@curryspcworlduk Laptop Screen - Would appreciate help

[Dman88]

Hi Everyone

 

I would really appreciate your help with this as I am really unsure how to proceed.

 

I bought myself an acer laptop from Dixons online in May of this year. The laptop was £810 after an onlline discount, I know I was crazy for spending so much on a laptop but I had experienced a long period of unemployment previously, I had no plans to go on holiday and I wanted something that would have the power of a full desktop system.

 

I also purchased whatever happens coverage with this and this continues to come out of my bank account. This coverage was advertised to me as doing exactly what it says on the tin, I was even given an example of how I could drop it from an upstairs window and it would be replaced with no questions asked.

 

Within 3 months of owning the product I noticed that there had a scratch like blemish on the screen. However this was curious as it was not as if the screen had been hit with something and there had no damage to the outer screen covering. It was as if something was under the screen cover itself or between the layers of the LCD. If it had been a £200 laptop I would have thought little more of it as I would have expected the quality to have been less. However given its value I was glad that I had purchased the coverage and contacted them soon after. List of events are as follows:

 

- Taken the laptop into a Currys store to be told my staff members that they did not think the issue was bad enough and if I wanted something done about it I should damage it by 'accident' and bring it back. I argued back on this point stating that I did not want to do it and they eventually sent it off to be investigated.

 

- Chased KnowHow via telephone as I had not received a response within their timescale and was told that the issue was being classified as being cosmetic damage and hence was excluded from the whatever happens policy.

 

- I contacted them via email to express my disappointment of this and quoted the SOGA on the policy of the product not being fit for purpose. I was later contacted by telephone informing me that they would look again at the issue.

 

- I received another phone call from KnowHow which became quite heated when they told me that their engineer's had inspected my laptop again and it had now been reclassified as neglectful damage, and hence was not covered by Whatever Happens or SOGA.

 

- I spoke to a member of my local consumer council and they informed me that Knowhow could not prove neglectful damage and hence I should write back assuring them that it was not neglect and if something had happened to my laptop it was without my knowledge and most certainly accidental.

 

- Following this I noticed one evening that the blemish had moved further down the laptop screen and where it had been previously was now perfect.

 

- KnowHow informs me that they will be unable to do anything without me taking the laptop to a independent qualified engineer and seeking his opinion. I take the laptop to a local computer repair store as I assume to operate such a business they must be qualified. They confirmed to me verbally that it did not appear to be screen damage and most likely a trapped hair under the screen bezel as they felt the design did not appear sufficient to keep such debris out. However I did not want to bother them for this in writing and they were unwilling to open the laptop as they feared they could invalidate the manufacturers warranty.

 

- I informed KnowHow of this and asked them to inspect my laptop again, they were unhelpful and stated that if they were indeed qualified they can open the laptop and there would be no issue with warranty. Fearful that KnowHow could use this as their next escape clause I sent them another email asking them to provide me with a list of approved engineers in my area and explained that as I am working a full time job and doing a part time masters that I did not have the time or money to chase this issue up with third parties. I also asked them what type of inspection was conducted on my laptop that enabled them to confirm that it was neglectful damage. Considering that I told them that it was under the screen I naturally expected them to look under the screen.

 

- I got another email back informing me that they were unable to provide such as list but encouraged me to take the laptop to another engineer. He also confirmed that the inspection was made visually with no opening of the laptop screen. I sent an email back requesting that they take it back and give it a proper inspection given the fact that the blemish has since moved.

 

- I finally received an email back from them stating that they would not do this without me first taking it to a third party and that they would not reply to any further email from me without this report.

 

I would be really grateful if someone could advise on this. Some friends have told me to try small claims but I know nothing of that process and most of all I feel so stupid for spending so much money on a purchase in the first place. Due to my workload I have difficulty doing much of anything at the moment, never mind being able to track down a possibly acer approved engineer. The only way I could see that happening would be for me to take time off work but this will either result in me loosing money or using up holiday entitlement.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice provided

[dx100uk]

firstly reclaim the useless extra warranty! all of it plus interest at 8%

 

then write to the CEO

 

demanding that they DO ACTUALLY spens a wee bit more time TRAINING their staff than starrign in DAFT AIDA adverts!!

 

def unfit for purpose claim under soga.

 

mattesr NOT how the damage was/might have been done!!

 

dx

[pecky1]

You could try Consumer Direct, They were very good when i had problems with PC World over a laptop that i bought then it went wrong and they didnt want to know.

I contacted Consumer Direct and they took up my case and they ended up replacing it.

If you google them you will then find your nearest one to contact they were very good.

 

Pecky1

[labrat]

im going to make some assumptions here

 

if they are saying its a hair trapped under the bezel then im assuming its a laptop where the bezel is actually a sheet of plastic over the entire screen

 

if it is please contact pcworld and remind them that screens of this design are not ussually opened, and are ussually replaced as a full screen pack.

 

the idea of negligence is laughable, did you get a letter in with the laptop refering you to gary perriment? if not challenge the call center and get it booked again as it hasnt been offically classed as neglect just someones sayso