What would you do in this case?

Mike_Eile

I apologise in advance over the length of this post, but I would appreciate any feedback.

About three weeks ago my sister came to me with an issue with her Dell laptop. Basically, the screen was turning black sometimes when she tilted the monitor. The laptop is about 5 or 6 years old and she has never had an issue with it. She uses it generally for word processing and presentations for work.

So basically the screen was turning off but the hard drive was staying on. There obviously was some issue with the connection to the monitor. So rather than dismantling it myself I brought it to the computer repair center here in my local town, just outside Cork City. I never have had any dealings with this company. They're located here a while and seem to be pretty busy.

I took the laptop over to the office. I advised him of the issue with the monitor that it was turning off sometimes when the screen was tilted. He said that it would cost €20 to investigate the issue and then he would contact my sister before progressing any further.

He texted my sister 3 days later to say that the laptop needed a 2 parts from Dell that would cost €60 (in total). I'm not sure exactly what the parts were. My sister gave him the go ahead. About a week passed and there was still no major progress. My sister got the odd text here and there saying that he was working on it and would call her when it was ready. He mentioned that there was some software issue with the laptop and he would have to rectify that, which would increase the price to €100. Again, my sister gave the go ahead...€100 was better than buying a new laptop.

I called over to the office when he texted to say it was 'ok to use' but that he was still waiting on one part from Dell. Upon picking up the laptop he informed me that she would be able to use the laptop but he still would prefer to put in the part when it would be delivered by Dell. He said he would text when the part was in so we could bring it back for him to put in the piece. I asked him was it ok to use in the meantime for presentations, etc...and he said it was. I paid him the €100 and got a receipt (a docket book receipt that you buy in Easons, with no company details on it...it just said 'Receipt'...'Computer maintenance' €100). He said that it 'was going through the books. Anyway, that's beside the story.

My sister brought the laptop to work with her the next day. Upon boot up the Dell logo appeared and then the computer switched off. She tried it again but there wasn't even a kink out of the laptop. She brought it back to the same company and told the guy of the issue. He tried to insinuate that it was our fault and not his...in a very subtle way. Anyway, to cut the long story short, he has had the laptop for the last 12 days or so. I've been over about 3 times as well as phone calls from my sister to him. Each time he says he is working on it and he hopes to have it ready shortly. 6 days ago I called over and the whole laptop was apart on his desk. He says he's taking bits from other laptops and putting them into my sister's laptop. Yesterday I called over and the laptop was in the same position. He promised me yesterday (Wednesday) that he would 'have news, whether it's good or bad' by Wednesday evening. He never contacted my sister. Again there was another comment yesterday insinuating that we may have been at fault by doing something to the laptop during the time that he returned it to us. The only time it was touched was when my sister tried to start it at work the next morning.

Anyway, what I'm wondering is what should we do next? My sister is planning to go over there tomorrow to demand the laptop and the €100 back. I know it's a 6 year old laptop but there isn't even a kink out of it now. She may have to go out and spend €400/€500 on a new laptop now. I know by the look of the guy that he's just trying to buy time. Is the small claims court an option if this issue can't be rectified? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you

jor el

Tell him to return the laptop in it's original condition, along with your €100, or you'll take him to the Small Claims Court where you will be seeking a replacement laptop, that works, and your €100 back. It seems that this guy has broken the laptop, and charged for doing that, so now he should replace it and refund the money paid.

If he refuses, file with the SCC and let them take it from there.

Mike_Eile

Thanks for getting back to me Jor El.

I'm really annoyed now though. My sister got six text messages at 10.55pm last night. Joined together it reads:

"Hi [Name], we apologize for taking so long getting back to you, we've spent a great deal of time and expense resolving the power problem on your machine. The main board was sent for rework-analysis+new power socket. We replaced Graphics card ordered during 1st service. Unfortunately the board will not start. It was working before we returned it to you. We normally demo a repair in the shop before returning. We didn't demo it to [me] so we cannot prove it to you. I've stayed on late at the shop not to disappoint you & double check if anything else could be done but no, there is nothing else we can do....because you have spent on the repair & machine is not running & you said it never powered on. I can offer you a credit note if you wish. We will absorb as much as we can from the cost of the graphics card and stripping down the Dell machine for parts. Kind Regards [his name]"

To say that I am annoyed is an understatement. Has anyone any advice? A credit note? I'm ready to hit him!

jor el

The credit note is bull. Do what I said above. This guy doesn't look like he's going to back down anyway. The long and short of it, is he has broken the laptop, and now wants your sister to just accept this.

