HP repair centre via PC World

MarieOz

Hi guys,

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, or if it's been answered before. I did look at other threads but me head started to spin!

I bought a HP laptop from PC World in Mahon Point a few days before Christmas last year. I had to bring it back the day after as it was faulty and wouldn't open anything after it turned on. I got it replaced no problem, was just told they didn't have the same one in stock but they have a similar slightly lesser HP and they'd refund me the difference. I had no choice in taking that laptop or a different one which I would have preferred. The replacement worked fine until recently when it started slowing down in general, would take ages to respond to me trying to run any program and would freeze frequently. I uninstalled the few things that I had installed to see if it would make a difference but it didn't, so there's hardly anything on it compared to when it was bought, and it was rarely used.

So exactly a week ago I tried to watch a DVD and it said I didn't have permission to run the media program that came pre-installed and anything I tried to open froze so I brought it back to the shop. After no contact since last week I went in last night and was told the guys looked at it but the updates wouldn't run and they couldn't find anything to fix so they'd have to send in to HP for repair as it was a software fault. After my last experience having a laptop bought from there dying and being sent for repair (and then lost in transit for 8 months) I asked them not send it off until I checked out other solutions. Went back today and asked them everything that would happen when it was returned to HP - the timing and if it couldn't be fixed etc., and was told they didn't even know where the repair centre was, it could take longer than a month and I probably wouldn't be entitled to a replacement or refund or anything if it couldn't be fixed because once HP had to repair it, it's up to them to replace or refund and it's no longer anything to do with PC World.

So my questions are:
1) I realise I'm not entitled to getting it replaced now before it's sent off because it's 6 months old and used, if barely, but considering it was a replacement I had no choice in getting, do I have a leg to stand on from that point?

2) Surely it's still up to PC World with regard a refund or a replacement if the machine can't be repaired? I bought it from them, not HP.

3) Do I have any other option when it's under warranty than them sending it off? (Obviously I was wishing and hoping there'd be a loophole somewhere and it would just get replaced - 450 yoyos gone on something that didn't work - twice!! )

Apologies for the long post, I just didn't want half the story missing.

Soundman

MarieOz wrote: »

, but considering it was a replacement I had no choice in getting, do I have a leg to stand on from that point?

Did you not ask them could you get a different laptop of similar value that you could either add money to or get a partial refund on depending on the replacement laptop's price? I find it a little difficult to believe that they just told you you could only have the one option and that was that.

johneire31

Your contract is with PC World and not with HP. Under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act it is up to PC World to honor your statutory rights under the legislation. They can not pass you off to HP. They must replace, repair or refund you within a reasonable time. The fact that it has been used for 6 months is irrelevant to the degree that the product has a life span that is expected to exceed this time. If they cannot give a reasonably certain time span for the repair then they must replace or refund. They cannot give you a 'maybe' time span. They simply refund or replace then their contract with HP will allow them to be reimbursed.

Simply mention the above legislation to them and that your fully aware of your statutory rights and that you will make a claim under the legislation (its free and fast) and I sure you will be sorted fairly rapidly. Should you have to make a claim then do a Google on the legislation, download the form and get it rolling. You don't need any legal representation for claims like this.

j

MarieOz

Ah thanks for that John, will see how it goes!

Merl1n

your laptop may be virus infected or have malware on it that's slowing it down
PC world would not cover this and you may have to pay for he repair

hearny

If its a software problem they should not be sending it to HP.

If there is nothing on it try a factory restore.

From the HP site
"HP Recovery Manager can be accessd from the Start Menu, or by tapping F11 key as soon as you power on the laptop. Recovery Manager is used to reinstall back to factory specs_also used to make a Recovery Disk set."

If you do that you will lose any programs / data on the laptop so back up any files you may have on it.

There is always the chance its hardware related and restoring does not help, but worth a shot before sending it off.

Duggy747

They want to send it off over a software problem, a problem that they can't find and then give to HP to solve it?

That doesn't sound right.

MarieOz

Hearny I did a factory restore a month before bringing it in and it made no difference.

