PC World won't refund on a faulty laptop

cornishkiwi

My 74 yr old mother bought a laptop from PCWorlds online store 4 months ago, it has broken 4 times since then, each time we take it back to PCWorld, they say they have fixed it, it works for 2 weeks or so then the same thing happens, go to switch on, the Acer logo comes up, but windows8 doesnt start. When we took it back for the 4th time, I tried demanding a refund, saying the product clearly was not fit for purpose, we had given them plenty of opportunities to fix it. We were told but an helpful Knowhow staff member and by their store manager that if the problem was with the software (windows8) it wasn't their problem, they would only refund us if the problem was with the hardware.
I'm not convinced that the problem is with the software, but even if it was, my mother bought the laptop with the software already installed, so how is that her problem?
We argued for quite a while, they were very patronising and my mother ended up in tears in the store. They have apparently fixed it again, saying that is was a faulty windows 8 update, but I am convinced that this is not the end of it. I have lost all faith in the product and just want to get my mothers £400 back. She paid by Visa Debit card.
Are they right? if it is a faulty edition of Windows 8 is it down to us to sort it? can we just get our money back?

JJ_Egan

What is the actual problem or have been the past problems .

If it is a software problem and particular when they are pointing the finger at an update then not going to replace the item and may no longer repair either .

If it was an update problem then it the user who has updated or it is an automatic Microsoft update that the user has agreed to .

I would ask the vendor to wipe the product and restore to factory settings or do it yourself .

If you are convinced of something else then you could get an independent engineers report to prove this is true or not .

tomtontom

It would be worth also posting on the Techie board to see if anyone can establish the cause of the problem. I'm no expert but do seem to encounter problems every time I update Windows 8!

cornishkiwi

PC World are always very vague with what is wrong when we pick up the laptop, the second time PC world fixed it they said the fault was due to a windows 8 update and they had reinstalled windows, the 3rd they said it was due to a corrupted recovery partition. Now they are saying it is an update issue again. I think they know that my mother and I are not very tech savvy. We just want a laptop that works for more than a few weeks! If it does happen again, I think getting an independent 2nd opinion is a good idea. I just assumed that as the item is faulty and we have given them several chances to rectify it, that we could get a refund, she only bought it 4 months ago.

JJ_Egan

Problem is that they will say that its a software/ user problem .True to say that in many cases that is the problem .
If they have reinstalled Windows and an update has caused the problem then they will say nothing to do with us . .Microsoft updates have been known to cause a problem .PCW are not responsible for an OS error .
Usually with a new buy PCW where user error is suspect they do give one instance of a free service repair but then refuse further OS repairs .its possible its a hardware problem but two of the problems are not hardware but updates and that's user problem especially as PCW did not supply the updates .
Corrupted recovery partition i would want a hard drive test .

cornishkiwi

Thank you JJ Egan, you have explained in a clear and polite way what PCW were obviously, although somewhat rudely, trying to tell us! I do understand now!
If it breaks again we will get an independant engineer to look at it, if it is updates causing the fault, then I accept we are on our own, but if they do find a faulty hard drive, then it is back to PCW with our findings.
Many thanks for your help

BlueSkiesandClouds

Hi cornishkiwi

I think you may be on to something when you say that they could be fobbing you off if neither if you are tech literate, unfortunately it does help to have some knowledge when it comes to computers.

The good thing is it's much easier to fix these days than they used to be thanks to the wonders of the internet, chances are someone has had exactly your issue before and posted it on the net and someone else will have provided a solution.

The problem is knowing what exactly is going wrong, that means what does it do:
Is it crashing?
Does it show the blue screen of death?
Does it freeze
Does it not turn on
Is it giving an error message in Windows?
If yes, what is that error message?

You don't need to be tech literate to observe what it says/does, if you tell us the chances someone on here can help you out!

One thing I would say is it sounds like you've been very unlucky with software updates and a "corrupted recovery partition" sounds quite rare and unlikely in all honesty. It could be some software on there that is causing updates to fail though.

Watch what it does next time and post on here, as another user suggested in the tech section and fingers crossed it can be fixed easily.

bod1467

Bump to kick the SPAM off the first page.

LilElvis

bod1467 wrote: »

Bump to kick the SPAM off the first page.

Bumping .......

MarkWatson

If you have ever been bought a computer online and been refused a refund by PC World/Currys because you "switched it on" then I have good news for you - you can get that refund and the company has no right to refuse it.

Anyone who buys anything online has a 14 days cooling off period, within which they can return a product and get a refund; that is the law. PC World/Currys however do not like to recognise this right when it comes to computers. They maintain that if you "use" a computer (ie switch it on) then you immediately invalidate your right to a refund and will refuse all refund requests from their customers.. They are not legally entitled to do this however!

I bought a computer online from Currys, switched it on and tested it. I then decided it was not right for me (too slow). I contacted the company and asked for a refund, however that was refused - seven times. I then took out a small claims court case - and hey presto, the company fell over itself to settle that case and pay the £25 costs it had incurred me.

The reason they settled is because they knew that they could not win the case as I clearly had the law on my side. They however have not changed their terms and conditions which contains this clause about not giving refunds if a computer is "used", clearly hoping they can get away with not refunding people unless they go to the bother of taking legal action.

If you are having this problem with this company then please contact me by private message and I will tell you how to get your money back. This disreputable company should not be allowed to get away with depriving you of your legal rights in this way and I would be only too happy to help ensure they don't!

Any questions, please ask away. I will check this regularly and give further details if required.

And if anyone from MSE wants to follow this up I would be only too happy to give chapter and verse on this - the company is deliberately misleading customers into thinking they do not have the right to a refund when the law is very clear they do (and if anyone knows how to contact MSE directly so I can share the details with them then please let me know!).

LilElvis

MarkWatson wrote: »

The reason they settled is because they knew that they could not win the case as I clearly had the law on my side.

More likely they decided to settle because the costs involved in defending your action would have been far higher than the amount you were requesting. A pragmatic decision as opposed to an admission of wrong doing.