Nightmare experiences with retailers

2-ShortDa5foot5

Don't lock this thread before it starts.. please!

Was reading a thread there about window tinting, where the poster has had a nightmare experience with a window tinting company. NO NAMES of companies to be given because of possible legal issues but I would like to hear about everybody's nightmare experiences with shops/services/companies.

I'll start it off. A well known PC supplier recently took in my sister's laptop to repair it. It was under warranty. They said it should be back the next week. My dad rang up the following week, and it was still away being repaired. One whole month went by so my Dad rang again. They said the people repairing it have lost it, but he was welcome to come down and pick a new one. Some might say this is fair enough but there was stuff on that laptop my sister needed for college, so we were none too happy. He called down there anyway and some manager started showing him newer models, saying if he paid an extra €200 or €300 he could get one of these models. He told the sales assistant he wanted a full refund, which he didn't like too much! Finally the manager of the store honoured the refund.

I'm sure people have worse stories than this one! Don't be shy!

do you love it?

i worked in retail for a few years and could tell you some horrible stories about customers!!!!!
its a 2way street my friend!

leninbenjamin

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

Some might say this is fair enough but there was stuff on that laptop my sister needed for college, so we were none too happy.

seriously, you didn't back it up before you left it in? :eek: it probably would have been wiped regardless... that's just idiocy....

Zulu

leninbenjamin wrote: »

seriously, you didn't back it up before you left it in? :eek: it probably would have been wiped regardless... that's just idiocy....

Maybe the machine wouldn't boot.

Idiocy is having a pop at the OP for something you know fuck all about.

Gran Hermano

Consumer issues forum tbh.

matrim

leninbenjamin wrote: »

seriously, you didn't back it up before you left it in? :eek: it probably would have been wiped regardless... that's just idiocy....

+1, alot of the time when you return a laptop \ PC for repair the HD will be wiped and the OS reinstalled.

Spud83

Zulu wrote: »

Maybe the machine wouldn't boot.

Idiocy is having a pop at the OP for something you know fuck all about.

Not really. Every warranty I have heard off regarding laptops and computers implies that if your machine needs repairs or has to replaced that they will not be accountable for any data lost. Everyone should have backups of any important stuff that is irreplaceable such as photos/music etc.

Idiocy is not having a backup.;)

Secondly I love these threads as the amount of people who give out about shops and services without a basic understanding of there rights is great. I look forward to the stupidity that will no doubt follow.

2-ShortDa5foot5

leninbenjamin wrote: »

seriously, you didn't back it up before you left it in? :eek: it probably would have been wiped regardless... that's just idiocy....

First of all, as I've said, it was not me who handed it on. Secondly, f*ck you very much.

2-ShortDa5foot5

do you love it? wrote: »

i worked in retail for a few years and could tell you some horrible stories about customers!!!!!
its a 2way street my friend!

So did I, I know it can be the stuff of nightmares believe me! I've worked for 2 of Ireland's biggest retailers and one of our biggest telecommunications providers so I know all about it! I'm more talking about being mistreated by a company than a specific assistant in the shop. Or being mistreated by a shop assistant as a direct result of company policy.

xzanti

For my Godsons christening I bought a lovely sterling silver birth cert holder and took it to a jewelers on Capel Street, who boasted being "experts in engraving"... When I got it home and looked at it, to my horror, my Godsons name was not only upside down, but had a big line through it where it looked like the needle had slipped, and it wasn't even nice scroll writing that you'd expect on such an item, it was more trophy-esque, scratched in looking, it was a complete shambles, I brought it back the following day (the day before the christening) and demanded my money back, he didn't even apologies, he gave me my money back (the price of the holder and the engraving) and took the holder exclaiming "fine, now I've bought this from you" with a smug look on his face... Total ar*ehole.. He was welcome to it :rolleyes:

I had to go buy another one, they were sold out of the original design but I found a nicer one and the guy in a key cutting shop in the Blanchardstown Centre very kindly engraved it for me free of charge when I told him of my previous calamity..

Sherifu

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

I'm sure people have worse stories than this one! Don't be shy!

Nothing comes to mind at the moment.

justsomebloke

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

First of all, as I've said, it was not me who handed it on. Secondly, f*ck you very much.

wow you were looking for the thread not to be locked and then you come back with a responce like that. interesting and I think lenin said it best when he said

leninbenjamin wrote:

that's just idiocy....

however I would also have to agree with it original meaning as well

2-ShortDa5foot5

jsb wrote: »

wow you were looking for the thread not to be locked and then you come back with a responce like that. interesting and I think lenin said it best when he said



however I would also have to agree with it original meaning as well

It's spelled Response. Also didn't understand 'I would also have to agree with it original meaning aswell...'? The computer was handed in because it packed up. The fan in the thing stopped working. i.e. rendering it impossible to make a backup.

