Laptop warranty advice

Shenanigans9021

Hi all,

Just a quick problem here. Looking for some clarification if possible.

My girlfriend bought a Dell laptop in Feb this year about a week after she got it she started noting some problems with it, which got worse. It started out with the sound going and you'd have to re-start it to get it working. Then sometimes when she'd switch it on she would just get an error screen and you'd have to re-start it. Then sometimes when she'd turn it on you'd get to the logon screen but the keyboard wouldn't work (so you couldn't type in your password) and you've guessed it.........re-start.

She rang Dell today (as its under warranty, she even got out the 3 year warranty with it) and they went through a few things with her over the phone and determined it was a software problem rather than a hardware problem. Then told her she'd have to pay 109 euros to get it fixed???

Surely that cant be right as the laptop wasn't right from the start. Just wondering is she entitled for it to be repaired free of charge?

Thanks.

SLIM19198

Just restore the system!

duckysauce

109 euros is for them to talk you through reloading system ie software , if your mates know pcs get them to do it, the warranty is for hardware

Overheal

Shenanigans9021 wrote: »

Hi all,

Just a quick problem here. Looking for some clarification if possible.

My girlfriend bought a Dell laptop in Feb this year about a week after she got it she started noting some problems with it, which got worse. It started out with the sound going and you'd have to re-start it to get it working. Then sometimes when she'd switch it on she would just get an error screen and you'd have to re-start it. Then sometimes when she'd turn it on you'd get to the logon screen but the keyboard wouldn't work (so you couldn't type in your password) and you've guessed it.........re-start.

She rang Dell today (as its under warranty, she even got out the 3 year warranty with it) and they went through a few things with her over the phone and determined it was a software problem rather than a hardware problem. Then told her she'd have to pay 109 euros to get it fixed???

Surely that cant be right as the laptop wasn't right from the start. Just wondering is she entitled for it to be repaired free of charge?

Thanks.

A little more attention to detail would not hurt. For instance, 99% of all "glitches" with a computer (error messages and such) are entirely common, and solutions to them are easily found on google. Its mostly a matter of knowing what you were doing when the problem happened, and what the error was.

Your Dell warranty (and any laptop warranty) only really covers the Hardware. The software if your own deal. An example would be an xbox: if the video Game has a glitch, you wouldnt claim it on your game console's warranty - there would be nothing wrong with the console itself.

Unless Dell (or anyone) can Confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that software is not causing the problem, they will not try and repair the hardware through the warranty.

You have 3 options to be fair: You can pay the €109 to dell and they will probably just reformat the computer. Or, you can take it to a computer shop and have them try to figure out the problem: most of them will diagnose it for free and give you an estimate on what it will take to fix it before you pay anything. Or finally, you can figure the problem out for free, with the help of the internet, and some patience.

Start by logging exactly what errors you're getting.

consultech

I think the advice in this thread is a little blasé for my liking. If a laptop is faulty from the get-go then I would contest that Dell do have a duty to repair it.

TBH though formatting it will probably give you your answers. If the faults persist then you're looking at something more than a "software issue", and if it is a software issue, it's software they provided. There would surely be a consumer legislation bone of contention there?

During last year I had a 4 times returned horror exchange with Acer regarding a non-working screen, amongst other things. By the end of it A&E in Banbridge (Acer's outsourced repair centre in IE) had raped the machine of all respectable-level components; Swapping out things like Motherboard, HDD, Fan, Screen etc. and replacing them with stock, noticably inferior components, including an awful screen with a horrible yellow tinge and a laughably loud fan when things had operated whisper-quite beforehand.

Does your girlfriend have accidental damage insurance? I find using your laptop while standing over a full bath is very relaxing.

Overheal

consultech wrote: »

I think the advice in this thread is a little blasé for my liking. If a laptop is faulty from the get-go then I would contest that Dell do have a duty to repair it.

TBH though formatting it will probably give you your answers. If the faults persist then you're looking at something more than a "software issue", and if it is a software issue, it's software they provided. There would surely be a consumer legislation bone of contention there?

During last year I had a 4 times returned horror exchange with Acer regarding a non-working screen, amongst other things. By the end of it A&E in Banbridge (Acer's outsourced repair centre in IE) had raped the machine of all respectable-level components; Swapping out things like Motherboard, HDD, Fan, Screen etc. and replacing them with stock, noticably inferior components, including an awful screen with a horrible yellow tinge and a laughably loud fan when things had operated whisper-quite beforehand.

Does your girlfriend have accidental damage insurance? I find using your laptop while standing over a full bath is very relaxing.

Feck. I didnt even notice that.

1 week after Purchase, is almost assuredly a Warranty issue. And in that case the laptop should be considered Dead on Arrival.

The next step though is for her to save all of her data (photos etc) and then Factory Reset the laptop. If and when the problem persists, you'll know its a hardware issue. And Dell will have to take care of it.

Either way, you have to backup your data, because whenever dell does a repair, they wipe the drive anyway.

phill106

+1 for recovery. If you do the recovery, and problem persists, its not a software issue, as the software was all preloaded. Or if it is a software issue, they will be aware of it, as it would affect all similar machines and should be patchable.
So wipe it, then ring them to fix/replace free.

duckysauce

consultech wrote: »

I think the advice in this thread is a little blasé for my liking. If a laptop is faulty from the get-go then I would contest that Dell do have a duty to repair it.

TBH though formatting it will probably give you your answers. If the faults persist then you're looking at something more than a "software issue", and if it is a software issue, it's software they provided. There would surely be a consumer legislation bone of contention there?

During last year I had a 4 times returned horror exchange with Acer regarding a non-working screen, amongst other things. By the end of it A&E in Banbridge (Acer's outsourced repair centre in IE) had raped the machine of all respectable-level components; Swapping out things like Motherboard, HDD, Fan, Screen etc. and replacing them with stock, noticably inferior components, including an awful screen with a horrible yellow tinge and a laughably loud fan when things had operated whisper-quite beforehand.

Does your girlfriend have accidental damage insurance? I find using your laptop while standing over a full bath is very relaxing.

I think the advice in this thread is a little blasé!!!! !! then you tell someone to commit insurance fraud good man :eek:

consultech

duckysauce wrote: »

I think the advice in this thread is a little blasé!!!! !! then you tell someone to commit insurance fraud good man :eek:

All I read from your post was: "I don't know what blasé means". It makes zero sense.

... and I didn't tell anybody to do anything.

duckysauce

consultech wrote: »

Does your girlfriend have accidental damage insurance? I find using your laptop while standing over a full bath is very relaxing.

whats that meant to mean so?

skibum

duckysauce wrote: »

whats that meant to mean so?

@ consultech, don't act the gob$hite here, it is blatantly obvious what you were inferring to, I agree with the previous advice of doing a software restore (having backed up any data / pics /music that you can't live without first), if that dosn't resolve the issue then get back to dell.

@ the op, if you follow consultech's advice make sure you aren't on the bath while you "accidently" drop it in :rolleyes: