Advent Laptop faulty - Currys want to charge for report

[scenic meg]

Hi

 

My son bought an Advent laptop from Currys around April 2013.

In October last year it developed a graphic card fault and he took it back.

The store told him that it was out of warranty and it was a chargeable repair.

He thought fair enough and, not being able to afford it, left the store.

 

I was telling a friend about it last month and he said to get it independently tested to see if it was an inherent fault.

If so Currys would have to arrange a repair or replacement under the Sale of Goods Act.

That's now been done and the report says it was an inherent fault.

The store said to contact knowhow which my son did.

 

They say they have to test it and it will cost £60.

My son told them he had an independent report saying it's a manufacturer fault

but they stll insist that they will charge £60 before taking the machine back.

If its a manufacture fault they will refund the £60

 

He's worried that if he pays the £60 they will say it isn't a manufacture fault

and I agreee as I wouldn't consider Currys the most independent of people.

 

What are his rights please

[BankFodder]

I have no idea what you might mean by an inherent fault.

 

Under the Sale of Goods Act your son is entitled to have a laptop which is of satisfactory quality – and this means that it should remain in good working condition for a reasonable period of time. Simply by telling you that it was out of warranty, Currys have violated his rights.

 

I suppose that the laptop cost between £300 and £500. I would any reasonable consumer would expect the laptop to remain working for at least for five years so.

 

The kind of quibbling that you are getting is typical of Currys – and other big computer retailers. It is a good way of getting rid of inconvenient customers and making sure that you sell replacements. Often what happens is that people then get fed up of Currys and think themselves – that's the last time I'm going there, I'm going to PC World instead. Of course PC World is really the same business.

 

You have an independent report – and you have evidence that the laptop doesn't work anymore because it is faulty. I think that is good enough.

 

Don't expect Currys to make it easy for you. You will have to threaten them and you may well have to issue a County Court claim to make them take you seriously. In the end, they will probably back down – but don't bank on it.

 

If you decide to begin a County Court claim, then your chances of winning are about 90% – which is very high.

 

The chances of Currys backing down and eventually settling in order to avoid the hassle and expense of going to court are probably better than 80%.

 

You have to decide what you want to do. If you are prepared to go the court route then it is very easy. There are small claims guides on this forum and elsewhere on the Internet. Suing for a small claim in the County Court is easy, cheap, fairly risk-free – and if you win you will get all of your claim fees back. If you want to go this route then you will have to send Currys a letter outlining the situation and giving them 14 days to repair or replace computer or else to give you a refund. At the centre 14 days, you begin the action. Do not make the threat if you don't intend to carry out. It's not worth it. The chances are that Currys will get nasty and bluff you all the way to the court but will then probably settle before the hearing. However, you must prepare as if it was going to go to trial.

 

If you haven't done it before and it will be a great learning experience for you and for your son – and once you know how to do it, then you can go and assert your rights with anybody else who tries it on with you.

 

Let us know what you want to do

[fkofilee]

Why not speak to Advent directly. I did that with my NX300 Camera that i bought from Currys and went to Samsung Direct, turns out that the repair centre was only 3 miles from my house so i dropped it in.

Morale of the story is that go direct to the manufacturer and speak to them. They may have a technical bulletin meaning that they will replace it (Think HP and their issue with faulty chargers)

 

If no joy!, Follow BFs advice as its purely sound advice

[dx100uk]

you do not have to get a report using a recommended 'expert' under insistence of the retailer.

 

 

ask currys where in the sale of goods act it states you have too.

 

 

call the managers bluff.

 

 

normally once you get passed the waffle designed to make you give up

they crumble.

 

 

if not, email the CEO.

 

 

dx

[Stigman]

CEO Email if needed...

 

Mr. Sebastian James

 

Email [email protected]

 

Stigman

[dx100uk]

thanks stiggy!

 

 

dx

[labrat]

Why not speak to Advent directly. I did that with my NX300 Camera that i bought from Currys and went to Samsung Direct, turns out that the repair centre was only 3 miles from my house so i dropped it in.

Morale of the story is that go direct to the manufacturer and speak to them. They may have a technical bulletin meaning that they will replace it (Think HP and their issue with faulty chargers)

 

If no joy!, Follow BFs advice as its purely sound advice

 

advent is a pcworld own brand...

[scenic meg]

you do not have to get a report using a recommended 'expert' under insistence of the retailer.

 

 

ask currys where in the sale of goods act it states you have too.

 

 

 

dx

 

Lol, he did, and the guy at the other end said, where in the sale of goods does it say we can't.

 

Thanks guys, I was fairly certain he had a case, and this will be followed through ending in court action if necessary.

[Eversir]

A laptop lasting for one year - unless mistreated or serviced incorrectly - is completely unacceptable. Most PC components individually have a manufacturer warranty of three years. Therefore it would be reasonable to expect a laptop to last at least this long.

 

Similar situation a few years back, although probably not the same fault:

 

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1528907/sony-admits-failing-nvidia-chips-months-late

 

Sony (eventually) offered repairs free of charge after four years from purchase.