Spud83

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

It's spelled Response. The computer was handed in because it packed up. The fan in the thing stopped working. i.e. rendering it impossible to make a backup.

Backups are made incase of a breakdown not because of a breakdown.

do you love it?

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

So did I, I know it can be the stuff of nightmares believe me! I've worked for 2 of Ireland's biggest retailers and one of our biggest telecommunications providers so I know all about it! I'm more talking about being mistreated by a company than a specific assistant in the shop. Or being mistreated by a shop assistant as a direct result of company policy.

i was bullied by a manager in a well known shop.
i handed in my notice saying that due to the bullying by said manager i no longer wished to work there.
on my leaving interview with the board of management i handed them all transcripts on bullying in the workplace.
it happens too much, and people dont stand up for themselves for fear of losing their job

2-ShortDa5foot5

do you love it? wrote: »

i was bullied by a manager in a well known shop.
i handed in my notice saying that due to the bullying by said manager i no longer wished to work there.
on my leaving interview with the board of management i handed them all transcripts on bullying in the workplace.
it happens too much, and people dont stand up for themselves for fear of losing their job

Did anything happen as a result? Is the manager still in a job?

do you love it?

yeah said manager got the sack, only to be hired in the department store next door.:mad:

2-ShortDa5foot5

do you love it? wrote: »

yeah said manager got the sack, only to be hired in the department store next door.:mad:

That's a disgrace, and it happens a lot!

do you love it?

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

That's a disgrace, and it happens a lot!

i know.
ive gone in to give the person the snarly face a few times but gave up when i realised she would always be a bit*h and i know what i did was right!

Dudess

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

f*ck you very much.

Don't be personally abusive again. Thanks.

IvaBigWun

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

NO NAMES of companies to be given because of possible legal issues

AFAIK you can name and shame. it seems to be the case on the Consumer Issues forum in anyways.

SimpleSam06

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

Backups are made incase of a breakdown not because of a breakdown.

Yeah but its not practical to backup hourly, even daily presents challenges for those without a corporate budget, unless you want to risk overwriting your backups with something erroneous, especially with large volumes of data. Weekly would be reasonable to expect, and you can do a hell of a lot in a week. Besides if it was only the fan gone they could have requested a hard drive swap if they got the same model. Some confusion on all sides methinks, although the manager was well out of order.

AlmightyCushion

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

I'll start it off. A well known PC supplier recently took in my sister's laptop to repair it. It was under warranty. They said it should be back the next week. My dad rang up the following week, and it was still away being repaired. One whole month went by so my Dad rang again. They said the people repairing it have lost it, but he was welcome to come down and pick a new one. Some might say this is fair enough but there was stuff on that laptop my sister needed for college, so we were none too happy. He called down there anyway and some manager started showing him newer models, saying if he paid an extra €200 or €300 he could get one of these models. He told the sales assistant he wanted a full refund, which he didn't like too much! Finally the manager of the store honoured the refund.

Firstly when sending something with user data stored on it away for repair you can pretty much take it as a given that the data will be wiped. It's unfortunate but that's the way things are. If you told the store that before sending it off the may have been able to back the data up for you (although they might charge for that which is reasonable enough). Also I think legally they aren't allowed to even look at the files without your permission.

With something expensive like a laptop, if it breaks down and the person gets to pick out a new in some cases (or at least that I found) they actually choose to get a more expensive. They think that there is something wrong with that model or that brand and that they are unreliable. So they choose to spend extra money thinking that the more expensive one will be more reliable and won't break down like the other one did. So maybe that was why he showed you the more expensive laptops (probably not but you never know).

Who was it that actually showed him the more expensive laptops? You say it was the manager but then you say it was the sales assistant after wards. If it was the sales assistant then I would have straight up said "I want to speak with the manager", I wouldn't have bothered dealing with the sales assistant at all as his job is to sell (although in a situation like yours he should have gotten the manager for you when you said you wanted the refund but you have to see where he's coming from).

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Yeah but its not practical to backup hourly, even daily presents challenges for those without a corporate budget, unless you want to risk overwriting your backups with something erroneous, especially with large volumes of data. Weekly would be reasonable to expect, and you can do a hell of a lot in a week.

True but when it comes to very important data like a college project then it is something that should be done and can be done quite easily in most cases. When working on my project last year I always made a copy or two when ever I made some changes to it (unless it was only something small that I didn't care about losing) and it only took a minute or two.

kowloon

Raid Ftw!
Perhaps not so practical on a laptop.

