Consumer Law

[brenda43]

I have just bought a mini laptop less than a week ago which is too slow for my requirements: can I hand it back as it is unfit for my use.
Unfortunately it is not a computer shop where I can trade for a faster laptop or get the components to make it faster.. It is a phone company and that is the only model they do on the mobile internet.
I am on a monthly tariff.

[Ethel]

No - it is fit for the purpose, unless you made it very clear to the salesman that you wanted it to perform certain tasks and made it a condition of the sale that it did.

[bednobs]

are you sure its not your connection making it slow, or is it slow for things that don't need connection?

[brenda43]

Ethel and Bedknobs: Thank you for yr replies .......

I did not make it clear what I wanted the laptop for , other than a normal pc. It took me 20 minutes to get any where and I did not know the resolution of the screen was so slow that the internet connection closed before my screen could load up the site! When demonstrated to me, the laptop was resonably fast.
When I took it home it was very slow.
The speed is 1.6Mh and the seller did mention the speed of the mobile connection of the pc does depend on where I live.,..I cannot reasonably use it where I live so can I return the laptop? The mobile signals are quite strong in my place.,so I do not see a reason for the slowness other than the laptop is underpowered.

brenda

[Ethel]

Ah - are you using it with a mobile dongle?

If so, it is the dongle that is the problem, not the laptop. These are sold 'subject to coverage' and if there is not a strong signal you won't get good internet.

Does the laptop work well offline? Does it boot up okay and open the software?

I don't understand what you mean by 'slow screen resolution'.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the laptop so you are not entitled to a refund. There is nothing to stop you asking, but be prepared for a refusal.

[brenda43]

Ethel I am sorry to take this length of time to answer. I went back to the shop four times but did not get my refund . They told me to contact the manufacturer which I did: and was told that they was nothing the could do to upgrade and sold me an external disk to dump my present hard disk which is built in but this does not make the machine any faster. So really I am sold a brain dead mini note book.

My husband who has a bad COPD condition depends on the laptop too but as I said it took four minutes to load to a web site and some websites will not display because of the length you take to go in. The Graphic will not display too. All I get are red crosses where the graphics shld display .

The phone company said that I cannot return the mini laptop bec of their proviso on the bill : no returns after 14 days for the net book even though I was within ten days. This is irregardless even if I protested within three days.

I threatened to put them on Watch Dog and Small Courts claim and the Sales Assistant told me not to waste my time or money as the contract is watertight.
If I could use it would not be so badl but the mini netbook is so slow and I am beginning to wonder at the coverage of the mobile signals in my area.

. The laptop is alright without being on the internet as expected of a lap top with a 1.6Mh speed. I do not have a dongle as it is a new fangled way of connecting. I knew the dongle could slow me down.

Last Saturday 15th Nov the Customer Service told me on the phone to take it back to the shop: now the shop said "No" and said that the Customer Service person was new and did not know the drill!

What do you think Ethel?