Back from repair - now in worse shape!!

[Danmill88]

I bought a Proteus II back in August which turned out to be a great laptop. However, after about 2 months the screen had an issue and after a while of trying to just work around the problem I sent it for repair.

It arrived back yesterday and screen was fixed........but they have somehow managed to make 2 fresh problems!

Firstly, on boot up I receive the error message "A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged". Despite trying Advanced boot options etc I always receive the same error.

So I went into BIOS to discover that my second SSD has been disconnected and not only disconnected but the ribbon has been ripped from the connector! This was not the SSD which windows was installed on so that doesn't explain that problem. I can only assume that they have tried to disconnect it by being too rough and ripped and either not realised what they have done or not bothered worrying about it.

I called yesterday and the guy had no idea what was wrong or what happened but said that the repair log said that the screen "had been stress tested" but they obviously have not tested that everything else is how it was to start with.

Currently been on hold for 30 minutes and still waiting to arrange for them to pick it up again. I'm also worrying now that they will have ignored my note that says "do not format hard-drives" as it says at one point to boot to windows 7 despite me having windows 10 installed.

I'll give an update when I find more but this is the last thing I needed at the moment.

Dan

 

[ubuysa]

I'm sorry to hear about this.

Photographs would be a very good idea, not just for on here but to send to PCS too. What you describe sounds horrendous, especially when you describe a cable being "...ripped from the connector". I strongly suggest you take photographs and post them here.

As far a formatting hard drives go you really should prepare for this possibility whenever you return any computer for repair buy ensuring you have good backups of everything (disk images are probably best for this). In any PC repair shop, if they suspect that a problem may be software related their only option is to do a completely clean reinstall of Windows and the necessary drivers. Only if the problem persists after that would they look at hardware. It's not reasonable to ask them not to do this since it's often an essential part of problem determination.

 

[rp1234]

There is an option to not have the hard drive formatted with the RMA. I would imagine that if they then needed to for whatever reason, they would inform the customer first.

 

[ubuysa]

There is an option to not have the hard drive formatted with the RMA. I would imagine that if they then needed to for whatever reason, they would inform the customer first.

Fair enough, I wasn't aware of that. Nonetheless, a clean reinstall of the OS is a basic problem determination technique, it's certainly one all users should do for themselves before asking for an RMA. In addition, since your data and software is important to you, it's always your responsibility to ensure that it's properly backed up before you let the computer out of your hands. You can't expect someone else to take the same care of your data as you would, it's your data so it's your job to secure it.

Ubuysa's Rule #1: You pack your own parachute!

 

[Danmill88]

UPDATE

Thanks for your replies guys. After a long phone call the summary was that:-

1. They have no idea why it wouldn't boot to windows and claim something may have happened in transit. Obviously not true and they just haven't tested it properly
2. They do not know why the SSD ribbon has been damaged and have told they don't know when they are having more in
3. They are picking it up again on Tuesday but do not know when I will get it back
4. And they don't give compensation regardless of all my time wasted, inconvenience in terms of my work, selling me a defective product etc.

All in all PC specialist have not been particularly helpful.

I will still be requesting some compensation after I have put through an official complaint. Is anybody familiar with the process of taking this further if PC specialist continue to refuse compensation. I'm sure there must be some sort of legislation to protect against this sort of thing?

Cheers
Dan

 

[keynes]

as far as I know you wouldn't be entitle for any form of financial compensation. It sounds like an awful experience and I hope that it gets sorted soon.

 

[ubuysa]

Initially I was on your side, largely because you seemed to post largely factual information and without any bluster. Sadly this post, whilst apparently factual, is full of unnecessary and unwarranted bluster.

1. They have no idea why it wouldn't boot to windows and claim something may have happened in transit. Obviously not true and they just haven't tested it properly

Really? How do you know that the damage could not have occurred in transit? How can you possibly know that they have not tested it properly? I share your frustration but wild and unsubstantiated comments like this do your case no good at all.

2. They do not know why the SSD ribbon has been damaged and have told they don't know when they are having more in
3. They are picking it up again on Tuesday but do not know when I will get it back

That is unfortunate (not knowing when they'll have more in). PCS don't make the cables of course so they are dependent on their suppliers delivering stuff to them in a timely manner. You can hardly criticise PCS for that.

4. And they don't give compensation regardless of all my time wasted, inconvenience in terms of my work, selling me a defective product etc.

Life isn't fair, and if you've not learned that yet then you soon will. It's is a horrible experience to have things like this happen to you and I really do share your pain and annoyance, but not everything that happens to you requires compensation. Stuff happens, it's not nice when it happens to you and it's not fair that it happened to you either, but that's life. It will happen to you again, learn to deal with it.

BTW. They haven't sold you a defective product either, that's just more unnecessary bluster. In the first sentence in your first post you described it as a "great laptop". Now suddenly it's a defective product? You're disappointed and angry, I get that, but these kinds of comments are just throwing your toys out of the pram.

All in all PC specialist have not been particularly helpful.

From what you've written here they seem to me to have been as helpful at this stage as it's possible for any company to be. They have spoken to you (for a long time) on the phone. They have admitted that they don't know why it won't boot, probably because at this stage they really don't know. They have admitted that they don't know how the ribbon cable became damaged, also because at this stage they really don't know. They are picking the computer up from you on Tuesday which is pretty fast considering we're in a weekend now. What more would you have expected them to do for you at this stage?

I will still be requesting some compensation after I have put through an official complaint. Is anybody familiar with the process of taking this further if PC specialist continue to refuse compensation. I'm sure there must be some sort of legislation to protect against this sort of thing?

I suggest you carefully read the terms and conditions (http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/terms/). At your own admission they sold you a "great laptop". At your own admission they fixed the screen problem you had. According to you the laptop came back in what sounds like a sorry state, photographs would be really good evidence here - you'll be sure to need them if you plan to try "taking this further", but at present neither you nor PCS know for certain exactly what happened. I strongly urge you to wait until the true facts are available, any lawyer you go to will tell you the same thing. In any case, you haven't lost anything tangible, the loss of a bit of your time and a little inconvenience is part of life and not normally compensated.

 

[Danmill88]

Thanks for your reply

I admit I posted in the midst of being frustrated and agree with some of the points you are making. However, although I cannot know for certain that it hasn't been tested properly it is extremely unlikely that in transit that while securely packaged the way it was, that an internal ribbon could be ripped from it's connector. Hence, not tested correctly or this would have been spotted.

In reference to PCS not having adequate stock, of course I can criticize them. It is basic business procedure for a retailer to ensure that they have the correct stock to ensure that repairs can be made in a timely fashion (apparently it could be after Christmas until I get my laptop back). Yes they rely on their own supplier but they should not let themselves run out of stock.

I didn’t make it clear but yes they did sell me a defective product as the screen lasted about a month before developing an issue which was not caused through ‘wear and tear’ which PCS admitted was not likely.

Anyway, I am willing to put this to bed now as long as PCS solve the issues at the second time of asking.

Thanks for your comments

Dan

 

[Danmill88]

Also, apologies for not posting photos. I sent PCS them over email but I do not currently have them on this computer to post here. Just imagine a ribbon not attached to it’s connector

Dan

 

[ubuysa]

I hope it gets sorted soon for you. Please let us know how you get on.