Steve.Pseudonym

I've sent my laptop for repairs and not had anything wiped. As for it being common knowledge that this happens, well guess what guys, it's not common knowledge regardless of what you may think. But way to go completely side-tracking the thread and being needlessly insulting to the OP, several posters in this thread seem firmly up their own asses.

leninbenjamin

Zulu wrote: »

Maybe the machine wouldn't boot.

Idiocy is having a pop at the OP for something you know fuck all about.

unless it was the HD that failed, in which case it's lost anyway, all you need to do is take out the HD, by a cheapy external case for it with USB connection and connect to another PC and backup the data. this is very simple. you ALWAYS back up your data when sending it back to be repaired. you don't go giving out to other people when you haven't had the foresight to research the problem before taking action. that's idiocy my friend.

edit: and for the record idiocy is also not knowing anything about a piece of technology you rely so heavily on. which reminds me of the girl i saw in the NUIG libo getting rickrolled and not knowing how to stop it. sat there for about half an hour just staring at it blankly. lol

Rob_l

Steve.Pseudonym wrote: »

I've sent my laptop for repairs and not had anything wiped. As for it being common knowledge that this happens, well guess what guys, it's not common knowledge regardless of what you may think. But way to go completely side-tracking the thread and being needlessly insulting to the OP, several posters in this thread seem firmly up their own asses.

I think it is common knowledge and even if it is not, it is part of the terms and conditions of repair.

As for people being up their own arses well lets not go pointing fingers one never knows where they have been:D

Zulu

leninbenjamin wrote: »

unless it was the HD that failed, in which case it's lost anyway, all you need to do is take out the HD, by a cheapy external case for it with USB connection and connect to another PC and backup the data. this is very simple.

To a non technical person - thats as simple as classical mandarin. There is also the fact that generally speaking, if you "remove this panel/break this seal, your warrantee is void".

edit: and for the record idiocy is not knowing anything about a piece of technology you rely so heavily on.

Unfortunately, unlike yourself, most people heavily rely on technology without knowing much about it. For example, most people don't have the first clue of the workings of an aeroplane, yet they need to fly.
While there is merit in compelling everyone that uses aeroplanes to first graduate with at least a 2nd class honours from a course in aeronautical sciences, it's not very practical.
The same is true of medicine, structural engineering, and of course computer sciences.

...but you're right, we're all idiots.

leninbenjamin

Zulu wrote: »

To a non technical person - thats as simple as classical mandarin. There is also the fact that generally speaking, if you "remove this panel/break this seal, your warrantee is void".

well if the data is that important to you and you haven't backed it up that's a choice your going to have to take... I know if my final year project was on my lappy and it died i'd rip it out without care for the warranty. its a question of priorities. and the information to do so is out there. it doesn't take more than a few google searches.

Zulu wrote: »

Unfortunately, unlike yourself, most people heavily rely on technology without knowing much about it. For example, most people don't have the first clue of the workings of an aeroplane, yet they need to fly.

pointless example. in the case of planes you're surrounded by people who know what they are doing. so if something ****s up you're usually not going to be relied upon to take action yourself. you should still take time to learn the ins and outs of what you should do in an emergency though.

However in the case of personal computers... if you haven't got someone to assist you or give advice you should take it upon yourself to familiarize yourself with it if you rely heavily on it. it doesn't take a 2nd class honours to know how to backup your data. we have this wonderful thing called the internet.

Zulu wrote: »

...but you're right, we're all idiots.

i never said anybody here was. I said their actions/statements were. there's a difference.

chopperbyrne

Zulu wrote: »

To a non technical person - thats as simple as classical mandarin. There is also the fact that generally speaking, if you "remove this panel/break this seal, your warrantee is void".

This is very valid.

Expecting someone to back up their data is all well and good, but saying that they should just open their machine and remove parts when these kind of warnings are in place is not.

2-ShortDa5foot5

Lads this was supposed to be a thread for people to air their past grievances with retailers.. not a debate on whether my sister should have backed up her files!

chopperbyrne

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

Lads this was supposed to be a thread for people to air their past grievances with retailers.. not a debate on whether my sister should have backed up her files!

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

MarkR

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

Lads this was supposed to be a thread for people to air their past grievances with retailers.. not a debate on whether my sister should have backed up her files!

Then perhaps AH wasn't the right place to post it. As said above there is a consumer issues forum where you might be able to get a better discussion going.

chamlis

You can't expect people to back up their data when in most cases from my own experience said people ar not even aware that a "right mouse button" even exists, for example.

Spud83

chamlis wrote: »

You can't expect people to back up their data when in most cases from my own experience said people ar not even aware that a "right mouse button" even exists, for example.

