I would have pursued the warranty issue. If it is under warranty they would have had him ship it in and he would have had it back in less than a week. I had an issue with a ram slot on my computer "from damage" and got it taken care of in no time.

Also, it might help him to contact sales about this, they'd be more interested in helping him.

i'm guessing the keys are too small to be considered parts

anyways... last i checked, my laptop's keyboard can be purchased on ebay for $30

I second the thing about just replacing the keyboard, it's generally inexpensive, and only held in with a few screws and a small ribbon cable. For $297 you can send it to me and I'll do it for you. :)

Wow, popping keys on will damage the internals of the computer? Ridiculous. They can be a bit tricky to replace SOMETIMES, but no more than that. Do what the editor suggested and buy a replacement keyboard online. They're usually reasonably cheap. I'd try to drop an EECB on HP to let them know their customer support is retarded and has cost them a customer.

If you bought this through AMEX, they add an extra year of warranty and will give you a choice of sending it in to their repair people, or being reimbursed the cost of HP doing it.

I've had this runaround with HP too. I love they sneak in the trick question of, "could this be from damage?" and if you say "yes" or "not sure" they can give you an even rougher time.

I'll do it for $197 =)

But yeah, this is crap. I have had good experiences with HP products, but when they go bad . . watch out

I had a key break on my Apple Powerbook G4 after the computer was out of warranty. I went into an Apple store, the rep went in back, got the right key, popped it on for free, and I left in under 5 minutes.

Laptop keyboards come as a full unit, they are not meant to be 'popped' in, popping them in causes the plastic part to break which is what happened to his keys in his first place.

Sending it in will replace the entire keyboard, of course the entire keyboard is no where near $300 and is really probably close to $30. lol.

I went through the same conversation over a dell keyboard a few years back, though it was covered under the warranty, I just didn't want to be without a laptop for X amount of weeks.

Oh, and if you feel like searching, search for "hp [model # of laptop] scissor" and you may find some luck through google. Assuming there is no damage to the key itself.

@SavitriPleiades: Yeah, I find it hard to believe HP can't just give him the damn keys.

And that's why I'll never buy an HP. Or a Dell. Or really, any PC for that matter.

@snowburnt: i've read articles here and elsewhere that lead me to believe he wouldn't get it back in a week... if at all

He wasn't going to be charged $298 for 2 keyboard keys, it was for parts+labor of a new keyboard. It's not possible to buy individual keys for ANY keyboard let alone a laptop keyboard. This is not hard to understand. I'm usually the first to side with someone who has been ripped off by "the man" but I'm siding with HP on this one.

@Cocoa Vanilla: That's at an apple store. Try calling their customer support. You will get the same run around.

My Saitek Eclipse II keyboard had a few keys get wiped blank a bit. They sent me new ones no charge.

I have suffered similar randomness when it comes to HP custoemr service rules. The fan my new HP desktop was far too loud (sounded like it was catching on something) and I called asking for them to send a replacement that I could fit myself.

Instead, they insisted it had to be sent back and as part of the process of replacing the fan they would have to wipe the hard drive! I never received a decent explanation as to why - it was just 'part of the procedure'.

Yup, buy a parts laptop for cheap on ebay. You can get the keyboard itself, or a non-working complete model for cheap and just grab the keyboard out of it.

Long time reader, but first time commenting...

I chime in only because of the CSR insisting the keys were not replaceable by the customer. When I had issues with my wireless card on my laptop, they sent me a new card with instructions to replace it, which involved using a really small Phillips head, opening one of the doors on the bottom of the computer and removing two thread-sized wires from their terminals.

If a customer is expected to do hardware replacements like that, then swapping out plastic keys is child's play. Although, judging by the price, I assume they wanted to replace the entire keyboard.

HP's TotalCare is anything but. See my experiences at [hpissues1.blogspot.com]

"Unfortunately you can't buy single laptop keys to replace."

I bought a couple on eBay for my old Toshiba for a few bucks.

I think maybe you should have blacked out or otherwise anonymized the serial numbers and service tags.

Might be overkill, but still...

WOW. I walked into an Apple Store Genius Bar the other day with almost exactly the problem with a MacBook, except that the problem was, by my own admission, caused by damage done by my three-year-old. The Genius's response was to rummage around in a drawer full of old keyboards until he found the same model of keyboard that I had, and he pried off the two keys I needed and GAVE them to me, along with a tool (the infamous "Black Stick" spudger tool) that I'd need to get the new keys stuck onto the old laptop. Total cost $0. Total time investment 2 minutes.

