PC World Rentsmart conned me!!!

Stoffy

I was the same, I felt humiliated and couldn't stop thinking how stupid I must have been for not reading the contract. But at the same time you wouldn't expect rep's to lie so blatently to you and tell you complete BS. Why would you doubt what they're telling you? Imagine if I'd have read the contract fully! I wish I had now to be honest.

Anyway, going to give it to the end of this week as our Postie has been a bit random since the bank holidays. After that it'll be back to the FOS!

gemma1989_2

Hi ya
I also have been done by Currys rentsmart infinity, and i have read your further posts which state you must be in a bussiness to qualify for rentsmart. Me and my partner had gone in to the shop last july to look at a laptop as living 200 miles away we needed some sort of comunication to family, any way we enetered the store and we asked if there was anything they could do, similar to a buy as you view sort of thing, the sales person said yes we do and mentioned this rent smart. me being me thought 'great' as cash was a little tight with being newly married and it being our first house toghether setting up home was a little expensive. we went on to disscuss and i was under the impression that as long as i paid the laptop off it was and would be mine as long side this i was made to buy the student office just so that i could write and send letters when needed, (where as if id have known that i would have no ownership of the laptop i would have never of signed the document or bought the office and asked for it to have been already preloaded onto the unit), we tried to process the application for it in our new address and it was declined (possibly because we had no landline), so we tried it in my maiden name at my parents address (which i hadnt lived there for 6months and they had a landline) and the sales person said to keep quite about how we had done it seeing as it was done in my maiden name yet my drivers license and bankcards were in my new married name, but for proof they had a copy of my drivers license and my marrage certificate, she even dissapeared for a period of time to find the manager once everything had been accepted to run this by him and for a signature. i now cant afford to keep the payments going as we are now living off one wage and i cant go back to work due to having a baby (and additional costs) so i was looking through the terms and conditions to try and change it to my partners account, and this is where i have read the small print. that even tho the laptop cost 379.99 and over the past 12months i have paid 400, at £40.91 a month i still have a further 13months left to pay which takes the total cost of my laptop to £900, which is double the original cost. i have rang and asked them how much to finish settle this and they said it would be 500 and that i have to hand the laptop back in. so i have no ownership of it at all. in further reading the small print it says that even if i kept the laptop once the term was over that i would still be charged for it or if i handed my laptop in i would still have to pay for the remaining cost term, i am worried that the balifs may be involved as i wouldnt be able to replace what they take took to remaining cost value, and in even finer print says i cannot get out of the agreement either way. i have also resorted to sending and email and and saying if i pay till the end of my term can i have my laptop, i am loosing sleep over this matter as i am worried of the out come and that im throwing money away on something that is and never will be mine, i dont want to be in trouble or for this to affect my credit rating or be black listed, i was mislead by the sales person as i did ask if it would be mine and the reply was yes. i have no proof of the conversation as this is over a year ago but im stuck in a pickle, and wondered if anyone has any help or advice they can give me to get around this matter. sincerely a very worried and scared mummy

Stoffy

Hi Gemma1989,

The only thing I can advise is to write to all the companies mentioned on this thread earlier. Let as many people know exactly what has happened to you.

Send a letter to PCWorld HQ and the PCWorld store you "bought" the item from. Send the same letter to Rentsmart and trading standards Hertfordshire. Also inform watchdog as I already have and your local CAB. The more you spread this word the more it is brought to the attention of the authorites.

If you'd like to PM me your email address I'll email you copies of what I have sent so far and the names of the companies. You can use the letters as rough templates to expalin your situation. @TheBroons if you want to PM me too I'll gladly send you what I have too.

The way I see it the more info we all have and all send the more the authorities will sit up and pay attention and take action.

thebroons

Just to let you know I contacted FOS and their initial thoughts are that the blame lies with PC World for mis selling. I have received a complaint form from FOS and will be returning it to them along with all the correspondence from PC World and Rentsmart. They have promised to look in to this for me.
I have also received a reply from Rentsmart who are putting the blame on PC World too !
Will keep you all infomred of what's going on with my case as soon as I receive something back from FOS

The more people that contact FOS with their story the more details they will have of this huge scam.

thebroons

All - i have received an acknowledgement from the FOS. They are experiencing a busy period so have said it would be about 8 weeks before they get back to me. I will keep you all posted on the developments of my case.
Incidentally I found an exact case on another forum from someone who used the FOS to fight her corner and PC World agreed to cancel her contract half way through the term. They even paid her back her monthly payments she had paid that was over the initial term i.e. 2 years stated by the PC World advisor who lied to her. She suspected they didn't want a court case on their hands otherwise they would have to pay everyone that was lied to. I would strongly suggest that anyone reading this who has received the same awful treatment from PCW, contact the FOS immediately.

