Laptop warranty and consumer rights?

ifb-online

The screen of my HP convertible touch screen laptop has spontaneously developed a hairline crack.


The laptop was purchased from HP's own online store exactly 4 months ago.


Naturally, I contacted HP Support for advice on how to get this fixed under warranty.


Maybe unsurprisingly, via their online chat, they say I must have broken the screen (absolutely not true), so there is no manufacturing defect so they will have to charge me to rectify the fault.


I've escalated the case and I'm waiting for a call from a supervisor.


I'm not optimistic that they will honour the warranty - does anyone have any advice?


Thanks.

JJ_Egan

Warranty its up to them .
Consumer rights against the vendor .
I would see what they come back with first . But remind them that under CR the burden of proof that its damage is on them for the first 6 months .


But yet to see a poster saying anything but i did not damage it .They will want to inspect anyway .

ifb-online

That sounds positive; there is no external damage ; the laptop is in very good condition. There certainly isn't any sign of an impact and the crack is one long hairline affair meandering from the top to the bottom of the screen . It's also a convertible touch screen so the screen will have been toughened for fingers pressing on it as well as the stylus/pen. I have also found an example of another customer who stood ground and HP eventually replaced the screen under warranty.


I always assumed that the burden of proof was on them and that the laptop would need to be inspected, which is why I was so dismayed when they immediately quoted me for a non-warranty repair after simply looking at a couple of photos I provided.

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Warranty its up to them .
Consumer rights against the vendor .
I would see what they come back with first . But remind them that under CR the burden of proof that its damage is on them for the first 6 months .


But yet to see a poster saying anything but i did not damage it .They will want to inspect anyway .

marliepanda

Honestly things don!!!8217;t tend to crack spontaneously, certainly after 4 months. Of course they will want to inspect.

DoaM

I don't know the model in question, but ... have you ever opened the laptop one-handed from one corner? (i.e. one hand holds the base, the other lifts the lid from one corner). If yes then this can apply a twisting stress to the screen.

neilmcl

I agree with the above. Laptop screens don't tend to spontaneously crack on their own and there doesn't need to be any sign of external damage. My dad dropped his laptop on it's side and there was no external indicators just the cracked screen. You don't even have to drop it, placing objects on the lid can be enough to damage the screen.

Good luck with disputing the retailer's claim that it was caused by user damage.

ifb-online

DoaM wrote: »

I don't know the model in question, but ... have you ever opened the laptop one-handed from one corner? (i.e. one hand holds the base, the other lifts the lid from one corner). If yes then this can apply a twisting stress to the screen.

I probably have opened it from a corner; does that invalidate the warranty? Surely a laptop should be able to withstand that? This is a convertible (to tablet mode) laptop with a 14 inch touch screen and it comes with a stylus/pen. The design, surely, should be robust enough to withstand reasonable handling.


I have owned many laptops over the years and this is the fourth touch screen laptop I've had and none of them have had any issues like this.

ifb-online

I'm pleased to report SUCCESS!


After being very firm, but remaining polite, I managed to get my case escalated and a customer care (note 'care') rep contacted me. She asked for more photos and at the same time arranged for the laptop to be shipped to the repair facility. I was half-expecting to be told that the repair was still chargeable but I had a call from the same agent informing the the repair was being done under warranty. It seems that as webchat team I originally contacted had not even considered examining the laptop before pronouncing it a chargeable repair and that was wrong.


In any case, there was absolutely no evidence the laptop has been abused in any way.


The bottom line is - never give up and stick to your rights!