By Qiang Xiaoji

As of March 10, on a nonprofit website in China, more than 1,400 consumers had expressed their willingness to take part in a group complaint against Hewlett-Packard Co (HP) over faulty laptop computers and more than 80 lawyers said they would like to extend help in the case, Xinhuanet reported Friday.

On March 5, the website filed an official complaint against HP to the country's quality control watchdog agency, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. As of March 10, more than 200 consumers had officially joined the appealing group.

The complaint centered on video cards that overheated and caused the laptop to malfunction.

The complaints asked the quality watchdog to launch an investigation into HP laptops, hoping the government would order the company to have the faulty laptops returned or replaced with new ones, and provide compensation. It was also suggested that government issue orders to launch a recall on all the faulty laptops.

An unofficial alliance of more than 3,000 consumers in approximately 40 online chat groups has formed to defend their rights in the HP case before World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, according to the report.