To be very unhappy with the customer service I've received from a big store?

[Olivesandbread]

Regular who has name changed invade my family/friends see this.

The store in question prides itself on being 'PC experts' and the service I'm had from them has been substandard.

Reserved a laptop yesterday. Went to the store today to purchase it and the only ones they had in stock were ones that are already 'set up'. They told me that I was lucky as usually this 'service' is £50.
Because I reserved it yesterday, I had a Black Friday discount that wouldn't be redeemable unless I purchased this laptop today. So I did.

Took it home and opened it. It wasn't even switched off!
When I opened it I found it to be very slow and not at all what I would expect from a brand new laptop. Used it for about 30minutes and wasn't at all happy with how it was running so took it back to the shop (a store more local to me).

The person I spoke to at the help desk looked at it and said I should try and use it a bit more as it seemed okay to him and that because it was open he probably wouldn't be able to resell it. I explained this is how I bought it (it had been opened to set it up by staff not me).

He then suggested I try and 'defrag' it to speed it up. I told him I didn't expect to have to defrag a brand new laptop and he told me he didn't want an argument and that I had to think about it's resaleability. The crux of it was NO I could not have a refund because as it states in their policy, an item has to be unopened for a refund (or faulty which he says it's not). He then went on to say that If he had given me a refund, was I aware that it could have huge repercussions for him and his position in the company?)

AIBU to ask for a refund? Do I have any rights?

[Cabbagesaregreen]

That's awful. Worth tweeting them? Perhaps worth naming them here.

[Olivesandbread]

Can I get in trouble for naming them? I remember some MNetters earlier this year were threatened with legal action after saying negative things about something they had named.

[Cabbagesaregreen]

I don't know. Sorry.

[ihatethecold]

PC WORLD by any chance.

[LeopardInABobbleHat]

Was it PC World?

I think their name was chosen ironically.

[GooodMythicalMorning]

Contact their head office and complain. They sound awful.

[LeopardInABobbleHat]

Oh, and it is faulty, they should replace it for you and bugger his position in the company.

[gutzgutz]

Google sale of goods act 1979. Citizen's advice has some good assistance.

[Disneyfan1995]

Trading standards can tell you your rights, they are very helpful and will help you get your money back if you are entitled to it.

[Fudgalisious]

Pc world? Does not surprise me at all. Shoddy customer service from them!

[spamanderson]

Got to be PC World! They're blooming terrible and complaining gets you nowhere with them! They had my laptop, 'fixed, it, then instead of sending it back to store, sent it about 500 miles away, then returned it to be fixed again and lost it again....

[KnackeredMuchly]

That's horrendous!! Name and shame here and everywhere else.

I would write a very strong letter of complaint and let them know that newspapers have loved the frenzy of Black Friday this year and are just eager for stories on how Black Friday has been "bad" for the general public, and not just because they got bashed on the head with a cheap TV.

[LeopardInABobbleHat]

Did you get the urge to sing Where in the WORLD, PC World? at them when they couldn't find it, spam?

[FernArable]

The same thing happened to my DF. 'Brand new' laptop running slow bought in August 2014, took it to an independents shops and there were page upon page of files on it from 2012. Same store.

[DoubleValiumLattePlease]

How exceedingly irritating for you! I know they have a terrible customer service reputation - and I'm sure I remember reading here or somewhere about finding files including explicit pictures on a supposedly new PC from there? I wish I knew what to advise you - probably to go with the squeaky wheel theory! Make noise and make plenty of it! Good luck with it all

[ILoveSimonCowell]

Has the OP said where it came from...?

I got a Windows HP laptop a year ago for DC from John Lewis. It keeps stopping, doing weird stuff, is very slow, does not perform in the way every other piece of equipment in this house does (rest is Apple). Has a 2 year warranty. Took it back to JL when was 10 months old and hardly used as it's so HORRIBLE! They checked it out, said I needed to delete everything and start again. They said no refund possible as they found nothing wrong with it. JL refused to do anything else. Not quite sure what the 2 year refund policy is for..... It's here sitting next to me... I HATE IT. It's useless.

[youareallbonkers]

Cheap laptops often have slow processors and little memory so while it may run slowly it May not be faulty.

[LidlMermaid]

Ah, good old PC World.

The screen on my 5 week old laptop died. I returned it to PC World and they tried to fob me off with a repair that would take up to 28 days. I pointed out that, under the Sale of Goods Act, the laptop was clearly not fit for purpose and that it was entirely unreasonable for me to wait up to 28 days for a repair as that was almost as long as if owned it. They folded like a pack of cards once they realised that I knew my rights and couldn't be fobbed off and I walked away with a brand new, more expensive laptop at no extra cost. Knowledge is power in these situations.

[hellyhants]

Very simple, the Sale of Goods Act trumps their "policy". If you buy something that is not fit for purpose, you are entitled to a refund at this stage. Don't leave it, or you may have to accept a repair or a replacement (a replacement might be ok, but I would simply get my money back and go elsewhere). Do NOT be put off. The law is on your side, 100%. It does not matter that you were sold a "set up" computer - clearly it is new, and should work as new. If they had told you that you were receiving a display model that had been used, that might be different, although it should still work.

PS why would a shop need to "set up" a laptop? They set themselves up when you turn them on.

[TreadmillTiger]

If it's PC World then their customer services are likely to fob you off too.
I was once sold a used computer by Currys (same owners) which was sold as new.
The customer service department then behaved as if they were on Deal or No Deal - upping there offer by £5 & then £10 to try and avoid responsibility. When I complained about this tactic I was advised that this was "Customer Service" - priceless!

[Olivesandbread]

It is Currys although the store is called Currys/PC World.

So if I take it back tomorrow and ask for a refund can they refuse? Even with the sales of goods act couldn't they just tell me their is no fault and I'm stuck?

I am not great in these situations and am never sure what to say!

[Olivesandbread]

There*

[Sallyingforth]

As mentioned above, this could well be a used PC, either returned by a customer or used as a demo. If it is only "set up" and nothing more, it should still have the protective film on the screen.

Get someone who is a bit computer savvy to check the hard disk for the dates of the setup files, and for any additional files that won't be there on a new PC.

[26Point2Miles]

You bought it with the full knowledge it had been set up and used though..... You knew this