................................................................


Hewlett-Packard Customer Service Order:


Customer Service Order Number: XXXXXXX01
CSO Placement Date: 12/13/2006


Model Number: EZ579UA
Model Description: HP PAVILION NOTEBOOK PC DV
Serial Number: CNDXXXXXXX
Part Number: N/A
Part Description:


You selected the following Hewlett-Packard
Hardware Support Service for your product:


BOX PLUS PICKUP & REPAIR, 1 DAY SHIPPING


Warranty Status: In Warranty


Total charge (including tax, if applicable): $0.00
Payment Method: No Payment
.............................................................................


Hewlett-Packard Receipt of Defective


Receipt Date of Defective Product: 12/13/2006


Expected Delivery Date: 12/21/2006

.............................................................................

 

pavless I have no idea maybe just an error but I would make sure they know that your computer is still under warranty.

Night- I can't take that info survey at the top of the site, I have tried to times and it says error occured both times. Thanks

 

The out of warranty status in my post above was what I was thinking. But then I said no way HP would pull that, not now. THEY DID. The keyboard problem-my fault-spillage. Sorry, I don't spill things on items that 1) will ruin the item, 2) cost a lot of money. Took me about 9 attempts to get in touch with the case manager. It was a LONG talk, but he did not hear of any keyboard related problems with ANY HP product. It appears HP has taken a different route, it's much cheaper than having to pay fedex charges 3 times each way = 6 times per notebook. I told them that the system was perfectly fine with a external mouse and external keyboard. Assume there was spillage: The computer still works!

Next problem. I didn't only request a keyboard fix. I asked why the display I had a burn spot in the upper left quadrant, and I requested they also repair the 2 crystallized (several pixels) in the lower right quadrant, and stated "you know, it might be cheaper to just replace the display."

Next. I also sent them the results of a a recent system health scan check ,
1) "Deffetive battery. Replace now."
2) "LCD-errror-contact HP support." (yeah right)
3) "HDD failure"
4) Last was a networking error but that's because I have the Ethernet connection disabled.

I asked him to return my property immediately when it was clear the incompetence could not be overcome.

He said it would be shipped next day. I said ship it now, you have till 8 PM on the east coast for afternoon delivery. He says he's on the west coast. I said, thank you for that information, where is my property? "oh I'm not sure of that." This was 1:00 PM PST. Monday the 18th. As of 12:45 AM, the 20th, it still has not shipped. When it gets back, I really don't know what I am going to do. The display and battery should have been replaced to get rid of the "Probably beyond economic repair." They did not do that. I want to just request shipping it back and forth until they lose the amount in shipping charges equal to what i paid for the notebook.They at least owe me:
1) Evidence of spillage-any found was done by HP (Pictures is a start)
2) A display with all pixels lit.
3) A new battery.

Any advice, nonsensical too, is welcome.

"You have to treat stupidity with stupidity, it's ALL they know."-Galigher

Now that I've been royally and now literally proven to be screwed over by HP, one would think I would be angry, and take that route. Nope. This is all so insane I find it quite amusing. I think the reasoning is I know the eventual outcome. HP is ignoring everything, until the outcome (a recall will happen, it just takes time) This also was supposed to be resolved prior to Monday the 18th. Finals week in College for a 40 year old guy ain't easy, then take away a PC. I almost had it planned perfectly. The case managers telephone number turns into an answering machine after 5 or so minutes, then you tell them to call you back, and they say a call will come within 2 hours. It didn't quite work that way.

Anybody have a case manager named Jim..shoot have his last name, just not with me. If you get a guy named Jim, cut him some slack. He's not all that bright. He doesn't even know HP had any keyboard issues with any product.
Most importantly, Jim thinks the west coast is on the east coast time zone. Poor poor Jim. Who will break it to him?

I need a way to deal with this without lawyers.

Please, humor me.

Oh, and 40 year old guys are more apt to not spill things in computers. Not that the younger < 18 are less intelligent, just less impatient I think.

 

Crap...looks like HP is really starting to play dirty. Voiding the warranty trick basically means that HP has no desire to solve the problem and is looking for an easy way out of having to repair notebooks 3+ times and then replace it. This is not a good opponent to do battle with.

I forwarded a message to abaxter about the tracker tool; we might have a bug that we don't know about so he'll have to look at it.

However, regarding the "spill": if HP can't provide proof you could still take them to court and have a shot at winning...especially if you send in copies of this massive thread.

I'm starting to run out of ideas here...if anyone has a bright idea...

 

Payless, you could try filing a complaint with the BBB. I advised another dv owner to to so and she finally got a response from HP and a promised replacement after HP refused to honor her warranty. Her last case manager hung up on her and told her there was nothing they could do for her anymore even though she was still under warranty. It seems to be the only way HP will respond to customer complaints now. What a horrid company.

 

I am going to forward this thread to the individual who contacted me from HP, maybe I can assist in having someone who seems to care help all of us...

 

jka/v: Andrew (abaxter) and Brian (well, Brian) have already been talking to a PR company that represents HP. Obviously, a third party owl isn't going to be useful and I think that is why we haven't been able to get as much done as we like. If you get a direct line in with an HP representative I would be more than happy to help and talk with her.

I'm about to contact CNN...maybe they can do something.

In the end though I'm starting to doubt HP myself...I might not be purchasing another computer from them EVER.

 

Assume HP spills coke all over my laptop. Then takes pictures. I can only hope that they don't damage it enough so that external input devices still work. I have witnesses that at least know that. I did not video tape it with external devices; I will if/when it ever comes back.

This is how I am going to start. In my town, we have a pretty good volunteer consumer advocacy group. They are all older folks that volunteer their time. The program is run by the major TV station in town.

A few years back I receive a bill from Earthlink who auto deducted 300.00 for networking equipment I never received. They had no proof they sent it, it was in their "system" and the only way clear it from the "SYSTEM" WAS FOR ME TO PAY. It really was funny because I was thinking how do i take Earthlink to small claims? Will they show up? Will they pay the summary judgement?
I learned later if they didn't pay, a till-tap was in order where the Sheriff goes with you to the nearest Earthlink joint and they actually take the cash from the register.

Any how, it was a blatant error that Earthlink would not resolve. This program got involved, and although it took some time, (it's free) Earthlink wound up paying me back. They don't like stories like mine on TV. Many people have benefited from this service, so if you have something similar in your town, give it a shot.

 

Night, I have the direct number to the case managers. Will that help?