Disgraceful behaviour from Lakeside store manager

[Homer67]

I bought a laptop from PC World in June last year, all has been fine with until yesterday it just stopped working during normal use.

 

When I tried to boot it failed and gave a recovery message which I followed which then also failed and gave a message to refer to your supplier.

 

I took it back to PC World today and in the middle of explaining what happened I was told by the 'Know How Expert' that software faults are not covered by the standard 1 year guarantee.

 

I asked a few questions such as 'how do you know it's software, you haven't looked at it yet' and was then asked by the techie for a recovery disc - my reply was 'Everything that came with it is in the box' the techie then told me that as I hadn't made a recovery disc I would be charged around £70 for one to which I replied 'But it's under warranty and it has failed' cue long debate with techie where I quote the sale of goods act etc, goods unfit for purpose and so on.

 

Of she goes to get the manager who seemingly didn't want to know as she came back and told me the same thing so I asked her to get the manager and bring him to me. I was then told he was busy but would try to get to me when he could. It turned out he was just on the shop floor as when (after the second time of asking) she went and got him he was a chap who had been wandering around the shop floor all the time I was there.

 

From the moment he arrived his attitude was appalling, he huffed and puffed, asked why I hadn't made a back up disc and when I pointed out that nowhere did it tell me that if I didn't make a back up disc would that invalidate the warranty he said that I should know I had to do that and there was nothing he could do.

 

I quoted sale of goods and he started raising his voice asking what I expected him to do - quite simply I replied fix it, replace it or refund my money - he then got even louder and said I was being ridiculous and that he would then be stuck with a broken laptop that he couldn't sell.

 

The exchange went on a bit longer and few more repeated arguments from myself were not going to make this manager take any action so I asked for his full name and the store number, he asked why and I said that I would be raising it with the Consumers Association and taking advice and I would be complaining to PC World about the fact that he was refusing to deal with my faulty goods.

 

He then started shouting and told him to calm down at which point he walked off saying 'you have a nice day sir' and emphasising the words so it was particularly nasty and sarcastic.

 

My advice would be never to buy anything from PC World Lakeside as they clearly don't care at all about Customer service

 

So what I need to know is who do I complain about this bloke to and who do I complain to about the service and how I was treated and how can I get my laptop sorted?

[porkyp1g]

What make and model is it? What's the error you get when it boots? You can likely reinstall windows from the built in hard drive recovery if its a software problem.

[renegadeimp]

You complain direct to the CEO of PC world. You outline the complaint, and what you want done to rectify it.

[Homer67]

It's a Toshiba C870 and I already tried the built in hard drive recovery which is why I took it back as that wasn't working so it has to be something pretty terminal.

 

Anyone have a name and address for the CEO?

[renegadeimp]

http://www.ceoemail.com/

 

Dixons Group

 

 

Sebastian James Chief Executive

 

E-mail [email protected]

Telephone 0844 800 2030

Website http://www.dixons.co.uk

Company Twitter @CurrysPCWorld

Personal Twitter @dixonsseb

[Homer67]

Ta

[labrat]

if you can download and run Hiren's BootCD then do

 

use a tool called seatools on there and it will tell you if theres a hard drive fault

 

if its a hard drive fault then call the call center and as its under a year old they will collect repair and reinstall the operating system for free

 

plus current repair time is 7 days from pickup to return

[porkyp1g]

It's a Toshiba C870 and I already tried the built in hard drive recovery which is why I took it back as that wasn't working so it has to be something pretty terminal.

 

Anyone have a name and address for the CEO?

 

Any error messages? Both when you try to load windows and when you try the hard drive recovery?

[Homer67]

E mail address for Sebastian James does not work, any others?

[Homer67]

So two things have happened, I have had a reply to my complaint e mail sent to Customer Services at Dixons and Sebastian James which appears to be a straightforward standard response and does not address any of the questions I asked and simply refers me to the 'Know How' helpline which has been no use at all.

 

Secondly the PC Specialist shop that dropped my laptop off to has called to say that they have proved it is a hard drive failure with documented proof for me to take into PC World, so the question is this:

 

Armed with my evidence that the hard drive has failed what am I entitled to request of PC World?

[renegadeimp]

Repair, refund or replacement within 14 -28 days or you'll take them to court. If you mention court, please be ready to follow through with it, incase they call your bluff. Companies like this get thousands of legal threats, so you need to be absolutely sure of your stance and evidence.

[Homer67]

Thanks, I absolutely will take them to court if I have to, I purchased the laptop in June last year so I wondered if there is something in consumer law that states I have to accept a repair if the good are over 6 months old?

 

Otherwise I'll stand there tomorrow and insist on a refund and go elsewhere.

[renegadeimp]

SOGA. I think you have to allow them to try a repair first, failign that a replacement or refund. If they refuse to do any though, even with independent proof, then a letter before action to the head office would be the best step forward.

 

There are still a few steps to go yet before you get to legal threats, so lets not take too many steps ahead just yet.

[Homer67]

Ta muchly, will update tomorrow after I've been (and calmed down afterwards!)

[Homer67]

So on Saturday I took the laptop back to the Lakeside store and explained to the Know How desk what had happened previously (leaving out the bit about the attitude of the 'manager').

 

When I produced the report from the independant PC Specialist he looked a bit confused but said immediately, 'that's ok we can send it to Toshiba for you'

 

No argument, no discussion, nothing. I suspect this could have been done last week but I just got a jobsworth.

 

I did ask how long it would take and while the chap serving me started to say a time the other Know How chap said 'Ah well Toshiba are rule to themselves, we never know'

 

To which I replied that it would have to be within 28 days with some leeway for postage or I would be back for a refund as that was what a reasonable time was

 

Know How chap 2 got a bit shirty and then said who told you it has to be within 28 days to which I replied SOGA - he looked a bit puzzled but commented no more as I believe I had 'out acronymd' him. Blue sky thinking and synergy in my thoughts and goals stream etc...

 

Anyway the laptop is now on its way to Toshiba with my independant report and I have a reciept and a proposed date for return, I will update as soon as I have anything.

 

While I was there I did notice last week's 'manager' busily serving people on a till, makes me wonder if he's a manager at all or if he's being given some Customer Services re-training as a result of my complaint

[renegadeimp]

He's probably just a glorified supervisor, or most likely just a "senior" advisor who was friends with the person you spoke to last time.

 

However, at least the laptop is on its way to toshiba ( hopefully). Give them till this time next month and see where things stand. That would give them a couple of extra days grace as well.

[Homer67]

Forgot to update this but my laptop was returned with a replaced hard drive, no charge and all working ok