Powercity won’t take back laptop I bought

Government buildings

Government buildings wrote: »

The thing is if local shops offered the same returns conditions as the online shops, they would clean up. Very few people need to return goods. But if you know you can return goods without any quibble, you will buy no problem.

This is true. Argos is great for taking things back.

Coybig_

Deleted User wrote: »

I once bought a microwave from PC that was broken. Bought and paid online, click and collect.

Brought it home, and it was completely dead. Tried to return it the next day and the store manager tried to fob me off with a repair. He basically accused me of breaking it, even said I might have dropped it on the way to the car. I said it was just as likely a staff member had dropped it in the stock room.

I stood my ground and told him I'd purchased online and had 14 days to return under the distance selling regulations. He had to call head office, but they confirmed he had to take the microwave back.

The only sucking point then was they issued the refund by cheque from head office.

Buy local if you wish, but go to anyone except PC.

Not relevant then is it? OP's Laptop is not broken or defective in any way!

Coybig_

Coybig_ wrote: »

Not relevant then is it? OP's Laptop is not broken or defective in any way!

Thats why I told them to sell it on Adverts and chalk it up to experience, and go anywhere except PC next time.

Bikerman2019

Just wondering if you went into a shop to buy a laptop and the box was open, someone had got it before you, but brought it back for some reason, would you be happy to take it or would you reject it or demand a discount?


I imagine the answer would be no. But you expect a shop to take it back due to your inability to read the specs before purchase. A shop is not required to take it back and you are just being difficult.

Government buildings

Coybig_ wrote: »

Because the OP is incapable of reading screen dimensions, people should avoid bricks and mortar shops?

Their screen dimensions are literally listed before you even click on the laptop to get the full spec.

He/she can get the same details online, and yet return it no problem. Because he/she hasn't literally seen it or handled it, covered by distance purchasing. Mistake was to buy in in a shop.

Coybig_

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats why I told them to sell it on Adverts and chalk it up to experience, and go anywhere except PC next time.

Why?

There wouldn't have been any issue with Powercity if the OP was capable of reading the dimensions which are literally spammed throughout the laptop section of the website.

You're recommending that people avoid a shop because the OP had buyers remorse after making a very silly error. That is ridiculous.

I think part of the problem here is the OP asked for the advice of a sales person, and took their recommendation. The sales person has a part to play here.

It still won't get the OP anywhere with PC, but not everyone is au fait with looking up and understanding specs.

I know if I'd asked my mother to buy a laptop, she'd have been clueless about something like that.

Government buildings

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

Just wondering if you went into a shop to buy a laptop and the box was open, someone had got it before you, but brought it back for some reason, would you be happy to take it or would you reject it or demand a discount?


I imagine the answer would be no. But you expect a shop to take it back due to your inability to read the specs before purchase. A shop is not required to take it back and you are just being difficult.

The thing is, the minuscule amount of bad returns would be far outweighed by the much greater amount of sales if you had the same rights as buying online.

Coybig_

Coybig_ wrote: »

You're recommending that people avoid a shop because the OP had buyers remorse after making a very silly error. That is ridiculous.

No I'm recommendng people avoid a specific shop because of my direct personal experience of their customer service and returns policy.

Suckit

@OP - When did you purchase it?
Did you rip the box or damage it, or just break the seal?

Unfortunately you would have been better off purchasing the laptop online, as that way you have a 14 day cooling off period. You can return the item for any reason within that time frame.
Some stores (offline/B&M) will accept returns for a certain time period, but they are not legally obliged to. They may have decided not to because you were outside that time frame or the box was badly damaged etc.
If everything is in good nick, then maybe you just got unlucky with the store/staff. In particular the person who recommended it to you.

Government buildings

Going straight into a main street store to buy, say a washing machine, a TV, cooker etc. is an idiotic thing to do . You are at the mercy of the salesperson. You don't know what you're buying, it could be a load of out of date unreliable rubbish.
The shop should have unbiased reviews posted beside the item for sale, just as there are online. Also they should give you a leaflet giving full specifications of the goods and offer you the opportunity to do your own research online on the shop premises, or at home. Then they will do serious business.

Darren 83

OP Did you ask for a specific screen/specs when talking to sales person?

I don’t understand why people think they can bring stuff back opened. I certainly wouldn’t take an item if box was open.

notharrypotter

Government buildings wrote: »

Exactly. That's why you should avoid bricks and mortar shops.

When you go to a regular shop you should have the opportunity to inspect the item prior to purchase
When buying on line this option is not possible.

Hence the requirement for online businesses to permit you to change your mind and return items.

Most online business if given a chance would not take returns or make you pay postage for the pleasure.

.

The thing is if local shops offered the same returns conditions as the online shops, they would clean up. Very few people need to return goods. But if you know you can return goods without any quibble, you will buy no problem

I suggest that you go and get a job for a little while in a "local" retailer.
Then educate yourself regarding the amount of people who wear things once and try the "it didn't suit me" line.

