HP tells customers not to use partners for battery recalls

One HP Gold Partner tells CRN that it has not received communication from the vendor regarding the recall

HP Inc has told customers not to contact service partners for its latest batch of product recalls.

The vendor said that around 78,000 of its commercial notebooks and workstations are at risk of overheating and catching fire.

This is in addition to a further 50,000 that were declared a risk in January 2018.

On its website, HP answers an FAQ asking whether partners can facilitate the battery replacement scheme by stating: "No. Many of these batteries are internal to the system, which means they are not customer replaceable.

"You should not remove them on your own. The HP Notebook Battery Safety Recall and Replacement Program is being conducted through the HP Battery Recall website.

"HP will provide free battery replacement services for each verified, affected battery validated on the HP Battery Recall website."

An HP partner that CRN spoke to said they had not been contacted by the vendor regarding the replacement programme.

The laptops at risk are from a range of devices, including various ProBook and ZBook models.

A tool on HP's website can show customers if their device is affected.

In a statement sent to CRN, an HP representative said:

"The quality and safety of all HP products is our top priority. We learned that batteries provided by one of our suppliers for certain notebook computers and mobile workstations present a potential safety concern.

"We took immediate action to address the issue and are replacing the batteries in question. This action pertains to approximately 0.1 percent of the HP systems sold globally during the recall time period.

"Customers can visit HP's site to learn if their battery should be replaced. Impacted customers will have their batteries replaced free of charge and may continue safely using their device by placing the battery in Safety Mode and connecting to an external power source."