View Full Version : Stupid PC World, stupid Techguys, lucky me
Matblack
02-03-2009, 09:30
As I've writen about in a couple of other threads I bought a netbook from PC World last year, yes I know it was stupid but it was a bargain and also a bit of an impulse buy. The Advent 4211 is a rebranded MSi Wind and I thougt that because of this things would probably be OK, the Wind doesn't have a reputation for breaking [< see what I did there?]
Anyway 3 months after I bought it and it died suddenly and terminally. I call PC World who say, call the Techguys who are a bunch of muppets hired to look after all PC Worlds screw ups. Actually in the ffist instance they were quite good 'send it to us' they say 'we'll look at it they say', 'should only take a week' they say, 'we're a useless bunch of lying retards' they don't mention :/
So the Netbook goes back and I spend my every waking hour by the phone waiting for a call to tell me that my netbook has been revived and will be retuned to me in time to be taken on holiday (allow me to download my days photos and check them) Alas a few days before we are due to fly and still no call (its been at PC hospital for three weeks now, three times as long as I was quoted) so I call.
Upshot is that its waiting for parts, a new mobo and for some odd reason a new keyboard :/, so no PC for me to take on holiday, I'm annoyed but its hardly the end of the world.
Last week when I get back and decide to call them for a status report and guess what, the bits have turned up \o/, but its not fixed yet and they can't tell me when it will be /o\. Not happy I call the customer service line and they don't answer for 5 full minutes, so I email expressing my disapointment and what do you know on Saturday morning I get an email saying that as I have waited over 28 days then I am entitled to a replacement and if I walk into a PC World store they will be able to give me a direct swap \o/
So on Saturday we drive up to PC World and they confirm that yes I can have a new netbook there and then, however I would prefer a Samsung NC10 is it possible, 'of course' says purple muppet I'll check stock you'll just pay the difference', which seems fair the NC10 is about £50 more but will be better built and worth it in my eyes.
No Stock :/
Ahhhhhh,
Well says well meaning muppet 'I can put the money on a gift card and you can go to another store and pick what you want'. Seems fair, so I pocket my £280 gift card and walk away without the time to visit another store I spend Sunday considering my options with a final conclusion that I can wait a while for a new netbook, maybe even put the money towards a new camera instead.
This morning at 8.00 I recieve a text
'This is DPD we are happy to confirm we will be delivering your mended laptop between 8.30 and 6.00pm today'
Its a funny old world.
MB
Davey_Pitch
02-03-2009, 09:52
Yet another story that confirms why I'll never buy anything but little things like blank DVDs from PC World, their incompetence is legendary.
Wonder if they'll be harassing you for your refund or not?
Matblack
02-03-2009, 09:57
I doubt they'll realise to be honest :-)MB
O_o a case of arse and elbow not talking? Or purple shop dimwittedness?
Both?!
BB x
Nice result. I had a vaguely similar thing happen with Tesco after Christmas. I ordered myself a shiny new espresso maker and ordered it using a voucher code that meant I got it for £236 rather than the £245 it was shown as.
I went to collect it at the arranged time on the arranged date and within a couple of minutes was walking back to the car with a massive heavy box in my arms. I got it home and all was well.
For some reason later that evening I checked my order status online and it said that there was a problem and that someone would be in touch with me shortly. The next day I got an email apologising for the espresso machine getting lost in transit and confirming that a refund for £245 had been processed and would hit my visa card within 3 days. 3 days later there it was.
So I ended up getting paid £9 to have the machine. Nice.
Matblack
02-03-2009, 13:14
It just showed up, all fixed and with the old hard drive which is apparently faultly and a new one installed, I could have told them that, why they ordered a new mainboard and keyboard is beyond my comprehension.
I'll have a crack at getting the HD working later :D
MB
Very nice result for you :D
Yep I think you will get away with it :D They are rather special. My student discount card came in handy for years until they finally changed the colour of them. I only buy emergency bits there, like my mums printer cartridges cost £5 if she runs out.
Hmmm.... Keyboard knackered through them using a screwdriver to yank it out? Sounds similar reason for a new mainboard as well. Infact unless they have changed the design, the keyboards use a ribbon style lead that connects to the mainboard. If you don't remove this correctly, its really easy to break both the keyboard end and the mainboard bit..... I fixed mine with a bit of tape.
Matblack
02-03-2009, 14:19
Fraud?
;)
Is it? How so?
;)
MB
Is it? How so?
;)
MB
Nah, must be some offence.
I would keep it too, just for compensation for dealing with "The Tech Guys".
Blighter
02-03-2009, 14:28
Hehe nice :D
Matblack
02-03-2009, 14:29
Nah, must be some offence.
I would keep it too, just for compensation for dealing with "The Tech Guys".
I think for it to be fraud you need to deliberately seek to defraud someone and as I haven't I don't think I can be done for anything. The only thing is if they ask for it back which I could tollerate to be honest.
What I did find interesting is the number of these units which they seem to be selling refurbished, seems I'm not the only person something like this has hapened to and I presume others have decided to either get their money back or plump for a different model when they returned it.
You know what if I got a free PC everyy time I dealt with PC World/ The Techguys, I'm still not sure I would :)
MB
Its not Fraud, it might be theft.
It comes down to dishonesty, at the moment it's not, but if you keep it, it would be as you have acknowledged that by getting the £280 credit the matter is closed. So any subsequent bonus does not belong to you anymore. It doesn't come under Unsolicit Goods either as you are aware of the netbook being repair.
That's my 2 cents anyway.
NokkonWud
02-03-2009, 15:11
Jackpot. I know someone who had the exact same thing happen, then didn't realise.
