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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect compensation from Currys for selling a second hand laptop as new "non pristine"

37 replies

NK493efc93X1277dd3d6d4 · 05/12/2012 13:04

I have just purchased a "non pristine" laptop from Currys in Croydon which was described as simply being without a box or power cable. The assistant assured me it was new and had been on display.
Now that I have plugged it in I have found many documents, payroll details, staff reviews, training and many other files which point to it being used by Currys from late 2007 to early 2009.
I had to call the store twice to get a callback from a manager and having spoken to him I can quite understand all of the negative publicity this company receives.
Firstly he asked what I paid for it (£150) and then pretty much said what did I expect for that price. I said it was sold as new, unboxed and without the power cable but otherwise new. He then denied that pristine means new and said I wouldn't find another one for that price.

When asked what I wanted - I said a full refund for the computer, the charger unit I bought elsewhere and the anti virus software I bought from them at the same time. Also compensation for my travelling to buy it, to return it and for the inconvenience and telephone costs to 0844 numbers.

He offered to refund in full & as a gesture, a 15% discount on a brand new one and said if I wanted anything else I must write to their head office.

Am I being unreasonable to expect such a blatant breach of the sale of goods act to be taken more seriously by a major store. Is it unreasonable to expect more than just a "sorry about that - do you want your money back?" type response?

I feel really angry as this is a xmas present that I am now unable to give and I also have the hassle of returning it!

OP posts:
Heroine · 05/12/2012 13:06

Daily mail it! Charge!

chrismissymoomoomee · 05/12/2012 13:08

You asked for a refund, and got it, you want an apology, and got it. They also offered a discount. What exactly is it you want?

drmummmsy · 05/12/2012 13:08

complain to there Head Office directly, don't deal with the monkey's instore i should know, i used to be one

Xmas Grin
Heroine · 05/12/2012 13:16

Also that is one old laptop.

NK493efc93X1277dd3d6d4 · 05/12/2012 13:41

Chris..moo..mee Just to clarify - what I'm after is compensation for my time, trouble and costs, as stated in both the heading and the body of my post. An apology wasn't part of my request.

OP posts:
MadameCastafiore · 05/12/2012 13:43

Do that Twitter thing - they seem to bother about publicity on there and I presume they will be in trouble with their head office for giving away details of their staff.

MadameCastafiore · 05/12/2012 13:44

Are you very important though - do you charge £100 an hour for something that you do in your life? I always think that people must have very busy lives and charge a lot per hour when they say they want compensation for their time!

NK493efc93X1277dd3d6d4 · 05/12/2012 13:44

Sorry to be ignorant - but what is the twitter thing? - Thanks

OP posts:
NatashaBee · 05/12/2012 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 05/12/2012 13:47

Yabu. You sound like you want the world on a silver plated platter. I have never ever heard of shops giving compensation for time, trouble, and costs like petrol and parking.

chrismissymoomoomee · 05/12/2012 13:48

They have offered quite a hefty a discount though.

I can understand you being annoyed but I can't imagine a call and some petrol would have cost you more than a tenner. Is it worth the aggrevation in chasing it up?

breatheslowly · 05/12/2012 13:49

With that sort of data on it I would have thought that they would be willing to buy it back from you for a good mark up. Presumbly the manager doesn't appreciate the data security issues.

HECTheHallsWithRowsAndFolly · 05/12/2012 13:53

wow. I would have been pointing out the deep shit they'd be in if you went public with the fact you'd got their staff's very personal information!

You actually had them over a barrel here...

Sallyingforth · 05/12/2012 14:01

While you were at it, perhaps you should have dropped your trousers and demand he kiss your arse.

You got a laptop that looked and worked as good as new. It works perfectly and you only paid £150 - that's a bloody good deal.

The manager is being very reasonable in giving you your money back AND a discount on a new replacement. You can transfer the anti-virus to a new laptop, and keep the extra power supply as a spare.

YABU

MummyBarrow · 05/12/2012 14:05

Sorry you are being unreasonable. You got a laptop for £150.

You got a refund

You can't sue for compensation for your time.

Forget it.

It is just winding you up and making you stressed.

Accept the deal and walk away.

OK so you get it in the Daily Mail so what?! "Woman buys laptop for £150 that is sold as new but isnt". It is hardly headline of teh century is it?

HECTheHallsWithRowsAndFolly · 05/12/2012 14:09

Are you kidding? The daily fail would LOVE it! Grin Woman buys laptop with staff's payroll information, reviews and other personal information...

loopylou6 · 05/12/2012 14:11

It's a massive breach of security and confidentiality though...

breatheslowly · 05/12/2012 14:11

I wouldn't want to spend £150 on a 5 year old laptop. That is ancient in laptop terms.

loopylou6 · 05/12/2012 14:12

Did it have bank details OP?

mycatlikestwiglets · 05/12/2012 14:12

I'm surprised that people think a used laptop dating back to 2007 is the equivalent to a new one - it's not, technology has moved on massively since then. If it was sold as new, the OP has the right to a refund, and that includes everything she bought to go with the laptop. I also don't think it unreasonable to ask for compensation for the cost of calls to get this sorted.

That said, OP I think YABU to be angry in the circumstances. The store manager has offered you the refund to which you're entitled. He probably can't authorise further compensation but has referred you to head office, which probably can. I would write them a strongly worded email/letter setting out all your wasted costs and make sure you point out their breach of the Data Protection Act too. If they don't do anything, then get angry!

VoiceofUnreason · 05/12/2012 14:14

YABU. No one, as far as I am aware, awards compensation for travel time and petrol costs. You got your full refund and a discount should you buy new. Sounds fair to me.

OK, so the assistant may well have lied to you if they said it was new and just ex-display. But I'd have considered it a bargain of the century to have a new laptop for £150, ex display and without a power cable to begin with and probably wondered what the truth was.

forbiddenfruit85 · 05/12/2012 14:15

When asked what I wanted - I said a full refund for the computer, the charger unit I bought elsewhere and the anti virus software I bought from them at the same time. Also compensation for my travelling to buy it, to return it and for the inconvenience and telephone costs to 0844 numbers.

Wow. Seriously?
Be realistic, they are never going to pay for all that.

You got a full refund and its not like your laptop doesn't work. 5 years is old yes, but surely you researched the type of model you wanted anyway.

YABU.

Sallyingforth · 05/12/2012 14:20

You are all jumping to conclusions.
The files should have been deleted, for security reasons. That was a mistake but it doesn't affect the value of the laptop.
But just because there are 2007 files on it doesn't mean it is 5 years old. They could well be old files copied onto it, perhaps to test the laptop worked before selling it.
A better guide to its age would be what version of Windows was installed. They are very unlikely to have updated it.

HECTheHallsWithRowsAndFolly · 05/12/2012 14:25

I am surprised that more people aren't having an opinion about the staff personal information on there.

I think that is unacceptable.

chrismissymoomoomee · 05/12/2012 14:28

It is unacceptable, I totally agree.

I still don't think the op is entitled to compensation for her time though.