Jon wants us to recommend a good lawyer to sue HP for screwing him over on laptop repairs. We do not offer legal advice like that. We do, however, believe strongly in the power of small claims court.

He writes:

I’m been having a battle with HP over getting my laptop fixed. I have one of those dv6000 models that are totally junk.

It broke down, I sent it back. The day I got it back the laptop was still broken, so I haggled with HP. Finally they sent me a box to send it back.

They said the board has water damage and refuse to replace it. I’ve filed a complaint with the B.B.B. but so far this has gotten me no where. Could you recommend a good lawyer? Do a google search on the dv6000 and you’ll see how many people are being taken advantage of over these models. I’m stumped at how a company can get away with ripping off its customers like HP is doing to me. I am considering a class action lawsuit if I can get enough dv6000 owners on board.

Filing a BBB complaint is good, because it helps build a record of customer dissatisfation with a company. The BBB is in no way a regulatory power, however, and can’t force a company to do anything.

If you really want to try to assemble a class action lawsuit against HP over this, we suggest you contact a lawyer in your town and ask for a consultation. Maybe she can point you in the right direction. Remember, though, that frequently class action settlements benefit the legal firm more than the aggrieved parties, and barely nick the company. At least that’s our take on it after posting so many stories about stupidly low class action settlements.

That’s why we think small claims court is where it’s at for things like this. It’s cheap, you don’t need a lawyer, and it’s the one place in our court system where the odds are frequently in the little guy’s favor.

Here’s a post about a guy who took HP to small claims court an won. It’s probably a good place to start.

And here is a post by a Real Live Lawyer on how to take your case to small claims court.

If you’re really in an info-gathering mood, just do a search for in the box at the top of the page for the term small claims, which will provide a list of inspiring stories and tips on how to make it work for you.

And of course, if you go through with this and win, please email us all the details so we can pass them along to future HP customers. Good luck!

(Photo: kate.gardiner)

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