PC World's Whatever Happens Fiasco

Guardsman

If it's a keyboard problem then transferring data is a simple task they could even swap the hard drive over to the replacement laptop.

Tiddlywinks

I'm interested that you think John Lewis is outside your budget as they are actually really competitive and usually score well on customer satisfaction in 'Which' surveys.

pamelac858

Guardsman, we can agree to disagree, I have no problem with that. As you say, our experiences are different.

I got a call from PC World this afternoon and they have all but decided to scrap my laptop, pending a senior tech's view, of course. I hate to let go of my beloved laptop, but it's been sick so much, I'm hesitant to say I'd rather have it than a new one. I'm sure it's the way it's designed with 2 hard drives and I think inadequate cooling, which as you know, causes a myriad of issues.

We are going to be out of town for 10 days, so I'll have this loaner because they don't want me to return the loaner to a store like I took my laptop for repair a couple of times ago; they said they want to get it to the distribution hub, but I'm pretty sure that's where they said my laptop was going from the store....at any rate, at least they are finally doing something about it.

The gal I talked to today was very nice and helpful. I did request the hard drives from it, for both security reasons and data retrieval, and she said that would be no problem.

I'm a bit worried about what kind of replacement they will want to give me. I am very attached to the 17" one I have; I do a lot of numerical work and love the separate numerical pad, which is what I learned on, but those are fairly high spec. That said, when I bought mine, it was on the higher end of things, so hopefully they'll take that into account. I just want a laptop that's configured and working and stays working!

RE: Special requests in restaurants. We went to TGI Fridays for my birthday one year and I asked to have the salad before the meal and they told me they'd 'have to check with the chef'. LOL I said, this is an American restaurant chain, that's how Americans get their salad - before the main meal. She didn't believe me. LOL My SIL is a celiac and we have a horrible time getting gluten free stuff for her in restaurants, though it's getting better. Usually it involves foods being cooked in the same pan or whatever; she is extremely sensitive and gets very ill if she encounters gluten.

I ask for bunless burgers, too. My youngest daughter is a veggie, so she gets hers sans meat. To each our own, eh?

So bottom line is that they are working on this for me. FINALLY! YAY!!!

Pam

pamelac858

I did look at John Lewis when I was shopping for that laptop and yes, it was quite a bit more expensive at that time. I'll look again.

This issue isn't the keyboard, it's the motherboard. I did write a note to the techs to tell them what to look for, but they replaced the power switch board instead - and it worked for 2 starts, then failed again.

They have agreed to send me the hard drives so I can get my data off of them and for security purposes, so I'm grateful for that.

Pam

pamelac858

Redpete, if I wrote 'loose' insted of 'lose', it ws a typo that got past me, like your 'thast'. I'm very picky about grammar myself.

ajones, sorry to not reply to your considered post about when the time starts on a repair - for some reason, posts are popping up from yesterday. I am aware of what SHOULD happen, but that has not been my experience. The last time the laptop needed repairs, I dropped it off at the store and it was not booked in for a week; it sat on the shelf and was only sent on when I finally found a number to call them on (I was out of town for work). They told me that those 7 days did not count in that case because it was not booked into the system. That is what I was told - the system did it sorta thing.

Hopefully they can find a comparable replacement for it, as I said, I'm very attached to it. I love being able to multi-task and not have it freeze, crash, whatever. It is a great laptop, but it's sick.

Pam

ajones456

I'm sorry the store failed you initially but it's good to see there's action taken with this.

Your laptop makes a journey from the store/home to the local customer service center where it is then sent to Newark for a repair.

Your data transfer service is included in the Whatever Happens Care plan but you need to request at the time of booking it in.

If you had a 17" laptop before and they only give you a 15.5" with comparable spec, contest it. I did it with a tablet. I bought a Cheap Arnova tab, took out Whatever Happens and dropped it, they went off the spec and gave me the Dell Streak, but I said "No I need the 10" screen" - I am now sat here using my iPad 2. So in total paid £360 for the original tab and guarantee and got £399 back.

It's worth mentioning that they didn't know I was a colleague at the time.

The new laptop has to be the equivalent of what you have now if not better, screen size included.

jd87

pamelac858 wrote: »

Redpete, if I wrote 'loose' insted of 'lose', it ws a typo that got past me, like your 'thast'. I'm very picky about grammar myself.

Don't worry Pam, Redpete wasn't directing that at you. It's just his signature and appears at the bottom of all his posts.

pamelac858

The gal I talked to today told me to contest it if it wasn't what I wanted. I'm not necessarily concerned with the cost, I'm concerned with the 1TB storage and the numerical keypad. Obviously the systems and inards have changed in 2 1/2 years, but that isn't my primary concern.

As for the grammar, I thought I'd made a dreaded error in grammar; that makes me nuts, too.

Pam

pamelac858

ajones456, thanks again for your help, as well as everyone else. Guardsman, it's been fun interacting with you as a mixed-nationality pairing.

Hoping to have good things to report once this is over. Y'all are GREAT! Thanks again!


Pam

pamelac858

Well, here it is, literally a month later and guess what? Yep, still going through the same crap!

I got a call on 8/5 that the tech didn't find anything wrong with the laptop, so nothing would be done and could I please get the Loaner to them ASAP? Mind you 'Loaner' is a bit of a misnomer, as it's so locked down, basically all you can do is surf the web.

I was livid, as I was basically all but called a liar. I got the laptop back when we got back from Scotland (working), and it worked for 2 days, 2 shut-downs, then, same issue.

THIS TIME, I videoed what it was doing, took photos of the drives missing in both Explorer and Control Panel, etc, and documented it from every angle I could think of.

When they came to get it, I gave them the SD disk with the video on it - Husband just got a new laptop and we didn't realize it didn't have a DVD/CD writing program on it and my tiny netbook doesn't, so it had to be an SD card.

Heard nothing for 11 days - got it back today, and lo and behold, it fired right up and I was installing the software to sync my contacts with my new phone for backup and !!!!!! - shut itself down and wouldn't POST - it lasted all of 50 minutes! I literally cried out of frustration and anger - and that's not an easy thing to do - make me cry.

Called KnowHow and again, got the same song and dance. It will be a week before it's picked up - Saturday, from the store as a I am out of town for work on Friday and was told that it would expedited p/up from the store it won't be - and it will be another week after THAT before anyone can make a decision about what to do.

I'm so frustrated!!!!! I have provided documentation, photos, and pictures, I have emailed, I have called (you should see my phone bill from all the calls!), I have waited...and Waited...and WAITED!!!!

It has now been TWO months since this started and I'm no better off now than I was then. I have again emailed to request the name of someone - ANYONE - who can elevate my complaint, so we'll see.

This is NOT what I pay every month for and I resent being treated like....I don't know what. It's interfering with my work, it's taking up my time at home - documenting, writing, calling - and the stress is getting to me. I feel as if I'm beating my head against a virtual brick wall.

I think I'll go have a glass of wine and calm down. I'd say LOL but I'm serious.

Pam