Faulty Laptop From Vodafone

[tamd88]

I took out a mobile internet contract with Vodafone which included a Acer Aspire laptop 23 months ago which was fine, had no issues.

 

The contract is due to finish next month and i have informed Vodafone that i do not wish to extend my mobile internet service.

 

The problem is that the laptop has now developed a fault and will not switch on.

 

Whenever i try to turn on it just goes to a black screen which says "operating system not found".

 

I have spoken to a few laptop repair shops and the IT people in my work and the general consensus seems to be that the hard drive has developed a fault and will need replaced.

 

I checked the manufacturers information which came with the laptop and found that it has a 2 year warranty

so it is still within this period so i am going to try to get it repaired through this channel.

 

My question is this though.....

If i have issues trying to get the manufacturer to repair under warranty

i believe i would then be within my rights to refer to the Sales of Goods Act,

as it is reasonable to expect a laptop to last more than 23 months,

but as i got the laptop from Vodafone would i be right in saying that i would have to chase them under the SOGA rather than Acer as my contract is with Vodafone and not Acer?

 

Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[dx100uk]

correct

 

your route is through VF not ACER

 

warranties are EXTRA to your statutory rights not a REPLACEMENT

 

go for the retailer under soga.

 

we have VF onboard here

 

follow this info below:

 

We thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves and to assure you all that our presence on CAG is with the very best of intentions.

vodafone UK has recently introduced a dedicated Web Relations Team which is keen to seek out customers who’re having difficulties with their accounts and feel that they have no other place to turn to than CAG and other consumer forums and blogs.

Naturally, it’s not possible for us to help directly with account specific queries on CAG and as such we would encourage those members who feel we can help them to contact us privately at [email protected] quoting ‘WRT135 – CAG Forum’ in the subject line.

When emailing us we would also ask that you either provide us with a link to your post or thread – if you’ve posted in another member’s thread please also provide your CAG username so that we can check what your query is.

Many thanks

 

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK.

 

 

.....

 

 

dx

[tamd88]

Should i go down the Vodafone route first or the Acer warranty first (keeping in mind the warranty runs out in a months time so limited time left on that option)

[dx100uk]

as explained

 

warranty is in ADDITION to your rights under soga

 

it does not replace soga.

 

a laptop should reasonably be expected to last greater than +4yrs

 

retailer under SOGA.

 

the lappy went wrong within the warranty period anyhow

 

but thats VF's problem with acer not yours

 

 

dx

[reallyinthecrap]

Hi,

 

having worked fixing PCs and Laptops for many years I would take a step back first and not panic.

 

If the laptop is reporting that it's missing the operating system then it is unlikely that the hard disk is broken.

 

Luckily, the laptop more than likely has a restore partition which will enable you to restore it to the factory settings and reinstall the operating system.

 

NB - you will lose all data you have saved on the hard disk but try the following:

 

1 Ensure all Data is backed up, all data will be deleted.

2 Restart machine

3 When your unit switches back on hold down alt & tap f10 repeatedly...(on Acer icon)

4 Please wait a moment until prompted, -How would you like to restore?-

5 Please select –Restore system to factory default-

6 Enter your defined password or enter six zeros ‘000000’

7 Click ok

8 Please wait until process completed, this will take 45min – 1hour

[dx100uk]

So do i

 

but i refrained from suggesting that as its sounds like an HDD failure

so the recovery partition will not be there anyhow.

 

there is a chance its virus or someone joking around.

 

p'haps the OP might just like to check that the Hard Drive IS the primary boot device

 

this can be done in the BIOS or by hitting the BOOT ORDER F key that

displays itself on the screen at boot up.

 

dx

[locutus]

I wanna ask a basic question 1st. Is there a USB flash drive in the laptop or a CD / DVD? Remove all of these... sometimes the laptop will try to boot off these and you will get that error.

[tamd88]

No USB or CD in the laptop, the IT guys i've spoken too asked that question too.

 

I've already entered the setup utility and from what i can see the HDD doesnt appear, the field were it should be detailed is blank.

 

I did see that i could try and restore from the setup utility

 

however two things concerned me;

 

1) i dont want to lose my data

- one repair shop i've spoken to say they will be able to recover my data prior to me sending the laptop away for repair

(under SOGA or warranty) a

nd then restore my data once i get it back.