(Maybe those people on the TV commercials who "aren't cool enough for a Mac" oughta think again about whether they are or aren't getting what they pay for when they go for the cheap option.)

HP is well known for doing this, tried to charge me $1,200 for a new LCD screen on a $600 laptop. Offered to reduce it to $800 and then finally offered to sell me a new laptop for $700. Felt like I was talking to a commissioned salesman instead of a tech support guy.

@sodomanaz: One last thing: I think you can buy the keyboard through HP's site. Log in and look around for "upgrade parts" or something similar under your laptop. If I remember correctly, they should offer a replacement keyboard for like $30-40.

On the HP Chat support form there is a drop box that asks how good a computer user you are. If you select Expert, you tend to get their smarter reps. Had one help me very well out of warranty after I lost my Vista OS during a funky win7 beta install.

Why it shows him out of warranty I don't know. Thats worth an EECB in itself.

As for the keyboard you can replace it yourself. They wont sell individual keys, but if you go to the spare parts page you can buy a new board for a stupid sum of money or get one elsewhere. They wanted $600 to replace my cracked screen - did it myself for $190.

@mindshadow: I worked in a phone center and it is totally possible that he has no way of getting those keys to him. Plus Randy was hostile right away. Be nice to the people on the phone (its even easier to fake nice on chat). It will get you much farther in the long run.

Is it just me, or was Randy acting like a spoiled little brat the entire time?

If the OP can't buy the keys, any way he could remove less used keys to trade for the O and P? (Weird, the OP needs O and P.) Maybe pull off the ~ and function keys or something?

This is a great, terrible HP customer service story, BTW.

I've had to run into rediculous run-arounds with HP customer service before.

HP used to be reliable for me, but lately it seems like they're hiring complete dipshits to do their work. Even the higher-ups that I was able to contact wouldn't give me any information, and instead I faced lies about case maanagement and whatnot.

My next laptop wont be an HP.

Hate to say it, but I've had the exact opposite experience with HP. The battery on my HP mini expanded and cracked the plastic casing. Went online, had a curteous chat with the service rep, got everything taken care of in a week and a half.

Anthony seemed ready for a fight from the start, if his notebook was actually still in warranty he should have persued it that way (especially after hearing the repair cost). I doubt he's being comletely honest here.

@taking_this_easy: everything is a part.

even the little rubber feet.

I hate to say it, but if HP refuses to help him, he should try to go a site like www.laptopking.com for parts. They're usually a bit more expensive than they should be, but it sure as hell beats the extortion... err, the generous repair fees HP wants to leverage.

I know Dell has all their service manuals online. HP might have the same. Easy step by step process to get a new keyboard on there.

There are tons of broken laptops for sale for parts on ebay and craigslist. I'm willing to bet he can find what he needs there.

@Knippschild: It's just you.

@Knippschild: Is it just me, or is that hardly relevant to the issue of HP ultimately advising him to buy a new laptop rather then just replace 2 broken keys on a laptop under warranty?

@snowburnt: What you really meant was that you can mail it in, and they will lose all track it ever existed in one week.

I have a newer hp laptop..and the keys started to pop off after two months. I was able to get a replacement "keyboard" sent the next day. My IT guy told me this is a common problem with them...

I had it fixed in 2 days..

@Knippschild: Oh we definitely need to blame the victim! Spoiled because he wants to replace 2 plastic keys or even a keyboard for less than $297? Yeah, what a douchebag, expecting HP to live up to a warranty - of all the nerve!

It's never occurred to me to try ordering replacement parts from the manufacturer. I wouldn't do it for my computer and I wouldn't do it for my car.

I had the keyboard on one of my old HP laptops go bad, so I found a replacement keyboard on ebay for $20. Yea, it's not a user replaceable part, but if you have a screwdriver and a brain it's not that difficult...

This is nothing new. Manufacturers will always gauge you for any repair and prefers to do this rather then sending you the part.

Ebay is your friend.

@morganlh85: Even a new (or slightly used) keyboard is probably like $20-30 tops. Not rocket science to replace it either.

@SavitriPleiades: That's why I'm an Apple cultist. The customer service is great, *especially* when compared with other computer companies. When you call them, you get someone who speaks English every time! It's amazing.

