HP 812 zoom problem

[bevsguy]

I hope somebody can help me with this. I have an HP 812, it's about 2 years old. I really like the camera, but it has developed a problem. About 2 weeks ago, I accidentally turned it on while it was in my jacket pocket. It wasn't able to come on properly as there wasn't enough room for the lens to extend in my pocket. Now the zoom won't work, it jams and clicks when you try to change it, and the image in the viewfinder always shows it zoomed although the picture it produces is not. The lens extends and retracts normally when you turn it on and off. Any suggestions?

[another view]

It's funny how many things get fixed by pulling out the battery, waiting a few minutes and then re-installing a new (or newly charged) battery. If this doesn't fix it, I'm not sure what else you could do - repair charges may cost as much as a replacement but it's worth checking into.