 

2) The laptop came pre-loaded with windows 7 and i dont seem to have any windows discs with it

so if i was to try a system restore would it not be looking for an operating system disc which i do not have?

 

I was going to take the laptop into one of the repair centres i've spoken to prior to calling Vodafone just to get the defect confirmed.

[locutus]

no HDD in bios... get Lee involved. Se dx's post:-

correct

 

your route is through VF not ACER

 

warranties are EXTRA to your statutory rights not a REPLACEMENT

 

go for the retailer under soga.

 

we have VF onboard here

 

follow this info below:

 

We thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves and to assure you all that our presence on CAG is with the very best of intentions.

vodafone UK has recently introduced a dedicated Web Relations Team which is keen to seek out customers who’re having difficulties with their accounts and feel that they have no other place to turn to than CAG and other consumer forums and blogs.

Naturally, it’s not possible for us to help directly with account specific queries on CAG and as such we would encourage those members who feel we can help them to contact us privately at [email protected] quoting ‘WRT135 – CAG Forum’ in the subject line.

When emailing us we would also ask that you either provide us with a link to your post or thread – if you’ve posted in another member’s thread please also provide your CAG username so that we can check what your query is.

Many thanks

 

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK.

 

 

.....

 

 

dx

[dx100uk]

make sure you let them know you want the data back.

 

ps have you tried taking the HDD out and using a USB cradle with another PC.

 

might be able to get your info off that way.

 

dx

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tamd88,

 

Thanks for making me aware of your concerns.

 

Having checked our emails I can confirm that I've got yours and so I'll get back in touch with you as soon as possible.

 

On a general note information about our repairs service can be found here.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

 

 

[tamd88]

Just a wee update for anyone thats interested....

 

Lee got in touch and was very helpful, explained that i would have to either send the laptop away to Vodafone for repair or take it in store where they could arrange for this, however i would probably lose my data so should try and get it backed up / recovered. I told Lee that to get my data recovered i had been quoted £50 and he said that if i submitted a copy of the receipt to Vodafone there may be some re-course to claiming this or part of back also.

 

I dropped it off at a local repair shop last night and they have just got back to me to left me know it is definetly a faulty hard drive and because it is a complete failure they are unable to recover my data, for the £50 anyway. They can send it to lab where they would need to take the hard drive apart in a controlled environment but that would cost around £300 - £500 which i cannot afford so it looks as though I've lost everything!!

 

I will be picking it up on Friday and taking it straight to my nearest Vodafone store to arrange getting it sent away for repair. I will update this with anything that happens.

 

Cheers for everyones help so far.

[dx100uk]

as a side note:

 

if you want to get the HDD returned to you

 

 

i'll take a look at it

 

dx

[tamd88]

Thanks for that dx100uk, i will request that when i take the laptop in store and see if thats possible.

 

Could give it a bash but im not holding my breath because the way the repair should was talking the HDD has completely failed hence why it has to go to a lab, where they have got to take it apart to recover the data, but because of the fragile nature of the components in HDD it has to be carried out in a controlled environment i.e. clean air, no dust what so ever, correct temperature, correct humidity etc.

[dx100uk]

stick your ear to the HDD

 

is it going tick, tick, tick.

 

if it is the heads are stuck.

 

smacking it down flat on a hard surface might jump them away.

 

if it is that, then, id not be able to do anything or you other than what i've said above.

 

if its not going tick, tick, tick, and it spinning up ok

 

then i can certainly get data from it in most cases.

 

but it puzzles me way its not showing at all in the bios.

 

does sadly sound fatal.

 

dx

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Just a wee update for anyone thats interested....

 

Lee got in touch and was very helpful, explained that i would have to either send the laptop away to Vodafone for repair or take it in store where they could arrange for this, however i would probably lose my data so should try and get it backed up / recovered. I told Lee that to get my data recovered i had been quoted £50 and he said that if i submitted a copy of the receipt to Vodafone there may be some re-course to claiming this or part of back also.

 

I dropped it off at a local repair shop last night and they have just got back to me to left me know it is definetly a faulty hard drive and because it is a complete failure they are unable to recover my data, for the £50 anyway. They can send it to lab where they would need to take the hard drive apart in a controlled environment but that would cost around £300 - £500 which i cannot afford so it looks as though I've lost everything!!

 

I will be picking it up on Friday and taking it straight to my nearest Vodafone store to arrange getting it sent away for repair. I will update this with anything that happens.

