Water damaged laptop?

[adamr100]

Hi, I am posting this on behalf of my sister as she is having some issues with Comet and I have been very succesful in the past using the Sales of Goods Act against companies so she has tasked me with helping her out.

 

She bought a laptop from Comet 8 months ago and recently the laptop failed, after some basic diagnostics I assumed it to be a (PSU) Power Supply Failure and the guy in the store when I went with her suggested this was quiet likely.

 

Now 4 weeks after initially taking the laptop in she has received a call suggesting water damage is the cause and she can pay £180.00 to have the laptop repaired or £60.00 to get the laptop back.

 

I have suggested to my sister she needs proof of the water damage and that ideally she needs to get the laptop independently assessed and then we would take it from there. However she doesn't want to pay the monies to get her laptop back, can they charge for this when we delivered it to a store ourselves and heard no word that it would cost to have the laptop returned to ourselves.

 

Thanks very much in advance for your help and advice.

[rebel11]

Hi adam

 

Welcome to CAG

 

The guys will be happy to advise as soon as they are available.

 

They should be able to drop it off at a store so you can collect it form a store, that should be easy for them to do.

[dx100uk]

i am slightly confused that the laptop has a psu fault, when just another psu [which are an external unit, and do not cost £180!] would be the answer?

 

it looks like they want to charge for the 'inspection fee'

 

and are using 'water damage' to say this is outside of SOGA?

 

please clarify.

 

dx

[adamr100]

I was equally as confused expecting it initially to be a quick repair and then a few weeks later to hear back about this water damage, which my sister insists has not happened.

 

I expect the reason they are claiming water damage is to void both the guarantee and more importantly her rights under the S.O.G.A.

 

Are they allowed to charge for this, they didn't call it an inspection fee when they spoke to her I don't think.

 

I hope this clarifys everything.

[dx100uk]

i think you need to pull their string

if the £60 is the inspection fee

then you want to see the report

 

if its anything other

get them to PROVE, you gave them the go-ahead to do whatever they did and that they advised of the fee.

 

 

this is the trouble with doing things on the phone sadly

 

dx

no paper trail.

 

dx

[adamr100]

Thanks.

 

However, nothing was done on the phone, we dropped it off in store and have the receipt to say so.

 

So I shall ask to see the report, and obviously proof of the water damage, and if they haven't mentioned anywhere the £60.00 refuse to pay it. Is there a clause or something I can say for this instead of just point blank refusing, in general as soon as you sound slightly informed these people usually capitulate.

 

Thanks again.

[dx100uk]

well surely this runs with what was said by you when it was dropped off>

 

please repair my laptop?

my laptop does not work, can you tell me why please?

 

yes it will cost you £60 to find out ma'am. or the like

 

o rif SOGA was mentioned in the first place.

 

i'e. this is under XX yrs old, its failed, please make it work under soga?

 

so many variables.

 

dx

[adamr100]

Okay, if only the guy was so polite.

 

A fee was never mentioned so I'll bring that up and either go through guarantee or through SOGA dependant on what they say.

 

Thanks

 

Very much, I'll let you know how it goes.

[sparx]

She bought a laptop from Comet 8 months ago and recently the laptop failed, after some basic diagnostics I assumed it to be a (PSU) Power Supply Failure and the guy in the store when I went with her suggested this was quiet likely.

 

If they have the same make (In the case of Acer, nearly all their PSU's are interchangable) or the same model in store, ask them to try with their in store psu's? The PSU in the case of a laptop is the large brick you plug into the wall. Does the laptop have power at all? Have you tried without the battery inserted?

[Pavi]

Claiming it is water damage is a common ruse among the uk's computer companies and retailers. I had the same problem with my daughters Dell laptop.They even provided a photograph of what they said was water damage.

Took them to court and won. They paid up before the hearing.

I am fighting with Comet at the moment over a dud fridge freezer. I expect to have to go to court in the end because they don't give a monkeys about their customers. Like the banks they have a captive market.

I was told by a business acquittance if in doubt sue he was right. It costs less than you think and you can do it yourself.

Good luck

Pavi