Laptop refund problems

wotty1

I hope someone will have the time to read through all of this as I am having serious problems with my laptop, Dell and PC World/Currys. I would really appreciate any help you can give me as I really do not know what to do next.

I currently have a longstanding problem regarding a laptop I brought from PC World in July 2010. Soon after I brought it it started breaking and the main problem was it would barely ever turn on. Sometimes I have to sit there turning it off and on for an hour until it boots up. But sometimes it turns on fine.

I went to the PC World/Currys where I brought it and the Tech Guys were completely unhelpful. This would have been within the first six months. The man who was dealing with other people at the same time ran a diagnostics test which I had done various times before to find the problem. There is one part where to pass the screen part of the test you have to press "Y" to show you can see the colours. At this point he had walked off and didn't press it in time, resulting in a fail for that part. He then insisted this was the problem and I explained to him that it was because he wasn't paying attention. The test ran and found no other problems so he said 'This is a software problem not a Hardware problem which your warranty doesn’t cover' He also said that to send it off to be looked at (not even repaired) would cost me £50. I thought this was ridiculous as it was still in warranty so decided to take the matter to Dell itself.

I emailed Dell at the start of April with my problem and had various emails telling me to run the same tests over and over again even after I said they were coming up with no errors. After a few of these I got no replies and emailed again eventually being answered by someone else and they started to offer to take the laptop and repair it. It was taken away, came back unfixed with no information on what had been done. Eventually I found out that my hard drive was replaced. I complained again and eventually got sent a repair technician sent out. Since the problem doesn’t always occur he didn’t see the actual problem. He replaced the motherboard because he was sure this would fix it. And for a few days the problem went away. It came back again and I also found that a part of my laptop had been taken out while the repair was taking placed and was not replaced. By this point I was also having a lot more problems with my laptop when it actually worked including overheating, webcam not working, loud fan etc.

I complained again and another technician was sent out who replaced the hard drive again, the missing section, the webcam and another part section inside which controls the heat. This fixed the problem while he was there but soon after it did the problem again.

I spoke to dell again and asked for a replacement. This again took a while to be listened to and they kept trying to do more repairs but I felt three attempted repairs was plenty as the problem was still there. Eventually they said they would give me a replacement. I got an email offering me a replacement and I nearly accepted when I saw that they were trying to offer me something which was in no way a replacement of what I had paid £470 for. They were offering me a small notebook worth about £250-£300 with specifications of much lower quality to what I have now. I also paid extra money for a coloured laptop yet they were offering me a black one with a smaller screen etc. I learnt a lot about specification whilst finding this laptop and I know that what they were offering me was nowhere near as good as this one. I told them this is not what I have and was really angry they were trying to fob me of with this.


Eventually they gave in and tried to offer me a replacement of what I actually have but at this point I was fed up of being fobbed off and messed around for the last four months so sent a request for a refund as I do not want to be with this company anymore. Their customer service and products are appalling and I do not want to trust the next few years’ life of my laptop which was supposed to get me through university but hasn’t even last a few months. Eventually I was told this would be put through and gave all my details off a collection date etc and sent off a copy of my receipt. I then followed up on this having heard nothing for a while and was eventually answered and told they could not refund my laptop as I had to go to the retailer.


I then spent ages ringing Dell being put through to various people and passed back and forth through customer services and technical services etc because no one knew where to put me even though I had asked to speak to someone with authority or management. I also asked to be put through to the man I had been emailing but didn’t find him either. After being passed around about half a dozen times I was told I needed to contact the retailer. I told them I tried with them previously and had no help and that they wouldn’t do anything to help now since my warranty was nearly over.


I tried to find a direct contact number for PC world/Curry where I brought my Laptop but could not find any direct numbers so rang the main technical support where I was again passed around various times and told the store has no direct contact number so you have to go down there but I do not have a car today and then found out this would be pointless and that the man I was speaking to at Currys rang the store himself as they have to do it and customers cannot and was told the Warranty only covers repairs.


I have now emailed dell again telling them this and asking them to ring me immediately which they have not. I now have no idea where to go next and am hoping you may be able to help me in some way. I have tried everything and am desperate now. I brought this laptop with my first ever pay from full time work. I have since been unemployed and searching for work since March and cannot afford to buy a new laptop without a full refund. Also starting university in September I will have even less money and be in debt from my loans and I really need help because I feel I should get a refund since my laptop has a very serious and obviously un-repairable problem.

Thanks for reading and I hope someone can help!

tomoney

Take it back to where you boufght it form with a reciept and do not leave until you get a refund

wotty1

tomoney wrote: »

Take it back to where you boufght it form with a reciept and do not leave until you get a refund

Do you think I stand a chance though? Because they will just keep saying warranty only covers repairs and that kind of thing

zorber

wotty1 wrote: »

Do you think I stand a chance though? Because they will just keep saying warranty only covers repairs and that kind of thing

If you still have original emails and documents and have a paper trail of the issues and the contacts then you should be able to proove that the lap top was inherantly faulty. Yes PC world may not listen to you but if you are armed with all the documentation then the next step will be to ask trading standards to help. Dont for get Sales of goods act also stated that the item must be durable and of reasonable quaility, which in this case appears not to be the case.

wotty1

zorber wrote: »

If you still have original emails and documents and have a paper trail of the issues and the contacts then you should be able to proove that the lap top was inherantly faulty. Yes PC world may not listen to you but if you are armed with all the documentation then the next step will be to ask trading standards to help. Dont for get Sales of goods act also stated that the item must be durable and of reasonable quaility, which in this case appears not to be the case.

