UK PC Retailer Breaking Law to Avoid Warranty Service
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Illegal in the US and in the EU, warranties cannot be voided by properly using equipment. The US is very vigilant about this. But the giant UK retailer Curry's / PC World is attempting to illegally refuse warranty service on hardware if you install software that they don't like (Linux is an example, but only an example) on a PC that you buy from them. Even if the machine physically breaks, they will claim that the warranty is void. Consumer protection laws on both sides of the pond protect against this. But it isn't stopping this retailer from skirting their legal responsibilities.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Illegal in the US and in the EU, warranties cannot be voided by properly using equipment. The US is very vigilant about this. But the giant UK retailer Curry's / PC World is attempting to illegally refuse warranty service on hardware if you install software that they don't like (Linux is an example, but only an example) on a PC that you buy from them. Even if the machine physically breaks, they will claim that the warranty is void. Consumer protection laws on both sides of the pond protect against this. But it isn't stopping this retailer from skirting their legal responsibilities.
Can't people just sue?
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They can, but most people do not know that they can and taking legal action takes money and effort. Possibly more money and effort than owning a PC does.
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@thanksaj said:
Can't people just sue?
You seriously need to ask this? Aside from the fact that litigation takes money and time, there are often better ways to handle a situation than to 'just sue'.
in the US, you can start with the BBB, there are also various consumer protection laws in each state that have official methods for disputing issues.
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@JaredBusch said:
@thanksaj said:
Can't people just sue?
You seriously need to ask this? Aside from the fact that litigation takes money and time, there are often better ways to handle a situation than to 'just sue'.
in the US, you can start with the BBB, there are also various consumer protection laws in each state that have official methods for disputing issues.
Ever heard of rhetoric?
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In the UK you would sue via the small claims court. It's something like $50 and you do it on-line. Most cases never go to court, and if you win you get all your expenses back and if you lose there is a limit to how much cost you incur. People here take retailers to the small claims court all the time. I know someone who has done it several times. I guess you don't have anything like that in the US?
I doubt Currys is colluding with Microsoft, or that there is any policy on this at all, it's such a crap retailer that they're not that organised. More likely the 18-year-old minimum wage "managers" will just make stuff up to get out of doing anything.
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@Carnival-Boy said:
In the UK you would sue via the small claims court. It's something like $50 and you do it on-line. Most cases never go to court, and if you win you get all your expenses back and if you lose there is a limit to how much cost you incur. People here take retailers to the small claims court all the time. I know someone who has done it several times. I guess you don't have anything like that in the US?
Yes, we have something like this.
But because of the nature of something like this, it's better served as a class action lawsuit - though that does take a lot of startup capital on the side of the law firm.
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@Carnival-Boy said:
In the UK you would sue via the small claims court. It's something like $50 and you do it on-line. Most cases never go to court, and if you win you get all your expenses back and if you lose there is a limit to how much cost you incur. People here take retailers to the small claims court all the time. I know someone who has done it several times. I guess you don't have anything like that in the US?
We have small claims court too (we used English common law as the basis of the legal system in 49 states here) but it varies by state and what they are doing is a specific violation that would probably end up in a class action rather than an individual suit.
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@Dashrender said:
But because of the nature of something like this, it's better served as a class action lawsuit - though that does take a lot of startup capital on the side of the law firm.
I guess I just parroted you, lol.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
But because of the nature of something like this, it's better served as a class action lawsuit - though that does take a lot of startup capital on the side of the law firm.
I guess I just parroted you, lol.
Hey this puts me in good company
