Help please folks, how can I go about this...

[loudog]

Right, the situation is I have a Compaq Presario M2000 laptop I bought last June so it is 16 months old. I paid 699 for it and its my first ever laptop (and last methinks LOL).

I switched it on monday morning, standby light andf hard drive light came on, but screen wouldn't work, it won't recognise when charger is plugged in and the dvd/cd-rw drive won't open.

So I go to PC World and speak to the greasy teen techy guy who spends 45 minutes trying to get the cover off, only for him to stop a few times and serve other people in between.

He tells me he believes my Motherboard has gone, that there is nothing they can do (i asked how can a 16 month old motherboard on a 700 quid laptop just die when it has been stationary and suffered no damage - i treat it like a kitten for gods sake LOL). He says I have to go direct to HP and get a replacement motherboard which will set me back 400 quid minimum.

 

I have since spoken to a few techy mates, one of which has suggested I turn the internal hard drive into an external hard drive and he can lend me his spare laptop until I sort myself out (apparently you can buy the cases and usb leads to do this yourself from places like Maplin and so on? PC World teen told me the only way to recover data was through them and it would cost me 60 quid.....and would take a long time....)

 

I have also spoken to my Dad who though is great with PC's knows naff all about laptops, but he has said 'b*llocks will it cost 400 quid to fix'.....

 

It appears from reading a few threads about similar probs that I may have a claim against them as surely a motherboard that can die within 16 months was not fit for purpose...

 

I am all clued up on the bank charges side but admit I know nothing when it comes to this side of things, where do I start? The greasy teen made it quite clear it wasn't their problem....but I am SO hoping it is and I can get something done about this. As a single Mom to 2 girls under 5, 700 quid did not come easy in the first place and was a big treat to myself which I saved up for ages for.

 

Help!!!!!!

[reidnet]

Hi,

Oh did i hear someone say Drive Enclosure..

Have a look at these ..I have a few of the old laptop drives stuck in here and use them as backup for MP3's for Disco.. Great Value too.. Being a Scotsman I went for the all singing and dancing ones at £4.95..lol

 

3000RPM.com DRIVE ENCLOSURE

 

Im in Dundee so if you have problems getting hold of them , let me know and I Can go and get one for you and post it on if you need it.

 

Ian

 

I just noticed you are from Wolverhampton, You dont fancy going round past GE Money's office with some Bricks do you..lol Im in fight with them at the moment..lol

[jb79]

I've heard in the past that 12 months gurantee is not the be all and end all.

 

If you purchase a laptop with the expectation of it working hastle free for 3 years and it breaks after 16 months you are still within your rights to ask for it to be repaired free of charge.

 

I would complain to the trading standards guys to start off with, they may know more about this. I would use cars as a prime example of where expensive products have greater periods of protection.

 

Hopefully someone more informed will chip in and help you more.

[barracad]

The manufacturer's warranty is in addition to your statutory rights - it does not replace them.

 

The responsibility for this is with PC World so do not let them fob you off with any nonsense about contacting the manufacturer - make sure they deal with it.

[james23_uk]

Bear in mind although it could arguably be PC World's responsibility by law, in reality it's the manufacturer's 'fault', so why not try them first?

[blacksheep1979]

Bear in mind although it could arguably be PC World's responsibility by law, in reality it's the manufacturer's 'fault', so why not try them first?

 

because they definately will do nothing. PC world are legally bound to do something so that should be the first port of call.

[falcon185]

because they definately will do nothing. PC world are legally bound to do something so that should be the first port of call.

 

I agree with blacksheep, PC world sold the product which they acquired through their suppliers. You didnt pay their suppliers for the product, you paid PC world, they are legally bound to do something about it, they in turn can take it up with their suppliers. Just because they sell something it doesnt mean it relieves them of any responsibility!

[kennyc5150]

Hi, this is my first post here so i apologise in advance if i bend any rules by posting this!!...

Anyway, PCW will stick to their "12mht Warranty / go to the manufacturer stuff" becasue thats what the people instore are taught...

the truth of the matter is that there is a big grey area arounfd the "reasonable amount of time a product should function".

It is PCW's responcibilty as they sold you the goods, not the manufacturer (who PCW may get to inspect or repair the product at their discretion).

As there is no legal definition to " a reasonable amount of time" most retailers stick to the 12 mth rule.

(the truth of the matter is that after the first 12mths PCW would have to pay compaq to inspect or repair the product.