 

Cheers for everyones help so far.

 

Hi tamd88,

 

Thanks for the update.

 

It's a shame to hear that it seems improbable that your data can't be retained.

 

However, give dx's suggestion a go and let us know how you get on.

 

If you need any further assistance from me once you've arranged a repair via your nearest Vodafone store let me know.

 

Best wishes,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

 

 

[tamd88]

Hi All! Just a wee update on what has happened since i last posted for anyone thats interested.

 

Gave DX's suggestion a try but the HD wasnt making any noise what so ever so i think it was completely dead. Took it to my nearesst Vodafone store on 16th September to get it sent away for repair. At the time they told me it typically takes 5-10 working days for this process.

 

Lee has kept in touch with me, calling during the first week to ask if i had had an update, then calling in the second week to give me an update. He told me that unfortunately they are unable to replace/repair the part so they are going to have to replace the laptop with the same model if available or if not a like for like or better model however they are out of stock at the moment and have a backlogue of machines to replace so i will have to wait.

 

We are into the third week now and Lee called me yesterday to let me know that they still have no stock and i am in th que for a new laptop. He advised he would be out of the office for the rest of this week and would call me next Monday to update me, as he is unsure exactly when they will get stock so I could possibly still be waiting come next week.

 

Lee has been brilliant in terms of delivering good customer service and keeping me informed however it does look as though this may drag on a little bit now. Will see what happens.

[dx100uk]

tnx the update

 

dx

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tamd88,

 

Thanks for keeping your thread up to date.

 

As discussed last week I'll check things again tomorrow and get back in touch with you with an update.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[tamd88]

Well.... very disappointed!

 

Lee called yesterday to check that I had been informed that my replacement laptop had been delivered to the store on 05/10/2012, which i hadnt, just as well Lee phoned because it doesnt seem like anyone else was going to.

 

Went in to pick it up last night and im definetly not happy with what I've been given. For starters I handed in a laptop and have been handed back a netbook, the spec of which is way below what i had and what i paid good money for. Will be taking it back tonight to hand it back and tell them i'm not accepting it. Unbelievable that they consider this replacement to be of equal or better spec and the sad thing is, there are probably some people out there who wouldnt know much better and just accept what they were given.

 

Lee, i know you said you would call on Thursday to see how i got on but if you see this today its probably better if you call me today because this has to be sorted soon.

[tamd88]

Took my replacement "laptop" back to the store i picked it up from to hand it back. Wasnt a good start as i had to wait 50 minutes before being served!! Waited 20 minutes the previous night when picking it up so theres an obvious staffing issue but hey thats another matter. The his credit the guy who eventually served me was pretty good, i explained everything to him, he agreed the replacement was well below spec compared to what i previously had. They tooky the netbook back and advised that i should hear today what is happening and that it could take 5 - 6 days to get another laptop. One thing im not getting though is this is the second time i've been told it can take at least 5 days before i get a replacement, yet last week i decided out of curiosity to call up as a "new" customer enquiring about laptop and was told that all laptops were in stock and if i took out a new contract with them that day the device would be delivered to my address the next day, so i dont understand were this 5 day minimum is coming from! Maybe Lee could explain?

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tamd88,

 

I share your disappointment here as this wasn't the outcome I was expecting.

 

Although I wasn't in the office yesterday I will get back in touch with you today as promised to discuss things further.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

 

 

[tamd88]

Alright guys, need your advice again.

 

Theres not been any movement since the last time. There have been various calls from the store and Lee about how they are trying to source a replacement laptop and getting nowhere but thats not really helping me. Been told that i will get a call back on 5th Nov, so 8 weeks after handing in the faulty laptop, to update me.

 

Im at a loss as to what i can do to push things along. Do i just need to wait until they provide a solution or is there anything i can do reach one sooner?

[locutus]

Well, it's coming up 2 weeks since they agreed that the netbook was not an adequate replacement, and so I would expect this to get resolved soon. What was your original laptop model number?

[tamd88]

Original laptop model was an Acer Aspire 4741. According to Lee it could be 2 weeks possibly, he doesnt know, says they have a laptop stock problem at the moment so hes not able to advise exactly when i will get one. If i wait until the 5th to hear from him again though we are 8 weeks down the line from when i originally handed the laptop in. I dont find it acceptable that 2 months down the line i could still not have a solution to the problem.