The Nvidia Defect Forum

Having followed the recommended process, letters sent and answered, engineers report received etc, I've now hit a slight bump with Staples.

The good news is that thanks to Paul at Lapcure (who has been excellent) and this forum (also utterly brilliant), Staples have agreed that the fault is in the laptop and are prepared to cut me a deal with regard to the replacement of the unit.

The bad news is that, according to Jay at Staples head office, I am only entitled to a partial refund towards the cost of my laptop as it failed after 23 months, which they have termed a refund less fair usage. I am concerned with this outcome because the refund amount they will offer me will not be enough to purchase a new unit on its own, and I can't afford to make up the difference (being a poor student).

Not sure what my legal standpoint is, but as far as I'm concerned I had a working laptop which I paid good money for, and now I'm going to have some of my money back, and no laptop, which is not really a resolution at all. Do you (oh great forum hive mind) have any suggestions or advice regarding my legal standpoint and bargaining power with Staples? Should I push for a replacement unit? Not wanting to be greedy and get a better laptop than the one I had, just something equivalent as a reliable replacement.

I must add that Staples staff have all been really good throughout, helpful and polite and prompt, which is a nice change.
Cheers all

Hello Morganess and welcome to our forum.

To be honest, Staples do not have to offer a replacement laptop and can, if they wish, offer a refund - partial or otherwise.

The partial refund that they will offer should be circa £240 plus any consequential losses.

The trouble is, if they were to offer a partial refund then you wouldn't really be able to proceed to court in order to try and secure a replacement laptop as the judge could rule that you had acted unreasonably and refuse to allow your court costs.

Whilst I appreciate this is not the answer that you wanted to hear I believe in letting you know the facts so as to not fill you with false hope.

You could always plead to Staples better nature and see if they will make an offer of a replacement laptop. You could also tell them that you have seen numerous customers through this forum that have received a replacement laptop so why is your case any different.

I have to say that Staples really is one of the better companies in the way that they have and are dealing with this matter so you never know, they may relent and make you a better offer.



I agree 100% with you on this and think that Staples could teach the other retailers a thing or two when it comes to customer services. They should start with Comet and move swiftly on to DSG Retail et al.

So, my advice is to try bargaining with them for a replacement and if that fails then tell them that you will accept their offer on condition that you can keep the old laptop. If they agree then you can sell the old laptop for spares on Ebay for around £100 - £125.

What do you think?

Best wishes

Paul
The Admin Team

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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.

Paul, thanks for your advice.

As an update, they initially offered me £300 as a partial refund, which was to include the cost of the report, so your first estimate was pretty much spot on. I put my problem to them over the phone and they went away to see what could be done, and came back with a second offer of £380, which was the purchase price of the original unit. Effectively, they were happy to refund the original price but not cover the cost of the engineers report.

I have happily accepted what I think is a fair offer, and am just awaiting the coupon codes to clear so I can go and pick up my new laptop. Result!

Just as an aside, I've noticed that once I agreed the refund, the speed at which my case is being dealt with has dropped off considerably, and it's taken a number of polite phone calls in order to keep things rolling. However, I've been assured that things will all be sorted by close of play tomorrow.

My thanks to you and this excellent forum for providing this advice and the great service you offer.

Hello Morganes,

Well done on your success

I know I have said it before and I can assure you that I do not have any shares in Staples, but they really are head and shoulders above the other high street retailers aught up in this fiasco.



Thank you very much for your kind words, much appreciated.

Your only problem now is what to spend your money on.

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.