RE: cheap-it.com

columbo77 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:45:44 GMT

What did you hear back about this?

cheap-it.com

Claptrap — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:14:14 GMT

I thought to send you a copy of the letter I've sent to cheap- it.com, which run a double page advert in your magazine for at least a couple of times. I hope nobody else got jilted like I did. Unfortunately, I was desperate as my computer had broken down just three weeks before the end of college - and this company promised a next day delivery, and I was pleased about office 2003 trial that would tie me over the rest of the time at college - so I didn't have time to research the company and couldn't organise my friend to pay for the product with his credit card. Instead, I used my debit card.

Trying to catch up with my college work, I didn't notice or find out many of the problems mentioned here, such as not being able to play DVDs. I did contact the company the very next day about lack of Office trial key but got the following answer:"Oh, we are not supporting any software issues, love, that's why we're so cheap." I was not satisfied with the answer but I didn't have the time to argue - let's just say that someone kindly installed a copy of much older version of Office (I couldn't download OpenOffice either) so I could at least get assignments done on most parts. By the same token, I only realised much later that modem doesn't work (I could not find modem or com 3 port in device manager), after having spent 8 pounds! on a modem lead.

For all the reasons mentioned in my letter below, I stopped using the laptop soon after college ended and have gone to write all my letters and checking emails at my friend's house. When I go back to college, I cannot rely solely on mt friend's computer (no right software to start with) but with no income, *another* 599 pounds (software demands more than most basic model) is just too much.... Here is the letter I sent to cheap-it.com:

Client Services Department

PO Box 4236 Dunstable, Beds,

LU6 1XY

10 July 2007

Dear Sir/Madam,

I purchased from you (www.cheap-it.com) a Toshiba A105 laptop on 4^th June 2007, having seen an advert for it in Micromart, 3^rd-9^th May 2007, page 47.

This week, I tried to play a DVD in it and could not believe it when it would not play and a message came up saying it was because the wrong region. I then discovered a sticker on the back of the machine that said it was made in the USA and realised that it was configured for NTSC DVDs only. This explained too why it had an American keyboard.

Furthermore, the sticker said it was reconditioned and that the warranty was valid in the USA only. I then realised that your own information received with the laptop said that the warranty was only for 3 months.

On further inspection, I found that the processor speed was 1.7 ghz, that the com 3 port (modem) for connection to the internet was not working and that the Microsoft Office Word 2003 trial was not operational because of a missing trial key. The system clock keeps changing its date randomly, which means that any date stamps on digital files, vital for legal and other reasons, are incorrect. This alone is unacceptable.

I decided to purchase the laptop, having seen it advertised in a UK magazine, and therefore had every right to expect a computer that played UK DVDs. It also stated quite clearly ‘1 year full warranty’ (not 3 months). The processor speed stated 1.83ghz (not 1.7) and it stated that there is a V92 modem, which one assumes will work (it doesn’t). It stated nowhere in the advert that this is a reconditioned machine (it is), nor was I told this when I purchased it. Unless I had been informed otherwise, I would be quite within my rights to expect a new machine. The fact that other models in your advertisement state clearly that they are reconditioned, reinforces the impression that the one I purchased should have been new.

Therefore I will be returning the laptop to you in accordance with my consumer rights as discussed with Trading Standards, namely that I have been missold goods which differ from that advertised and do not fully work.

This is of course extremely disappointing, apart from anything because of the cost of sending it back to you. I wish to know, before I do, whether you intend to provide me with a new laptop with all the specifications as advertised, or whether you intend to give me a full refund (₤599-00).

Yours faithfully

A Karhunen

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RE: cheap-it.com

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