hp dv9500 screen problem [ Edited ]

[Sticky1981]

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd chime in to share my experience and maybe offer some helpful advice for UK customers.

The issue as we all seem to know is with certain Nvidia GPUs which are liable to overheating (try googling something like "Nvidia GPU laptop failure" for more detailed information), and as notebook GPU's are built into the motherboard then a failure is catastrophic and expensive to repair.  Apparently Nvidia have put aside several $hundred-million to support repairs, however it seems it is the manufacturers that are the weak link.  HP have apparently decided that only certain models are affected with the problem but most of the people here have experience to prove otherwise.  At the moment it appears the policy is set.  They have extended warranties on some models (see http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01087194&cc=uk&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_UK... for UK Part numbers) but the list of affected models isn't anywhere near as comprehensive as it should be.  

In my experience the UK/Indian customer advisors are totally ignorant of the issue and lets be honest they're not really bovvered either, I found them totally infuriating and were completely useless in my case.  I sought advice from Consumer Direct and ended up writing to Steve Gill (MD HPUK) I received no answer from him, to Paulette Hughlock (some kind of complaints exec) and to Mark Hurd (CEO).  Fortunately Ms Hughlock's Out of Office reply pointed me towards ukcust.serv@hp.com - (UK & Ireland complaints).  The email I sent there must have reached someone with an ounce of professionalism and I finally got my repair made.  I should add here that my P/N was listed and it was less than 24 months and STILL I had to jump through all these hoops!

Anyway, write to these people, they are the ones who can make the decisions, its their inbox you need to swamp.  By annoying these people maybe you can get your P/N included in the extended warranty?

CEO, don't expect any response there although it may be worth Cc-ing his address to add a bit of weight to your complaint.

If you do not get a satisfactory result from these you can also resort to your statutory rights.  UK law (Sales of Goods Act 1979) states that goods shout be sold at a "satisfactory quality".  The Nvidia issue is widely publicised and if it came to it I would have used that to make a claim against the retailer.  Note your rights are with the retailer rather than the manufacturer.  Also if you purchased with a credit agreement then the credit company can also be held jointly liable.

Good luck.

Message Edited by Sticky1981 on 02-28-2009 12:43 PM

 (Edited due to privacy concerns, please see Rules of Participation.)

Message Edited by WendyM on 06-29-2009 10:00 AM

Message Edited by SandyD on 06-29-2009 01:02 PM

[LiquidNitro]

Latest victim. Have a dv9500 for over a year and it all of a sudden failed. The display goes in and out and usual displays the screen split vertically into 4. You can still kind of see but everything is small and kind of greyed out.

My girlfriends dad actually works at HP, maybe I could see if I can get some actual answers.

[DJliberal]

The scope of the problem is huge (see this post): http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/961/1031961/hp-pays-half-nvidia-problems

What we really need is a class action suite against Nvidia (another post):

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/630/1029630/nvidia-meltdown-blame-game

to get them to help the PC manufacturers replace the faulty PCs altogether, as it is not acceptable for HP (or anyone else) to replace one bad chip (and in this case the MB too) with another faulty chip and call the problem solved.

[DHight]

Actually we didn't purchase our laptops from Nvidia.  We trusted HP with providing us a product that would last.  So the issue of settling this dispute with us is on HP.  HP should be taking the right steps to press NVidia to also step up.  We must take our problems with the manufacturer of our laptops because it was HP who chose to use Nvidia chipsets.  But considering the news of Dells issues and others in the past..  I am highly suprised that HP was not more careful with implementing this chip.

Here is another article on it.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/08/dell-extends-wa.html

[DJliberal]

"HP should be taking the right steps to press NVidia to also step up. We must take our problems with the manufacturer of our laptops because it was HP who chose to use Nvidia chipsets."

Good points. I think all options should be explored, since as I said I don't think that getting one flawed part replaced with a new flawed part is acceptable. But if the scope is a wide as it seems (potential "make good" cost over a billion) that may be the best that (only a lucky few) can hope for. Thanks for the link to Wired.

[DHight]

Wire.com has contacted me for an interview and she will keep in touch with me through-out this week.  I will keep us all informed.

[Fancyfeast25]

sounds good, looks like this is the sort of thing we need to get both parties to comply and fix this issue.

[Yeowoh]

Where do I sign my name?

HP deleted my post about a class action lawsuit.

Seems to me the hate the idea.

[Yanera]

Add me to the list:

DV9515

8600gs chipset

1 and half years old

 Messed up screen with color dots 2weeks before

now gimme a blank screen, but sill can get into windows if u press power button about 100times by lucky.

called 0800 numbers they refused to do anything. i want my money back!! $3800 (NZ) now is nothing!

[TXeagle]

I became a member of this "video driver club" about 5 months ago.  My HP dv9500 went dark as descriibed by others.  My warranty (1 yr.) was past the 1 yr. mark by 5 days!!!  It cost me $400 to get it fixed.  I have had a couple scares with it since then by it recovered.  It looks like Nvidia has come out with a new (BETA) driver.  My question is, is it possible the new driver was created to help address the crash and burn problem.  Second, has anyone tried it to see if it helps.  Next, has HP tested it out or will they be testing out the new driver?  How safe would it be to go ahead and try?  Unless HP addresses this and helps us all, I will go elsewhere for my next computer (and I buy a computer every year for my business, so in the longrun, they are passing up lots of bucks).