If you would like the names of the people at the top of the tree to contact, please pm or email me directly and i will supply them ( i will not post them here on an open forum,i'm sure you can figure out why!!)

 

Best of luck,

 

PS i wouild really appriciate anybody can help on the matters i have posted here....

 

Bank Witholding Tax Credits - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

 

or here...

 

Bank taking your Benefit? Quote this - - Page 2 - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

[watercooled]

I know what it is like... Plase check out Savill Vs Pc World..

 

You need to send a letter to one of the high managers and threaten. I got nowhere asking politly..

[spikeachu]

It's all perfectly simple really, everyone on here seems to go on like it's some big war and it's the world vs PCW.

 

Just write to their customer services team stating the problem with the laptop at the below address. Quote the relevant section from the sale of goods act, and be accurate, or it will be rejected.

 

For example, a laptop that has failed after 16 months was fit for purpose, but a major component has lasted an unreasonable amount of time.

 

State that you would like PC World to consider repairing the laptop free of charge, or to offer a pro-rata refund. PC World would expect an average laptop to last 3 years.

 

If you structure your letter correctly and accurately, PC World will ask you to acquire an independent report from a VAT registered engineer and request that it be forwarded to them.

 

The contents of the report will determine the next course of action. If the report indicates misuse, software issues or accidental damage, then PC World has no obligations under the act. If the cost of the repair is reasonable and is under the jurisddiction of the act, they will usually ask for you to have it repaired as per the report and refund the costs on receipt of an invoice. If the repair cost is rediculous, they'll probably just give you a pro-rata refund, which on an 18 month old laptop originally costing £700, would be £350.

 

Some people may argue that they would expect a laptop to last more than 3 years, so would i. But repair stats show that the majority of laptops under extended warranty are returned to the workshop for repair at around the 3 year mark. Why? ... cos that's when the extended warranty runs out and people chuck them down the stairs to try and get a new one.

 

For reference, their customer service address is;

 

PC World Customer Services

Customer Contact Centre

PO Box 1687

Sheffield, S2 5YA

[JonCris]

16 months! is 'not fit for purpose' even for a laptop. Misuse or accidental damage is not covered (accidental should be covered by house contents insurance). Software issues, if supplied by PCW & no matter what they might claim are also the responsibilty of PCW. That said if the computer has been the subject of an internet attack through lack of security then that would not be covered.

[james23_uk]

16 months! is 'not fit for purpose' even for a laptop. Misuse or accidental damage is not covered (accidental should be covered by house contents insurance). Software issues, if supplied by PCW & no matter what they might claim are also the responsibilty of PCW. That said if the computer has been the subject of an internet attack through lack of security then that would not be covered.

 

Jon, re your signature, why are you trying to recover bank statements of an account that was closed in 2000? The statute of limitations means you cannot recover fees etc that are more than 6 years old.

[JonCris]

Simple.........because the the following......

 

Fraud, concealment and mistake

32 Postponement of limitation period in case of fraud, concealment or

mistake

(1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4A) below, where in the case of any

action for which a period of limitation is prescribed by this Act,

either--

(a) the action is based upon the fraud of the defendant; or

(b) any fact relevant to the plaintiff's right of action has

been deliberately concealed from him by the defendant;

or

© the action is for relief from the consequences of a

mistake;

[spikeachu]

16 months! is 'not fit for purpose' even for a laptop. Misuse or accidental damage is not covered (accidental should be covered by house contents insurance). Software issues, if supplied by PCW & no matter what they might claim are also the responsibilty of PCW. That said if the computer has been the subject of an internet attack through lack of security then that would not be covered.

 

You will have discovered after 16 months whether a laptop is fit for purpose. Fit for purpose and developing a fault are two different things.

 

A laptop that you stipulate must have DVD writing facilities, that is supplied with only a CD ROM drive is not fit for purpose. A laptop that will write DVDs, but the drive fails after a period of time has developed a fault.

 

Software issues, while the pre-installed software may be responsibility of PC World, it isn't going to get you a free of charge repair or a replacement laptop if it goes wrong. You'll simply be asked to restore the system using the supplied recovery method, as per the supplied instuctions. If it was ok with the factory supplied software for the first 16 months, this will resolve the problem. Software covers a large area and PC World cannot be responsible for the additional content that a user chooses to add.

