Laptop Problem At Currys

markrfc_2

Hi all my first post so please be gentle.

I bought a new laptop fron Curry's on Saturday morning, having taken the laptop home and trying it out i found the volume from the mono speaker too low for my needs ie playing music and watching dvd movies.
I boxed up the laptop and returned it too the store next day and asked for a refund the store manager refused stating the laptop was fit for purpose and as i had left the store with the laptop i had accepted the goods and nothing could be done.
Is this correct? any help would be appreciated.

Pelican_2

Is there a fault with the laptop, or is it that you just don't like it?

Legally, if you are returning a product because you have changed your mind, or just don't like it, the retailer are under no obligation to refund you.

I would go back to Curry's and try to do a deal with the manager- suggest an upgrade to the next model (with better sound). That may work, as it's easier for the retailer to accept you buying something else from then rather than them losing your custom.

Did they mis-sell it to you, ie. tell you the sound was great etc and suitable for your needs? Again, I would go back, explain that you feel that it was mis-sold, and ask for an upgrade (and accept that you will have to pay the difference in price).

markrfc_2

Hi thank's for the quick reply in my opinion the laptop was mis sold as when i purchased the laptop it was hooked upto an external 2.1 speaker system, the manager told me when i returned the laptop this was to create ambiance instore and not to deflect from the fact the sound is almost inaudable.

I do like the laptop just unable to hear the sound as it's very low output.

cheers Mark...

Astaroth

This where the difficulty is between the 2 legal doctorins of "buyer beware" and "fit for purpose" exists.

As Pelican says, if the item isnt faulty/ is fit for purpose then a retailor has no legal duty to give any form of refund/ exchange etc.

So the first question is is the laptop fit to do what it was designed/ marketed to do (this doesnt mean that it has to fit the purposes you bought it for unless this was explicitly stated to the sales representative - you cant buy a laptop and then return it because the speakers arent loud enough to fill Wembly as this isnt what they are designed to do). The second question is, as a buyer with a specific purpose in mind would it not have been reasonable to either explicitly ask about its fitness for purpose or as there was one on display then to actually test it (ie unplug the external speakers)?

To be honest, in this case I think you have a very weak arguement that the laptop is not fit for purpose and so will have to fall on the goodwill of the store you bought it from. Here of cause is your last and biggest mistake, you bought it from Currys

kuohu

Even with better (stereo) speakers, the speakers on a laptop generally aren't that good if you're going to use them regularly for music and dvds. You can pick up some cheap external speakers for a few quid, or alternatively connect a wire to the line-in on your stereo.

markrfc_2

Hi all the problem is the speaker volume is so low it is barely audiable over the noise from the dvd drive when running and the laptop's fan which run's almost continually. I accept i should have unplugged the speaker system now but at the time i didn't think.
I will probably just bear with it as it's not worth the stress of it all and buy an external speaker system.
The spec of the laptop suggests you should be able to listen to the dvd's being played on it as it has a 15.4" widescreen and dvd rw drive.

Don't think i'll be shopping at curry's for a while though.

kuohu

If it's really so low that you can't hear it over the sound of the fan, then it sounds like something is wrong. The quality of sound from laptop speakers may not be great, but you should at least be able to hear them. If you double-click the speaker icon next to the clock, the volumes are set to decent levels I assume?

withabix

What is the make and model? Please post the details.

It could be faulty after all. Let us have a look!!

markrfc_2

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo 7320G £399. And the thing is up full blast.

specs

Intel Celeron M 390 Processor 1.70GHz

400 MHz FSB

1 MB Cache

512 MB RAM

60 GB Hard Drive

DVD ReWriter Super MultiDrive

15.4" WXGA Screen Size/Type

15.4" Widescreen Display

Microsoft Windows XP Home

64MB UniChrome Pro shared Graphics

1 Year FREE Warranty

withabix

Daft question:

Have you got the hardware volume turned up high AND the software volume?

The spec sheet does suggest it only has one speaker though:

http://www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/Resources/72/1031346079.pdf

lemmings999

it does only have one speaker and it will be quite quiet however as they are not entertainment laptops (classed as an entry level business laptop) it would be considered fit for purpose of sale unless you specifically asked about volume levels