Author Topic: Trouble with Harvey Norman (Read 14468 times)

ato2 · « **on:** August 06, 2012, 07:20:51 PM »

Purchased Compaq Presario computer from Harvey Normans New Plymouth for $1,099 in June 2010. Paid by Credit Card.
January 12th 2012, the computer failed to turn on when pressing the power switch. Light would come on at the back of the unit but nothing happened when the power switch was pressed.
I returned it to Harvey Norman and explained the situation. They later phoned me to tell me that it was working fine and I could collect it.
July 3rd, 2012, the computer again wouldn't start, much as before.
I returned to Harvey Norman and gave them a letter, rejecting the goods under the Consumer Guarantees Act. I sought a refund and pointed out, in the letter, that they had already attempted to repair the computer. The guy read my letter, and asked for the computer, power cable, mouse and keyboard.
These were given to him there and then.

Once he had taken the goods back, the chap's immediate reaction was to tell me that he had no record of the goods being brought in for repair before.
I told him that was wrong and I would be awaiting my refund. ( I actually bought a new bed from HN that day and remember well the time I brought the computer to them)
July 7th HN emailed wanting to know details about what was wrong with the computer.
I replied and reminded them that I had rejected the goods and that they had then taken them from me. And that I wanted a refund.
Chap emailed and then gave me 30 days to pick up the goods or he might dispose of them.
I complained to Harvey Norman's Head office who said that they would email the guy.
He then emailed me to say he would not refund me my money.
So I am going to the Disputes Tribunal next week.
This HN branch was on "Fair Go", in May, regarding a woman who had trouble with her computer.

TokWW · « **Reply #1 on:** August 06, 2012, 07:30:35 PM »

Send more beer.... you may need it!! LOL! Or perhaps some more of Phil's special flavours... "Good luck" is so blase, irrespectful of your situation. Fight the good fight!! We're all with you against the large (words fail me tonight...) conglomerates who use the line of bluff to stall and put grumpy customers off (I hope you don't mind me calling you grumpy LOL) I hope you are... We await the result perhaps in 4 weeks time.

ato2 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2012, 07:35:21 PM »

Thanks mate! I filed five days ago, papers were sent to me next day and the hearing is on the 17th.

gabba · « **Reply #3 on:** August 06, 2012, 08:27:04 PM »

From what I know of the law, which I must say is very little, even if you hadn't taken the goods in the first time they would have no reasonable grounds to destroy your property, or even with hold it. Under the CGA as long as you can demonstrate to them that the product is faulty the retailer has to choose from one of these options
(a) right to repair
(b) right to replace
(c) right to refund

They don't have a right to destroy your property - that would fall under another law called willful damage.

They should be offering you one of the above - so good luck

Pretty much why I won't buy anything from HN - I've seen so many hassles with them, I wouldn't consider giving them my hard earned cash. In reality if they had any respect for their customers they would take the laptop back and give you another one without any questions

Presumeably though the laptop was under warranty - seems even more extraordinary they won't do anything about it.

TokWW · « **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2012, 08:44:27 PM »

Noel Leemings has supported me twice. Once in a three year warranty - they had to replace the motherboard of a laptop - after repair of power supply socket earlier. It ended up as an upgrade from 1.5GHz to a 2.0GHz, and I added a 320GB HDD in place of a 40GB! And added 2GB ram instead of 512MB. Good laptop now into 5th year!!

Other time was brand new HP Pavilion, and camera never worked. Just gave me a total replacement next day. Easy. Also honoured a price special of JB HiFi for $400 off special sale price so I got it cheap too! 1TB HDD and now 8GB Ram. Noel Leemings have been good for me,

Suezy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2012, 08:51:53 PM »

Pleased you are using the Consumers Guarantees Act as that is a pretty powerful thing and usually when you mention them it is usually sorted. I would also suggest Fair Go as they are just as good to use as another thing you can threaten with.
You have certainly done the right thing in standing top for your rights. You should also do very well at the Disputes Tribunial but take all the paper work with you and the date returned to them and the date you gave it back to them along with any other info you have.
All the very best and know you will win hands down.
Keep us all informed on this one.

gabba · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2012, 09:00:03 PM »

We've just had a good experience from LV Martin

Brought a vacuum cleaner from them about 4 years ago. THe motorised head died. We went in and the tested it and found we had to replace the motorised head and the "rod" connecting the handle to the head. Total cost $310. We like our vacuum cleaner so we paid it.

Couple of weeks later it failed again - we took it back to them and asked them what they could do. THey did some further troubleshooting and decided it was the connections in the handle where the extension rod connects to the flexible hose.

