# Does this look like a PC warranty issue or accidental damage/abuse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 5, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338 "2010-08-05T21:48:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/1 "2010-08-05T21:48:12Z")
What does this look like to you. [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2064879/photo.jpg](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2064879/photo.jpg) I have someone insisting this is a failure of a keyboard I installed, and that the keys just started warping. This is a dell inspiron 1545, the only thing under it is the optical drive which works fine and shows no evidence of thermal damage. Popped out the keyboard everything looks ducky except for the partly melted keys on top. There is nothing like a CPU or northbridge to get real hot here…computer looks fine otherwise. The damage is localized to this cluster of keys. I would imagine if it was just crappy plastic and it got hot in a car or something the damage would be less localized. So what say you dopers? Have I done this guy wrong or is he trying to pull a fast one on me? I am leaning toward the latter, but I am willing to be swayed. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/2 "2010-08-05T22:05:01Z")
Looks to me like he’s trying to pull one on you. From the looks of the damage, I’d say he held something hot near the shift key, or dropped something hot on it, as that is where the damage is centered. Was the pad underneath the keys damaged? If not, then the heat source came from above the keys, not under it. If the heat came from beneath, the pad would’ve melted before the keys started to warp. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/3 "2010-08-05T22:08:20Z")
> [@Mr.Accident](#): > > Looks to me like he’s trying to pull one on you. > > From the looks of the damage, I’d say he held something hot near the shift key, or dropped something hot on it, as that is where the damage is centered. Was the pad underneath the keys damaged? If not, then the heat source came from above the keys, not under it. If the heat came from beneath, the pad would’ve melted before the keys started to warp. I am kinda wondering if someone set a hot coffee cup on it or something as whatever it was deformed they keys downward a bit. There is no damage to the rubber mat under they keys. ---
**Author:** ![gallan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@gallan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/4 "2010-08-05T22:13:11Z")
Anything hot enough to radiate heat upwards all the way to the keys would have done significant damage to everything below the keys as well. Is any of the plastic underneath the keys melted or warped? If not, then the heat must have come from above, and not below. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/5 "2010-08-05T22:26:08Z")
Agree something hot from above. My first thought was a coffee mug. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/6 "2010-08-05T22:26:28Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > I am kinda wondering if someone set a hot coffee cup on it or something as whatever it was deformed they keys downward a bit. There is no damage to the rubber mat under they keys. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but I don’t think it was a coffee cup. The damage doesn’t look right for heat being applied in a circular pattern. Now, this is just going by the picture, but it looks like the damage is centered on the shift key and up arrow key, then moved downward and to the left. It looks almost like someone let the head of a lighter get hot, and applied it to the keys. Like I said though, it’s difficult to tell from the picture. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/7 "2010-08-05T22:32:40Z")
Plastic doesn’t deform like that without heat or chemical reactions causing it. I would guess it was heat. It could be something as simple as the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/8 "2010-08-05T22:42:50Z")
The warranty covers defects in material and workmanship. Obviously not a workmanship issue, and since only a couple of keys are damaged, not a material failure. And since the items under this are not damaged, the heat came from above. Caused by an outside influence, not a matter for warranty is how I would phrase it on a repair order at my work. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/9 "2010-08-06T00:17:02Z")
The heat that cause that damage came from above, not below. I bend plastic all the time and have also replaced many keys. The parts under the key would have given way well before that much heat could warp the top. I don’t know the source of the heat. If you tried to duplicate it with a BIC lighter wand, maybe you could do that and then clean up any black carbon from the keys. Whoever it is is not telling the complete story. This took outside intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/10 "2010-08-06T00:23:56Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > The heat that cause that damage came from above, not below. I bend plastic all the time and have also replaced many keys. The parts under the key would have given way well before that much heat could warp the top. I don’t know the source of the heat. If you tried to duplicate it with a BIC lighter wand, maybe you could do that and then clean up any black carbon from the keys. Whoever it is is not telling the complete story. This took outside intervention. There wouldn’t necessarily be any carbon. Call up a flame on the lighter, and then hold the flame until the metal around the nozze is plenty hot. Set it down on the keys. Hilarity ensues! Profit! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/11 "2010-08-06T00:56:28Z")
Someone tried to dry the keyboard with a heat gun. There’s no way that a coffee mug would ever be hot enough to warp the plastic. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/12 "2010-08-06T03:17:56Z")
From personal experience, a halogen desk lamp could easily do this. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/13 "2010-08-06T03:37:51Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Someone tried to dry the keyboard with a heat gun. > There’s no way that a coffee mug would ever be hot enough to warp the plastic. That’s my vote. Might even have been a really strong hair dryer. I’m betting the owner spilled liquid in there and then tried to dry it out with concentrated heat. ---
**Author:** ![Teufelblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@Teufelblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teufelblitz)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/14 "2010-08-06T03:46:15Z")
Looks like it was left in a window with direct sunlight for long periods to me. Probably either sits on a desk next to a window where it sees a good amount of heat during the day, or gets used in the passenger seat of a car a lot. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/15 "2010-08-06T04:33:19Z")
I vote with **gotpasswords** ’ halogen lamp. They get extremely hot, they’re found next to computers, and they concentrate the heat they send out. There’s no way a coffee cup did that. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/16 "2010-08-06T04:36:38Z")
I don’t really see what the big deal is. You can get a new keyboard for under $10. Why didn’t this jerk just go to Wal-Mart and get a new keyboard? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/17 "2010-08-06T04:39:54Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I don’t really see what the big deal is. You can get a new keyboard for under $10. Why didn’t this jerk just go to Wal-Mart and get a new keyboard? It’s a laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/18 "2010-08-06T05:05:59Z")
I doubt replacement keys for an Dell Inspiron 13 are all that much. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/19 "2010-08-06T05:17:36Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > It’s a laptop. and granted the keyboard doesent cost me much and it takes about 10 min to do the work, it just really torques my nuts that someone can sit there with a straight face and tell me this is somehow my fault. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338/20 "2010-08-06T06:30:39Z")
A wizard did it. Why are you sure that the customer is trying to pull one over on you? It’s definitely a possibility (i.e., the customer was trying to dry the keyboard with a heat gun, saw the keys warp, then figured he could get you to spring for a new one), but if the left exposed to the sun or halogen lamp explanations are valid, the customer could be completely unaware of the source of the damage. As far as the customer is concerned, nothing unusual or wrong took place on his end; the keys went Dali on him, that’s never happened before, so it must be something internal. Not saying he’s _right_ to be mad, just pointing out that there may be no malfeasance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-a-pc-warranty-issue-or-accidental-damage-abuse/549338.md?page=2)