Thank you so much. I will definitely be going down tomorrow and trying, which turns out will be the day my warranty runs out. Can't believe I've been putting up with all of this and a laptop which doesn't work properly for a year now! Wish I had known my rights on it sooner.

wealdroam

wotty1 wrote: »

Thank you so much. I will definitely be going down tomorrow and trying, which turns out will be the day my warranty runs out. Can't believe I've been putting up with all of this and a laptop which doesn't work properly for a year now! Wish I had known my rights on it sooner.

Wotty, heve you read MSE's article on Consumer Rights yet?

Lots of good stuff in there.

wotty1

I've had a look through and made some notes thanks! Im worried they'll use the fact that it's over six months, but I did take it to PC world within 6 months the first time round but that didnt work so I was forced to go to Dell and then wasted the rest of the time with them!

CoolHotCold

When exactly in July was it purchased. They can refuse a refund and are entitled to do so under the SoGA, I would expect a exchange would probably be the best you can hope for (a exchange being, a laptop worth £470 odd), if they do offer a exchange check out the Toshiba's and Asus systems, they generally fail less as the components/manufacturing are higher quality but do come at a higher price point.

Ok PcWorld don't repair Dell's within the first year, Dell and Acer are really the only companies who do the repairs themselves under the first year (even Apple allow KnowHow (the branch of Dixons Retail who handle the after sales) to repair their products). Also PcWorld will state and have it written down to avoid the legally grey area of the SoGA which state a repair will take a maximum of 28 days, (for reference the SoGA just states a remedy has to be carried out without significant inconvenience and in a reasonable time) Now if your problem has occoured for more than 28 days and it also shows the same problem in store then they will allow you to pick another system without any issues, if however your laptop is over a year old, you might have to escalate it and ask for a KnowHow Specialist or Duty Manager.


Either way, report back, even if they sorted you out.

ahxcjb

> When exactly in July was it purchased. They can refuse a refund and are entitled to do so under the SoGA, I would expect a exchange would
> probably be the best you can hope for

This isn't correct. Under the SoGA a retailer is obliged to ensure an item is fit for purpose for a 'reasonable length of time'. Less than 18 (and I would even argue 24) months certainly does not meet this criteria. Either way, the laptop is either just under or just over it's initial 12 month warranty. This fact has NO impact on your consumer rights. The sales person might think this to be the case, but they are wrong. You need to have your facts about you when you ask for your refund. Don't leave until you have been refunded.

I think the lesson we are - again - learning (some for the first time...) is that you should never *EVER* buy goods from the Dixons Store Group. Buy either online from a reputable retailer/manufacturer direct or from John Lewis.

Oh, and don't buy DELL. They are Doesn't Ever Last Long for a reason...

wealdroam

ahxcjb wrote: »

> When exactly in July was it purchased. They can refuse a refund and are entitled to do so under the SoGA, I would expect a exchange would
> probably be the best you can hope for

This isn't correct. Under the SoGA a retailer is obliged to ensure an item is fit for purpose for a 'reasonable length of time'. Less than 18 (and I would even argue 24) months certainly does not meet this criteria. Either way, the laptop is either just under or just over it's initial 12 month warranty. This fact has NO impact on your consumer rights. The sales person might think this to be the case, but they are wrong. You need to have your facts about you when you ask for your refund. Don't leave until you have been refunded.

The SOGA provides for a retailer to provide a remedy.
That remedy can be either a repair, replacement or refund.
A refund can be a partial refund taking into account the 'enjoyment' that been had.

The retailer can refuse a remedy which is disproportionate.
In other words, you can ask for a full refund, the retailer can offer an exchange if he considers a refund would cost him too much.

All that is tempered with the caveat that the retailer must not cause significant inconvenience whilst providing the remedy.

wotty1

Thank you everyone. I will be going tomorrow morning and will take into account everything that has been said and let you know after what happens.

Many people told me just after I brought my first ever Dell laptop from PC World not to get a Dell and not to buy from PC World so I will never again. Dell has the worst customer service and have led me on for four months and are now not even replying to my emails. Its like 'Nope that's it, bye'.

I'm so angry and have been trying to get it fixed for so long. I don't really want an exchange because I'd rather not have to deal with them any more!

Also when I was told I was getting a refund from Dell I searched around to find a laptop to replace it and found an Acer Aspire 5750G. I brought this Dell laptop for two main reasons uni work and because it would play the sims 3. I searched for ages to find one to play it and this Acer was the best I could find. But its not from PC World so I'm going to try to get a refund otherwise I cant afford it. I know I probably wont get a full refund but after everything these two companies have put me through I will be annoyed if I don't.