Just double checked the Service Summary I was given and the lad that was looking at it has "Fault: Software Fault" written after the complaints I gave. Should they not be sending it to HP then??

Going up there after work, I've gotten 3 texts from them in the last 24 hours saying "The KNOWHOW team will be with you on Sat 18 May". The last 2 texts it's changed to Monday and Tuesday. I'm assuming they mean "will be in touch with you" 'cause it doesn't make sense to me otherwise.

hearny

A factory reset would have solved any software issues and HP will not touch it if its only software, they will more than likely send it back to the shop.

Where is the laptop now?

I would suggest running a few tests I can talk you through before sending it off.

They are not that complicated and really just involve downloading files from the internet burning them to a cd /dvd or usb and booting from them.

I suggest doing the following:

1) Run a Western Digital diagnostics test (tests the Hard Drive)
2) Run a memory test
3) See if you can run a Linux Live CD

They will need a bit of time, access to another pc and a blank usb drive (or some bland DVDs / CDs) but are not complicated

MarieOz

The laptop is in PC World waiting for a HP courier to pick it up once there's more than one HP product waiting to be sent back.

I've just been looking stuff up online and sounds even more like I'm being shafted. According to a consumer site, because the shop can't find a fault with it, it was bought within 6 months and I'm being inconvenienced I'm entitled to a replacement or the refund.

And according to curry's website (same as pc world now right?):

"Most products come with at least a 1 year guarantee, so if your product develops a fault after 21 days and within the remaining guarantee period we will firstly offer you a prompt repair service. If a repair service isn’t available for your product will offer you a suitable replacement"

hearny

I would say your best bet is to go to the Currys & PC World forum:

http://www.boards.ie/ttforum/1333

I would say they are shafting you and I dont se it being resolved too quickly.

Generally PC World have a good returns policy but the staff are not always that helpful.

There is a consumer issues forum too where you might get some specialist advice there regarding returning it again.

Computers are trickier than most electronics in that you can have software or hardware issues, the software issues will not be covered by Warranty as its usually a virus / human error etc. A perfectly good laptop can get infected with spyware /virus in no time and be almost unusable, this cannot be blamed on the shop or the manufacturer.

Finding where the issue lies is crucial and in most cases the PC World staff are not IT experts, (I asked for a KVM switch, I was replacing one that had broken, in there before, staff member asked me what it was and when I told him he said no that they don't exist!)

MarieOz

Thanks for all your help Will see what happens when I get in tonight

Soundman

If a full restore didn't solve the issue, could it be that the initial install of the OS was faulty and the system image used for a restore contained the same fault? Sounds strange to me that there is a supposed software fault that isn't fixed by the one solution that would fix it.

MarieOz

Grrr! The laptop is still sitting in the shop, unfixed. It wasn't even booked in for repair with HP. Manager more than happy to give replacement if it can't be fixed but I have to give them 28 days to get it sent out, looked at and sent back to store. So no progress. Sound right?

Overheal

If the 28 days is ticking from the time you brought it in over a week ago, I'd say sure I guess - but I don't fathom why it's taken them this long to even schedule out. In my eyes that was a failure to provide the prompt repair service given they failed to even schedule the shipment. Shame on them if they were waiting to send it out until another HP laptop had to be sent out? What if its the only failing unit for the next 6 months, would you have to wait six months?? It should have been sent out regardless.

So if you checked it in for service to the shop 11 days ago, they only have 17 to honor the commitment. I would go back and advise the manager of this and ask if he wants to change his mind on that before they waste a bunch of money fixing a laptop that they wont have back in time.

MarieOz

Yeah he said anyone is required to give them a full 28 days from the time it was first booked in. So from May 8th it should be due back June 5th. Although, I insisted on waiting while they booked it in over the phone with the repair centre and they said the estimated return date is June 1st.

I got another text from them on Friday saying "The knowhow team will be with you on Tuesday 21st May", which was sent almost 3 hours after I had been in with them. I'm assuming this is yet another automated text regarding the time when it was to be repaired in store.. But I'm so pissed off with them about it I'm quite tempted to treat it as an update on the new booking!