Currys warranty

Firblog

Friend brought me her father's laptop (cheap entry level HP bought at Christmas) to look at, as it wasn't booting.

Quick flicker on the screen when pressed the pwr button - nothing else. As it was in warranty told her to bring it back to Currys to get it sorted, but to be prepared to not have it for about 6 weeks.

She brought it back and was told that she'd have to pay €65 to have it looked at (take 6/7 weeks), if there was water damage she'd lose the €65, but if it was a fault she'd get it back but that Curry's wouldn't replace or repair the laptop, they'd pay her father the residual value of the laptop - whatever they determined that to be. Surely if there is a fault they should get a full refund?

skinny90

Their t’s and c’s could also say if her name isn’t Minnie Mouse she won’t get a refund. All things seriously, the €65 charge is contentious and an outright a way to deflect people from using their customer service.

was there any basis for the €65 charge. Was there signs of corrosion?

personally I’d challenge them on that and if possible have them state in writting the details of the €65 charge.

They can’t refuse to repair the machine if you refuse to pay.

I’d then contact the SCC

Firblog

The laptop was in pristine condition

Del2005

Maybe they should go back and not use the warranty, all warranties and guarantees are in addition to your consumer rights. The Sale of Goods act trumps the warranty and they can't charge to repair.

lau1247

This should tell you all you need to know about your rights

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/shopping/problems-with-faulty-goods/

Cerco

If an item develops a fault, within a reasonable period, then the supplier has three choices: Repair, Refund or Replacement.

The previous post is your reference.

Small Claims Court is the solution if they refuse to honour one of the three.

Op , I assume you checked that the laptop was fully charged ?

It may be frustrating for them to have to deal with purchasers who damage goods or return items which are not faulty. However this is the nature of the technology business. They cannot assume every laptop purchaser is an expert in computing/electronics.

Vic_08

Par for the course with that shower.

They've been ignoring consumer law and making up their own rules since they started selling stuff at huge markups in Ireland.

Those costly warranties they sell are little more than a con and as seen they use every trick to not honour them even then.

It was nice of them to pre-warn you of the BS they were going to use to dodge any responsibility though, "water damage", that's a favourite.

Don't pay them anything.

Return the item again stating sale of goods act as above and insist on one of the legal remedies (repair, replacement or refund) if they refuse based on you not paying them a fee then go straight to Small Claims Court.

I'd be tempted to make a hidden video of them trying to extort an illegal return fee and report them to the CCPC as well.

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/2022/11/28/what-is-the-new-consumer-rights-act-and-what-does-it-mean-for-me/

magicbastarder

do the CCPC have any legal/enforcement powers?

Sugar_Rush

Just going to contribute to this thread what I mentioned in the other.

I bought a 1500 euro laptop in Curry's also, which literally stopped working entirely exactly 1 year and two weeks from the time of purchase.

This was considered "outside of warranty" so, no obligation on their behalf to repair?

According to them.

But according to consumer law I should be entitled to the repair/replacement/refund setup, within 6 years of the purchase?

What they'e doing........ claiming a 12 month warranty, and selling "tech insurance" for goods they should be obliged to repair or replace anyways?

........

Is that not essentially fraud??

magicbastarder

where did you see the claim of six years? i don't think the law is that specific, it depends on the type of good being sold AFAIK. for example, you'd argue that a cooker would have a longer expected lifetime than a smartphone, for example.

you'd have a solid enough case to argue that a laptop costing that much, should last for much longer than a year and a bit i suspect.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121059425#Comment_121059425

You have 6 years to use your right to the remedies outlined above.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/shopping/problems-with-faulty-goods/#fd2c4e

magicbastarder

i think that means there's a six year statute of limitations on exercising your rights; rather than a legal 'warranty' on the goods being six years?

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121059469#Comment_121059469

Almost certainly yes.

But the outcome is pretty much that same?