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Dear Which?,
I bought a £500 laptop from Laptops Direct in January 2020 and within six months a fault started to develop.
Whilst I’m working, the screen flashes blue intermittently and occasionally freezes, forcing me to restart the laptop several times a day. I’ve lost work because of it.
I returned the laptop within the first six months for a repair, but Laptops Direct said it wasn’t cost effective to repair. This was confusing as I bought the laptop new. I was referred to the manufacturer for a repair but they charged £30 to cover repair costs.
I’ve since taken the computer to an independent repairer who confirmed that the fault was present from purchase and that I’m entitled to a replacement.
I needed the laptop to work from home during the pandemic and I can’t continue to work on a broken laptop. What can I do to make Laptops Direct take notice of the faulty laptop and offer me a replacement?
Susan C.
Put to Rights
Luke Jeffery, consumer rights expert at Which? says:
What an incredibly frustrating experience, Susan. The fact that Laptops Direct refused to listen to your complaint is shocking, and by kicking the can down the road it has left you frustrated and out of pocket.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you are entitled to a repair or a replacement for a faulty item, and if it is returned to the retailer within the first six months it is up to the retailer to prove it isn’t faulty, it is not up to you to prove the fault.
Because you were referred to the manufacturer for repairs you were pushed over the six month time limit in which you can return an item for a repair or replacement without having to prove the item was faulty when you bought it.
You shouldn’t have had to take the laptop to an independent repairer. But since their report proves that a fault was present from purchase, it should help get you a replacement laptop.
Since you got in contact with Which? and used our faulty goods tool to lodge a complaint, Laptops Direct has been in touch with you and offered a replacement laptop and a part refund of £60. They also offered to cover the £30 cost of the initial inspection.
We asked Laptops Direct to comment on your experience but it did not respond.
If you have a faulty product you’re struggling to get returned, you do have options. Read our tips below and follow the links to our advice on what to do when you have a faulty product.
Need to know
- Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have a 30 day ‘right to reject’ for a full refund, if a product you buy is of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described.
- If a defect develops after the first six months, you will need to prove that the product was faulty at the time the goods were delivered to you. In this case, an expert opinion might be needed to prove the fault existed at the time of purchase.
- If you want to return your faulty goods for a refund, repair or replacement, you should be refunded the delivery cost you paid to get it sent to you.
Get in touch. If you’ve got a consumer rights problem you need put right, email us at yourstory@which.co.uk.
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source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/09/laptops-direct-left-me-with-a-faulty-laptop-for-over-a-year/