Currys/PC World - 9 days old defective laptop - Wont give replacement or refund?

vsmdsm

I bought an Apple Macbook Pro 15 Inch 2017 from Currys PC World on the 19/08/2017. I bought it from the Currys PC World.

Got the laptop home unboxed it everything seemed fine.

I plugged the laptop in to charge and I was getting a continuous tingling electric shock sensation from the aluminum body of the laptop.:(

I travelled 3 miles back to the Currys / PC World today(28/08/2017) and asked them for a replacement or refund because the laptop is not even 9 days old and is well within their 21 day returns policy.

The staff at the store said there is nothing wrong with the laptop and said they couldnt feel anything, later they admitted they could feel the tingling electric running through the laptop and insisted it was normal and that all apple laptops do it. The staff in the store all claimed they had apple laptops at home and that they all give off same tingling electric shocks, I find this very hard to believe as I have other apple laptops that dont give me a tingling electric shock.

I went up to the apple laptops they had on display and they didnt have the same issue which should make it very obvious my apple laptop is defective.

I asked the store manager and she also denied a refund or replacement and insisted it was normal for apple laptops to have the tingling electric in the aluminum body.

When I insisted on a refund/replacement they said they can only give a replacement if the laptop is faulty and claimed there is nothing wrong with the laptop. The said we can only give a refund if the item is unopened. Walked out the store disappointed travelled 3 miles back home.

I have since chatted with apple online support and apple have confirmed that their laptop shouldnt give me a tingling electric shock and that this isnt normal at all they also told me I should unplug the laptop, shouldnt charge or use the laptop as they are safety concerns etc. They have obviously confirmed the laptop is defective.

I have also talked to apple over the phone today(29/08/2017) who said get a refund/replacement from Currys/PC World.

Currys PC World sold me a defective unit in the first place so I think Currys PC World should have replaced the unit when its well within the 21 days.

I feel Currys PC World is being very unfair as they could have rectified the situation right away by just replacing the laptop instead they argued with me for over an hour, insulted me, insisted I was wrong, called me the customer a liar and refused to help. I definitely wont be shopping at Currys PC World again and I doubt anyone in my family will ever shop there after this because they are all horrified with the way they treated me in store.

What can I do to get a replacement or get my money back?
Extremely disappointed that Currys PC World wont even honour a replacement or refund according to their own 21 days returns policy after Iv spent £2149 at their store? If it was a cheap laptop I could understand but its not.

I bought the laptop on an American Express credit card I feel like asking them about it as technically the purchase would be insured.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Currys PC World?

Whats the best way to deal with the situation as I dont really want a defective or repaired laptop when its supposed to be brand new?:(


I have over 15 years experience in IT and Software design.

I have worked also worked as an IT administrator in the past. I am also a software developer/The director of 2 software companies.

Some insight into my background:
I have handled Macbook Pros everyday for the past 10 years in my personal life ranging from Macbook Pros from the 2008 unibody days all the way upto the previous retina non touch bar models. None of them ever gave me a tingling electric shock sensation even when plugged into the same outlets and they were used on the exact same surfaces.

I have also borrowed and used a friends 2017 Macbook Pro 15 inch that has the exact identical specs plugged into the same wall socket on the same surface and didnt experience the same issues.

I also use macbook pros at my company for software development everyday and some of those are the latest 15 inch 2017 macbook pros identical to my macbook pro they also dont experience the same issue.

I have had a discussion with multiple friends who are in the IT industry to get their opinions they also hinted that its not normal and I should return the laptop.

I have talked to apple on the phone this morning the person I spoke to was very helpful and he also suggested same as the apple customer support chat that its not normal, he also suggested that I should contact Currys PC World and ask them for a replacement or a refund as it is faulty and if they fail to do so I should contact trading standards etc.

Thanks for everyones responses, really appreciate your feedback regarding the issue.

Sorry if I cant reply to every single response but I will keep you guys updated. I have contacted Currys/PC World on facebook and I have e mailed them I believe their customer services is looking into the matter now as I e mailed them yesterday(28/08/2017) and have just chatted to them on facebook.

