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Pentech Bangor
Pentech
Posts: 9 Forumite
My father usually asks me for I.T help but he was worried he was bothering me too much and so he took his laptop to Pentech, in Bangor High Street.
My father told me later that the internet was a bit slow. There was nothing actually wrong with the laptop itself.
The owner of the shop; however, claimed that there was a "virus stealing all my father's data" and requested my father to pay £25 to fix it.
The owner later that afternoon called my father and asked him for more money otherwise, "the virus would destroy his data and his banks would be hacked." My father suspecting something was wrong contacted me.
We went into the shop to request the owner to stop all work and to return the laptop. I think that the owner on seeing that I am near 60 assumed that I wouldn't know much about laptops and continued speaking gibberish claiming that a virus was right now frying my father's motherboard and that we needed to pay £100 to avoid it. I said I didn't belive him, to leave the supposed virus, and to return the laptop immediately.
The owner then claimed that he'd already deleted the virus and so he wanted his £100. Eventually, we agreed to pay as I strongly suspected that if we had to wait for the police to arrive (if they did) the owner would destroy the laptop and I didn't want my father to be further upset.
On taking the laptop back I found that the shop owner had gone through all my father's files and internet history and had even removed a ram card! My father's laptop came with two 2GB ram cards and seeing that the screws on the laptop had been touched I had a look inside to find only one ram card.
I reported all this to the police but despite recording the conversation in the shop with the owner and being able to prove the laptop had parts stolen they said it was a civil matter.
My father told me later that the internet was a bit slow. There was nothing actually wrong with the laptop itself.
The owner of the shop; however, claimed that there was a "virus stealing all my father's data" and requested my father to pay £25 to fix it.
The owner later that afternoon called my father and asked him for more money otherwise, "the virus would destroy his data and his banks would be hacked." My father suspecting something was wrong contacted me.
We went into the shop to request the owner to stop all work and to return the laptop. I think that the owner on seeing that I am near 60 assumed that I wouldn't know much about laptops and continued speaking gibberish claiming that a virus was right now frying my father's motherboard and that we needed to pay £100 to avoid it. I said I didn't belive him, to leave the supposed virus, and to return the laptop immediately.
The owner then claimed that he'd already deleted the virus and so he wanted his £100. Eventually, we agreed to pay as I strongly suspected that if we had to wait for the police to arrive (if they did) the owner would destroy the laptop and I didn't want my father to be further upset.
On taking the laptop back I found that the shop owner had gone through all my father's files and internet history and had even removed a ram card! My father's laptop came with two 2GB ram cards and seeing that the screws on the laptop had been touched I had a look inside to find only one ram card.
I reported all this to the police but despite recording the conversation in the shop with the owner and being able to prove the laptop had parts stolen they said it was a civil matter.
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I think these reviews say it all.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, Bangor has quite an elderly population (I realise I am part of that demographic too!) who tend to be trusting of local traders and often don't check online reviews.
What shocked me the most was how little action the consumer council and the police have taken despite this not being the first incident of his actions!0 -
This is most definitely NOT a civil matter.
This is straightforward theft. The taking of the RAM card.
Arguably, the trader is guilty of obtaining money by deception,
in making up fictitious problems and demanding more money.
When you add up the different amounts you mentioned, this isn't
pocket change.
I would go back to PSNI in Bangor. Have the facts written down before you go.
Keep it concise. Tell the civilian on the front desk that you want to report a theft.
Don't be fobbed off.
Good luck!0 -
This is most definitely NOT a civil matter.
This is straightforward theft. The taking of the RAM card.
Arguably, the trader is guilty of obtaining money by deception,
in making up fictitious problems and demanding more money.
When you add up the different amounts you mentioned, this isn't
pocket change.
I would go back to PSNI in Bangor. Have the facts written down before you go.
Keep it concise. Tell the civilian on the front desk that you want to report a theft.
Don't be fobbed off.
Good luck!
Thank you!
I'll definitely try again although I am not holding out much hope as whilst the police were sympathetic they were also adamant that it was a civil matter.0 -
It would seem like a scam and the police certainly get involved where people overcharge for working on vulnerable people's homes etc. I think each area should a community planning sergeant who may be worth a try0
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The guy who runs Pentech has a pretty bad reputation in Bangor. I remember seeing his name a few years ago on a local Facebook page trying to pressure businesses into giving him money for charity, but when people asked him what he did with the money he went quiet.0
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Is it worth contacting Trading Standards about this? They're heavily invested in fraud prevention and alerting people to scams. I think you contact them via Consumerline (nothing to do with consumer council)0
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Tansy_1980 wrote: »Is it worth contacting Trading Standards about this? They're heavily invested in fraud prevention and alerting people to scams. I think you contact them via Consumerline (nothing to do with consumer council)
Done! let's see what happens.0 -
If you care to, it'd be nice to hear how this turns out.
Especially if the trader in question has 'form' as it were.
I really hope you get a good outcome.
Reading your original post again, I'm guessing you were fobbed off
by a police officer who simply didn't want to take the report and investigate.
I'm disgusted by this for two reasons at least. Stealing from the vulnerable is
despicable. Someone likely to have a criminal record, ought to be pursued by
police at every opportunity, to prevent them reoffending.
If Trading Standards don't pursue this, I would write to your local PSNI District Commander,
who is probably based in Bangor and will be a Superintendent if memory serves.
Keep it short and sweet, but include enough facts to get them interested.
If a District Commander directs one of his uniform or CID constables to investigate,
it WILL happen. Superintendent is a very senior rank.
Or, raise the matter at your next Community Policing Partnership public meeting.
Again, bring a note of the facts. Keep it concise. An Inspector rank usually attends these
meetings and while a couple of ranks below Superintendent, nevertheless can direct this to
be investigated.
In mitigation, police officers I know tell me that morale is at an all time low, the terrorist threat never went away and is increasing and resources are stretched very thin. Unfortunately in circumstances such as these, so called minor offences not involving violence will fall through the cracks.
In the days of the RUC, the trader would've been spoken to and encouraged to return the money, RAM card and anything else taken from your father. It may've been suggested, that in the interests of goodwill all round, the trader fix the laptop free of charge. Funnily enough nine times out of ten, this ensured a happy outcome. No paperwork had to be done and the traders card was marked, for any repetition.
Sadly, not all change is for the better.0 -
I would recommend contacting Chief Inspector Gerry McGrath who is a particularly approachable guy https://www.psni.police.uk/my-area/all-districts/ards-and-north-down/0
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