HP attempts to charge customer $1099 due to "liquid inside keyboard"

Interesting approach to customer service you’ve got there, HP! Hot tipper Zack, who sent his still-under-warrantee HP laptop in to be serviced for a bad hinge, writes:

Well today I received a call from an HP Tech Support guy. I was informed
that liquid had been inside my keyboard and when they opened the computer to
diagnose it, the liquid spilled onto the motherboard causing damage. He also
informed me that in order to fix this I would have to pay $1,099.

Wow, that’s just — wow. Zack mentions there was no liquid inside his keyboard when he packed it off, as if he even needs to say that. Also, HP technician, even if this mysterious liquid managed to stay inside the keyboard for the entire shipping process, how exactly did you manage to spill it on the motherboard? Did you hear it sloshing around in that spacious, hermetically sealed keyboard and decide to investigate — directly over the mobo?

The guy then told Zack that he would receive his computer back, but it may “blow up.” I’m sure that for every experience like this, there are a thousand perfectly good interactions with HP’s customer service, but that doesn’t reduce the impact when you hear something as ridiculous (almost Comcastic) as this. Sounds like HP HR could use a little QA, IMHO.

UPDATE – From Zack:

Hey guys (and maybe girls), I just got a call from an HP Case Manager. After
I explained what happened to my notebook and how it wasn’t my fault, the
kind gentleman from HP told me my notebook would be fixed for FREE because I
did not cause the “liquid” damage to the notebook.

I want to say thanks to you kind people at CrunchGear for posting my tragic
tale with HP Tech Support. You guys rock!