Scaremongering at Dixons/PC World!

J_B

Been asked to set up a new PC for someone.


They ordered it from Dixons/PC World in Wrexham.


It was collected by their mum so I was a bit shocked by the scaremongering handwritten note on the box



Maybe Dion needed a couple of more sales to meet his target for May! :mad:

jackieblack

Just about what I'd expect from Dixons/Currys/PCWorld tbh

scd3scd4

Well it's true but sort of obvious.

There are plenty decent free security. However I would go online and look for a deal. All looks a bit unprofessional to me.

RandomQ

This is absolutely typical of Currys PC World, they recently got a slap from Which for advertising kit very cheap then telling people who reserved online that what had been reserved cost £80 more because they had added services or other BS.

They prey on the technically illiterate.

Their prices are not cheap

Their kit is often not current compared to online retailers

They are frequently on consumer shows refusing the honour the Consumer rights act 2015 as they did the Sale of Goods Act before. They always say it is a training issue and always end up repairing or replacing the kit but it should not have to take a consumer show to enforce their rights.

I used to work with a management consultant who did some high level training there, he said it was the worst company he had ever done work for in terms of culture, very dog eat dog and encouraged by the owners at the time.

If you want a "retail" experience I would suggest John Lewis, in fact even if you are going to buy online I would visit JL to get an understanding of the different kit and what is important to you.

They will not do you a deal on warranty, they include a longer warranty as standard, but nobody needs it.

The consumer rights say that a product has to last for a reasonable period of time, for a laptop this is going to be between 3 years for the cheapest to maybe 7 or even 10 years for some. If a machine fails you can expect to pay proportionately for the use you have had but if the supplier can't fix they have to pay the balance.

In the first month you have right to reject faulty goods and supplier has to pay for return charges, in the first 6 months in the event of a fault the supplier has to PROVE with evidence that you caused it or else take responsibility for the manufacturing defect. After the six months it is for the consumer to prove BUT if they commission an expert report that finds the kit did indeed have manufacturing fault then the supplier has to pay for that report and repair/replace with some allowance for usage offset.

It is very simple to make the law work for you, ask the sales person how reliable the brand is, ask how it compares to el cheapo laptop you saw online, they will say it is made with better components that mean it will last longer. Ask how long and they will often say 5 year or more, that assurance becomes part of the contract, it is a reason you bought.

Even without this, it is very simple to establish the MTBF of components used by a manufacturer; that in itself is grounds for the reasonable time the laptop should last.

For example if the LCD screen is rated to last 150,000 hours, divide that by 8760 (24 hours x 365 days) and you get 17 years if used 24/7 every day of the year. Or 41 years if used a more likely 10 hours a day, every day. On that basis it is reasonable to assume the screen will last say 10 years. Of course you need to get the screen model, track down the spec sheet on it and so on.

Something tells me that Dion is not long for this Job, but maybe he can be a whistle-blower if told by Currys PC World to give customers this misleading information.

ballyblack

they have McAfee crap ant-virus already installed on most laptops and it will bug you to pay for it

Uninstall

AlSto

J_B wrote: »

Been asked to set up a new PC for someone.


They ordered it from Dixons/PC World in Wrexham.


It was collected by their mum so I was a bit shocked by the scaremongering handwritten note on the box



Maybe Dion needed a couple of more sales to meet his target for May! :mad:

Is that the same machine that is up to £130 less on Dell Outlet?

whattochoose

RandomQ wrote: »

This is absolutely typical of Currys PC World, they recently got a slap from Which for advertising kit very cheap then telling people who reserved online that what had been reserved cost £80 more because they had added services or other BS.

They prey on the technically illiterate.

Their prices are not cheap

Their kit is often not current compared to online retailers

They are frequently on consumer shows refusing the honour the Consumer rights act 2015 as they did the Sale of Goods Act before. They always say it is a training issue and always end up repairing or replacing the kit but it should not have to take a consumer show to enforce their rights.

I used to work with a management consultant who did some high level training there, he said it was the worst company he had ever done work for in terms of culture, very dog eat dog and encouraged by the owners at the time.

If you want a "retail" experience I would suggest John Lewis, in fact even if you are going to buy online I would visit JL to get an understanding of the different kit and what is important to you.

They will not do you a deal on warranty, they include a longer warranty as standard, but nobody needs it.

The consumer rights say that a product has to last for a reasonable period of time, for a laptop this is going to be between 3 years for the cheapest to maybe 7 or even 10 years for some. If a machine fails you can expect to pay proportionately for the use you have had but if the supplier can't fix they have to pay the balance.

In the first month you have right to reject faulty goods and supplier has to pay for return charges, in the first 6 months in the event of a fault the supplier has to PROVE with evidence that you caused it or else take responsibility for the manufacturing defect. After the six months it is for the consumer to prove BUT if they commission an expert report that finds the kit did indeed have manufacturing fault then the supplier has to pay for that report and repair/replace with some allowance for usage offset.

It is very simple to make the law work for you, ask the sales person how reliable the brand is, ask how it compares to el cheapo laptop you saw online, they will say it is made with better components that mean it will last longer. Ask how long and they will often say 5 year or more, that assurance becomes part of the contract, it is a reason you bought.

Even without this, it is very simple to establish the MTBF of components used by a manufacturer; that in itself is grounds for the reasonable time the laptop should last.

For example if the LCD screen is rated to last 150,000 hours, divide that by 8760 (24 hours x 365 days) and you get 17 years if used 24/7 every day of the year. Or 41 years if used a more likely 10 hours a day, every day. On that basis it is reasonable to assume the screen will last say 10 years. Of course you need to get the screen model, track down the spec sheet on it and so on.

Something tells me that Dion is not long for this Job, but maybe he can be a whistle-blower if told by Currys PC World to give customers this misleading information.

Very interesting read.

J_B

ballyblack wrote: »

they have McAfee crap ant-virus already installed on most laptops and it will bug you to pay for it

Uninstall

Uninstall done!

AlSto wrote: »

Is that the same machine that is up to £130 less on Dell Outlet?

Shhh ............


Erm, yes, exactly the same one

motorguy

AlSto wrote: »

Is that the same machine that is up to £130 less on Dell Outlet?

For a refurbished or scratched and dented one, yes, most likely.

motorguy

J_B wrote: »

Been asked to set up a new PC for someone.


They ordered it from Dixons/PC World in Wrexham.


It was collected by their mum so I was a bit shocked by the scaremongering handwritten note on the box



Maybe Dion needed a couple of more sales to meet his target for May! :mad:

I dont particularly see an issue with the note :-

(a) hes upselling accidental damage - not necessarily a bad thing and part of his job to do so.

(b) hes trying to sell antivirus software. Again not necessarily a bad thing and part of his job to do so.

They're there to make money in a market where margins on hardware are waifer thin, so the upselling is important to them.

They're not there to be your BFF.

motorguy

RandomQ wrote: »

Something tells me that Dion is not long for this Job, but maybe he can be a whistle-blower if told by Currys PC World to give customers this misleading information.

Hows the information misleading?