Am I entitled my money back?

samurimaster

I've recently said I'd try out a laptop. I was looking for something that can play the game Minecraft decently and for surfing the web. The man in the computer shop said "it'll play Minecraft no bother". Ok so I got home and I went on the web for a while and then I tried out Minecraft. The result? LAG BOMB. I'm quite disappointed that I got a €600 laptop that can't even play Minecraft but I'm disappointed that the salesman flat out lied. Am I entitled my money back as the salesman practically ripped me off and that I said I'd try it out? (My brother got a laptop in the same place and he was able to return it.)

VinLieger

samurimaster wrote: »

I've recently said I'd try out a laptop. I was looking for something that can play the game Minecraft decently and for surfing the web. The man in the computer shop said "it'll play Minecraft no bother". Ok so I got home and I went on the web for a while and then I tried out Minecraft. The result? LAG BOMB. I'm quite disappointed that I got a €600 laptop that can't even play Minecraft but I'm disappointed that the salesman flat out lied. Am I entitled my money back as the salesman practically ripped me off and that I said I'd try it out? (My brother got a laptop in the same place and he was able to return it.)

All depends dude, minecraft doesnt really have any recommended settings so dont know if you could argue that, out of interest what are the specs of the laptop?

Shiminay

Get thyself to the Consumers Issues Forum, someone there will have more informed advice I'd imagine. However, I'd make 2 recommendations: 1) never, ever believe anything a sales person tells you and 2) never, ever buy a computer from a shop.

The mind boggles that for the amount of money you spent you can't run Minecraft - where did you buy and what were the specs? It might be that you can squeeze more performance out of it.

Completionist

Use this.

When I use my laptop for Minecraft, I go from barely playable on minimum settings using default textures(16x16) to decent performance on normal settings with 64x64 texture packs.

krudler

is it a netbook or a proper full blown laptop? hard to imagine a new laptop wouldnt have the specs to play minecraft, its not exactly battlefield 3 looks wise.

spankmaster2000

Maybe it's just me; but your use of the word "Lag" jumps out at me a bit there.

Are you sure there's anything wrong with the laptop at all; and that the issue doesn't lie with your internet connection?

Just thinking out loud here is all - maybe you've got a 100MB fibre into your house!

Mr E

Moved from Games to Consumer Issues

Cabaal

Lag could suggest net connection more so then the spec of the laptop or netbook,

UrbanSea

Shiminay wrote: »

Get thyself to the Consumers Issues Forum, someone there will have more informed advice I'd imagine. However, I'd make 2 recommendations: 1) never, ever believe anything a sales person tells you and 2) never, ever buy a computer from a shop.

The mind boggles that for the amount of money you spent you can't run Minecraft - where did you buy and what were the specs? It might be that you can squeeze more performance out of it.

Some terrible advice

MistyCheese

krudler wrote: »

is it a netbook or a proper full blown laptop?

I would hope it's not a netbook for €600.

P. Breathnach

If it can be established that the laptop is not suitable for playing Minecraft and the salesman in the shop said that it was suitable, then the contract for sale can be voided. The general principle is that if you indicate that you are buying something for a particular purpose, and the seller indicates that it is suitable for that purpose, that becomes an essential part of the contract.

The problem is the "if" with which I started. OP's internet connection would have to be checked, and there might be a question about how the PC was set up.

lala88

Shiminay wrote: »

Get thyself to the Consumers Issues Forum, someone there will have more informed advice I'd imagine. However, I'd make 2 recommendations: 1) never, ever believe anything a sales person tells you and 2) never, ever buy a computer from a shop.

The mind boggles that for the amount of money you spent you can't run Minecraft - where did you buy and what were the specs? It might be that you can squeeze more performance out of it.

What kind of recommendations are they to make? First what if you dont know much about computers? What do you do? Just blindly try and pick one out?

Procrastastudy

P. Breathnach wrote: »

If it can be established that the laptop is not suitable for playing Minecraft and the salesman in the shop said that it was suitable, then the contract for sale can be voided. The general principle is that if you indicate that you are buying something for a particular purpose, and the seller indicates that it is suitable for that purpose, that becomes an essential part of the contract.