Wait, wait, hold on. I thought we were never, ever allowed to blame the OP, and yet here we have the OP blaiming the OP for not functioning, when the OP acknowledges that the OP are missing.

The motherboard of my HP Pavilion dv6000 laptop failed, twice. The first was fail was evident right after I bought the computer (new). Both times the barely English-speaking rep had me jump through hoops reloading software - which I only put up with the first time - then taking the thing apart and putting it together again with a microscopic phillips head screwdriver. Before each warranty replacement was approved the CSR tried hard to pressure me into buying an extended warranty, 'just in case' something else went wrong. I made it clear that I wasn't paying another cent until they fixed their defective product. Oh, and each time I got the computer back it was crawling with viruses. HP used to be a great brand. Someone else will be getting my business next time.

It sounds like rep assumed the keyboard was damaged and didn't get the concept of replacing the cover plates to the keys. Even still, getting replacement hardware (even if it's under warranty) from HP is usually a big hassle.

A phone call might have gotten the OP a bit higher up on the chain and maybe gotten somewhere, though it could also be official policy not to give out keys.

$298 for a replacement keyboard? Ladies and gentlemen, parts extortion at it's finest.

I am also rather disturbed by their refusal to acknowledge that the notebook is still under warranty.

@Knippschild: I'm with you on this one. Any good consumer knows that the better you treat people, the more willing they are to go to bat for you. There's no excuse for berating someone who is most likely not empowered to do any more for you.

I am noticing a trend in these recent chat transcripts that people think because they're hiding behind a keyboard they can be assholes. Maybe the guy is a jerk to service people in real life, but I suspect he wouldn't go off on a store employee the same way.

If you're not happy with the answer, escalate, don't berate.

What is it with HP reps insisting you should buy all new HP items?! Randy must have gotten the same rep i got back in August when i called in about my HP printer. It was refusing to pick up the paper when i'd send a print job to the computer. i could hear it trying to grab but it just wouldn't do it. So i called tech support since i was within my year warranty. The tech insisted it was a Windows problem, even though i told him it was a physical problem with the printer (i'm a girl after all and know nothing as compared to the almighty-guy-in-India-working-off-a-script), and he managed to screw it up so bad that the printer and the computer wouldn't even talk to each other anymore.

After an hour and a half, he told me that really my printer was so old that since it wasn't working i should just consider buying a new HP model whatever-it-was. The printer was less than a year old. i was FURIOUS and really should have asked for a supervisor at that point but i absolutely could not believe that he suggested it. It took me five tries to end the call and get a reference number so i could deal with somebody else.

HP needs to find that rep and kick him out of the corps. Or find who's training them to say that; i've been a loyal HP printer buyer since 1994, but that treatment has made me seriously starting to reconsider who to buy my next printer from.

@Ein2015:
I once lost two rubber feet from my Dell laptop. I really didn't think Dell would replace them, but I thought I had nothing to lose and that it was worth a shot -- I was just annoyed that my laptop was out of balance. Anyway, I called them and sure enough they sent me 4 replacement pads within 2 days, my only complaint was they shipped them in a HUGE package which was obviously a complete waste!

@Eldon Brown: Except you shouldn't have to kiss ass and have Buddha-like calm just to get a simple warranty claim fixed. The issue is that these companies are purposely lowering their customer service to help the bottom line. That usually involves training a few people in India to read from a script to get things done. It's like using a shotgun to hit a dartboard. If you hand them a lot of canned responses and tell them "DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THESE PROCEDURES" you're likely to get maybe a handful of satisfied customers but more likely get a fair amount of "Good enough" customers that just want the issues resolved and not to have to deal with someone that's barely literate in English.

I'm all for common decency when dealing with other human beings and I'm always very courteous when I have to contact customer service, but when companies start acting like idiots (e.g. wanting to charge nearly $300 to fix a keyboard, especially when a product is supposed to be in warranty) then it's very likely I (and honestly almost anyone) will get upset at being stonewalled by a guy that either refuses or absolutely can't help me.

@snowburnt: One thing you can't forget, shipping in a laptop to HP, even if it's repairing PHYSICAL damage to a keyboard, buttons, whatnot. They usually wipe the HD at the same time as a 'service' for the customer. I know consumerist had a story about that, but I'm having trouble finding it for the life of me.