The Nvidia Defect Forum

Hello!

Last Saturday my laptop died and it looks like it's the Nvidia fault. My screen basically looks like this guy's: http://cryingfree-man.blogspot.com/2009 ... ilure.html

I'm quite happy to go back to PC World with it after reading the excellent advice on this forum, but I'm looking for an opinion or someone may have experience.

I binned Windows Vista off my laptop and replaced it with Linux Mint 64bit which ran like a dream. Still does run nicely, though I can't see it anymore. What do people think about what they'll say about that? Is it weaseling room for them? What would I say to them?

I'm happy that it's a hardware issue and so thoroughly independent of the O/S, any other opinions?

Thanks!

Hello Rogmet and welcome to our forum.

Don't worry about the fact that you have put Linux on your laptop, there operating system is totally irrelevant as the problem you are experiencing is hardware based. I wouldn't even mention to them what operating system you have on the laptop.

I took a look at the picture and that is definitely the Nvidia defect.

What is more important is that I found the following information for your model of laptop on the HP support website:- http://tinyurl.com/3x9dpwx

This will take you to the BIOS update page for your laptop.

On the 8th April 2008 HP released a BIOS update, the purpose of which was to:-



This proves that HP must have been fully aware as early as the 8th April 2008 of the potential for the premature failure of your laptop - otherwise thy issue a BIOS update that switches the fans on 24/7?



They cannot get out of this no matter what they try. They are liable to you whether they like it or not.

If you follow my advice in the step by step guide (click the link in my signature) then you will reach a positive resolution.

If you have any questions or if you need any advice then please let me know.

Good luck and best wishes

Paul
The Admin Team

_________________
=======================================================
Calculate the minimum refund that you would be entitled to.
FAQ's
Why you should not accept a repair
Links to evidence
What is the Nvidia Defect?
Step by step help to getting a refund
Do you need an engineers report?
=======================================================

If you like what you see on this forum and would like to help then please post links to this forum in other forums or blogs. The more people we can help the better.


Please note that I am not legally qualified and I only offer my own personal advice. You are advised to seek professional legal advice for formal clarification of advice I give.

Hi Paul,

Thanks very much for your reply, very reassuring. I will let you know how it goes.

Talk to you soon.

Quick update, took it to the PC World I bought it from this afternoon. The guy on the desk tapped the serial number into his computer and had a look around. He said about it being out of warranty and I said about it being sale of goods act rather than a warranty issue and also pointed him in the direction of a defect of Nvidia cards. He didn't seem clued up about it but didn't argue about it and continued his research.

After certainly more than 5 minutes of reading his screen he said he had to get his manager and headed off. He came back alone after a few minutes and gave me a sheet of A4 with the "tech guys" company address and phone number on it. He said I'd have to contact them because they couldn't deal with it in store. He also said there was "a lot of it on there" indicating their computer, though I don't know if he was on the internet or their intranet. I thanked him and headed off.

So, step 2 already. I just miss my laptop!!

I'll be back I guess.

Later.

Hello folks,

Quick question, to whom shall I address my letter? The piece of paper given to me had "The Tech Guys" name on it with the same postal address as DSGi, should I leave it at "The Tech Guys" or change it to PC World or DSGi themselves?

Should I put a sub-addressee on there? Dodgy Laptop Dept for example....

Cheers

Hi, the link below has the addresses for the major retailers

http://www.nvidiadefect.com/retailer-head-office-details-t47.html

good luck

Ralph

Done! Here's how it went:

I typed up my "Letter before action", I deliberately made it sound like I was knowledgable both about the issue and my rights (which I mostly was...). I was nice and polite too! nvidiadefect.com got a healthy mention in there also. I can post the text up here if you want.

I sent it off registered post and they replied by post within the time I requested; so far so good. They requested that I take the laptop to a "Tech Guys" service desk for them to verify the fault. I went the next day, gave the guy the letter and pressed the power button. Right on queue, the BIOS POST screen came up all distorted. The chap says "uh huh, that's screwed" and heads off to call the number on the letter to verify the deadness of my laptop. He said they'd come back to me with some sort of offer. I thanked him and headed off again.

I heard nothing from them for a week or so so I eventually called them. The case manager had been off sick. They said they could offer me £369 which I was surprised at, I was expecting something like £120! I asked them if they could put it in a letter and I'd get back to them. The letter arrived a couple of days later.

I did some sums to see what sort of residual value my laptop would have had. I also asked quite a few people how long their laptops had actually lasted. The vast majority had laptops that lasted in excess of 6 years so I felt happy to base the projected life of my laptop at the Sale of Goods Act specified length of 6 years. Since it cost £699.99 and it lasted 2 years and 2 months, I reckoned it was worth £447.22

I called them again last Saturday but my case manager was off. The person on the phone asked me if I wanted to accept the offer or did I want the case manager to call me, I asked them to call me.

The case manager called me at 9am on Monday. He asked me what I thought about the offer and I honestly told him that it wasn't too bad but that the laptop was worth more than that. He asked me how much I was looking for and I said I calculated it at £447 (I forgot the 22p... doh!). He said that he'd have to go to his manager 'cos he couldn't authorise that much. I was thinking that the negotiating fun and games would start soon.

He called me back just after lunch and said something along the lines of "£447? We can do that." No fight, no nothing! Excellent, I'm not much of a negotiator!

He asked me how I wanted the money, so I asked him what my options were. He said I could have a voucher by email the same day or maybe the day after or he could get the finance people to call me to get account details and they'd pay it into my account after a few days, maybe up to a week. I said I'd take the voucher because I'd done my homework and what I was looking for was roughly the same price everywhere so I may as well get it there, expediency was the key, I just wanted a laptop again!

Voucher arrived on Wednesday so I headed off and got myself sorted again! Very happy now with my new Viao with an ATI graphics chip!

I gotta say, I'm really impressed with the service I got from PC World. From the stuff I read, I really thought I'd end up closer to the small claims court but it was remarkably smooth and easy. No doubt the road I travelled was paved with the pain and heartache of the other posters on here, but maybe they're now accepting they have to step up on the whole Nvidia issue. They did for me.

Or maybe I got lucky......

Anyone wanna buy an HP dv2750? One careful owner?

Thanks guys, really couldn't have got to where I am now without this forum, respect!

Hello Rogmet,

Well done on your success

Well that was a nice easy exercise - and no obstacles - what more can you ask for!

I find it difficult to understand the way in which PC World seem to treat different customers. It does seem, at times, to be one law for one and another law for others. There seems to be no pattern either so it would appear that it is all down to whoever you get to deal with your case.

Well done again though and I am glad that we could have helped you reach this positive resolution.

Good luck and best wishes for the future.

Paul
The Admin Team

_________________
=======================================================
Calculate the minimum refund that you would be entitled to.
FAQ's
Why you should not accept a repair
Links to evidence
What is the Nvidia Defect?
Step by step help to getting a refund
Do you need an engineers report?
=======================================================

If you like what you see on this forum and would like to help then please post links to this forum in other forums or blogs. The more people we can help the better.


Please note that I am not legally qualified and I only offer my own personal advice. You are advised to seek professional legal advice for formal clarification of advice I give.