Pc World - Awful Customer Service - Advice Needed!

[lloydyboy]

I am in need of some advise

 

I have an Advent Laptop on a finance agreement through PC World. I purchased this laptop on the 30/9/07. At the beginning of December 08, my laptop suddenly died. It simply cut out and was lifeless. The light on the charger was flashing when plugged in the laptop. I instantly phoned PC World Customer Services. Once I got through, I was told that my laptop was out of standard 12 month warranty, and the agent, didn’t have anything more to say than that. Once I mentioned that it is on a finance agreement, he quickly told me that I need to get an independent engineers report done by a reputable engineer and sent in to them. I was promised I would hear back within 5 days.

So the following day I took my laptop into my local computer shop, and had the report done. £49.99 later, the findings were that the Main Board of the laptop had failed. It would not power up. The conclusion to the report was that the repair is unfeasible, since the costs involved would more than cover the cost of a replacement machine. I promptly sent the report to them, along with a firm cover letter.

 

Five days had been and gone, and surprise surprise, no contact from PC World. I called their customer services once more. I was told by a rather rude lady, that she doesn’t know why I was told I would hear back within 5 days. “We get 1,000’s of letters Sir Blah Blah........”. I said that I understand that they are a big company, and get hundreds of letters etc, but the fact that I was promised a phone call back was the main issue. I was told that I should call back in 2 days to track the progress once more

 

I left it 2 days, and called back. Bear in mind that PC Worlds Number is not free phone (which I think is disgusting). I only have a mobile phone not a landline, so it is costing me a fortune to keep calling. The conversation I had on this occasion was that they had received my letter and it had been passed on the right department and I will hear back within 2 days. By this time I was getting rather pi**ed off, basically being fobbed off when all I want is some answers! I was promised again I would hear back

 

I decided to call the following day anyway to track my complaint further. I was promised 100% I would get a call back tomorrow (Friday). Friday came and by 5:30, still no phone call. By this time, as you can imagine, I was extremely angry, but still trying to be polite on the phone! I called once more, and after explain the whole story once more, to I must say a very helpful and sympathetic young lady, I was put through to a team leader.

 

This bloke said that I would 100% get a phone call by 8pm that night. I said to him “ You promise me, 100% faithfully that I will get a phone call tonight before 8pm, I do not want to be let down again”. The response was “ Yes Mr ****, you will get a phone call tonight.

 

Guess What!?!?!??! NO PHONE CALL!!!!!

 

COME ON PC WORLD!!! EVEN YOUR SENIOR MEMBERS OF STAFF ARE LYING AND FOBBING CUSTOMERS OFF!!! NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

I called back the following day, absolutely raging! The Bloke that promised me phone calls wasn’t in, and with that my phone cut out! Guess what, I had reached my Credit Limit on my Account! I had been on the phone so much, I had spent a fortune!

I called on Monday (yesterday on my work phone!) and spoke to another lady, and she mentioned that the guy who I spoke to was on Lunch. She said she would email him and get him to return my call. And to this point, still no phone call. Not a single call from PC WORLD just me calling them

 

This is why I have posted this on here, I am almost at the verge of tears! I only want my laptop working! Please could someone advise me what rights I have. I was told that if it is a manufacturing defect, then it will be sorted out

 

Where do I stand with cancelling my direct debit payments for my laptop, I am not paying for something I cannot use anymore. I also pay for mobile broadband, which I cannot use

 

Where do I go from here???? Please HELP!!!?!?!

 

Thanks

 

lloydyboy

[lloydyboy]

I have Just received a phonecall from PC WORLD

 

They are sending me a Gift Card for £230 to cover the cost of the fixed price laptop repair they do in store. Also They are sending me a cheque for £49.99 refunding me the cost of the Report.

 

That's Better PC WORLD!!! AT LAST!!!!

 

Just DONT Promise Phonecalls!!!!!!!!

 

If you tell the customer what is going to happen, and when its going to happen, and you stick to it, then there would be no problems!!!! Madness!

 

I will receive this in the Post in 7-10 Working Days!

 

I will let you know what happens, and wait to see if they actually fix it!

[Renzokuken]

Write to head office, and tell them that because they've accepted your laptop as faulty, you'd like to claim back all the money spent chasing them up over their phoneline.

 

I've seen other customers from my store successfully do this before, along with other costs such as fuel to travel to stores etc. They will require an itemised phone bill though.

 

As for the five days, can't really defend that, the bloke simply shouldn't have promised that, he was probably a new starter or something. Generaly, I think 10 days would have been a more acceptable time frame if they were as busy as they say.

[lloydyboy]

Thanks for your response.