The problem is the "if" with which I started. OP's internet connection would have to be checked, and there might be a question about how the PC was set up.

That's never quite as cut and dry as you're describing sadly.

AlmightyCushion

The lag part of your post would suggest to me the problem is with your laptop especially seeing as the game is minecraft. Minecraft can run fine on any modern laptop so I seriously doubt the laptop can't play it. Who is your broadband with, samurimaster? Also, best run a speedtest and post up the speeds you're getting and your ping.

P. Breathnach

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

That's never quite as cut and dry as you're describing sadly.

Please elucidate.

Peanut

OP try turning down the render distance in Minecraft options.

Also, make sure your Java installation and graphics drivers are updated to the latest versions. I think you will be able to get it working ok after updating some stuff and changing around a few settings.

Procrastastudy

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Please elucidate.

Firstly there may be T&Cs which can't be varied by parol.

Next I think you are refering to Misrepresentation - there are a fair few things you have to go though to prove that and it comes down to the objective reasonable man. One mans 'grand' is another mans laggy peice of pooh. I believe the statements would have to pretty specific. If he had said "I require minecraft at 1080p to run at 50 fps on NTL 25mb connection which has a ping of blah" he'd probably be okay - but "does it run minecraft?" is a bit different.

P. Breathnach

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

... Next I think you are refering to Misrepresentation ...

No, I am not. I am referring to a contract condition, something that is more fundamental to the nature of a contract than ordinary representations made by the vendor. Where the purchaser makes clear the purpose (or a purpose) for which the computer is being bought, and the vendor gives an assurance that it is suitable for that purpose, that becomes fundamental to the contract of sale.

An effort to escape that responsibility by pointing to written T&Cs would probably fall foul of S.I. No. 27/1995 — European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations, 1995.

Procrastastudy

P. Breathnach wrote: »

No, I am not. I am referring to a contract condition, something that is more fundamental to the nature of a contract than ordinary representations made by the vendor. Where the purchaser makes clear the purpose (or a purpose) for which the computer is being bought, and the vendor gives an assurance that it is suitable for that purpose, that becomes fundamental to the contract of sale.

An effort to escape that responsibility by pointing to written T&Cs would probably fall foul of S.I. No. 27/1995 — European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations, 1995.

Does Section 3(1) not negate the application of that SI as the term would be individually negotiated? (spell checker dead again)

I still think the OP would be on very shakey ground given the statements he made. Thats assuming the seller does the honourable thing and admits the conversation in the first place.

P. Breathnach

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

Does Section 3(1) not negate the application of that SI as the term would be individually negotiated? (spell checker dead again)

It doesn't look that way to me.

I still think the OP would be on very shakey ground given the statements he made.

What statements put him on shaky ground?

The shaky ground that I see here is that the computer is not set up properly for playing Minecraft, or the possibility that the problem lies in the internet service.

Thats assuming the seller does the honourable thing and admits the conversation in the first place.

All discussion of consumer rights must be based on the presumption of truth. The possibility that somebody might get away with something by telling lies is always there, but if we get into discussing that, every thread here could become impossible.

Procrastastudy

P. Breathnach wrote: »

All discussion of consumer rights must be based on the presumption of truth. The possibility that somebody might get away with something by telling lies is always there, but if we get into discussing that, every thread here could become impossible.

Reasonable assumption. I really can't see how the statements made to the OP would be specific enough to constitute part of the contract. That said you seem more experianced in the legal side so just my 2 cents.

Next time test the bloody thing - thats what shops are there for!

P. Breathnach

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

... That said you seem more experianced in the legal side so just my 2 cents....

Consumer warning: don't defer to me on the supposition that I am an expert. Yes, I have experience as the result of having lived long enough to retire, and I can remember life before the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act: I fought for my rights with nothing more than the 1893 Act and a body of case law. Perhaps I am something of an old contemptible.

Next time test the bloody thing - thats what shops are there for!

Within reason, testing before purchase is good practice. It's not always workable if it means installing software. Sticking with the military similes, compatibility is a minefield.