Hinge issue omnibook

[HaySher]

My hinges on both sides of the omnibook 2 in 1 are broken from 7 months of use. 

The product is still under manufactory warranty but has been deemed UID. The laptop has not been dropped or damaged so I'm really frustrated that this is not covered and will be billable.

The laptop is used daily as a 2 in 1 and it's clear their hinges are not up to the minimum standard of operation that the laptop is designed to be used for. 

Extremely disappointed that HP is not taking responsibility for hardware that is cheap. 

HP, how do you determine UID for a screen - which is designed to be moved - broke it's hinges while close the screen. Yes, hinges broke when it was closed by me, the user, but it was not done forcefully. 

Lives up to the reputation of HP = Hinge Problems. 

Thankyou, extremely disappointed customer. 

[idj_779]

Hi HaySher,

Welcome to the HP Community! I am a new volunteer here participating in the HP Solve-a-thon.

I completely understand your frustration.

A 2-in-1 laptop is specifically marketed and designed to be opened, closed, and folded continuously. Having the hinges fail after only 7 months of normal use is incredibly disappointing, and having support dismiss it as User-Induced Damage (UID) makes it even worse.

As Avani083lekhara correctly pointed out, the initial UID classification does not have to be the final word. When physical components break, front-line support agents often default to a UID classification based strictly on photos of the damage. However, you can fight this.

Here is the exact step-by-step method to build your case and escalate this effectively:

1. Gather Your Evidence (The "No-Drop" Proof) The burden of proof is currently on you to show the laptop was not dropped or abused. Take clear, high-resolution photos of all four corners and the exterior edges of your Omnibook. You need to definitively show that there are absolutely no dents, scuffs, scratches, or impact marks anywhere on the chassis.

2. Demand a Case Manager Escalation **bleep** back, provide your existing case number, and firmly but politely request that your ticket be escalated to a Case Manager or the Customer Relations team. Level 1 phone agents usually do not have the system authority to overturn a UID classification, which is why you are hitting a brick wall. You must speak to someone with override authority.

3. State the Mechanical Failure When you speak to the Case Manager, offer to send your "no-drop" photo evidence. State clearly that the device was used exactly as intended for a 2-in-1, and that the hinges suffered from mechanical fatigue and premature hardware failure, not physical abuse.

Stay persistent, remain polite but firm with the Case Manager, and lean heavily on the fact that your pristine laptop corners prove there was no user-induced impact.

Thank you for being a part of the HP Community! I am an independent tech enthusiast and volunteer participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, not an HP employee.

If my steps helped you out, please click the Thumbs Up/Yes button below. If this completely resolved your issue, please click Accept as Solution so other users can easily find the answer!

[HaySher]

Thankyou for the response. 

I intend to speak to someone after your information provided. I understand there could be difficulty in determining "fault" through photos taken (laptop was returned to place of purchase as informed to do so), but it's clear. I wonder if the store sent photos of the laptop of just the hinge area. I will follow that up. 

Agreed, we are dealing with humans, so common courtesy, politeness should always be maintained, which I would. 

I expect the same from HP as well as a customer. 

[HaySher]

Thankyou. It is good to know I am able to request a case escalation to have someone look at the laptop. I will progress.

Wish me luck 

[idj_779]

Hi HaySher,

That is exactly what happens the vast majority of the time when a device is returned through the original retail store rather than directly to HP.

The store clerks are usually just following a basic Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) checklist. They take a zoomed-in photo of the specific damage to process the ticket. When the HP repair depot receives that single, isolated photo of a shattered hinge, their system immediately flags it as User-Induced Damage (UID) because they have zero context regarding the pristine condition of the rest of the chassis.

Since the store is currently acting as a middleman, here is what I highly recommend doing next:

1. Get the Case Number: Call or visit the store and ask them for the exact HP Case Number or RMA Number they opened for your laptop.

2. Take Your Own Photos: If the laptop is still physically at the store, ask to see it so you can take your own comprehensive photos of the pristine corners and edges.

3. Bypass the Middleman: Once you have that HP Case Number and your own photos, **bleep** yourself. Give them the Case Number and escalate it to Customer Relations. You can then manually upload your photos to the ticket, proving to the Case Manager that the store's initial photos did not tell the whole story.

Keep pushing politely but firmly, and let me know how the escalation goes!

Thank you for being a part of the HP Community! I am an independent tech enthusiast and volunteer participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, not an HP employee.

If my steps helped you out, please click the Thumbs Up/Yes button below. If this completely resolved your issue, please click Accept as Solution so other users can easily find the answer!

[HaySher]

The laptop is currently at the store where it was purchased. 

I went through them as when I called the store when it happened, they recommended.to.go through them.

Good to know (hopefully there's never a next time) to go straight to the manufacturer. 

I might have to escalate (advocate for) myself.

[idj_779]

Hi HaySher,

It makes total sense that you went through the store first, that is what most of us do when a device breaks. Retailers always promise to handle the headache for you, but as you are seeing, it usually just adds a frustrating layer of miscommunication between you and the actual HP repair depot.

Since the laptop is still physically at the store, you are in a great position to take control of the narrative.

I highly recommend calling or visiting the store today. Ask them for the specific HP Case Number or RMA Number they generated when they sent the ticket to HP. Let them know you want to contact HP directly to advocate for the repair. While you are there, ask to see the laptop so you can snap those critical photos of the undamaged corners and edges.

Once you have that Case Number and your photos, you can **bleep** directly, bypass the retail middleman, and escalate the case yourself.

Advocating for yourself is exactly what needs to be done at the moment here. You know you didn't abuse the machine, so do not let a generic retail "UID" flag close the book on your warranty. Keep me posted on how the escalation goes. Hopefully, I was of some help.

Thank you for being a part of the HP Community! I am an independent tech enthusiast and volunteer participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, not an HP employee.

If my steps helped you out, please click the Thumbs Up/Yes button below. If this completely resolved your issue, please click Accept as Solution so other users can easily find the answer!

[HaySher]

You can see why people just give in to these big corporations. 

One phone call to HP - useless. Was supposed to receive an email to be able to provide my own photos and information about the issue, which didn't happen. 

So tried next contact option. 

One support online chat session - asked to be escalated to customer relations team at the very beginning of the conversation. Took 1 hour & 24 min through chat back and forth to finally have the supervisor say they will send it for review by customer relations on Monday. 

I'm not standing for this level of service and support and will be going further as this laptop has not been used in any other way than intended and has not been mishandled or dropped. 

[idj_779]

Hi HaySher,

To be frank, I've faced the same support bottlenecks with my own products as well. Had my OMEN arrive with its warranty pre-activated and had to spend 3 days going back and forth with CS Agents just to get one of them provide confirmation that it will be corrected within on their end within a days.

I can understand the frustration. I don't know what else to say or if anything is required from my end here. Maybe the fact that 2 in 1 notebooks always intrigued me for some reason and I always thought about buying one unless of course it wasn't the hinges themselves.

Any chance the notebook model in question is an Omnibook X Flip?