Laptop

[santamonica]

Hi,

I bought an Advent laptop from PC World 8 weeks ago. The screen has given up and shows nothing when it's turned on, took it back today and was told that they only have to repair it as it's more than 28 days old.

I tried using the sale of goods act but the response I got was

'these things happen, it's over 28 days since you bought it all we
have to do is repair it'.
They did say they had a courier that would pick it up and return it ( as if that makes everything all right and they're doing me a favour ) This means they would have the laptop for a minimum of 7 days. This is already causing me problems, I'm a teacher and all my lesson plans for the rest of the term on it.

Surely this isn't right, I would think that after such a short time I would be able to get a refund.
Anyone any advice???

[pmhread]

Can't advise on the SOG aspect sorry but have you tried connecting it to an external monitor so you can at least take off what you need for lessons.

[Rich44]

As its been such a short space of time I would have thought that the item must have been inherrantly faulty from when you got it rather than a fault that occured during your ownership and as such you are entitled to a new one or refund.

Thats my opinion and if I was the store manager I would have given it to you as will you ever spend another penny in PCW now? No didnt think so

When will they learn??

Does your school have an ICT tech who visits? If so you could ask them to try and get the stuff off for you, I have a laptop HD to USB bridge adaptor for situations like this so you can plug it into a desktop PC and extract the data that way (saved a few teachers bacons lol).

Any good PC shop should be able to do this for you and it wont invalidate your warranty, I would like to see them pull that crap on someone.

As has been said try an external monitor (just disconnect one in school when no ones about and try that on it to get your lesson plans off)

[Realist]

Read these links:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/c...V0050-1011.txt

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/c...V1016-1011.txt

Laters

[Rich44]

I suspect you may have to give them the chance to repair it but under the terms thats its back within the 7 days quoted (which I guarantee it wont be) then after 7 days go back for the refund.

Get any promises like that in writing, personally I would still press for the refund and go to head office and moan

[santamonica]

Thanks everyone, I'll try an external monitor to get my work off it and a very strongly worded letter will be winging it's way to the head office this weekend.
Trading Standards have recommended I give them a chance to repair and demand a refund if it breaks down again after this.
They said it would be a minimum of 7 days so will tell the store I'll wait a maximum of 10 days before I demand a refund and go elsewhere. If they agree I'll get it in writing, if not I'm not accepting a repair.

Got warned about shopping here, there won't be a next time

[poiuyt]

I had this exact problem with PC World. We had had the laptop around 16 weeks, they said that they would repair it, which we didn't want - we needed it replacing - it had all of my uni work on etc. They said not their problem as I should back it up - fair enough - but I'd done a lot of work the previous night. There's a limit to how often you can drag everything off ur hard drive on the off chance ur laptop may die for gods sake! Anyway, I rang trading standards - I would advise you to do this and speak to someone. Basically, the upshot was that e had to give them 28 days to repair it. We took it in to PC World and waited... and waited... and waited... Finally I twigged that if I stopped mithering them, it ws so close to the 28 days that I may be able to get my money back that way - by letting them exceed the 28 day period which they have to repair it. This is what happened. Rather than a replacement, I took my money and custom elsewhere, and will never shop there or in any other shop owned by Dixons ever again.
Good luck, they are a horrid company to have to deal with!

[pmhread]

I used to work for PC World Business... Lasted just over a month.... just as bad a company to work for as they are to buy from.

[petethemanc]

Ihad a laptop from pc hell, and took out the expesive insurance and extended cover. After a month it went, so i took it in to pc hell and they said they send a courrier out to collect it and repair, anyway to cut a long story short this laptop was collected no fewer than 24 times for pretty much the same problem. Their answer was that if they can repair it within seven days then thats their part of the deal kept to.(by the way i was also told that they count continuous problems with laptops as the item being brought back every four days) after several months they did eventually give store credit for another laptop. Persistence is the key from my experience. And ill NEVER buy anything from there again.