Latest Update(29/08/2017):
I just received a phone call from Currys/ PC World's social media team(29/08/2017 at 17:36PM), they are also refusing to help and have even refused to do an assessment of the device and said I should take the device to an Apple store to get a report first that the laptop is faulty so Currys/ PC World is basically still completely refusing to do anything at all and will not agree with the fact the laptop is faulty.

They have now repeatedly refused to help resolve the issue. I asked the person who called me from the social media team if I could speak to the manager and he said that the manager would call me later this evening.

It is now 20:00 on the 29/08/2017 and the manager has failed to call me back so far.

I am still waiting for a call from a manager or someone that is willing to help resolve this issue.

I have just emailed the Currys / PC World / Dixons Carphone (Public Relations & Media) hoping someone is willing to help.


Latest Update(30/08/2017):
Curry PC World has appologised via E mail.
They e mailed me and arranged an exchange at my nearest store I went there and they were completely out of stock.

Slighly disappointed that I went 3 miles to the store just so they could tell me they didnt even have it in stock to do an exchange.

The guy at the store was helpful and processed the exchange and reserved a collection and the nearest store that had it in stock is Stockport Currys PC World Store.

I had to travel 3 Miles to the nearest store and 12 Miles to the Stockport store and 11 Miles back home but the laptop has been finally exchanged.

LadyDee

My daughter used to get electric shocks off metal banisters and apparently it was something to do with the stair carpet being a particular blend (nylon)? I get a slight shock when I touch my car door with a bare hand immediately on getting out, so I make sure I wait a couple of seconds.

Could it possibly be static being generated by something? Have you tried using it in different places, on different surfaces?

Fosterdog

It's normal for metal framed laptops, my 2011 MacBook Pro does it too. I work in IT and see it all the time. Not everyone feels it, whether they are immune to the static or just not as sensitive with touch I don't know but OH doesn't notice it with my mac but I do.

It's not dangerous in any way neither is it faulty and you do get used to it over time and as above with different surfaces I don't get it if it is on a table or on my lap with my feet on the floor, only when it's on my lap with my feet up on the sofa so most likely an earth thing. But in work even on a Lino floor I get it when standing but not if I sit with my feet on the plastic footrest of a stool.

ETA: some examples going back a decade to show its normal
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macbook-pro-static-electricity-is-this-normal.348532/
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12946673
http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-notebooks/299624-macbook-pro-mid-2012-feeling-static-charges.html

And to show it's not just an Apple problem metal bodied HPs suffer from it too
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Software-and-How-To-Questions/little-electric-shocks/td-p/623175

vsmdsm

Fosterdog wrote: »

It's normal for metal framed laptops, my 2011 MacBook Pro does it too. I work in IT and see it all the time. Not everyone feels it, whether they are immune to the static or just not as sensitive with touch I don't know but OH doesn't notice it with my mac but I do.

It's not dangerous in any way neither is it faulty and you do get used to it over time and as above with different surfaces I don't get it if it is on a table or on my lap with my feet on the floor, only when it's on my lap with my feet up on the sofa so most likely an earth thing. But in work even on a Lino floor I get it when standing but not if I sit with my feet on the plastic footrest of a stool.

ETA: some examples going back a decade to show its normal
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macbook-pro-static-electricity-is-this-normal.348532/
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12946673
http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-notebooks/299624-macbook-pro-mid-2012-feeling-static-charges.html

And to show it's not just an Apple problem metal bodied HPs suffer from it too
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Software-and-How-To-Questions/little-electric-shocks/td-p/623175

I have seen those posts and I have to disagree.

I believe this is incorrect as I have multiple other aluminum unibody apple laptops that dont have this issue when plugged into the same power outlet and are on the same surfaces. I have also tried a friends identical 2017 Macbook Pro 15 inch and it doesnt have the issues when plugged into the same socket and on the same surfaces.

I still believe the laptop is faulty as a friends identical apple laptop doesnt have these issues. I am entitled to a replacement or refund as its within the stores 21 days return policy.

vsmdsm

LadyDee wrote: »

My daughter used to get electric shocks off metal banisters and apparently it was something to do with the stair carpet being a particular blend (nylon)? I get a slight shock when I touch my car door with a bare hand immediately on getting out, so I make sure I wait a couple of seconds.

