The Voice - Consumer's Voice

My laptop broke!

On the June this year, I bought a laptop but after six months the laptop does not work. I plugged the laptop directly to the power socket without the battery in it because it was 100% fully charged (I didn’t want to damage the battery) by then I was watching a movie when until suddenly there was a power cut and that was the end of life of my laptop. It has a warranty of 1 year, so I brought it to their warehouse to fix. But unfortunately they said people who are responsible for fixing laptops were off duty due to holidays. I really need the laptop now because it got my school work stuff there.

Can I lend it to vendors who can fix? I need your advice on this because I got tests soon!

I’m confused. I don’t know of any reason why you would want to remove the battery from your laptop. As far as I’m aware there is no particular risk of damage to the laptop battery by leaving it in. I suspect you run a greater risk of damage with it removed. I think it’s likely that if the battery had been inserted the power cut would have had no effect on your computer at all.

Nevertheless, unless there is some evidence that you mistreated or damaged the laptop yourself the warranty should still apply to the device. I can understand that people need to take a break but that has no relevance to a customer who needs a warranty repair.

We contacted the store where you bought the laptop and they mentioned that you had removed the battery and they thought this might have contributed somehow to the device failing if there had been a power surge. However, the Managing Director emailed us saying “because of his need to use it for studies, I will arrange a replacement”. I don’t think you can ask for better than that.

Where’s my wedding video?

I write this letter on behalf of a client, who I believe was given a raw deal by yet another service provider. This client engaged my company for tenting and décor services for an event in March 2014. At a later date she enlisted my help to identify a company to provide video services. The company and I did not get to meet in person before the event but we agreed over the phone and the fact that he had been highly recommended by a friend was to me guarantee enough. Sure enough, they turned up and at the end of the day, having received a 50% deposit from our client he pledged to have the video ready for collection 10 days after the event, which fell in the first week of April 2014. I phoned to make an appointment for my client and me to go and view the video and pay the remaining 50% and get the product. In response, he said he was away from base but would not be drawn to proposing a date that was workable for him. He curtly said he was in the middle of something before ending the call.

A week on I phoned again and he has not taken my calls since. I then enlisted the help of the friend that had connected us and when he came back to me he said the guy told him that he has since delivered the video tape to the client but this is not so. I have in my possession proof that the client paid up a deposit and write to ask for advice on how to advance in this matter.

Your client needs to get moving on this matter quickly. If you doesn’t she might be too late. My understanding of the law is sketchy but if your friend waits much longer they might find that the debt is “prescribed” which means that it’s so old that a court might not hear it. I believe that the period for a debt like this is three years. If she doesn’t get her money or start action against him in the next twelve months she might lose out completely.

I suggest that she writes him a letter demanding either the completed video or a full refund within 14 days. She should make it very clear that if he fails to do either she’ll immediately take legal action against him. It’s very important that she sticks to this threat and then immediately gets herself to the Small Claims Court for an order against him.

You should also send us his contact details so we can contact him as well. Maybe between us we’ll encourage him to do the decent thing?

Finally, what is it about the people who offer wedding services that results in so many of them being crooks? You seem like one of the decent ones, going out of your way to support your client and I celebrate you for your efforts. You set an example to your colleagues in the industry!