Acer notebook faulty

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:25 pm

I bought this Item on ebay for my youngest daughter.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

Two weeks later it won't charge so contact Acer they arrange collection for a warranty repair

Week later get a demand for £227.25p for the repair stating the charging pin is missing as a result of "physical damage" and not covered by their warranty

If we don't pay for the repair they want £52.00p before they'll send it back.

I spent some time ringing their call center in India asking for a UK number for customer services. The UK number claims to be a payment only line

They give you the number for India

This notebook has had only a few hours use yet the charging pin is missing, pulled out, snapped off?. Not fit for purpose surely.

How would you try to get them to repair it under warranty.

dave.m · Post by **dave.m** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:05 pm

The bad news is that your only real comeback would have been with the seller on ebay.
You should have contacted him when it went faulty and not sent it to Acer, (they did not sell it to you).

There is no way of deciding when the pin was damaged but because you had it a fortnight and it worked, then it would indicate that the damage was done whilst it was in your posession, so probably not the sellers fault.

It sounds like it was not a manufacturing problem, as Acer say it is not covered, so you must accept responsibility for the damage and either pay to get it repaired or pay to get it back and then pay someone else to mend it, which would be a waste of money and probably more costly.

Sorry these are not the words of comfort and advice you wanted but be logical about it: it was broken whilst being used by your daughter and it was not a manufacturing defect so you really cannot expect anyone else to pay.
Incidentally, what age group is your daughter in? I ask as you said your youngest daughter and I wonder if she is old enough to use a laptop properly.

dave

mikew1972 · Post by **mikew1972** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:17 pm

I think that if Acer were charging a reasonable ammount of money for fixing the charge pin there would be no issue here.
I'm sure a good, computer engineer / workshop could fix this for much less.

dave.m · Post by **dave.m** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:35 pm

mikew1972 wrote:I think that if Acer were charging a reasonable ammount of money for fixing the charge pin there would be no issue here.
I'm sure a good, computer engineer / workshop could fix this for much less.

Mike,
If the charging pin is connected to the m/b then it would cost quite a bit to sort and bearing in mind that it would cost £52 to get it returned unfixed, then if the private guy wants more than £175 to fix, and probably reinstall the OS and set up, then AJ is further out of pocket.

dave

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:03 pm

Dave
Kate is 19 and has had an acer laptop for several years she has also used her sisters laptop and mine frequently.

The pin issue is one known to acer and many other manufacturers too if the information available on the net is anything to go by.

There was no misuse, no visible damage but the pin is missing. It's not in the charger socket I checked so, it must be in the machine having either snapped off, or bent over. If either of those is the case then the charging system is not fit for purpose. We all have Nokia phones with chargers not having failed yet are used every day. The charging socket on the notebook is different to that on the laptops, cheaper, less well made?.

Either way, I cant see how a manufacture can claim physical damage is caused by normal use.

I don't hold the seller responsible but do expect the manufacture to accept responsibility.

I'm certain I could solder a new charging unit in place others have done so.

Broken screens seem to be another problem with these machines.

edit: my charged almost every day work lamp cost around £20 appears to have a better charging system.

dave.m · Post by **dave.m** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:12 pm

AJ,

As your daughter is not to blame, I would get in touch with Trading Standards on Monday morning and see what they advise.

Keep all correspondence and also make a note of all telephone conversations with Acer.

I hope I didn't offend you or your daughter with my question but as your OP said 'Youngest daughter' I had visions of a 6 or 7 year old on the floor with her mates and one tripping over the power cable but not saying anything for fear of getting into trouble.

dave

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:16 pm

Dave,
No offense taken. I asked Kate if she had caught the lead, dropped it etc.

I only looked on the net once I received the demand for £227, wished I'd done that first.

RichieP · Post by **RichieP** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:53 pm

No good to you now but we do these for around £70.

It will need a new charging socket but they're just soldered to the motherboard. The operating system is unaffected so doen't need reinstalling.

The price Acer are charging could get you a new motherboard. What a rip off.

gib_goblin · Post by **gib_goblin** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:52 am

RichieP wrote: The price Acer are charging could get you a new motherboard. What a rip off.

That is probably the point, Acer wouldn't do any real 'work' they'll just swap out whichever part/s need replacing this is their soltuion. Not cost effective to have some techie poke around and fix it for £50 and pay the techie salary £20, then £20 admin/courier plus £10 overheads, wheres the PROFIT for ACER?!

The £227 Price sounds about right for a replacement motherboard cost.

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:53 pm

Well I didn't get anywhere with Acer so went shopping for another notebook from a small computer shop just outside town.

I'm telling the guy what I'm after and why while I'm there a young girl comes in with her few weeks old notebook says to one of the repair guys "it's not charging" the pins missing says he

Acer you're a bunch of ***ts

dave.m · Post by **dave.m** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:03 pm

INTERESTING!

Does the guy do repairs or not? what sort of price would he charge for a repair?

Did you get the laptop back from Acer? Repaired or not?

dave

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:10 pm

Dave
Got it back from Acer un-repaired without paying the £58.00p they wanted. We now have it with a local "laptop" refurbisher he's going to use the part from a dead machine. I'd rather pay him than Acer.

dave.m · Post by **dave.m** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:13 pm

Sounds as if all will be fine.
I have just replied to your UPS thread. Didn't know you had the Acer back so ignore my thoughts in there.

dave

thescruff · Post by **thescruff** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:13 pm

I would be more interested in contacting Trading Standards, as not fit for purpose, and looking to get a full refund.

ajstone · Post by **ajstone** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:17 pm

John
I did contact them but to be honest, life's to short by half to do the things they said I'd need to do if Acer wouldn't play ball.