Alienware Laptop - Manufacturing Fault

DoktaUH

Hey Guys and Girls,

This might get long, and complicated but please try to help me.

In July last year (2011) I went into a branch of BestBuy with the intention of buying a new laptop, specifically an Alienware. On their display I found an M11x marked up at £599, checking the Alienware website I found the newest model retailed for £899 however the shelf edge label showed the new model specs so I asked an assistant who told me it was indeed the new model and the last they had. I bit his arm off and due to it being a display model got it for £399. At this point I thought it had to be the old model but again asked if it was te new model I be sure and was told it was.

Got home and had a good look at it, yes it's the old model Sony went straight back to them and told then this wasnt the product it was supposed to be and I wanted them to exchange. The manager was brought out to inform me that they did not and we're not going to stock the model I had been told it was and that was that.

Like an idiot I decided that £399 for the old model was fair so kept it. Then the problem hit, it wouldn't turn on and made 4 beeps. I took it in and they told me it was a manufacturing problem and to contact Alienware.

After many emails back and forth Alienware would only call my phone, or arrange service calls for when I was working and unavailable. My last email with them in April claimed drop off centres would be open in 2 weeks.

It's now August and a year after purchase and I'm no further forward.

Initially I thought to pursue I under the sale of goods act but BestBuy is no more so I have no idea where to go with this.

Please help... :-(

vuvuzela

DoktaUH wrote: »

Hey Guys and Girls,

This might get long, and complicated but please try to help me.

In July last year (2011) I went into a branch of BestBuy with the intention of buying a new laptop, specifically an Alienware. On their display I found an M11x marked up at £599, checking the Alienware website I found the newest model retailed for £899 however the shelf edge label showed the new model specs so I asked an assistant who told me it was indeed the new model and the last they had. I bit his arm off and due to it being a display model got it for £399. At this point I thought it had to be the old model but again asked if it was te new model I be sure and was told it was.

Got home and had a good look at it, yes it's the old model Sony went straight back to them and told then this wasnt the product it was supposed to be and I wanted them to exchange. The manager was brought out to inform me that they did not and we're not going to stock the model I had been told it was and that was that.

Like an idiot I decided that £399 for the old model was fair so kept it. Then the problem hit, it wouldn't turn on and made 4 beeps. I took it in and they told me it was a manufacturing problem and to contact Alienware.

After many emails back and forth Alienware would only call my phone, or arrange service calls for when I was working and unavailable. My last email with them in April claimed drop off centres would be open in 2 weeks.

It's now August and a year after purchase and I'm no further forward.

Initially I thought to pursue I under the sale of goods act but BestBuy is no more so I have no idea where to go with this.

Please help... :-(

So you got a bargain knowing it was an old model, then tried your hand to get them to swap it for a new model as a mistake had been made by an assistant not knowing what he was talking about ?
Then was it not working when you got it home ?
Who now has the laptop ?
Why on earth have you left it over a year before asking for help ?
What warranty do Alienware give with their products ?

DoktaUH

vuvuzela wrote: »

So you got a bargain knowing it was an old model, then tried your hand to get them to swap it for a new model as a mistake had been made by an assistant not knowing what he was talking about ?
Then was it not working when you got it home ?
Who now has the laptop ?
Why on earth have you left it over a year before asking for help ?
What warranty do Alienware give with their products ?

I knew it was an old model only when I got home. Their shelf edge and assistant claimed it was the brand new model.

The laptop worked for about 2 months then began bleeping the Dell code for bad motherboard.

I have the laptop still as Dell/Alienware could never arrange to pick it up when I was available and I have no safe and accessable place to leave it.

It's been left so long because I'm usually busy working and when told by the Dell employee by email that drop in centres would be available 2 weeks after his email I waited for a reply and have since been busy moving from one end of the country to another.

From my limited knowledge of what's going on the motherboard failure is unaffected by warranty as it was inherently defective and I've been told by the Dell email support it would be a free repair/replace.

somethingcorporate

You just need to get back in contact with Dell and get it fixed under warranty. Leaving it so long will not have helped your case.

vaio

Did you pay by credit card?

If so then s75 means the card company will pick up the sale of good rights you would have had against Bestbuy.

visidigi

vaio wrote: »

Did you pay by credit card?

If so then s75 means the card company will pick up the sale of good rights you would have had against Bestbuy.

Uhhh, S75 won't touch something because the OP hasn't dealt with the problem in a timely manner. It does not cover you for moving house, not being available for a courier collection etc etc.

These are external factors within the control of OP - don't want hopes getting up on something S75 wouldn't touch.

somethingcorporate

Yep, I declined to put the s75 in my response due to the apathy of the OP - if it were 9 months previous perhaps, but now....

vaio

I think I disagree, even if it failed today I'd still say SOG would apply as 13 months is not in general a reasonable lifetime for a computer.

The fact that the motherboard issue is a documented manufacturing fault adds weight to this argument and pretty much removes any doubt about whether the fault was present at the point of sale

somethingcorporate

SOGA does not apply if the retailer is bust (as per the OP).

Forwandert

vaio wrote: »

I think I disagree, even if it failed today I'd still say SOG would apply as 13 months is not in general a reasonable lifetime for a computer.

The fact that the motherboard issue is a documented manufacturing fault adds weight to this argument and pretty much removes any doubt about whether the fault was present at the point of sale

Dell haven't disputed repairing the comp and have said they will repair it. The OP in the last year has never been able to make himself available for collection due to working. Not sure what advice OP actually wants apart from ring Dell arrange a day and book it off at work or arrange collection around a previously book holiday. Or see if the OP can send it themselves so they aren't waiting for a collection.

bris

s75 has a better chance if the retailer is bust, the cc company have no one to dispute the problem.