Harvey Norman Credit

BizzyLizzie

Hi, I was just looking for a bit of advice about this...

I bought a laptop in Harvey Norman a few years ago and it's constantly in and out of there for repairs. At least 4/5 times. I did buy the extended warranty so it was covered. They extended the warranty for another year the last time it was repaired (a few weeks ago) because of all the hassle I had with it. Now it's after breaking AGAIN and the manager said he'd try to get me store credit for it as it obviously was a faulty laptop. However, he said that I won't get credit for the amount I actually paid (€1000) but I'll just get enough to buy a new laptop which would have roughly the same specs.

It this the way it works? I mean, I paid a lot of money for it, I don't want to get a credit note for a couple of hundred euro, but that seems to be what he's offering. If anyone had any advice that'd be great

EKRIUQ

Seem's fair if your getting like for like, laptops have a life of about 3 years before there value is gone, so take 30% off the price per year you had the laptop.

BizzyLizzie

Even though it was sent away many many times for repair? Just seems like if I'm getting a replacement then like for like is fine...but if I'm getting a credit note, shouldn't it be for the amount I paid?

Thanks for your reply

Is there any official rules about this? I'm not sure where to even begin looking to find out...

BizzyLizzie

I was just looking at this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69598046 it seems like a similar story. I looked up the National Consumer Agency website and it says that I don't have to accept credit, that I can ask for a refund instead. Surely that means a refund for the original price I paid? Even though it was 3 years ago, during that time the company has been repairing the laptop, now it's time for refund or replacement. Since they offered credit, I assume I'm entitled to the full value.

Sorry for going on about it, I just want to get it sorted as soon as possible

The Lovely Muffin

I feel your pain OP. I've been there and hopefully will never go back.

Here is a post explaining the problem I had with them, similar to yours, imo.

If I was you OP, I would contact the CAI and explain your situation/problem to them and see what they advice. Contact the CAI before you accept/decline anything from Harvey Norman. If you do contact the CAI, be as detailed as possible and include as much information as possible, while you may think x, y or z has little/no relevance, it could mean a lot.

I do agree with you that you should get a credit note for the amount you paid.

Good luck with it, they are one of the worst I've ever come across for customer care.

BizzyLizzie

Yeah they're really really REALLY bad. I sent away the laptop last year for repair also and they charged me €100 to get it returned as apparently the fault wasn't covered under warranty. I had to send it back a few weeks later with the same problem and this time they said it was covered. I never got that money back either as the guy I was dealing with said that it wasn't their fault, it was the courier company and gave me an address to write to. But without any reference numbers or anything it was pointless. I did bring it up again with them but they had no idea what I was talking about. Like drawing blood from a stone sometimes!

Thanks for your reply

Boggles

BizzyLizzie wrote: »

Yeah they're really really REALLY bad. I sent away the laptop last year for repair also and they charged me €100 to get it returned as apparently the fault wasn't covered under warranty. I had to send it back a few weeks later with the same problem and this time they said it was covered. I never got that money back either as the guy I was dealing with said that it wasn't their fault, it was the courier company and gave me an address to write to. But without any reference numbers or anything it was pointless. I did bring it up again with them but they had no idea what I was talking about. Like drawing blood from a stone sometimes!

Thanks for your reply

Why was the courier company fixing your laptop? :eek:

I have no idea how each stores extended warranty plans work, I never buy them because you don't need them, your more than covered by consumer law.

Under consumer law though you may have a case as any repair has to be permanent. The problem you have though is you constantly dealt with them, 5 times I think. You should have taken swift action after the second time, flagged it a bad machine and asked for one of the remain 2 R's. You were more than entitled to.

Your case for full original refund in the courts diminish because of the amount of time that has elapsed, you say the laptop cost a 1000, did that include the extended warranty or was that extra?

It's not unheard of that the judge would award you the full 1000, but it is a risk, he could look at it that the shop have offered decent redress and just go with what they have offered, thus all you have done is waste your time.

Ultimately you have to look after yourself and your interests, i.e what's the best deal for you.

You certainly do not have to accept store credit, your entitled to a refund or replacement.

I can only tell you what I would do, I'd skip the courts, say no to the credit and ask them to offer me the best spec'd machine they can, and I would keep hassling them to up the spec.

Remember you have been wronged your more than entitled to push for the best deal you can.

