Mac4cash.co.uk taken my old laptop and now say it's worthless??

blunt_crayon

Arrrgh help please. I got a quote of £180 from mac4cash.co.uk for my old Macbook which they collected. Now they have told me that 'the motherboard is failing' and it is not worth any money, but they will 'scrap it for free' (or break it down for spares and repair, presumably). And if I want it back I have to pay delivery charges of £34. So basically I can't win and have to wave goodbye to the £180 I was expecting.

I am going to call them tomorrow but can anyone advise me on my rights, specifically I am wondering

- can they get away without providing proof that the motherboard isn't working? What if they are just saying that so they don't have to pay me?
- can the value really just drop from £180 to £0 if the motherboard has indeed gone? Surely it would have some value as spares/repair, I have seen damaged Macbooks go on eBay for £100 before and have sold one myself for around that years ago (and how I wish I'd just done that, now!)



Their T&Cs said:

8. Technology Recycling Solutions LTD. Take no responsibility for any additional defects or malfunction that may be discovered during our testing of your laptop once received that may be over and above those defects and malfunctions listed by the Customer on the quotation form. Should additional defects or malfunctions be discovered, Technology Recycling Solutions LTD.
Will either re-quote the Customer and will then await acceptance by the Customer; or, notify the Customer of the status of their laptop(s) and quote
£34 for the return of their unit (each) which includes carriage and admin costs for the return.

blunt_crayon

Polite bump... any advice gratefully received!

gonzo127

to be honest i am unsure on what your rights are in this instance, as their terms and conditions do not seem totally unreasonable (although potentially easy to abuse)

however my thoughts are that if everything worked when you sent it off (you did check it was working right? plus all the other bits (USB ports etc)) then i am unsure how they would tell a motherboard is failing.

this is because in my experience a motherboard either works or it doesnt, there is no signs i can think of in which you can tell that it will fail in the near future.

however if it was working when you sent it off and they are saying it didnt work when they got it i would be putting in a claim to the postage company used for damages - as i would expect on a expensive package such as this it would be insured against damage

Mr_Toad

blunt_crayon wrote: »

Polite bump... any advice gratefully received!

The cynic in me says that you're being scammed, that after a tempting offer of £180 to get you to send it they are now trying to get tour MacBook for nothing or make you pay the £34 ransom to get it back.

My advice would be speak to trading standards but ultimately I'd pay the £34 and get it back.

Then I'd put it eBay, even for spares, if it isn't working, your MackBook will make more than £34.

If it is working it will make more, even old laptops that work, especially MacBooks, are worth money! Not everyone can afford new stuff.

InsideInsurance

You dont really have that much argument to make given the fees are fairly clearly in their T&Cs.

You could pay for it to be returned, have your own independent engineers report done and then lodge a claim to them for repayment of the £34 fee (and your engineers fee) and if needs be go to the small claims court for it.