It doesn't fall under any law I believe, it qualifies as a replacement (which was received) and also under a sale (the voucher).
If they ask for it back I believe they are entitled to it should you have received a replacement netbook as well as a replacement, but as you have technically sold it back for a refund I believe they are entitled to let you have that money, nor can they ask for the used netbook back. It's a catch 22. At least that's what I seem to remember from a similar case.
Well done.
I have to admit to working for PC Servicecall for a short while and the laptop repair service was one of the worst things about it. Whenever someone called to chase their laptop repair I just prayed it was over 28 days as I knew the person would kick off otherwise.
Blighter
02-03-2009, 15:16
Laptop repairs are always a pain in the arse. I know that and I've never dealt with them before :p
If I were you, I'd email them and explain what's happened, just because it's the right thing to do IMO.
You could always tell them that they have 30 days to arrange pickup of the hardware or you'll charge a fee for storage.
Davey_Pitch
02-03-2009, 15:50
It doesn't fall under any law I believe,
It does if my interpretation of the law is correct. MB received a refund for the netbook while they still had it, and when they sent him the netbook back, it could feasibly come under the Unsolicited Goods Act 1971. For the law to come into play, PC World would have to send MB the netbook with the intention of seeking payment for it and for him not to request the item. In that circumstance, Matt could claim ownership of the item as he didn't request it and it would be unlawful of PC World to demand payment for it.
However, as it would appear to be a genuine mistake, PC World could legally argue that they didn't intend to send it to him, so could claim it back or the money back. From a completely legal point of view, because MB knows the item has gotten to him in error, he should contact PC World and tell them to arrange for it to be picked up at their expense and at his convenience. That's legally though. I'm fairly sure I'd keep my gob shut and hope for the best.
Whether or not PC World will come calling for the netbook or the money back though is anyone's guess.
Matblack
02-03-2009, 15:57
I'll email them If they want the netbook then they can have it, I'm more than happy to give it back :)
MB
I'll email them If they want the netbook then they can have it, I'm more than happy to give it back :)
MB
They're fond of "restocking fees" so tell them you'll charge an "unstocking fee" :evil:
Davey_Pitch
02-03-2009, 16:05
I'll email them If they want the netbook then they can have it, I'm more than happy to give it back :)
MB
Just make sure it's at their cost and at your convenience, they made the mistake after all so you do not legally have to put yourself out for them :)
NokkonWud
02-03-2009, 16:09
It does if my interpretation of the law is correct. MB received a refund for the netbook while they still had it, and when they sent him the netbook back, it could feasibly come under the Unsolicited Goods Act 1971. For the law to come into play, PC World would have to send MB the netbook with the intention of seeking payment for it and for him not to request the item. In that circumstance, Matt could claim ownership of the item as he didn't request it and it would be unlawful of PC World to demand payment for it.
What I was trying to say is that it doesn't fall under a definite, defining law. It could fall under a few, but in his situation he's free from blame and therefore not breaking one.
Personally I would wait it out and let them contact me, I believe there is a period of time where it's the companies prerogative to contact the customer, not the other way around, after that time has expired, it's finished.
damn i need some good luck like this. :/
ah well.
Pretty sure this doesn't fall under unsolicted goods act by virtue of the fact you were dealing with them at the time. A mistaken delivery / additional delivery etc. from a company who you have solicited something from, is not covered as unsolicited goods.
That act is purely to stop companies who send you crappy CD collections and stuff on purpose then demand you either pay for them or return them at your cost, an entirely different situation to this.
I'm pretty sure they have every right to claim one or the other back and I believe they may well have up to 1 year to do so. If they do not claim back within this time period, you can keep it. It may not be 1 year though, it could be 2 or 5. My memory is shocking for detail :p
NokkonWud
02-03-2009, 18:59
I thought it was 6 months, but that's what I was getting at in my post.
I thought it was longer than that, because I remember being shocked at quite long it is they have to pop up and ask for it back.
I'll email them If they want the netbook then they can have it, I'm more than happy to give it back :)
MB
I wouldn't, it's an SEP.
Matblack
02-03-2009, 20:18
Hmmmmm, wasn't expecting that response.
I emailed the guy I complained to in their customer services team and he said he knew and when he said he thought I'd be pleased with the outcome in his first email that was what he was getting at :D
MB
NokkonWud
02-03-2009, 22:32
If you *still* don't want it, you can have a cookie in a swap deal?
Lucky ****. Not only do you get a 'free' Babylon 5 boxset, but now you get a 'free' netbook too. Grrr. :angry: :p
Matblack
10-03-2009, 18:03
This gets weirder and weirder, I just looked at the specs on this machine (I haven't upgraded it at all by the way) and it has 2Gb of RAM, this model was never sold with 2Gb of RAM, only one :huh:
MB
How strange! But handy for you :D
Let me get this straight.
Your netbook broke, those purple shirted goons took ages to repair it, they gave you a full refund and stuck an extra gig of memory in there for your troubles?
I presume the memory is like a tip!
NokkonWud
11-03-2009, 15:53
Very nice indeed. And who said PC World sucked?
DDR2 5300 CAS4
...it's not half bad stuff either by the looks of it.
who said PC World sucked?
Anyone who knows anything about computers.
You jammy jammy wotsit. And Burble. You're a jammy wotsit too.
Or should that be a cheesy wotsit?
Anyone who think they know anything about computers.
Fixed for greater accuracy.
For the people who don't have such an illogical hang up, PC World can be a fantastic source of bargains.
(To use a recent example: X-Fi Gamer sound card for half price? Yes please)
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