Zaphodikus, I have to respect the sense of integrity you feel to return such a valuable commodity when clearly many would have opted to stay quiet and keep the laptop. True character and integrity comes with a high price though, most would fail in such tests like this, which is why we speak highly of and value such virtue.

In another thread a member asked if paying with a credit card would be a better option compared to say a debit card - which inspired me to share this, as I thought it was common knowledge that credit cards offer greater protection on purchases than standard bank issue debit cards. When you buy something on a credit card, you are essentially purchasing the goods on finance. Credit laws in the UK means that credit providers such as Visa and Mastercard become jointly liable to you, to ensure that you receive the goods that you paid for, in satisfactory condition. In practical terms, this means that if the shop you ordered something from were to go bust, or they didn't deliver the goods, or they did but were in poor condition or significantly not as described, then you could seek compensation from the credit card issuer (a full refund) if attempts to resolve any disputes with the retailer don't work out. Plus, when you use your credit card details online instead of your bank debit details, if any unscrupulous persons were to get hold of your card details, they could potentially try to purchase other items at your expense - but if you paid by credit card, it will be easier to resolve the matter as the credit card company wont hold you liable for any fraudulent payments. If you do pay by credit card, take care to pay off your balance in full to avoid paying interest charges. The following link leads to an infographic poster about credit cards, shopping online and cyber crime, with some interesting facts about shopping presented in the form of an illustration. Edit: Removed advertising and link whilst permission being sought

If you haven't paid for the item yet, what type of finance arrangement have you got? I know that when you pay via credit card, because the product is essentially being purchased on finance, then there is a law which states that the provider of the finance (in my example that would be Visa/Mastercard), can also be held liable for ensuring that the goods/services are provided to a satisfactory standard. Software issues can usually be resolved by a full reformat / fresh operating system install, but you should probe further the possibility that you can complain to your finance provider that the hardware was not up to standard and should compensate you for the repairs required.

For legislation on getting refunds on a deposit, you can try ringing Consumer Direct for some official advice. http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ If I was in your position, I would highlight the point about placing the deposit without being given any terms and conditions at the time regarding refunds of the deposit. Another point I just realized about their internet sales returns policy: although you should verify this, but to my knowledge, the store is not allowed to charge any restocking fee (i.e. 15% as you quoted) within the 7 day period - the distance selling regulations normally warrant a full refund. So you could talk to Consumer Direct about both these points and they will make a log of the report and may even follow up with the retailer about any breaches of the distance selling regulations. You could speak to the store about these points and let them know they could be breaking the law - ask them for a refund to settle the matter without extra legal trouble. Let us know how it works out for you in the end.

Interesting question, I'm not sure what protection the consumer laws would offer here but regarding your comment about the 7 day returns on their website - this is the 'distance selling regulations' which stipulates that purchases made where you are not present, i.e. internet sales, phone and mail order, then you have a reasonable amount of time (7 days from delivery) to inspect the goods and if not happy with them return for a full refund. I'm assuming you placed the order in store, therefore the distance selling regulations wouldn't apply.

Nice work there, glad you got it resolved, though you probably could have done without the hassle of it all.

To my understanding, a chance has to be given to the retailer to make things right and in this case a repair would not be unreasonable - if it wasn't repairable then a refund or replacement would become due.