Advice Needed

[Guest Chaser81]

I have a laptop which is just FOUR days outside of its manufacturers warranty and the screen has gone crazy. When you switch it on, all you get is a series of vertical lines, its almost like there is a loose connection between the screen and the mobo or something. The laptop is in mint condition and has never been dropped/knocked/etc.

What are my rights here, cause I dont think I should have to pay for a repair when the product is only four days outside of its warranty, thats against trading standards isnt it? I mean, you can expect a product like a laptop to last a reasonable amount of time, not shag itself four days outside of warranty?

Please give us some advice here lads, where can I take this?

Edited March 23, 2005 by Chaser81

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Unfortunately I think it's caled Sods law :D

Pain but a guy at work had exactly the same with his sony lappy.

[Guest DAK ATTACK]

Hi ya.

I had this same problem with a HP lappy and called the support team up.

The first call got no resault at all so I tried again, this time acting like one of those angry horrible customers who demanded to speak to the boss and...........BLAMO, got it repaired for free!

I know the moral of this story sucks that if you moan and moan you get it done for free but it worked.

:D

[Guest confused and hungover]

sorry to hear that chaser

almost ashamed to admit it but i work for one of the companies that make laptops..... as far as they are concerend your warranty ends at midnight on the last day of your warranty. i have never seen an exception to this.

the worst part about it is, when its out of warranty, they'll charge you to collect it, charge you to look at it, then call you to tell you how much they're gonna charge you for repair. when you finally get it back (after being charged for transport) it still isn't covered by warranty so if something else goes wrong they get to charge you all over again....

cheaper to get a new one :cry:

in holland we can buy extra warranty of 1-5 years with some companies.... its well worth looking into that if you end up getting a new one

i feel for you chaser... i won't tell you which company i work for other than it a major one :oops:

[Guest Chaser81]

I've had enough of being run around by them. Just despatched a letter by 1st class recorded delivery (so they cant say they didnt get it) to the stores Managing Director. That will be a nice little suprise for him tomorrow when he gets to work.... :twisted:

I am not letting it go, I WILL get my laptop fixed!

[Guest confused and hungover]

what brand laptop do you have?

[Guest Chaser81]

Packard Bell.

[Guest confused and hungover]

Packard Bell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ok....

the law goes that if you reported the fault before the end of warranty, it doesn't matter how far outside of warranty you are, it must still be covered.

did you have any contact at all with packard bell before the end of your warranty? did you have any previous faults or repairs done on the laptop?

if you rant and rave that this screen problem is the symptom of another fault that you had previously... they will probably give in.

also, take it up with their customer service department, make sure they are an actual part of PB not an outsourced company. the call centre you ring for repairs and even the repair centre itself are most likely outsourced, therefore profitmaking companies. it is not in the interest of an outsourced repair centre to make a repair on a laptop because they will loose money, the only way they will do this for you is if the company (PB) itself, leans on them and forces them to do the repair. make sure all contact you have from now on is only with PB. don't be afraid to ask if the people you are speaking to are outsourced, they have to tell you the truth.

not sure what other advise i can give... keep at it, don't give up. by law they're not obliged to give you anything for free at this point so they may never help, but keep on at them, everytime you call them they have to log on your case file that you have called... eventually the agents get so fed up dealing with you that they'll shift your case on up the line to someone who can sort it...

good luck

Edited March 24, 2005 by confused and hungover

[Guest]

Sale of Goods Act is here: http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/salegoodsact.htm

Ranting is a lst resort so don't use it as a first line of attack.

[Guest Matt Kirby]

The warenty offered by companies is in addition to your statutory rights- in other words, the fact that you are out of warenty has no effect on your legal rights.

Anything that you buy should work for a reasonable ammount of time - and a laptop display breaking after only a year is not reasonable.

You'll have to argue with them - but they should make a repair because its reasonable to expect the whole laptop to last longer than a year- and the fact that the warenty has run out makes no-odds.

Do have a look at the Sale Of Goods act notes that cdrider posted, and it might be worth contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau for help.

[Guest Chaser81]

@Matt Kirby

Thats my arguement exactly but the store's manager is washing his hands of it completely and refusing to help in any way, as is their customer services... I'm not having it at all, they have pished me off so I am taking it up their head office (specifically the Managing Director). I have already got an unofficial admission of liability from their litigation department (from someone who conceeded that my interpretation of the Sales of Goods Act was correct) but they're still trying to dodge out of it. I will get them, it will just take time.

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

So shall I play devils advocate here... you bought the laptop with a year warranty, and it broke in a period of time more than 1 year, so isn't that just bad luck?

I don't see any reason legally why the company should repair it?

Good luck tho ;-)

P

[Guest Chaser81]

,Mar 26 2005, 15:47]So shall I play devils advocate here... you bought the laptop with a  year warranty, and it broke in a period of time more than 1 year, so isn't that just bad luck?

I don't see any reason legally why the company should repair it?

Good luck tho ;-)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, fair enough, but four days outside of the 1 year warranty? Its not like I have had it for years is it? Under the sales of goods act, a product should last a reasonable amount of time. Would you define 1 year and 4 days as reasonable for a £700 laptop? I wouldnt.

Edit: And it was hardly like the laptop was used on a regular basis either. It was never taken out of the house, is in mint condition and was used about a half dozen times in total over the course of the year.

Edited March 26, 2005 by Chaser81

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

One thing to note about Packard Bell their lappys do not last more than two years of modaco use :D

My left click on the glidepad has now died and I'm having to use a mouse instead :cry:

[Guest pwest13]

so send Paul the bill :D

[Guest peekie]

ive had the same problem on my new laptop and my old one , which for me is caused by removing the wireless internet card , then i get a blue screen with verical lines , reboot and its ok untill i pull out the card for me its a driver conflict issue which there are no options apart from leaving the card in until the computer is switched off