The problem with accidental damage insurance fraud like this is that it's very hard for them to prove. A laptop genuinely dropped down the stairs and a laptop deliberately dropped down the stairs look very much the same. Even if you're a repeat offender you'll just look like a very clumsy person.

(I should make note here that I have not done this. I do have accidental damage insurance, but have never had to use it. Yet.)

 

Good point.

I just think they'd consider it odd if it happened in conjunction with coke being spilled on the keyboard.

darklordmike: You could try to simply dry it off with a hair blow drier and send it in. My dad once did that with a laptop he'd spilled wine all over and Apple repaired it on warranty, no questions asked. I'd try that before buying a new keyboard. You might get lucky.

 

Spilled coke would also count as accidental damage. Just not enough damage to justify a replacement, rather than a fix, I think. I know someone who got a replacement under accidental damage after his friend pissed on his laptop.

 

I guess it differs from insurance to insurance because I'm very sure if I spilled anything on my laptop they wouldn't even fix it. They'd say I took an unnecessary risk.

I assume someone peeing on it would be a different matter, however.

 

I'm surprised that Toshiba people said that. Most modern laptops have drains behind the keyboard.

I know my ThinkPad had seven spanned across the keyboard that drains behind the laptop chassis.

 

Thanks for all the advice, folks.

New keyboard is on the way for $30, and I'm going to try to install it myself.

The warranty expired two years ago, and I never had additional insurance, so committing fraud wasn't really an option

 

Just for the lulz, and from someone whore more than once accidentally *cough* had more liquid than should be on his computer:
There are several ways to clean it. All require: take out every fucking power supply. After it, you're pretty much free to do what you want:
There are these little tooth brushes that can also "shoot" water. Don't know what they are called. Pick one of these, a 2 Gallon bottle of distilled water and let the fun begin. Best be done in your bathtub. After that, wash in pure ethanol (okay, 95%+).
Let it dry for 3- 5 months (okay, 1-4 weeks, or lets say 3 days in the oven at 50°C and with lots of air pushing the water out of it) and it should be fine.
Have done this MORE than once with my motherboard after i had poured half a liter salt-containing water over it. Yummie.

(There is also a lot of speculation as on wether you can wash it inside the dishwasher- some cases reported where it worked. As with the cat- "insert standard disclaimer")

Not accountable for all that above me- if you don't know what you're doing (or, like me, got an unhealthy fascination to experience electricity-damage), keep your hands of it.

But keep us happy and informed on wether changing the keyboard works.
Cheers

 

You sure?

HE'S IN A COMPETITION WITH HIMSELF! D8