 

The software is effectively what makes the unit work. A similar analogy would be that if you purchased a petrol engined car and put diesel into it, you could not go back to the dealer and claim that it was not fit for purpose or faulty at the time. The dealer can only be responsible for the fuel that was supplied at the time of purchase. As with software, PC World can only be responsible for the software that was supplied on the laptop at purchase, and a method to restore this is provided.

[MrShed]

As a point of note, there is no way on earth that the motherboard will cost £400.

[JonCris]

Not being 'fit for purpose' & developing a fault are clearly NOT two different two things. The fault has caused the goods to be unfit

 

'Fit for purpose' means the goods should & must operate for a reasonable period of time without developing a fault & 16 months on an item that has cost hundreds of pounds is I strongly suggest not a reasonable amount of time.

 

I referred only to software supplied by PCW about which it was being claimed tha PCW had no liability & they most certainly do.

 

Also the recovery system referred to does NOT exonerate PCW from liabilty if the fault is caused by software (or hardware) supplied by PCW.

 

In some cases if after market software is installed & found to not work because of hardware problems then it doesn't matter who supplied the software it's still PCW problem

[spikeachu]

Not being 'fit for purpose' & developing a fault are clearly NOT two different two things. The fault has caused the goods to be unfit

 

'Fit for purpose' means the goods should & must operate for a reasonable period of time without developing a fault & 16 months on an item that has cost hundreds of pounds is I strongly suggest not a reasonable amount of time.

 

I referred only to software supplied by PCW about which it was being claimed tha PCW had no liability & they most certainly do.

 

Also the recovery system referred to does NOT exonerate PCW from liabilty if the fault is caused by software (or hardware) supplied by PCW.

 

In some cases if after market software is installed & found to not work because of hardware problems then it doesn't matter who supplied the software it's still PCW problem

 

Interpret the law how you like, personally I disagree with your interpretation and as a former employee at PC World customer services, I can advise that their interpretation doesn't match yours either. I provided the information as an aid for someone who was having difficulties with a laptop and the best method of seeking a replacement or repair outside the PC World warranty period.

 

I'm not here to argue interpretations or intricacies of the act, either take my advise and use it to your advantage, or discard it. Suit yourself.

[JonCris]

Then you shouldn't quote them my friend as it misleads readers of this thread into thinking they have no legal recourse when they do.

 

Nor is it important that you have been employed by PCW other than you clearly believe what you have been told. Your comments about PCW liabilty are way off base & my remarks are not my interpretation of the law but are the law.

 

I have been there & done that & will be returning to it within the next 14 days when PCW will again be accused of alledgedly providing goods not fit for purpose & it's another LT as it happens.

 

To say PCW would not agree is NOT unexpected & also tells me a lot about PCW. The staff constantly mislead consumers of their legal rights in an effort to sell very expensive extended warranties & it's clear from their statements that they actually believe the rubbish they spout. Bit like the bank staff who really do believe their employers charges are lawful

[spikeachu]

Like i said, take the advise or leave it.

 

Ranting at me is not going to change the way the world works.

[Hunger]

Hi all, new to this site so please be gentle.

I have exactly the same problem. I purchased a Compaq presario m2000 from pc world on the 24/12/05 for the pricley sum of £699. Twas a christmas and birthday present combined for my 17 year old daughter who is a student.

Alas the said laptop gave up the ghost on the 17/02/06 13 months and a few days after it was purchased. Plug her in and bingo, no power, took her to pc world and was told I needed a new charger and lead £80. being a good customer of maplins, decided to buy a universal power supply for £25 from them. Plugged her in and hey presto same problem.

Took the lappy to a private engineer who spent two hours stripping her down only to find that it needed a new motherboard, this would cost in excess of £400. Today I have returned to PCW and spoken with a mangaer there (LEEDS) to be told that its out of there hands as its over the 12 months.

I quoted the SOGA to no avail, he said that people expected things to work forever and the fact that it had worked for 12 months was sufficient.

I did sypathise though and said he would get an instore engineer to have a look at it. But if it did need a reapir then I would have to pay.

I have left the laptop with them, whether this was a good idea or not I dont know?

I know what is coming next, a phone call stating that it requires a new motherboard for which they expect me to pay

Where do I really stand??

Any suggestions please help.

[patdavies]

As a point of note, there is no way on earth that the motherboard will cost £400.

 

Oh yes it will.

 

Compaq is now part of HP and a tier 1 supplier. £400 is not out of line for a laptop system board.