 

Whilst I was talking to the lady calling from PC World, I asked about phone calls, she said to send in an itemised bill. I certainly will be doing this.

 

I may send in a couple of fuel receipts for good measure aswell!

[labrat]

bet it will be an advent with the S shaped door on the base, flashing psu is common with those and yes it is the mainboard

[Bookworm]

Can I clarify something?

 

You say that they are sending you a gift card for £230 to cover the cost of the repair? But didn't the engineer say that it would be uneconomical to repair?

 

Beware that you don't use the money to try and get the laptop fixed and they then say "can't be fixed" and wash their hands off you then, or cause you even more delays by the time they decide to do the right thing.

 

Personally, having had a report that says "can't be fixed" on a 15 months old laptop, I would have gone to the store with receipt in one hand and report in the other and expected a replacement to the value of the price I had paid for the laptop when purchased. ;-)

[lloydyboy]

Hi there, Yes, the engineer says it would be uneconomical for repair. However, PC World have a fixed price Laptop Repair, which is £229.99 So the gift card is to pay for this.

 

If the cost exceeds £500 then money will be returned. Then all hell will have to break loose again!

 

I would go to the store, if I had my receipt. Unfortunately I have moved twice since I bought it, so I cannot find it.

 

I think its best to let them try and repair it. They have the right to do that. I will be aware of the fact they may try and wash their hands of me, if it is not repaired!!

 

Thanks, I will keep you posted!!

[Renzokuken]

Personally, having had a report that says "can't be fixed" on a 15 months old laptop, I would have gone to the store with receipt in one hand and report in the other and expected a replacement to the value of the price I had paid for the laptop when purchased. ;-)

 

And you'd be disapointed because they physicaly cannot action such returns in store the systems litteraly don't let them, short of doing mad discount on the item and giving you it. At which point the collegue doing the discount is liable for fraud and theft, for giving customers stock for free.

[Bookworm]

I wouldn't be disappointed at all, having down precisely that with both a laptop that was about 14 months old and an external HD that was 18 months old. ;-)

[Conniff]

I have Just received a phonecall from PC WORLD

 

They are sending me a Gift Card for £230 to cover the cost of the fixed price laptop repair they do in store. Also They are sending me a cheque for £49.99 refunding me the cost of the Report.

 

That's Better PC WORLD!!! AT LAST!!!!

 

Just DONT Promise Phonecalls!!!!!!!!

 

If you tell the customer what is going to happen, and when its going to happen, and you stick to it, then there would be no problems!!!! Madness!

 

I will receive this in the Post in 7-10 Working Days!

 

I will let you know what happens, and wait to see if they actually fix it!

 

I'll bet you that if they were being interviewed and you and your problem was brought up they would say (bold faced) "we are very sorry and don't know how this could have occured, it was a one off and we have changed the way we work so it can't happen again".

 

Hm yes, except to the next 3,500 customers.

[labrat]

it will be repaired boards for advents are still freely avaliable, the store gets mardyabout sales of good acts as it becomes chargable to store

 

boards for advents do not cost much so are never beyond economical repair

[lloydyboy]

Good Morning,

 

Just to keep you all posted.

 

I received the Voucher Xmas Eve by recorded delievery in a hand written envelope.

 

I was out so had to pick it up on Saturday 27th and took the laptop to PC World Colchester on Sunday 28th

 

I had a text message on 30th Dec 08 to say my laptop has been picked up for repair.

 

I still havent received my £49.99 Cheque. But I was told 7-10 working days, so I am going to be patient!

 

Happy New Year to you all

[labrat]

any updates?

[lloydyboy]

Good News At Last!

 

LAPTOP REPAIRED!

 

CHEQUE RECEIVED!

 

All that remains is for me to send in my itemised phone bill and some fuel receipts. But I won't receive phone bill until next week.

 

At Last its Case Closed (almost!)

 

They Pulled it out of the bag in the end.

 

The only real issue is conflicting messages from Customer Services

 

and

 

Promised Phone Calls which never happen!

 

PCWORLD, Please, DON'T OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER!

 

if you UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER, then you won't get irrate customers like me!

 

In the end, its done, all i was worried about was getting my laptop working again. And it is.

 

Thanks for all your help and advice on here, and I will let you know when I get paid for fuel and phone costs!

 

Lloydyboy

[Bookworm]

Excellent news.

[42man]

A good result, well done, and well done for logging the process so well too.

[mitch161]

from what u hear the laptop was repaired and not replaced, this wont mess up the finance agreement if you defaulted on payments. and also the repair does come with a 3 month guarantee to help if other issues arrise, they will just send it off, no need to ask for another voucher in those 3 months

Edited February 20, 2009 by mitch161