BizzyLizzie

Boggles wrote: »

Why was the courier company fixing your laptop? :eek:

I have no idea how each stores extended warranty plans work, I never buy them because you don't need them, your more than covered by consumer law.

Under consumer law though you may have a case as any repair has to be permanent. The problem you have though is you constantly dealt with them, 5 times I think. You should have taken swift action after the second time, flagged it a bad machine and asked for one of the remain 2 R's. You were more than entitled to.

Your case for full original refund in the courts diminish because of the amount of time that has elapsed, you say the laptop cost a 1000, did that include the extended warranty or was that extra?

It was €1000 not including the extended warranty.

The courier company were apparently the ones who charged me for return of the laptop :rolleyes:

The sales agent I was dealing with initially said I'd get a replacement laptop with higher specs than the one I bought. When I brought the laptop into the shop he said that it would be store credit I would receive IF he got approval to give it to me from wherever he was sending it off to. It was only after he had checked the laptop in with the technicians that he told me that the store credit would only be enough to cover buying a similar laptop, and not the full amount.

I think I'm going to wait to see what he says and decide what to do from there.

Thanks for the reply

dudara

The way I'd see is that you have used the laptop for an extended period of time and you will have to accept the depreciation loss on that. If the store can give you an equivalent laptop (or so) then I think that's a pretty reasonable offer.

As a lesson learned, you should have drawn a line under this laptop much earlier, given that it was problematic.

slave1

By accepting the 'repair' route you have greatly diminished your rights/likelyhood for a refund.
I purchased a TV from Tesco a few years back, it starting giving trouble so they fobbed me off to Philips, I am aware of my rights so registered a letter the the store manager agreeing to get the assistance of Philips, however if my TV was not repaired and/or came back damaged I reserved my right to a refund i.e. I specifically protected my right to a full refund.
Anyhow, the TV came back fixed however the bevel was scratched in a number of places so I brought it back to Tesco and requested a refund.
The manager refused, I produced my registered letter, a record of conversations, whom I spoke to and when, he still refused. I politley asked to speak to head office/area manager and would not back down (in a calm manner). I got the number of the area manager, got him to dial it for me and went through my experience with the area manager, I passed the phone back to the store manager and was offered/accepted a full cash refund.

If you are going to accept a repair route the lesson is to reserve your right to a refund in writing.

If you are being offered a similar laptop take it and you are doing really well, you can't expect more at this stage.

BTW, extended warranty is a complete waste of money IMHO.

BizzyLizzie

Just to clarify, they're not replacing my laptop. They're giving me store credit to the value of a similar laptop. I'd have no problem accepting a like for like replacement but they're not offering that.

I shouldn't have to write to them to reserve my right to a refund/replacement when it's a statutory right, surely? Why should I lose out because they decided to go the repair route for so long? Accepting a repair initially, a repair which isn't permanent, shouldn't affect the other three forms of redress I'm entitled to.

I'm just going to have to see what the guy comes back with. Thanks for your replies

timetogo

BizzyLizzie wrote: »

I'll just get enough to buy a new laptop which would have roughly the same specs.

BizzyLizzie wrote: »

I shouldn't have to write to them to reserve my right to a refund/replacement when it's a statutory right, surely?

If they're giving you money to buy a new laptop isn't this similar to replacing it. With the money they give you buy a new one. You've had a few years use out of yours so being able to get a new one of a similar model now doesn't seem bad to me.

With your statutory rights they have to offer a repair / replacement / refund. You don't have to accept. You can always document up your case and go to the small claims court.

BizzyLizzie

timetogo wrote: »

If they're giving you money to buy a new laptop isn't this similar to replacing it. With the money they give you buy a new one. You've had a few years use out of yours so being able to get a new one of a similar model now doesn't seem bad to me.

With your statutory rights they have to offer a repair / replacement / refund. You don't have to accept. You can always document up your case and go to the small claims court.

It's similar but not the same. Why do they get to decide how much they think I should get back? That's my only problem with it, they could just pluck a number out of the air. I've had a few years use, yes, but this was while still having constant repairs for various problems which always reoccur. It's still under warranty, shouldn't I get the full amount back? This is an extreme example but if it was 6 months old, would it be ok for them to take say €200 off the price I paid and refund the rest?

It just seems a very gray area, there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules about it.

Thanks for the replies

Boggles

Read the terms of their extended warranty, it should outline exactly in that what you are entitled to under their "extended warranty".