advice regarding hp repair service needed

last week i sent my 8510p notebook to hp for repair, since exactly the same issue (!) happened like back in july this year. a ca. 6-10 pixel wide white stripe appeared on the right half of the display, near the center, after opening the lid.

probably because the inverter board sits loose inside the display frame (i think the frame itself is the problem, as it seems to be slack). in july the display was replaced and everything was ok (my warranty goes till 2011).

but today on the case summary they wrote that it is a "misuse case"!

and that they will contact me. i suppose regarding the payment of the repair costs!

this notebook is my desktop replacement and its on my desktop all the time, as i use a second one for mobility, so theres no chance that "misuse" could have caused the problem.

any advice what i could do to have it repaired under warranty?

thanks

 

Ask them what kind of "misuse" they think you did. Are there scratches or scuffs on your laptop that depict "misuse"?

This is from HP Business right? I would ask for a case manager and talk to him/her and have them explain it. Then plead your case as calmly and nicely as possible. Tell them your side and tell them exactly what you said, that you keep it on the desk at all times.

 

yes, actually its the top business model, except its the professional (p), and not the even more expensive workstation (w) one.

since i got it in july 08, and really take care of it, there are no scratches or so. i even open it every 3-4 months and clean the heatsink, vent etc. and the display almost weekly.

i called them today and the support said the repair guy or case manager would call me tomorrow regarding the repair price. i suppose its some €400.. (that was the price for a display replacement on my nx9030 after warranty was over and the backlight issue happened the second time after already having been repaired once for free while under warranty) it wouldnt be a problem on that former €1900 notebook if i wasnt sure that this was exactly the same problem as happened back in july, a 6-10 pixel wide white vertical stripe on the right half of the display, appeared while opening the lid.

that happened on thursday, oct 1st. i was using the notebook till sunday, and on monday it was picked up. i remember some minor anomalies starting to appear when using it last time on sunday, but nothing special. pressing the display on the front towards the lid behind it made them disappear again (same when pressing the lower frame where the hp logo is towards the inverter board).

maybe these became worse when the notebook arrived at the repair center?!

thats the only explanation i could think of, as the white stripe only resulted in a normal warranty repair with the display being replaced and everything was ok, back in july..

lets see what they say tomorrow when they call..

thanks

 

Your going to speaking to the service center tommarow not some tech or anyone who cares. They will just quote you price and some excuse. Talk to them calmly about it if it doesnt work out well hang up and call tech support. explain issue and also about speaking to someone higher about this. Do not demand and good luck to ya.

 

yeah i hope.. im already awaiting the new 8540 models coming in january, and spending some money on my present (=old) 8510p just 2-3 months before probably buying a new one isnt very satisfying

the main problem i think is their support staff - every time i call there some polish women talk to me that neither speak german well (i live in austria, hence call the austrian support), nor english. ("accord to repairline mususe case", "keyboard not function", and lots of such very basic sentences, already written wrong - all copied from my cases summaries @ europe.itrc.hp.com, not to mention the phone conversations..)

i also noticed that the codes used to identify the problem this time and last time in july are different.

although having explained the issue the same way both times (in july i also mentioned that the pointing stick became loose - therefore "keyboard not function"), and also stated that the same issue already happened back in july, the codes used are different.

in july it was:
Error Code: LCDC20 More bad/dead pixels/line than allowed "dead pixel policy"
(and KBEE01, because of the loose pointing stick)
solution: replace display

now its:
Puma Code:LCDC23 LCD Vert line
solution: replace display

but the problem i experienced was exactly the same.


welll, i hope ill be able to explain that to them that it definitely wasnt any kind of misuse..

 

ok they sent me a mail with a form to fill out and sign that they can repair the damage for €243 net (probably some €300).

they also attached a photo of the notebook inside bios with a huge crack inside the display (not on the display, but inside where the pixels are)! the thin white stripe, which was the actual issue i called hp support, is also visible. but this crack makes some 80% of the whole display unusable (completely white). and i had been using the notebook after reporting the damage for 3 days without any problems!

now i replied and explained that this damage (broken display) wasnt the damage i experienced, and that this only could have happened after the notebook was picked up by UPS. i also stated that i had several proofs of usage during the days after i had reported the damage (mails, including the HP support mail regarding the case i reported, i sent myself through outlook to my webmail, so i can read them after my notebook's away, ntfs last access times inside win xp & 7, and probably several others, too).

but ok, if they insist on the repair being paid, theres nothing i can do else, and i need the notebook.. the really stupid thing is my present situation, as i already pre-ordered the 2nd successor of that 8510p notebook - the elitebook 8540p, which should come in january 2010, during the hp event HP ideas 2009 2 weeks ago.. and now i have to pay some €300 for this "old" notebook, which will only be used for the next 3-4 months.

lets see what theyre gonna answer tomorrow..

EDIT:
one very interesting point...
initially my notebook was sent to poland, company name jabil ( www.jabil.com). there the case from july also was repaired and i got my notebook back within one week.
NOW, that they saw that it wont be a warranty repair, but one i should pay for, the notebook was sent to GERMANY, company name teleplan ( www.teleplan.com), and the first time i heard something was today, 10 days after the notebook was picked up, and 9 days after the damage was diagnosted in poland (theres a date on the photo they sent me).

so probably they have the repairs one has to pay for made in germany, since there they can charge far more for the repair than the cheap repair in poland, where HP has to pay for the repair, since its under warranty...

 

now im waiting for their reply, but im gonna pay it, as i dont really expect them to change their mind because of my explanations; not covered by the warranty > payable repair - i simply need the notebook, so theres no way around..

(i already asked if they just could send me the new display so i can replace it but impossible)

 

One possible suggestion (I'm not familiar with EU/UK law) would be to explore getting a refund through your equivalent of small claims court after the notebook has been returned to you.

Always a good idea, when shipping something for repair, to take DATED pictures showing the extent of the problem/damage.

 

they gave me a call today telling me my mail has was forwarded to a "higher" officer that then will probably give me a rebate.

unfortunately i didnt take any picture of the notebook after reporting the damage, as ive had only good experience with hp business support so far.. but i will remember that for the future.

obviously theyre right - there probably was already a crack or something preceding the display break while the notebook was still with me, and during the time passed it just got worse as air got inside the display and the crystals began to move away from that point.

lets see what price they want to have, but i will pay it, even if they dont give me a rebate.

 

WOW thumbs up HP business support again..

i got another mail with a new price - 50% of the initial one, ie. €121,50. with one polite and explaining mail they cut me the half price down for an out-of-warranty repair, really nice.

thanks again, hp business support.
looking forward to the 8540p with core i7, mobility radeon 5000 (hopefully!, since indirectly confirmed to me) and an aluminum/magnesium hp duracase and spill-proof keyboard, as soon as its out, its mine.