I dont expect people to back up there data, I expect people not to b*tch and moan about like it wasn't there fault when they then lose their data.

Ignorance can be a reason not an excuse.

chopperbyrne

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

I dont expect people to back up there data, I expect people not to b*tch and moan about like it wasn't there fault when they then lose their data.

Ignorance can be a reason not an excuse.

It wasn't this persons fault.

She sent her laptop in for repair and they lost the entire laptop.

Duggy747

It happens with people getting their data wiped and people are just ignorant to the rule of backing up data before sending it off. My job is to repair computers and all that bollox but whenever I gots to wipe a PC or laptop I always ring the person first and see what crap they want saved.

Unfortunately, customers can be right fùckers too no matter how lovely you are to them. Countless times when I wipe a PC AFTER i tell them what I'll be doing I still get phone calls back from ignorant fùckers asking why they are missing programs and "my e-mail address is gone!", etc.

Anywho, common knowledge regardless if you know anything about computers or not is that if you're working on important stuff then you back it the fùck up.

Wait, what are we talking about again on this thread?

Oh and OP, seems whoever you sent that laptop to are a bunch of feckless morons.

Kintarō Hattori

leninbenjamin wrote: »

seriously, you didn't back it up before you left it in? :eek: it probably would have been wiped regardless... that's just idiocy....

Zulu wrote: »

Maybe the machine wouldn't boot.

Idiocy is having a pop at the OP for something you know fuck all about.

Not at all. Always back-up and back-up the back-ups. When any machine is left in for a repair you can pretty much guarantee that a format will be on the cards.

It's just silly not to back up your information.

Duggy747

Some people should just not be allowed near computers. I swear, if I become president I'll make it a law that you MUST have a certain technological understanding before you can go near a PC. Penalty is death!

Loads of times I've been in this situation (Well, maybe slighty exaggarated ):

Customer: Eh, here's my PC.
Me: Ok, what's up with it?
Customer: Em........I dunno.
Me: Eh......what, is it viruses? Not booting? Running slow?
Customer: Oh, it boots but..............i dunno.
Me: ....................so why are you here?
Customer: Uh.......
Me: ...
Customer: ...
Me: Get out.

2-ShortDa5foot5

That's the end of this thread anyway, can you say Nerd? :rolleyes:

Duggy747

Can you say.....Durp!?! :pac:

antodeco

Blackboards FTW

syklops

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

That's the end of this thread anyway, can you say Nerd? :rolleyes:

Can you say "My Sister should have gone to specsavers and asked them how to backup her data?"

Also, Have had a look at a few of my laptops on all of them bar one the harddrive can be removed by removing one screw and sliding it out. There is no sticker saying "Opening this bay voids the warantee"

2-ShortDa5foot5

syklops wrote: »

Can you say "My Sister should have gone to specsavers and asked them how to backup her data?"

Also, Have had a look at a few of my laptops on all of them bar one the harddrive can be removed by removing one screw and sliding it out. There is no sticker saying "Opening this bay voids the warantee"

I thought Specsavers dealt in glasses not computers? Well guess what, it does say this on some laptops, just because it does not say this on yours.... :rolleyes:

Zulu

syklops wrote: »

Also, Have had a look at a few of my laptops on all of them bar one the harddrive can be removed by removing one screw and sliding it out. There is no sticker saying "Opening this bay voids the warantee"

Interesting. I've just double checked all of the laptops on this floor. All of them say "warning: removing hard disks can cause cancer and cause male impotence".
Weird.

Fighting Irish

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Consumer issues forum tbh.

theres always one, or then again this is boards theres always nine or ten

javaboy

Zulu wrote: »

Interesting. I've just double checked all of the laptops on this floor. All of them say "warning: removing hard dicks can cause male impotence".
Weird.

Fixed that for you.

Also, male impotence?

2-ShortDa5foot5

javaboy wrote: »

Fixed that for you.

Also, male impotence?

Your comment doesn't even make sense Javaboy!! :eek: Stop posting!

javaboy

2-ShortDa5foot5 wrote: »

Your comment doesn't even make sense!! :eek: Stop posting!

Give how far off topic has gone I'm not really bothered. :cool:

FWIW I'm a computer nerd BSc but the attitude of some people about the whole backups issue is a bit harsh. If I was leaving something in to be repaired, I would back up what's on it because I would expect it to be wiped but I wouldn't accuse someone of idiocy for not backing it up.

Zulu

+1.
I'm Comp Sci grad, years working in support and testing. Personally I wouldn't drop anything in for repair - I'd do it myself, but the arsey attitudes about backups....

Karoma

We are done here.