laptop purchased

thestar

My mother has just arrived home with a laptop and paid close to 1k euro for it. I have just seen the exact laptop online for 350 euro.

However she has bought a lot of extras including one year accidental damage, 2 years parts damage. 3 year internet security, microsoft office that is not time limited. They installed all of this and set it up also.

Has she gotten a bad deal?

LpPepper

thestar wrote: »

My mother has just arrived home with a laptop and paid close to 1k euro for it. I have just seen the exact laptop online for 350 euro.

However she has bought a lot of extras including one year accidental damage, 2 years parts damage. 3 year internet security, microsoft office that is not time limited. They installed all of this and set it up also.

Has she gotten a bad deal?

Based on the info you have just provided and the one you have seen online is indeed the EXACT same well then yes, she probably has been ripped off...

thestar

Exact laptop, no extras however. Sorry, should have specified.

LpPepper

thestar wrote: »

Exact laptop, no extras however. Sorry, should have specified.

I know from experience some retailers can provide 5 year parts and accidental cover for around 150-200 euro and office for between 50-100 so definitely sounds like a raw deal...

heroics

Post a link to laptop? On the sounds of it yes she did.

On the receipt how much did she actually pay for the laptop and how much for insurance/extra warranty/setup/MS Office?

thestar

Laptop plus 24 month parts and 12 month accidental damage was 510

4 years of mcafee for 280

Microsoft office 149

Installations 50

heroics

thestar wrote: »

Laptop plus 24 month parts and 12 month accidental damage was 510

4 years of mcafee for 280

Microsoft office 149

Installations 50

Jesus I wouldn't put mcafee on my laptop if you paid me 280€

But to sum up she didn't pay 1000€ for the laptop. She listened to some sales guy who talked her into all the other stuff she "needed"

compared to online price she paid ~150 for the warranty and accidental damage cover and that she bought it in a shop.

Probably would have needed office anyway.

Personally would not have gone with mcafee

thestar

Surely the official mcaffee one is better than the online one?

green123

what shop ?

thestar

Harvey Norman

Kristopherus

thestar wrote: »

Harvey Norman

Enough said:(.

holy guacamole

Mothers shouldn't be allowed to buy laptops unaccompanied.

Funnily enough my own mother bought a new laptop this week but I made sure I went to the store with her. Similarly to your mam, the sales guy offered her a litany of extras, all of which were firmly rejected by my good self.

We left the store having paid for the laptop and the laptop only.

ItHurtsWhenIP

sugarman wrote: »

McAfee is absolutely rubbish. Anti virus isnt even needed these days, windows comes with pre-installed anti virus thats more than sufficient.
...

Agreed that McAfee is rubbish, but Windows Defender is an even worse POS.

I use the free version of Avast (with all the other "features" that they add, turned off) and am happy enough.

Inquitus

Yep she got taken for a ride sadly, you can't trust Harvey Norman Salespeople as far as you could throw them, they will try and flog you all and any unnecessary overpriced crap with whatever you buy, be it overpriced anti-virus or super expensive Monster cables for a TV, which do nothing more for you than a sub 5 euro equivalent.

eoinzy2000

jesus tap danc........ Take the whle thing back if its within a return period. That's ridiculous. a 350 bottom of the range laptop for 1000. You'd get some absolutely slick machine for that money. I spent 700 on a laptop recently, granted I can do a lot of the maintenance and fecking about myself, but I hope that she takes it back. I would put in a serious complaint to HN as well. I feel that's taking total advantage of someone without knowledge of technology.

theteal

This kind of thing really gets under my skin. I know the sales people rely on commission but that's completely taking advantage.

What are the chances the sales guy is a bit clueless and actually believes the customer needs all that rubbish?

You could buy a properly decent machine for a grand....not a centrino full of even more bloat!

theteal

eoinzy2000 wrote: »

jesus tap danc........ Take the whle thing back if its within a return period. That's ridiculous. a 350 bottom of the range laptop for 1000. You'd get some absolutely slick machine for that money. I spent 700 on a laptop recently, granted I can do a lot of the maintenance and fecking about myself, but I hope that she takes it back. I would put in a serious complaint to HN as well. I feel that's taking total advantage of someone without knowledge of technology.

No such thing as a return period when bought in store....especially if it's been used.

Is there really grounds for complaint? We know it's rubbish but does the non-techy person? They're all big name products that serve a purpose, it's not like unknown spyware etc

topmanamillion

thestar wrote: »

Laptop plus 24 month parts and 12 month accidental damage was 510

4 years of mcafee for 280

Microsoft office 149

Installations 50

Its an incredibly poor deal in my view.

Did she pay for the 24 month parts warranty or was it standard?
Wouldnt you have been able to install whatever she wanted?
As has been said there are plenty of very good free antiviruses online.
Minus install & Antivirus, thats E330 straightaway and as youve seen it for E350 in another place add another E160 for a total of E490 with little to nothing to show for it.

Return as soon as possible and dont be afraid to quote the incredibly poor deal she got as your rationale.

eoinzy2000

topmanamillion wrote: »

Its an incredibly poor deal in my view.

Did she pay for the 24 month parts warranty or was it standard?
Wouldnt you have been able to install whatever she wanted?
As has been said there are plenty of very good free antiviruses online.
Minus install & Antivirus, thats E330 straightaway and as youve seen it for E350 in another place add another E160 for a total of E490 with little to nothing to show for it.

Return as soon as possible and dont be afraid to quote the incredibly poor deal she got as your rationale.

Definitely go for a return. Id be threatening with a Joe Duffy phone call too :P

eoinzy2000

theteal wrote: »

No such thing as a return period when bought in store....especially if it's been used.

Is there really grounds for complaint? We know it's rubbish but does the non-techy person? They're all big name products that serve a purpose, it's not like unknown spyware etc

As I'm sure you know, names on the case mean very little on computers. Its a bottom of the line laptop at 350 and as any of the bottom of the range laptops go, will be rubbish after a pile of windows updates etc..... For 1000, you could buy a laptop that will last easily 7-10 years and be fast at that.
Ive had the same issue with family members buying laptops previously and have firmly told them that if they are ever to consider buying again, to take advice. The reason being for this, is that its me that takes all the flack for their lappy being slow and Ive resorted on a few occasions to secretly purchasing additional RAM and SSD's to minimise the frequency of maintenance phone calls............. Tis frustrating. I am livid with the HN salesmen. That is most deserving of a full on blast to the face.
But here, aside for my ranting, the woman may well be happy with the service she got and it is probably best to say nothing to be honest. I would be more inclined to tell her that you have a few friends that know of really good deals coming down the line on laptops and if she is ever thinking of upgrading in the future, ask you......... (Cringe saying that to someone after spending 1000 on a laptop though.... .eeeek)

I'd still try to return it. you might have a chance if it's unused (e.g. haven't created a user on windows, haven't installed programs etc.)
unused should be ok. usually there are disclaimers about laptops on installing programs etc.

http://www.harveynorman.ie/customer-services/returns-policy.html