Faulty laptop on second repair, can I return?

pyrotequila

Hi all,

I bought a laptop from Currys in August 2024, ordered it online for a Click & Collect.

It began having power cable/connector issues in November 2024, so I took it back to Currys and let them send it off for a repair, it took a couple of weeks for it to come back with a repair invoice for a replacement battery.

Worked OK since then, even though that wasn't the fault.

Fast forward to now, January 2025, and the same issue with the dodgy power connector is happening... you move the laptop and the power cable moves a bit and the laptop acts as though you have unplugged the cable and then plugged it back in.

I've been back to Currys and the helpful lady on customer services said that I would need to call the manufacturers phone number and talk to them as that's what it said on the bottom of the original repair invoice.
Talked through with their customer services, they're arranging a collection for it and to diagnose it to see what the fault is.

Am I correct in thinking that the Consumers Rights Act of 2015 says that if the manufacturer comes back and say "yes there is a fault", even if it's not the same fault, that I can go back to Currys and ask for it to be returned and a refund issued?
Or have I read it wrong?

pinkshoes

pyrotequila said:

Hi all,

I bought a laptop from Currys in August 2024, ordered it online for a Click & Collect.

It began having power cable/connector issues in November 2024, so I took it back to Currys and let them send it off for a repair, it took a couple of weeks for it to come back with a repair invoice for a replacement battery.

Worked OK since then, even though that wasn't the fault.

Fast forward to now, January 2025, and the same issue with the dodgy power connector is happening... you move the laptop and the power cable moves a bit and the laptop acts as though you have unplugged the cable and then plugged it back in.

I've been back to Currys and the helpful lady on customer services said that I would need to call the manufacturers phone number and talk to them as that's what it said on the bottom of the original repair invoice.
Talked through with their customer services, they're arranging a collection for it and to diagnose it to see what the fault is.

Am I correct in thinking that the Consumers Rights Act of 2015 says that if the manufacturer comes back and say "yes there is a fault", even if it's not the same fault, that I can go back to Currys and ask for it to be returned and a refund issued?
Or have I read it wrong?

Yes, that's correct. They've had one opportunity to repair the fault, and if the fault has reoccurred then you can ask for a refund and reject it. 

I'm not sure about a full refund at 5 months - they might deduct a small amount for use. Although that might be after 6 months only and under 6 months would be a full refund. 

DullGreyGuy

You would tell Currys you are exercising your final right to reject the laptop, it's under 6 months old and so the assumption is that it's faulty unless they can prove its user error/damage. They naturally are free to send it to the manufacturer to check it etc or ask you to which you may or mayn't decide to help them with. 

pinkshoes said:
I'm not sure about a full refund at 5 months - they might deduct a small amount for use. Although that might be after 6 months only and under 6 months would be a full refund. 

They cannot deduct for use in the first 6 months, the only exception to that is motor vehicles. 

Ergates

I don't think it should need to go to the manufacturer to prove there is a fault - it should be possible to demonstrate the issue in the store.  But if you're happy for that to happen, then that's fine too.

As you've had the laptop less than 6 months, then you should get a full refund too (after 6 months they can deduct from the refund for the time you've had it).

pyrotequila

Ergates said:

I don't think it should need to go to the manufacturer to prove there is a fault - it should be possible to demonstrate the issue in the store.  But if you're happy for that to happen, then that's fine too.

I did reproduce the fault in store for the lady on the service desk, but she still said that it needed to be sent away for a fault to be confirmed, which is why she got me to call the manufacturer.
I got a call back from their service department the same day to arrange collection and to say that because it was the second time it had happened they would prioritise it.
They are collecting it this afternoon.

Thanks all for the replies and the confirmation 

DullGreyGuy

Ergates said:

I don't think it should need to go to the manufacturer to prove there is a fault - it should be possible to demonstrate the issue in the store.  But if you're happy for that to happen, then that's fine too.

That doesn't prove that the issue is caused by a manufacturing issue rather than the fact the OP tripped over the cable and damged the socket when it pulled the cable out sideways. 

However as its under 6 months old its up to the retailer to prove that was the case rather than the OP to prove it is a manufacturing issue.

Okell

pyrotequila said:

Ergates said:

I don't think it should need to go to the manufacturer to prove there is a fault - it should be possible to demonstrate the issue in the store.  But if you're happy for that to happen, then that's fine too.

I did reproduce the fault in store for the lady on the service desk, but she still said that it needed to be sent away for a fault to be confirmed, which is why she got me to call the manufacturer.
I got a call back from their service department the same day to arrange collection and to say that because it was the second time it had happened they would prioritise it.
They are collecting it this afternoon.

Thanks all for the replies and the confirmation 

I don't suppose that when you took it back to currys after the first repair failed that you clearly told them you were exercising your final right to reject under the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

As @DullGreyGuy has said, within 6 months of purchase there is a legal presumption that the item was faulty when you bought it, and it's then for currys to prove otherwise.  You didn't need to contact the manufacturer or do anything else.  After a failed repair and within 6 months of purchase it's up to currys to prove that it wasn't faulty at purchase, not for you to prove otherwise.

The problem you have now is that the manufacturer might fix it, but if it fails for a third time after 6 months, you won't be entitled to a full refund.

I'm not sure whether you should go back to currys and explain that you were exercising your legal right to reject the laptop when you brought it in the second time, and that you were wrongly advised by a member of Currys staff to contact the manufacturer, contrary to your statutory consumer rights

Ergates

DullGreyGuy said:

Ergates said:

I don't think it should need to go to the manufacturer to prove there is a fault - it should be possible to demonstrate the issue in the store.  But if you're happy for that to happen, then that's fine too.

That doesn't prove that the issue is caused by a manufacturing issue rather than the fact the OP tripped over the cable and damged the socket when it pulled the cable out sideways. 

However as its under 6 months old its up to the retailer to prove that was the case rather than the OP to prove it is a manufacturing issue.

That's what I mean - it is reasonable that, if you're returning something as faulty, you're asked to demonstrate it actually *is* faulty.  But you shouldn't need to prove that it's a manufacturing defect as that should be the default assumption.  If Currys want to send it away to get checked, that should be on them to organise.

pyrotequila

The arranged collection never happened today.
So after 45 minutes of being passed around on the Currys phone lines we finally trekked back down to the Currys store, spoke to the lovely lady we originally saw, explained what had happened to her, she called her manager across and he OK'd the return there and then and they sorted me out with a new laptop.

Jenni_D

Good result.

I hope you had backed up your data etc. from the old laptop. And factory reset it to remove any of your data from it.

pyrotequila

Jenni_D said:

Good result.

I hope you had backed up your data etc. from the old laptop. And factory reset it to remove any of your data from it.

I did.
One of the offered solutions by Currys tech support was to reinstall Windows, I did all that they asked of me, but it was plainly not a software issue.