MONITOR HINGES BREAK ON DV8000 MODEL TOO! [ Edited ]

[zenny]

HP has already acknowledged it has a problem with the hinges on dv9000 series laptops and is offering free repair.

I got my dv8000t CTO in June 2006 for my wife and daughter. Six months later there emerged some play in the monitor hinges. The right hinge (from the user's point of view) started separating quite soon. This week the left hinge busted, a piece of it and a screw came out and the monitor assembley is begining to separate.

So I started looking on the Internet to see whether I am the only one with the problem. Apparently I'm not: "UPDATE Aug 20, 2008: We now have over 1360 comments by people just like you with hinge cracks on their HP dv9000, dv6000 and recently dv8000 series notebooks. I have personally responded to over 2000 emails."

There is actually already a video of a guy fixing the hinge on his dv8000! It reminds of the Communist system: The apartment building owned by the People's Enterprise was costly to maintain. So, two guys from the maintenance shop showed up one day and affixed a sign above each entrance to the building, proclaiming "This building is under the socialist care of its tenants." Translation? The People's Government Owned Enterprise is now a slum landlord and you, the tenant, are on your own. That is apparently the new business model of the global economy.

HP on-line chat help told me today there's nothing they can do, although an "HP R & D team is working in clear out this issue." I can order the hinge repair kit and have somebody install it at my expense. Tonight I called on-line help and ended up talking to a "second line supervisor", i.e. the help-bank floor walker. I told him I bought an HP color laser printer a month ago and have a brand new desktop in the closet for under the Christmas tree. If HP does not care to repair the structural defect on my laptop I will send the new PC back. Apparently, I'm not worth the $100 or so it would take to make me whole. For shame! The engineers decided the dv8000 does not qualify for the relief. If this is the HP business model I will not buy anything from then ever again. What is this country coming to? One World - One Nightmare!

Message Edited by zenny on 12-14-2008 08:09 PM

Message Edited by zenny on 12-14-2008 08:43 PM

Message Edited by zenny on 12-15-2008 09:53 AM

[Vaika]

Monitor hinges break on ANY model of notebook, including Macintosh, Dell, Toshiba, Sony... ANY of them.

The only time they will issue an actual service enhancement like with some of the HP ones is if they determine it's because of design that the hinges are breaking.

If the hinges are overwhelmingly breaking NOT because of design, but because of misuse and normal wear and tear, they're not going to have a service enhancement for it.

Message Edited by Vaika on 12-18-2008 06:47 PM

[zenny]

Dear Vaika, the whole point of my post and the website http://www.notebookhingecrack.com/ is that we are talking about a DESIGN FLAW, not misuse. I should have said, as I have done elsewhere, that my wife's dv8000 sits on a spinet desk all day long and then it might be taken 2 feet away when she sits in an armchair or 10 feet away when she sits on a couch, perhpas up to two or three times a day. Not even every day. No abuse, no haggard runs through the airports, etc. I don't  even have a case for it. There is no need. Nice and staid environment.

The thruth is simple. The dv8000 has the same design flaw as the dv9000. With due respect, we do know that things break in general and computer monitor hinges in particular. (I don't know about you, but I have had engineering education and know a little bit about these things.) What you have to realize is that when you have a 17 inch diagonal wide screen, a new technology, chances are the hinge design and manufacturing under the conditions of global downward price pressures were most probably not done properly. Frankly, as soon as the laptop came and I opened it, it gave me a pause. The weight of the laptop, the mass of the monitor and those hinge covers of plastic were an incredible mix. Now that the hinge broke and I see its real dimensions and the type of plastic, I cringe. I just can't believe that HP would rather antagonize loyal customers than do the inevitable and send the hinge kit and a coupon for $100 worth of labor.

[frprinterwiz]

So if the issue started 6 months after buying the laptop, why didn't you get it fixed when it was under warranty instead of waiting over a year for it to finish breaking?  If the brakes started squealing in your car, would you drive the car until your foot went to the floor and you couldn't stop?

[zenny]

So I have sinned by not reacting immediately. Perhaps I had hoped it wouldn't get worse. Perhaps I didn't have the time. Obviously you are young, single, and without children. I am over 50, have had three jobs at times, a business, a family, responsibilities and don't have time to watch TV, do Facebook, etc. Just work like a horse and protect the kids and wife. I was not aware of the problem immediately and discovered the severity too late. Your comments add nothing to the discussion of whether this is or is not a design flaw. Have you no mercy?

[Vaika]

It really doesn't matter if you're busy, so far as the warranty is concerned.

The warranty is what it is: it's one year long, and if you want something fixed for free under that warranty, you HAVE to call in DURING your warranty period.

If getting the computer fixed really mattered to you, you would've gotten it done.  Don't expect HP to fix it out of warranty for you because you "didn't have time" to call in.

Also:  Had you considered perhaps having your wife or another family member call in for you?

Message Edited by Vaika on 12-19-2008 11:24 AM

[Thor253]

It is a shame that HP has not extended this type of repair beyond May 2009.  I started to have the left hinge issue with my dv9023us about a month ago; even the shell surrounding the hinge is starting to separate.  I called HP Support and explained my case but they would not provide support unless I pay for it.  I can not believe a company will infurate customers to this degree.  They knew about this design problem and they only offered a poor period of time for people to come forward.  As far as I am concerned, this will be the last time I will purchase a HP product and I have a few at home.  As a professional (and I make purchase recommendations in my company), I will not recommend purchasing HP products; perhaps when HP starts to feel loosing business they will reconsider their business model towards its customers.

[Mr_Nameless]

Thor253,

I have the same model, and the same issue happened to me in early July.  It seemed to have gotten worse each day.  I also went through the same run around with HP support.  I said, if you recognize this to be a design flaw/problem, and offered a free repair, why end the offer.  And was fed the same BS.

They said the cost for repair would be $298 to $398 depending on the model.  I told them the model, so I really don't know what that means.  

Has anyone had any luck getting it fixed on their own?

Thanks 

[Thor253]

Mr. Nameless,

Status Quo on this end.  A valuable lesson I learned during this process: we are good when we spent money on their products but we represent the bottom of the pit when it comes to support their product and its customers.  It is sad reality.  Sorry my friend I wish you better luck.

Thor253

[dlindquist83]

My left hinge has broken on my pavillion 9900 series laptop, my laptop is still covered under warranty and with both the problem being recogonized by HP and the warranty they are STILL REFUSING TO FIX IT.  They took pictures in which they supposidly show "customer induced damage"  The picture is simply a picture of the broken hinge and also a picture of the bottom plastic and the top plastic seperating because of the hinge problem.  The case manager wants me to pay them 300.00 or they are threatening to void the entire rest of my warranty and are telling me they are not going to fix the battery recall my computer also has.  Isnt that illegal to refuse service to a laptop that is clearly under warranty, clearly under recall and has an issue with the left hinge that HP has already aknowledged?  What can I do in this situation?  The "Case manager" is refusing to help me and the "executive case manager" just transfered me back to the extremely rude case manager.  I am getting VERY frusterated and to say the least will NEVER buy an HP product again, not only that but I will tell everyone I know not to (coming from someone with 3 brand new HPs).