@knowhowtohelp Defective screen - help please

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I bought an Acer Aspire V5-552 from PCWorld in December as a Christmas present.

The laptop was opened and worked fine on Christmas day.

The next day when it was opened up the screen was cracked.

The crack quickly spread across the screen.

 

Please note that this laptop was not dropped or in any way physically damaged.

The crack was spontaneous and a result of a defective screen.

The only fault I can find without taking it apart (which would void the warranty) is a slight ridge on the bottom bezel where the crack seems to start from.

Presumably this was there when the laptop arrived.

 

I contacted Acer who confirmed that they would repair the laptop if I hadn't got it from PCWorld.

PCWorld have bought all their warranties so they are responsible.

So I took it to KnowHow who refused to look at it.

 

KnowHow employee told me he isn't allowed to take cracked screens and it is obvious it was dropped or kicked or been in a car crash (he really said this).

Actually other then it being a crack it doesn't look obvious at all.

The crack is clean from the point of the ridged bit of bezel to the near top part of the right-hand bezel.

There are no impact marks and actually at the time this guy 'analysed it' the screen protector was still on the screen and completely unmarked.

 

I was also told by this employee that KnowHow wouldn't look at it as I had registered it with Acer so it wasn't 'new' any more.

 

I registered with Acer after the crack appeared,

this guy seemed incapable of understanding that I can use the laptop without the screen

and I am incapable of understanding why I shouldn't use it while waiting to get the problem fixed.

 

I was later reassured that this is complete nonsense,

but it puts into context the kind staff that are working in PC World's KnowHow support section.

 

I called KnowHow and complained that the shop had refused to properly look at the laptop

and that I had already described the problem to Acer who have said they would repair it.

 

The team on the phone said that the store should have taken it that they have no choice but to take it

and it would be the repair team who decided if it should be repaired.

 

He said he would call the store and I should take it back again (it isn't easy travelling to these stores - I don't have a car).

 

He advised that I get something in writing from acer confirming they would hypothetically repair it as an aid to convincing the store to take it,

despite it being the stores own policy that they should take it.

 

I called acer back and tried to get them to confirm in writing that they would repair it.

They wouldn't do this under the pretence that confirming hypothetical repairs is a bit mad.

They did say they would repair it if it wasn't a knowhow laptop and gave me the ID of the person I spoke to so KnowHow could call and speak to him if they needed.

 

I called KnowHow back and told them what was said.

They then told me there was no need for me to do this that they can just arrange to have the laptop picked up.

Fine. I arranged for it.

 

I said I was a bit worried after my experience in the store that the team would not properly look at it,

that they would see the screen is cracked and decide I fell down a flight of stairs with it before throwing it into a car crash.

 

The KnowHow employee admitted that it may just be ruled as physical damage,

but that they should look at it, and he would put a note down about my 'bezel theory'.

 

Not exactly filled with confidence I wrote a letter for the KnowHow team that would eventually look at the laptop,

asking them to check the bezel and asking them to test it for defects as the thing was not dropped

(for the record it wasn't moved from the position it was working fine in the day before, it was just closed).

 

When KnowHow came to pick it up they refused to take the letter as it was apparently this guys job to take the laptop "and nothing else".

 

I got a letter today from KnowHow saying

"we can't repair your laptop as it isn't covered by the warranty".

 

This is not true as it is the same warranty that Acer have already confirmed twice does cover this laptops screen.

I am pretty sure that they didn't check it, just switched it on, noted crack, and then switched it off.

 

I have been reading about this online and I can see that screens do crack in this way,

usually within a day or so of being used (like my laptop).

 

Various reasons given are cold weather (it was freezing cold), faulty installation (the bezel is slightly damaged) or just defective screens.

I also keep reading about 'tests' that can be done to determine if the damage was physical or not.

Could someone here with some knowledge elaborate what those tests are?

 

Acer were very clear that the screen was covered so perhaps there is an issue with the model of laptop I bought.

 

Finally can someone advise me what I should do now?

 

I think I can repair it myself but that will invalidate the warranty so I'm saving it for a last resort.

 

I know PCWorld should repair it but it is seeming impossible.

 

I am angry that I paid for a laptop we got only one proper day of use out of.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this I know I have written quite a lot but I want to be as clear on what has happened as I can be.

[renegadeimp]

SOGA. You get the retailer to deal with it.

 

Also, ignore the min wage knowhow reps.

 

Theyre normally people with no experience who blagged their way into the job.

 

Sadly, pcworld are very well known for this type of behaviour and you may have to address the CEO directly.

[dx100uk]

nothing to do with any warranty nor Acer

 

SOGA is your friend here

 

and of couese your card provide if you paid for it that way

 

if it was an xmas present i'd expect them to exchange it for a new one

 

as you are only just outside 14 days.

 

dx

[porkyp1g]

I doubt acer would be able to guarantee the repair until they inspected it, chances are if they saw a crack then they would to send it back to you unrepaired.

 

Does anyone else have access to the laptop that might have damaged it but not told you?

 

Are the any abrasions near the crack on the out plastics? Did they provide any photo evidence of their findings?

 

If it has been found to be accidental damage, then how does soga apply? Can you claim on house insurance?

[belastigt]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

Porkypig1g - that really is my point.

I know in this case the laptop was not physically damaged,

as far as I know they have just looked at the screen and said 'crack - physical damage'.

 

Acer twice said they would repair it without hesitation and I really explained what happened

which makes me think there could be a problem with the line.

 

One of the people at KnowHow I spoke to on the phone said 99% of screen cracks are physical damage,

that means 1% are not.

 

I keep hearing allusions to 'tests' that can be done to see if the damage was physical

or a defect but so far no specifics on what they are.

 

Does anyone know?

 

There are no abrasions or anything on the laptop.

The screen is perfect but for one diagonal crack which starts at a tiny 'nook' in the lower left bezel.

The screen to the right of the crack and above works so apparently that indicates it is the back pane of glass that has cracked.

 

KnowHow provided no evidence of anything.

 

I would provide photos to this forum but at the moment the laptop is still with KnowHow,

I have to phone them and tell them I'll pay or not before they'll send it back to me.

I don't think that matters as I'm not trying to convince anyone here,

I just want to know what can be done in cases like this.

 

Looking at SOGA it should apply unless it can be proved that the damage was physical.

If by their own admission 1% of screen cracks aren't from physical damage

then is it not illegal for KnowHow to refuse to repair or replace any screen with a crack in it.

I'm going to try going down the complaint route.

 

We'll see what happens

[dx100uk]

under soga its for them to PROVE it was user damage

 

if they cant do that

as this is less than 6mts old they must repair

 

I think you can also insist on a replacement totally.

 

i'd go speak to your local trading standards.

 

this is just not on.

 

dx

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Just had an hour and ten minutes on the phone and now I need to get ready for a meeting at work.

 

PCWorld have a policy that they can't give out the names or positions of staff they speak to.

 

Two 'managers' have ruled that nothing can be done as I didn't notify them within 48 hours.

 

Apparently that is written somewhere but first time it has come up.

 

KnowHow engineer seems to have ruled that the laptop was picked up by the lower bezel.

 

There is a gap of maybe 2mm between the top part of the laptop and the keyboard

so I'm not sure what kind of hands they think their customers have.

 

Mine seem to be human but suppose they can't make generalisations.

[dx100uk]

trading standards time

 

dx