thebroons

As if things couldn't get any worse for me, my laptop stopped working 2 days ago. I took it to someone yesterday to have a look at it. I have just had a call from them and have been told it is the mother board. They also advised me that it would not be worth repairing as a replacement and the cost of repairing it would be more than the computer is worth. I also can't claim off my house insurance as it is not accidental damage.
Does anyone know where I stand as I have a feeling Rentsmart will not accept a dud laptop (even if I have to see my dreadful agreement through to the bitter end)

Bri8eyes

Dear all, I also have been dooped by PC World. I took out an iPad at £29.60 which included insurrance... The only insurance that will cover you for theft, loss and fire! Like hell! 1TB cloud and storage. The product was explained to me as "it's just like a mobile phone contract"...so I don't know if I was being stupid but I went away with the understanding just like a mobile phone contract I would own this product when the 24 months came to an end. However, I would get 25% of the original price if a brought it back and upgraded and renewed my contract at the end of the 24 month period. I'm intending on writing to FOS, watchdog, ferrit, Xray. This is so wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

Gbennett87

Yup, I've also signed for this renting scam like an idiot... it's sounds all good when the sales assistant explains to you how it works (make that three assistants in my case)... You take the item away for two years then either keep it for a small charge (one monthly payment) or choose to upgrade and get 25% of the original item price back.

Well it turns out this isn't the case. I'm so annoyed with myself for allowing them to trick me.

Wish i had just got mine from Apple, there finance deal is million times better than this garbage.

I should of read the small print better but i was in there for one and a half hours because they where having problems with the finance system on the computers. I just wanted to get out of the building so after having three assistants tell me the same deal I went ahead and signed the agreement... DOH.

I'm hoping i can get this resolved as I've only been in the contract for just under a month.

liamandmicky

thebroons wrote: »

This is the first time I have posted on a forum but feel so strongly about this con that I felt I needed to share my story
I have been fighting with PC World and Rentsmart for the last month after I was duped in to leasing a laptop from PC World Birkenhead Wirral.
In Feb 2010 I was advised that I could take out a lease for 2 years on a laptop and after the lease was up could buy the laptop for the cost of a monthly payment (around £35). I thought it sounded like a good idea but it was only when I contacted Rentsmart in March this year to ask how much I needed to pay to own the laptop, they told me i had another 2 years on the agreement. Like other victims I signed the agreement, believing the sales advisor (why wouldn't I ?). I wasn't asked if I had a business by either the PC World rep or the Rentsmart rep.
Anyway I have had a reply from Rentsmart which appears to be the standard "tough" response. I have also had a reply from PC World who haven't even acknowledged the fact that I was lied to by a member of their staff. I have written again to both parties and have been in touch with my local trading standards office in Wirral. I am certainly not going to let this matter drop until I am satisfied that something is done regarding this awful con. I have also sent my complaint to Watchdog in the hope they have received enough complaints to investigate.

hi i also have been conned by dixons rentsmart in birkenhead .I went with my wife to buy a laptop for my daughter while i was there i mentioned that i had my own business the salesperson told me that dixons were doing a good deal for people who had there own business so i ended up buying a laptop .word and the cloudthinking i was buying on hp.Then a month later we get a letter of thinksmart telling me that i have to have insurance so i phone dixons up asking why i needed insurance and they tell me i am only renting my laptop we went to dixons to buy a laptop and were totaly misold this product as soon as i realized what they had done i went down to currys in birkenhead and explained that the salesperson at no time told us we were renting i did not even know that you could rent them and that i would pay for it right now but the manager said that it was nothing to do with them but how is this right when it is dixons staff who are totally misseling you something what can i do now

Stoffy

Hi,

Quick update, been really busy so not been on here for a while.

Received a response from FOS advising to wait to hear back from both PC World & Rentsmart. Waited about 2 months got a snotty email back from a PC World rep and still nothing back from Rentsmart.
The FOS sent me an official complaint form for both companies to send back to them if I'm not happy with their response. I finally got around to doing this on Sunday so will update if I get any response.

To everyone else new to this thread who needs advise, please read though this thread and follow what others have done. Complaints in writing to both companies plus Watchdog, Trading standards, Local CAB ect.

The more people who spread this scandal the better the outcome will be.