Recently we reported on a YouTube video showing a Chinese HP consumer smashing his faulty laptop at a local HP store. The destructive behavior stemmed from a long string of motherboard problems that extended past the warranty. Rather than shell out money to fix the faulty laptop, he chose to give it back to HP in pieces.
At the time, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said that it was looking into the situation as well as many other complaints filed against HP. The government watchdog has now determined that HP was indeed selling faulty laptops, naming "faulty video cards" as the source of overheating and eventual hardware crash.
According to Reuters, the affected laptops include HP Pavilion DV2000 and Compaq Presario c3000 models. The findings also listed six models--including the HP 541--that had problems with screens going black. The Chinese watchdog added that HP failed to follow rules to protect customers with "three guarantees" of a refund, replacement or repair.
"HP acknowledges the findings of the AQSIQ," HP said in a statement. "We are working on a detailed action plan to ensure all points are addressed and will publicly outline this plan soon."
China's AQSIQ said that it submitted the findings to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. All three parties are now monitoring HP's activities "to ensure that it complies with China's consumer protection code."
Maybe Mr. Laptop Smasher will finally get a new, well-deserved laptop out of the whole ordeal.
