HP won't replace Pavilion DV5 AC adapter despite a ridiculous​ly short lifespan

Question

Dear HP
I am writing this letter out of bewildered frustration with HP's tech support.  I bought an HP Pavilion DV5 in the summer of 2008, and by April 2009 my AC power adapter failed.  It started beeping, and didn't charge my laptop battery (the same symptom experienced by multiple others, if you do a search on google).  At the time, I phoned HP and because my laptop was under warranty they sent me a replacement for free.  I was irritated at the shoddy quality of a power adapter that lasts less than a year, but I was satisfied with their quick handling of the situation.
Fast forward to today.  My replacement power adapter (the one they sent last April) has started exhibiting exactly the same symptoms (i.e. beeps/buzzes when you plug it in, and it doesn't charge the laptop).  Just to make sure it wasn't my laptop, I borrowed a friend's charger and sure enough it works just fine on my computer.  
I phoned HP tech support and talked to a very curteous person whose name I can't recall.  After collecting my information, he informed me that it would be a ~$90 charge to replace the adapter.  I explained that I felt this was unacceptable, because in addition to the downtime of not being able to use my computer without a power adapter, they were charging me for a part that failed way earlier than it should.  An AC adapter should last a long long time.  It is a very simple component where few things can go wrong.  Plenty of people I know with other brands of computer have had AC adapters last more than five years with no problems.  This repeated failure of HP adapters is a uniquely HP problem, and should be rectified with replacement parts to consumers.
I spoke to Gilles, the tech support supervisor, and he explained that he couldn't do anything but offer the part at full charge because of the constraints of HP's policy (i.e. it's out of warranty so I'm out of luck).  It turns out that HP uses a third party contractor to handle the phone work, so I asked to be transferred to someone at the HP office who would have more power and ability to handle the situation.  
I ended up speaking with David at HP's Canadian head office.  He gave me the same line; the laptop is out of warranty so I'm out of luck on a no-charge or even reduced-charge replacement, and that just because the adapter didn't last as long as "I feel it should," that's not enough reason to provide a replacement without charging me full price.
This whole situation is absolutely ludicrous.  AC adapters that are well built do not last less than a year.  As a customer who has bought HP products for a long time, all it would have taken to reduce my frustration would have been to offer me a replacement adapter.  I understand the conditions of the warranty, but I don't understand HP's response to this.  I will not ever buy another HP product, nor will I ever recommend anyone buy an HP product, unless this adapter is replaced at no charge.  It is absolutely unacceptable for the company to manufacture shoddy parts and then pass the results of that shoddiness onto the customer.
I am still amenable to resolving this issue.  I have sent a version of this post to HP's general support email, but I wanted to put this out there publically as well so HP can step up and show everyone they stand by their products.  If HP stands by their products, they will send the replacement.  If not, then it speaks volumes about their practices.

Answer 1

Sorry but this statement is flat out not true, This repeated failure of HP adapters is a uniquely HP problem, and should be rectified with replacement parts to consumers.
as you mentioned, do a google search for yourself and youll find coutless axamples such as this....
Adapter Power Cord Plug Failure 
I'm coming up on my second anniversary owning a Satellite P105, and although I am very happy overall with the laptop I'm having one problem that is frankly getting quite old. During the 2 years I have had to replace the adapter power supply 3x due to faulty cord plugs. These plugs are straight and just don't survive. Tonight I noticed that my laptop wasn't charging and now I'm forced to find yet another one. I've spent about $150 so far on power cords and I'm getting tired of it.
For what it's worth the unit never leaves the living room and the unit is in excellent condition. I'm not throwing it around in my bag the way I am with this IBM stinkpad I'm typing this on.
So Im sorry but I dont feel your pain. Its been a year since you got the free one, get one cheap on ebay and move on with you life.
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