Put the complaint in writing would be best, outline what you want from him, and give him a time period to respond (7-10 working days is normally used). If no response is received, or is unacceptable, then off to the Small Claims Court.

davo10

Just a quick related question for techies, what is the average lifespan of a laptop used daily for work?, I also have a Dell laptop for approx 4 years which is starting to give trouble (screen flickering), after reading OP's problems I am wondering if it is worth getting it looked at.

foggy_lad

Not only does this cowboy not want to refund you and return your laptop they want to give you another scrap of paper out of the same docket book and keep your laptop to use for parts.

They have a Bloody cheek

coylemj

Contrarian view: The beef I'd have with the repair guy is that he was an idiot to take on the job in the first place. A six year old laptop is the equivalent of a 25 year old car, if the guy had any sense he would have refused to take on the job on the basis that opening the machine and taking it apart would only cause more problems, he should have told your sister to junk it.

You appear to take the view that because he couldn't fix the laptop that you should get all your money back, how do you reconcile this with the the fact that he probably did spend a lot of time trying to fix it but just failed?

Mike_Eile

I was out for a few hours this evening and while I was out my sister called over to the guy and asked for the laptop back and a refund of the €100 she paid for the 'repair'. She got the laptop and he said to call back tomorrow for the €100 as he didn't have it on him.

When I got home I found out she had been over with him. I took the laptop out of the bag and the battery pack was missing, unknown to my sister. I called back over to the guy (office opening hours are from 3pm till late...they do call outs in the mornings). I asked him for the battery pack which was lying on the table. He handed it to me and didn't apologise. I had a few words with him and told him that we were extremely annoyed that our laptop is now not working.

I told him that I would be writing to him seeking the laptop to be returned in the sate that I gave to him in as well as the €100. He then got all defensive again saying that the laptop was working when he gave it back to me and that he could prove it as his co-worker was in the office with him. When I told him that I was still going to issue a letter to him he said that he could order a motherboard from Dell and that would fix the laptop. He said the €100 would cover this motherboard, but that I would need to order it quickly.

So I'm now left with a few options:

- Request that he orders the motherboard from Dell and I then bring it over to him when he receives it for him to fix.
- Send a letter to him via registered post requesting that the laptop be returned in the condition I gave it to him in and a refund of the €100.
- Or take him to the Small Claims Court where I'll be requesting a replacement laptop and my €100 back

I'm sorry for dragging the s**t out of this thread but I would again appreciate further feedback. Also, should I name the company I'm dealing with or would that be considered defamatory? Thanks again for your advice.

Mike_Eile

coylemj wrote: »

Contrarian view: The beef I'd have with the repair guy is that he was an idiot to take on the job in the first place. A six year old laptop is the equivalent of a 25 year old car, if the guy had any sense he would have refused to take on the job on the basis that opening the machine and taking it apart would only cause more problems, he should have told your sister to junk it.

You appear to take the view that because he couldn't fix the laptop that you should get all your money back, how do you reconcile this with the the fact that he probably did spend a lot of time trying to fix it but just failed?

I'm not sure why he didn't refuse the job. I guess in this environment it wouldn't look great for any company to refuse business, especially if I'm a new customer to them. They probably want to impress and not seen to be turning away new customers.

I understand that he probably has spent quite a while trying to fix the laptop but it's the fact that he told me it was working, gave me the laptop, took the €100 and told me he would let me know when the part would be delivered by Dell. The laptop wasn't working and he's now insinuating that it was something that we did during the time we had it that broke it. I can assure you it wasn't. I asked him why he didn't demo the repair, as per his text message, and his claim was that there was another customer in the office at the time and he was 'under pressure'. I know it's only €100 and a 6 year old laptop in the greater scheme of things, but it's the way he's trying to blame us for breaking it when it was clearly his doing. That's what annoys me. €400/€500 now for a new laptop when a repair should have cost €100.

foggy_lad

It sounds more like this cowboy is fixing laptops using parts taken from scrapped machines. This is a lucrative business and there are even users on advert that offer small money for old and broken laptops for parts. I would get your money back and get away from these guys as the more you entertain their inability and incompetence the more it will cost you!

sesna

Ive never had a laptop last more than 6 years.

You can buy new ones on Dell for 399 euro.