[Rich44]

Well theyre WRONG about that you dont have to let them repair it everytime you only have to give them the chance to put it right via repair/refund/replacement if it was going wrong that regularly then you would be well within your rights to tell them to sod off and you want a refund etc

[Movingon]

...AND!!

Your statutory right to a FULL REFUND is a full refund in cash. Not Store Credit, unless you accept that. If you want cash they have to give you cash.

[Rich44]

They refund the way you paid so if you paid via card expect a refund that way if you paid by transax'd cheque or cash then cash it must be!!

Reason for cards is so they get the merchant fees back from the transaction as they can be very high on credit cards (but not on debit cards)

[santamonica]

Back to this again. I got the laptop repaired last june. Turned it on the other night and the screens gone again!! Took it back to pc world and asked for a refund because i wasn't accepting another repair. The things obviously faulty and I'm not willing to keep getting it repaired, quoted sale of goods act but the manager wouldn't budge, said all they can do is repair it.
The last time i spoke to trading standards they said if the fault happened again i was entitled to a refund. The manager says that because it was purchased under a home computer scheme i've no right to a refund. Anyone know if this is true because I would have thought the payment method wouldn't have made a difference. Brought it back home and will speak to trading standards again on monday but any advice before that would be welcome.

[blacksheep1979]

If you buy under any form of credit it strengthens your case as the provider of credit also becomes liable. Nothing regarding how you pay affects the SOG act. I'd write a letter to head office setting out your case and asking for a refund. Trouble is you will not be able to claim a full refund as you've had almost 10 months use out of it.

[santamonica]

Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't be looking for a full refund, I'd rather they exchanged it. Will write to head office and see if I get anywhere with them.

[spikeachu]

Originally Posted by santamonica

Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't be looking for a full refund, I'd rather they exchanged it. Will write to head office and see if I get anywhere with them.

If it was purchased under a Computers at Home scheme, as far as i'm aware, it is paid for through tax free wage deductions and I believe that the item is on lease, with an option to purchase or return after a fixed amount of time.

I'm not sure if this could apply through the Sale of Goods act as as far as I am aware, until the lease period is over, you are not the owner of the goods. Can anyone who is more familiar with the tax free schemes clarify?

This link may prove useful
http://www.ukhomecomputing.co.uk/default_HCI.asp

[santamonica]

Can anyone help me with the wording of a letter to their head office.

Thanks

[spikeachu]

The way I understand it is this;

If the item was purchased under a HCI scheme, the product is owned by your employer and is essentially a business purchase. The goods are leased from your employer for a set period by way of a deduction in your wages. This is offset against tax and National Insurance contributions and essentially means that you pay less for the goods. The goods are usually paid for by a voucher that is issued by your employer and the retailer cannot reimburse via this method.

Due to the shelf-life of laptops, it is unlikely that after 8 weeks, the same model of laptop would be available, as such, to switch it over for another model, a refund/resale would be required.

Because of these limitations, a service contract must be taken out at the time you acquire the goods, which entitles you to unlimited repairs during the lease period.

As the goods are essentially purchased by your employer and leased to you, they are a business purchase and you have no grounds to remedy under the sale of goods act as this is for consumer purchases.

I'm pretty certain the their head office would only advise that you can acquire a free of charge repair, although writing a letter can do no harm.

I must stress that this is my personal understanding of the HCI scheme, which is why I asked if anyone could clarify in my previous posting.

[santamonica]

According to Consumer Direct because the goods have been provided through my husbands work then the legislation which applies is the Supply of Goods (implied terms) Act, which states the redress available for faulty goods is rejection or damages.

because it was bought nearly 1 year ago I can't reject it but can seek damages in the form of a replacement.

They've recommended I send a stating the above and giving them 14 days to respond. If I get no joy then Trading Standards will then become involved.

So can anyone help with the wording of a letter?