PDA

View Full Version : Acer stickes it to Linux



kamaboko
September 12th, 2007, 08:40 PM
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33819/118/

Warranty repair denied b/c Linux was on the computer.

notwen
September 12th, 2007, 08:49 PM
Compaq did the same thing to a woman a couple of months back if I recall correctly. Not sure how her story ended though. Kinda sad when the employees denying repairs agree with you on the policy they must enforce.

lisati
September 12th, 2007, 08:54 PM
Frankly I don't see how a hardware fault that's known to happen independently of of the OS should affect a supplier's decision to honour warranties..... Many countries have laws about merchandise being of usable quality - wouldn't the bust hinge be covered by that?

Hmarroqu
September 12th, 2007, 09:27 PM
So i figure that its not the place that he bought the pc from it Acer that is being stupid?

FurryNemesis
September 12th, 2007, 09:28 PM
I'm pretty sure what what they're doing is illegal and in breach of the warranty. As the article notes, since when is a hardware warranty affected by software? I stay away from PC world systems - I don't trust them.

Also, PC world policy is for you to bring the machine back to THEM first if you want the warranty invoked. That's the way it would have worked with my laptop had I actually needed it fixed.

*Hugs his ancient, rock-solid Toshiba*

LT1Caprice57L
September 12th, 2007, 09:46 PM
That sounds, to me like the corporate, world attempting to assist in the widespread of vista and its DRM.

****ers.

BDNiner
September 12th, 2007, 09:59 PM
That sucks for him. Most OEM PC makers will not honor the warranty if you decide to remove windows and put another operating system on the PC. The warranty also includes the windows key on the computer. so if by chance while fixing the broken hinge they damage the HD and have to replace it, they can't since windows was removed and linux was installed in its place. I had the same issue with a laptop that i installed XP pro over XP home. Compusa said that i vioded the warranty, but after some yelling and me agreeing to revert the laptop back to factory settings with the restore CDs then i got it serviced. it sucks and that is why i build my own computers now.

prizrak
September 12th, 2007, 10:11 PM
What does Acer have to do with it? It says PC World denied the repair, I own an Acer notebook and have had it fixed under warranty with no issues despite running Feisty on it at the time. Moreover Acer offers Linux support on their mainpage, so far it's for Linpus Linux but....

Redache
September 12th, 2007, 10:23 PM
I would go back to the PC World store and demand the money I'd paid for the warranty back.

But PC world are a bunch of malcontents anyway.

We need to organise a petition for a change in how warranty's are governed because things like this will continue to happen if warranty's aren't regulated.

It's a bit crap that someone has to watch over a company's shoulder to stop them screwing customers but it's the world we live in.

sstusick
September 12th, 2007, 10:32 PM
A broken laptop hinge has nothing to do with what operating system is installed. The damage would have happened regardless of what OS was installed. Any idiot can see that. As for the hdd, I would have taken it out before having them service it.

thisllub
September 12th, 2007, 10:33 PM
I have an acer laptop and it was flaky as hell under XP. I tried to have it repaired under warranty and they told me it had to go back to Acer and it would take weeks. They have a stupid partition restore install of XP that I am certain is the problem. I had the same problems each time I restored it.

I solved the problem by installing Ubuntu. Of course that wasn't easy either. noapic nolapic worked. Now it is superb.

Gremlinzzz
September 12th, 2007, 10:36 PM
Figures nothing surprises me any more big business ripping there customers off.

blithen
September 12th, 2007, 10:55 PM
That's incredibly stupid.
You pay for a warrenty on HARDWARE.
And it wasn't anything internally, it was the screen...I would do something about it.

dynamicv
September 12th, 2007, 11:07 PM
This doesn't surprise me. I live around the corner from a PC World store. The tech staff there are no more than uninspired teenagers masquerading as IT people. All they know is restoring XP or Vista after some poor suspecting fool takes a machine to them with the tiniest of OS problems.

The managers are basically the same, and change on a weekly basis. If I were him I would contact DSG HQ in Hemel Hempstead in writing threatening legal action if the matter is not resolved.

The moral of the story is don't buy from PC World. They don't have any respect for their customers.

FurryNemesis
September 13th, 2007, 12:53 AM
Now that I remember, I went there a while ago to get some blank media (at least they can't mess up branded parts) and out of interest asked the floor manager what they thought of Dell's Ubuntu deal, and would they be following suit.

I had to explain what Linux was, so sad.

lisati
September 13th, 2007, 12:57 AM
I once commented to one of my in-laws, who has been using Windows machines longer than I have and who, as far as I know, doesn't use anything else, that I don't use Windows on my laptop. His reaction was something along the lines of "What's 'Windows'"?

sstusick
September 13th, 2007, 01:20 AM
I once commented to one of my in-laws, who has been using Windows machines longer than I have and who, as far as I know, doesn't use anything else, that I don't use Windows on my laptop. His reaction was something along the lines of "What's 'Windows'"?

:lolflag:

BLTicklemonster
September 13th, 2007, 03:00 AM
Just JB Weld it.

dynamicv
September 13th, 2007, 03:52 PM
Looks like PC World's parent company DSG have restored a bit of sense to the incident, and the laptop will now be repaired. Which begs the question why the monkeys in the stores needed head office to intervene in the first place?

The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/pc_world_linux/)

notwen
September 13th, 2007, 03:55 PM
Just JB Weld it.

JB Weld is the stuff dreams are made of. It held my aunt and uncle together through a 3 yr divorce settlement. *nod*

bonzodog
September 13th, 2007, 06:22 PM
For the un-educated americans here:

PC World , Uk , with 'The Tech guys' = Best buy, USA, with 'The geek Squad'.

Level of knowledge and service is almost identical.

notwen
September 13th, 2007, 06:35 PM
For the un-educated americans here:

PC World , Uk , with 'The Tech guys' = Best buy, USA, with 'The geek Squad'.

Level of knowledge and service is almost identical.

Do they drive VW Beetles though?

prizrak
September 13th, 2007, 10:20 PM
I have an acer laptop and it was flaky as hell under XP. I tried to have it repaired under warranty and they told me it had to go back to Acer and it would take weeks. They have a stupid partition restore install of XP that I am certain is the problem. I had the same problems each time I restored it.

I solved the problem by installing Ubuntu. Of course that wasn't easy either. noapic nolapic worked. Now it is superb.

Took me like 3 days to get my Acer fixed. I sent it 2nd day priority and it was sent back the next day after they recieved it.

Zyphrexi
September 13th, 2007, 10:31 PM
they're mad I tell you MAAAD!!!!

::crazy::

Frak
September 13th, 2007, 10:38 PM
The penguin got a little rowdy I guess.

BEHOLD, THE POWER OF LINUX!!!
It can appearantly break your laptop with all its awsomeness not being able to be contained ;)