Help! - Laptop screen spontaneously cracked!

jd87

We bought an Acer laptop brand new from Tesco (online) about 3 months ago. It's been absolutely fine until just now when I switched it on to find that the LCD is cracked. In one corner it has an obvious crack pattern to it and almost all of the screen is completely distorted. We have absolutely no idea how this happened. It hasn't been dropped, nothing has been thrown at it, and yet now the screen looks like a brick has been dropped on it.

This was a completely spontaneous event so presumably some kind of manufacturing fault. I just hope to god Tesco/Acer will believe that. What do I do now? Is this a common problem? Do I need to contact Acer or Tesco?

crampo_2

Contact Acer, More then likely Tesco's Will tell you the fault is with the manufacture not them.

Don't expect acer to be helpful over the phone though!

poppy10_2

crampo wrote: »

Contact Acer, More then likely Tesco's Will tell you the fault is with the manufacture not them.

No, contact Tesco. As it is only three months old the retailer is the first point of call if the product develops a fault.

Darksun

I had something similar happen, my suspicion is that the cat sat on the laptop while the lid was closed and managed to crack it :eek:

crampo_2

poppy10 wrote: »

No, contact Tesco. As it is only three months old the retailer is the first point of call if the product develops a fault.

I have got a laptop That is 5 months old. Ebuyer told me to phone Acer .A retailer isn't going to repair the fault. The warranty is with Acer. What is tesco's going to offer someone with a cracked screen.

In fact i was annoyed with acer anyway for the response they gave me. That i ended up fixing the problem myself.

jd87

I will try calling Acer tomorrow. It's just such a crazy thing to happen I'm just worried they aren't going to believe me that it just happened by itself. Anything in particular I should say/do/expect? Will the want me to post it back to them? Should I expect them to pay for postage, etc?

[EDIT] Actually I'll call Tesco Direct first, just because I'd far rather deal with them if I can. Though I am fully expecting them to tell me to call Acer.

crampo_2

jd87 wrote: »

I will try calling Acer tomorrow. It's just such a crazy thing to happen I'm just worried they aren't going to believe me that it just happened by itself. Anything in particular I should say/do/expect? Will the want me to post it back to them? Should I expect them to pay for postage, etc?

Don't know what others would say, but just explain the fact that you keep it in a safe enviroment and that you only use it on a desk etc. that you open the screen up one morning and it had crack in the corner. along those line.

About postage (this is what got me annoyed). When they asked me to return the item, they give you a reference no. then pass you to a automated phone service that gives you there address (only once) to which you have to write down quickly, You also have to take down DHL's Number and there account no. with them. Then phone up DHL and arrange collection. Once they get it could be up to a week after they collect.

On another laptop i got, The power box had blown up. There was no way it could be repaired, i told the guy that. But i had to send it off (1 week) see if the could repair it (which apparently he said could take up to another week) then if they couldn't they would send out another (1 week)

3 weeks for a power box. I ended up buying a new one for £20 on ebay.

IcyEars

crampo wrote: »

I have got a laptop That is 5 months old. Ebuyer told me to phone Acer .A retailer isn't going to repair the fault. The warranty is with Acer. What is tesco's going to offer someone with a cracked screen.

In fact i was annoyed with acer anyway for the response they gave me. That i ended up fixing the problem myself.

No, Poppy is right, ring Tesco. It says in their T&C's:

Every product carries a manufacturer’s warranty for a minimum of 12 months. Where a fault develops with the items more than 14 days after delivery we will arrange for the item to be repaired under the terms of the manufacturers warranty.

Where the manufacturer operates direct product support and warranty repair procedures, you must process the claim directly with the manufacturer, or the manufacturer’s third party agent, after being advised to do so by the Tesco Technical support team. [from here under Section 6]

poppy10_2

crampo wrote: »

I have got a laptop That is 5 months old. Ebuyer told me to phone Acer .A retailer isn't going to repair the fault. The warranty is with Acer. What is tesco's going to offer someone with a cracked screen.

Sale of Goods Act places the responsibility on the retailer. Go to classes.

jd87

So if they tell me to phone Acer, can I definitely legitimately quote the Sales of Goods Act at them and demand that they sort it?

crampo_2

poppy10 wrote: »

Sale of Goods Act places the responsibility on the retailer. Go to classes.

And surely all they are going to do, is be the middle man between you and acer.