The HP Compaq Presario CQ-40 Issue: Has HP Lost Consumer Confidence Because of the LCD “Line of Fate” Problem?
I’m a known HP fan. I’ve actually owned four HP laptops and netbooks so far. I like HP for its design and for the relatively affordable prices of its consumer-oriented models.
With regard to warranty, HP hasn’t failed me. Its distributor MSI-ECS has serviced my computers twice. First, when my Compaq V2617TS had a defective fan, HP replaced the fan, as well as the entire lid and front bezel. I got a new LCD, plus a previously non-existent WiFi antenna. Second was when I had my B1256TU battery replaced. Both were done at the 11th hour, right before warranty expired.
However, HP’s service seems to be on the decline. Popular laptop club and retailer Cooltoyz wrote about how they have lost confidence in HP because of issues with the Compaq CQ-40 line. This was allegedly due to the “Line of Fate” issue with the LCD, in which the screen will eventually — and inevitably — flicker and just die out.
This is best explained in a blog post by Tonyo Cruz. His site seems to be currently offline, though (hosting issues?), but here’s a Google Cached copy. There’s also a forum thread on Hardware Zone Singapore that discusses the LCD flicker issue.
Because of the number of complaints and unavailability of parts, service centers actually took two months to fix broken computers. The worst thing is that because of faulty design, affected computers will experience the same symptoms after some time. HP allegedly extended warranty for another six months, but then rescinded this extension. Also, HP no longer honors international warranty, which means if you bought your computer from the US or other countries, you won’t be able to have it serviced here under warranty.
I guess faulty design issues can be resolved with the company involved admitting their mistakes and offering to recall/replace the products. But if manufacturers will simply cover up their mistakes, that leaves a lot of consumers (and even distributors) at a disadvantage. It’s a manufacturing problem that might have been best handled with good PR. But as things had turned out, HP has lost goodwill with some of its most avid fans.
Note that this issue surfaced in late 2009, but CQ40 users are still experiencing the same problem. It’s particularly bad for those who bought their computers in 2009, and are only experiencing the defect a year after.
I’ve been in touch with MSI-ECS (a local HP distributor and service center) and I await their response as of this writing.
Have you experienced any problems with your HP laptop lately? Or are you satisfied with HP’s service?