Government buildings

I daresay the same thing happens with online sales. This is factored into their sales projections. Yet online sales are booming.

Scotty #

notharrypotter wrote: »

Due to a little thing called distance selling regulations Amazon have no choice but to take things back.
Not comparable but what the hell.

Unsealed laptops, PC's, software, DVD's... are exempt from distance selling regulations. Amazon will not accept unless faulty.

A laptop which has had the seal broken, whether actually turned on or not, is second hand.

notharrypotter

notharrypotter wrote: »

When you go to a regular shop you should have the opportunity to inspect the item prior to purchase
When buying on line this option is not possible.

Hence the requirement for online businesses to permit you to change your mind and return items.

This is what I would do now, if making a big purchase. Go instore, browse, pick out what I want, then go home and buy it online for collection or delivery.

Its the safest option for the purchaser, if things do go wrong.

The OP in this case said they couldn't browse instore due to covid restrictions.

Scotty #

Scotty # wrote: »

Unsealed laptops, PC's, software, DVD's... are exempt from distance selling regulations. Amazon will not accept unless faulty.

What about their Warehouse deals? They have a whole section where they sell items listed as "open box" so they must accept returns of them?

Government buildings

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is what I would do now, if making a big purchase. Go instore, browse, pick out what I want, then go home and buy it online for collection or delivery.

Its the safest option for the purchaser, if things do go wrong.

The OP in this case said they couldn't browse instore due to covid restrictions.

This is why the street store is finished, unless they can offer the same rights as an online store.

notharrypotter

Deleted User wrote: »

The OP in this case said they couldn't browse instore due to covid restrictions.

The op researched online.
They physically went into the shop and bought it.
They had an opportunity to examine the product.

I went to Powercity and told them the laptop I wanted, paid for it and brought it home.

Government buildings

I have returned mobile phones to Amazon no problem.

notharrypotter

Government buildings wrote: »

I daresay the same thing happens with online sales. This is factored into their sales projections. Yet online sales are booming.

Because they know that once they open the box most people will say "sod it" and keep the item.
That too is "factored" in.

Government buildings

Government buildings wrote: »

I have returned mobile phones to Amazon no problem.

So have I.

notharrypotter

notharrypotter wrote: »

The op researched online.
They physically went into the shop and bought it.
They had an opportunity to examine the product.

What they said was "I spoke to a salesperson on the phone who recommended a laptop and when I viewed it on the website it looked nice so I decided to go for it."

It sounds like they don't know much about laptops. They probably went in, paid, and left in an attempt to minimise time in-store. Not unreasonable, at the current times, and probably no longer then it would take to do a click and collect transaction.

I feel sorry for them, laptops aren't cheap.

Government buildings

notharrypotter wrote: »

Because they know that once they open the box most people will say "sod it" and keep the item.
That too is "factored" in.

If the item was cheap I wouldn't bother sending it back, even with free postage. But if it was a laptop or TV, I certainly would.

Government buildings

The thing is, when you return goods online, the online store have your goods, and they then have the problem.

JDxtra

But what are PowerCity going to do with an opened laptop (now second hand). How are they to know it has not been tampered with or parts removed/swapped?

Sorry OP, I can see the retailers side here. It would have been an idea to look for YouTube reviews on the specific laptop, where you would see it being unboxed and used by a reviewer.

Maybe sell it on DoneDeal/Adverts if the laptop is really not for you.

deathbomber

Scotty # wrote: »

Unsealed laptops, PC's, software, DVD's... are exempt from distance selling regulations. Amazon will not accept unless faulty.

A laptop which has had the seal broken, whether actually turned on or not, is second hand.

Rubbish, i was offered a full refund on a macbook pro which was 2.5k. They have to accept back

Hi, OP here.

Just to clarify, because of Covid in store browsing is not permitted, so I only had the option to view it online and then collect it in store. They didn't show me it beforehand but it looked fine on the website so I was happy enough to make the purchase.

I am pretty annoyed at their policy, because as many have mentioned, had I bought it online there would have been no issue with returning it. But I'm stuck with it now and €450 really isn't cheap. I really feel that the sale assistants should tell customers, at the till, that they will NOT be able to return an opened item. But of course they won't do that.

But look, there are worse things happening in the world. I have a working laptop, it's fine. And I've learned a lesson. I'll be 100% avoiding Powercity in the future.

Scotty #

deathbomber wrote: »

Rubbish, i was offered a full refund on a macbook pro which was 2.5k. They have to accept back

They don't. Read their T&C's.

GarIT

deathbomber wrote: »

Rubbish, i was offered a full refund on a macbook pro which was 2.5k. They have to accept back

No they don't. There are legal protections that actually say they don't have to accept returns. Unless there is a fault shops are protected against change of mind.