pc world have been using my pc!!!!!!!!

kennyc

I believe i may be able to shed some light on this situation.
1st PLEASE obtain a back up of the Internet explorer history logs as describedearlier in this thread.

Then the people to contact first of all would be the pc world customer service call center (0870 2420444 if mem serves correct....)
then once given them all the information go to the branch, and speak ONLY to the duty manager to reiterate how you feel about the service you have recieved in that branch.(the call ctr should have already passed your information onto the branch).
If the duty mgr wants his/her tech's to look at the pc, agree provided they do so on the desks where you can sit with them and that you can view what they are doing (in case they try to delete any evidence!).
should you not be satisfied with the answers you recieve from the manager, the next step is the head of customer service *** *****
or the Chief Executive ***** ***** (Names available on request, to original poster only tho..sorry!)

You should be able to confirm the dates the pc was in their care from the instore repair system paperwork you would of had when you collected the pc, although this can be reprinted instore if you request it.
PS store managers are only authorised to make a small token gesture of goodwill in these cases...larger complaints etc are dealt with by customer services or in rare cases the chief executives office.

PPS... im not a disgruntled former employee either, just someone who wants to helps others out when they are more likely to get fobbed off by the big co's.!!

rygon

you could just look at the cookies in windows folder...this will show you which pages have been accessed and also what date it was created (ie when you accessed the page)
btw have i missed something because i could recall the original message saying anything about kiddy !!!!!!, just sexual content so dont jump to conclusions straight away

Goldust

Found this interesting as I used to work in a similar well known retailer and we had someone who's PC was in for repair or something similar (might even have been an ex-display item they bought).

Anyway this was about 7 or 8 years ago when the internet was still starting up and they found some !!!!!! in the internet cache/history and kicked up an ALMIGHTY stink in-store.

We couldn't get to the bottom of it so we got an engineer from the PC company to come in and inspect it. Turns out that the times the smut had been accessed was times where the PC was in THEIR posession.

They then said "oh, i suppose it could have been our teenage son/grandson" (forget which one)....

D'OH!!!!!

tiger

thanks guys.for all your comments.
i definately think this happened while the pc is with pc world for 3 reasons:
1.just the day before i took the computer for repairs i had search for a cheap insurance on the internet.all this other stuff came after. from my experience (with this computer) normally searches come in order they are performed.
2. there are only two ppl with acess to this pc.myself and one other person who is away on holiday.
3.i have never ever searched for that kind of stuff on the net.

my only doubt about why it may not be pcworld is that i normally use password and just wondering can they overide this.i believe they can as they said to me that there is registry error.
i am taking this pc to some one who is abit more familiar with this and once i have confirmed its them then i can make official complain.

anewman

tiger wrote:

my only doubt about why it may not be pcworld is that i normally use password and just wondering can they overide this.

When PC world took your PC off you anyway, if they were offering a professional service they would have asked you for any passwords to ensure they could gain access to the system, or when they realised it was passworded - give you a phone call to ask the password. They also should not have taken 6 weeks to make what (seems like?) a minor repair.

A BIOS password is easily removable (pull battery and the BIOS is reset = no password anymore). There are some tricks in Windows. One I know of is in XP sometimes the administrator account does not have a password set (depending on installation). All you have to do is at the user screen hit [CTRL]+[ALT]+[DEL] twice and you get to a login screen. Type administrator as username and leave password box empty. It's not always as difficult as you may think to override a password.

You really need to complain and if you can prove the content was created while it was in the posession of PC World I would send it to the police. I would hope the police would take action based on the fact it's a misuse of your personal property (not sure if computer misuse act comes in here?) that has led to you being offended.

Bypassing your password protection in itself could be a criminal offence!

I am guessing PC world in itself has a code of conduct for staff's use of their computers - which I would hope extends to customers property - and that what has happened could well lead to someone being sacked (which can't be a bad thing as whoever it was obviously can't do their job properly anyway.)

Crabman

If I were you, I'd contact the police and explain the situation fully and get advice. You have nothing to fear/lose if you are in the clear. Get the police advice then go to PC World, that's what I'd do. Telling police the truth won't harm you

What was wrong with the PC anyway?

golddustmedia

There is another alternative.
You've got your PC back. Use the tools mentioned here to clean/wipe said information from your computer and carry on safe in the knowledge any "offending material" has been deleted. Solution is your PC is cleansed at no further cost.
Then write a letter to manager of local PC world store explaining your grievance and stating you have taken action to delete said images but are informing him so he make take steps to ensure other customers are not similarly affected.

SOLUTION: Your PC is fine and life carries on, PC world manager is aware of problem and has chance to prevent reoccurences.
I don't see the need to make a bigger deal of it. Otherwise it just seems an attempt to get something out of it, much like those "have you been involved in an accident then make a claim" type people.

Bargainbabe_2

Tiger, have you actually tried to do what has been suggested so far?

C_Ronaldo

tiger whats the update

Zippy123

stebiz wrote:

Let's get things into perspective. If (and I say if) the guys downloaded any images they have been extremely daft. I mean I work in IT - but even after my first day at work this was the first thing we were advised strongly not to do on a works machine (let alone a customers). However I still know guys who have a 'little look' now and again. However to say or imply that everybody who looks at 'adult material' download 'kiddy !!!!!!' is way off the mark. The guys who download kiddy !!!!!! (if you can call them that) are obscene and should be 'hung up'. However to say that you should demand a new pc is like saying your car got 'mud on it' whilst in for its MOT. A quick wash or in the case of a pc (the HD cleaning - 30 minutes) - it will be as good as new. A compliant to the local manager should be enough.

Stebiz

I don't think this analogy is quite right. It would be more like finding that someone had left a porno mag in the car after taking it for a repair. Anyone in the family may have found it!