Blooming Currys.. but what can I do?

This is sooo long, but I'd be really grateful, if anyone can bear to read this, for some advice?

Having a nightmare with Currys. My laptop had a minor fault with its keys so I took it in for repair as the warranty runs out in November. They said that it'd take 'under 2 weeks' and so I took it in before I went on holiday so I'd only be without it for a week (I'm currently setting up a business and so I'm lost without it!). Well I got back from holiday and they hadn't rung to say it was back in the store, so I waited, and waited until it had been away for three weeks.

Then I rang up what I thought was the store, but it was an expensive, general number and after a long time on hold, they apparently 'couldn't put me in touch with the store directly' so they rang the branch and the laptop wasn't there. So I asked where it was after all this time, and they couldn't tell me and also couldn't put me through to the appropriate department so I'd have to ring another number.

So, I was on hold for ages again, and they told me that the laptop had been repaired and returned back to the store only 5 days after I'd originally taken it in and they couldn't tell me why they hadn't rung me. I was FURIOUS! So I rang the other number back so I could double-check whether it was actually in the store so I didn't waste a trip into town, and after a long time on hold AGAIN, they told me the store didn't have it. I was raging, so I got in my car and drove into town ready to present them with the date, time and consignment number that my laptop was returned to their store on. I got there and said I was here to pick up my laptop and began to rant about the date it came back to them on. Anyway, the guy on the desk said, 'oh, someone rang you about it today'! I said 'no they blooming didn't' and he said it could have been when I was travelling to the store - what a coincidence after 3 weeks! He then turned the computer screen to me that said 'Debbie called 11th September 2008 - no answer'. He'd just typed it in! Grrr!

Well, he then went to get my laptop and I noticed it had been scratched which I was not pleased about and then I opened it up to check it was properly fixed. Well, it wasn't, and far from it! It was even worse! Neither of the keys near the touchpad worked properly, and the casing hadn't been put back on properly and was bent and bowed in between the keys and the touchpad and looked like it was going to snap. I shouted a bit (in frustration rather than at the guy) and then he put me on the phone to someone to report the faults before I resubmitted it to them.

I had to take it home as I had stuff on there I needed to use, so I completely backed it up an took it back the next day. By then I had noticed that on the bottom, where they'd removed part of the casing to 'repair' the fault, they'd just forced it back on and screwed it on, rather than actually slotting it in and then screwing it - idiots! So a member of staff put that back on properly before it could do any lasting damage to the plastic. I mentioned the stratching that it had sustained, but was told that because the condition hadn't been filled in on the form they'd done on the computer, I couldn't prove that the damage had been sustained while it was with them - but isn't it their duty to fill out the forms completely? But, they were ready to fill out the condition part of the form this time - stating my poor laptop was 'scratched across the top'! Grraaarrgh!! Doesn't that just give them the opportunity to scratch it completely as now I can't prove how scratched across the top it was?

Anyway, I resubmitted it, along with a long list of the problems, what and where they were exactly, with diagrams as these supposed "Tech Guys" don't seem to know how keys work. You've guessed it, two weeks later, it still isn't back. Sigh.

I have been without my laptop for over a month, have wasted money on phonebills and petrol and I can't sort my website out or anything to do with my business, having limited or no access to a computer. Can I reclaim any of these? Are Currys in breach of anything for inconveniencing me this much?

I really thank you if you managed to get to the end of this - no doubt I'll have missed stuff, but It'll be a good reference, having it down in writing.

Claire, I'm sorry honey, but I have no knowledge of Curry's lack of care and whether it can be penalised. You could try the CAB website, which has been an absolute boon for me lately:

www.adviceguide.org.uk. They do cover consumer issues on there.

Good luck, chick xxx

what a terrible way of treating a customer. id def make lots of complaints, keep records of phone calls and petrol ect, and present them with a bill. also the time and inconvenient they have caused u.
ask helena shes a wizz with these ppl,
good luck.

no advice, but good luck with getting it sorted. x

I have not used them myself but have good things about

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

There is a telephone number too, so you could ring for some advice.

Good luck.

If they are keeping it for this long and it is still under warranty I think they should give you a new one...

Personally, I'd go above their heads, find someone at cusomer care who is IN CHARGE of all the others so to speak, that usually gets things sorted (I did that with a gas bill and I got a £700 bill torn up and got a credit for £200, even though I had been fobbed off by 3 of the staff!!!!) Go to a curry's website or phone up customer care and say you want to speak to the Manager or the Head of that Department. Also e-mail the HEAD of the complaints dept. which they must have. Bombard them with e-mails and back-up letters so they can't say they never got the e-mails either! Grrrr.

We once had a new Phillips tv, but because it was ONE DAY past the 28 days for replacement I went through hell trying to get a replacement! They wanted to take it away and repair it coz that's what they HAVE to do, and during that time I bombarded everyone in every department even the Head of Phillips themselves in Italy I remember!!! I got my new replacement tv within 2 weeks!!! Don't give up, you want a NEW laptop off them!!!

Try the Trading Standards office too, or threaten them with it!!! Grrrrr. This is not good enough. Good luck, and let us know.

go to the top! ask for tha managing direstor i had alot of probs with car phone warehouse went astraight to the managing director ands lo and behold within 24 hoiurs of stating that they lost my sons fone when going for repair he had a brand new one. dont talk to anyone else now just the top man!

I agree with just going to the top and making sure they pay yuort pone bills to. Also get a new laptop from them. Threaten them with legalaction or to reprot them to the media or TV if you can find a suitable program. There was one don't get done get Dom but I don't know if that is on at the moment.

best of luck don't give up
Ndidi

now you've written all down, copy and paste it into an email and send it to customer services.

I would also send it as a letter to the managing director (as others have already suggested).

Good luck - hope you get it sorted

Brilliant! Thanks for all this! I think I'll do the emails and phonecalls to higher-Currys first, and then CAB if all that fails. I'm terrible at getting stroppy/demanding in person as I just get a stutter and my voice goes all wavery, so it's probably a good idea! Thanks so much for this everyone, and I'll keep you posted! x