I have had an ACER 9412 for 4 years and after 14-months same left hand side crack on LCD case cover - the photo almost identical to the problem I had. I ordered replacement parts (rear plastic, new hinges, etc) - over £100 and fitted myself as ACER said it was out of warranty and they would only repair at significant cost. All well for another 15-months and then exactly the same problem. Now I can't find the parts at anywhere near a reasonable repair cost. I contacted ACER and pointed this design flaw out to them ... same old "it is out of 1-year warranty you will need to take it to a service centre and pay for repair".
In the UK we have the Sale Of Goods Act - this should protect us for up to 6-years from purchase for design defects. The issues is that whilst it sounds nice to have this protection, UK law requires the complainant to prove it was a design flaw - in my view all these examples show it is - but I bet the burden of proof is higher and the costs prohibitive for an individual - so really the law is useless for consumers.
HOWEVER, WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING - NEVER BUY ACER again ... and then tell everyone about our experiences ... I've switch to ASUS products and very VERY impressed.