Could it possibly be static being generated by something? Have you tried using it in different places, on different surfaces?

My sister gets static electric shocks when she presses the call button on lifts she now pulls her sleeve over her hand before calling the lift so I know what your talking about.:)

I have tried it on many different surfaces because I thought it might be something like that first, it was even doing it when I took it to the Currys PC World store they plugged it in at their KnowHow desk and it was still doing it.

Fosterdog

You don't have any legal rights for buyers remorse, unless the shop has a returns policy that allows for change of mind returns then unless faulty the sale is final. Currys do have a returns policy but it only for unopened and unused products so your used mac would be outside that.

Despite what you believe or not it is not a fault, I have 15 years experience in IT that says otherwise, do you really think it's something I would have accepted in my own laptop if it was an actual fault? This is also not the first time this exact question has been asked on these forums and every time it has failed to generate a refund for the person complaining. Ultimately if you want to use your short term right to reject you have to prove that it is a fault, you've already read online yourself that it is not a fault and is quite common so why do you think yours is special and worthy of a refund?

SeduLOUs

vsmdsm wrote: »

I am entitled to a replacement or refund as its within the stores 21 days return policy. There is also a thing called "buyers remorse" which means if I am not happy with the product within 21 days, which obviously I am not because it is giving me static electric shocks I am entitled to my money back.

Currys 21 day returns policy only applies if the item is still in it's original, unopened packaging.

There is no such thing as 'buyers remorse' rights. If you had bought the item online or over the phone then you would have had a 14 day cooling off period to return it - if you bought it from a store this doesn't apply.

It doesn't seem clear to me that the product is faulty. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. If it isn't faulty, you don't have any rights at all.

vsmdsm

Fosterdog wrote: »

You don't have any legal rights for buyers remorse, unless the shop has a returns policy that allows for change of mind returns then unless faulty the sale is final. Currys do have a returns policy but it only for unopened and unused products so your used mac would be outside that.

Despite what you believe or not it is not a fault, I have 15 years experience in IT that says otherwise, do you really think it's something I would have accepted in my own laptop if it was an actual fault? This is also not the first time this exact question has been asked on these forums and every time it has failed to generate a refund for the person complaining. Ultimately if you want to use your short term right to reject you have to prove that it is a fault, you've already read online yourself that it is not a fault and is quite common so why do you think yours is special and worthy of a refund?

Thanks. but I believe if an identical laptop of the same model, same year etc plugged into the same socket on the same surface doesnt reproduce this issue, clearly indicates something isnt right with the one I have.

CoolHotCold

vsmdsm wrote: »

Thanks. but I believe if an identical laptop of the same model, same year etc plugged into the same socket on the same surface doesnt reproduce this issue, clearly indicates something isnt right with the one I have.

Maybe something is wrong with his one?


Besides, not all components in identical models of MacBooks are the same specification, or even manufacture sometimes.


Nothing new to really add other than Fosterdog is right, owned multiple macbook pro's, worked on hundreds more and most gave some sort of static feedback, either a gentle shock when touched for the first time in a while, or you could feel something by running your palm along the palm rest.

SouthUKMan

CoolHotCold wrote: »

Nothing new to really add other than Fosterdog is right, owned multiple macbook pro's, worked on hundreds more and most gave some sort of static feedback, either a gentle shock when touched for the first time in a while, or you could feel something by running your palm along the palm rest.

Just to add that my MacBook Pro does this as well and I have experienced it in other MacBook Pros that I have used through work. If it is a very slight tingly feeling then t is nothing to worry about.

neilmcl

I had this with a Dell XPS laptop I had a number of years back, this had a brushed aluminium palm rest and you'd get the same sensation with this when plugged into the mains. There was a lot of a bad press on social media about this given that the laptop was their flagship model. In the end Dell conceded that there was problem and changed the power supply from a twin core figure of eight type to a more robust 3 core charger. This fixed the problem.