TO cut a long story short they shouted us the hose - $130 worth. We have brought alot of stuff there over the years and will be going back to them again next time we need an appliance. That's how you keep customers

ato2 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2012, 10:34:21 PM »

And that is the key thing...keeping customers- I have bought many things from them over the years, apart from computers-- video cameras, Tv's, furniture etc etc. Never had any trouble at all with them before.

ato2 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2012, 10:39:35 PM »

This was a desktop- when I brought it in back to them in January, the guy said it was not under warranty because it was over a year old. I pointed out that goods must be fit for purpose and that 5 years would be reasonable lifetime for a computer. IRD allows 3 years for the depreciation on a computer. So they said they would sort it out.
Six months later, same problem, and he tells me I never brought it back before for repair in January- i.e. the customer is lying!

gabba · « **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2012, 11:03:47 PM »

Yep 18 months is a bit rough. You can also quote consumers appliance reliability figures if you have them. Using the tax dept depreciation figures might infer it was for business purposes in which case the cga wont apply.

Alternatively if you were that attached to it you could get them to replace the power supply which is probably the problem. That might cost 300$ or so from memory depending on what you got so would cost Hn less. Worth it to keep a customer

Sent from my Ideos using Tapatalk 2

Rwood · « **Reply #10 on:** August 06, 2012, 11:05:23 PM »

HN sound like absolute plonkers. Glad we got our new TV and ent. system from Noel Leeming.

OhauitiWeather · « **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2012, 11:11:14 PM »

Quote

Purchased Compaq Presario computer from Harvey Normans New Plymouth for $1,099 in June 2010. Paid by Credit Card.
January 12th 2012, the computer failed to turn on when pressing the power switch. Light would come on at the back of the unit but nothing happened when the power switch was pressed.
I returned it to Harvey Norman and explained the situation. They later phoned me to tell me that it was working fine and I could collect it.
July 3rd, 2012, the computer again wouldn't start, much as before.

Hope this does not seem like 20 question but can you please confirm the following?
1. What was the warranty, 12 months or 24 months, or longer.
2. Did they actuall fix it or do anything to it when you took it in the first time?
3. Was this a Desktop or a laptop?

Thanks, and as pointed out above make sure you have all the documentation when you go to the hearing, I have also found it helpful to write out the cronological sequence of events (what happemed and when) and who said what to whom and take that along so you do not miss anything out, dates times a names of people you dealt with is also helpful.

Look forward to hearing the outcome.

Kind Regards

OhauitiWeather · « **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2012, 11:21:47 PM »

@Gabba.

Quote

Alternatively if you were that attached to it you could get them to replace the power supply which is probably the problem. That might cost 300$ or so from memory depending on what you got so would cost Hn less.

You are probably correct although it might be the front panel switch if it is a desktop, have struck this on a number of Compaq Desktops of around that age. $300 for a PSU is pretty expensive, standard format 500W PSU cost me about $45.00 plus GST with fitting maybe $150 + GST max and that would include a full inside de-spider (Engineer removal) and clean. having said that some HP (Compaq) stuff does have funny power supplies.

Kind Regards

JennyLeez · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2012, 12:10:29 AM »

Yep quite correct Ohauiti. HP usually does not use a standard PSU which is a pain as you then have to order one in to fit. You charge $150 for fitting and vacuum. Gee if I tried that around here I wouldnt get paid

I am afraid for me this is just a typical HP story. Seen it time and time again. What annoys me the most is if they are outta of warranty they dont seem to want to know. Years ago HP made a solid system. I dont find this to be so anymore

As far as HN is concerned. Most of them are only sales people. They have no idea how to take the side off let alone fix anything. I presume they returned it to one of HP's service centres to be fixed.
The warranty appears to be with HN, Noel Lem. or Dick Smith but in reality it is really with HP. I go straight to them every time. Going to the retailer is pointless.
Me personally. After years of servicing systems I would not touch an HP with a barge pole .
Just my 2 cents worth

Rwood · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2012, 10:01:25 AM »

I'm planning to buy a laptop late in the year, replacing old XP desktop. Will want about 8GB memory, but hyper-rfast not necessarily mandatory. Am thinking of Sony, Toshiba or perhaps Dell or Acer. Any red flags?

ato2 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2012, 10:23:32 AM »

As long as you don't buy from HN!

JennyLeez · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2012, 10:41:52 AM »

In order, Toshiba, ASUS, Acer.
Dell? Just as bad as HP.
In my humble opinion of course

ato2 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2012, 10:56:23 AM »

Purchased Compaq Presario computer from Harvey Normans New Plymouth for $1,099 in June 2010. Paid by Credit Card.
January 12th 2012, the computer failed to turn on when pressing the power switch. Light would come on at the back of the unit but nothing happened when the power switch was pressed.
I returned it to Harvey Norman and explained the situation. They later phoned me to tell me that it was working fine and I could collect it.
July 3rd, 2012, the computer again wouldn't start, much as before.
Hope this does not seem like 20 question but can you please confirm the following?
1. What was the warranty, 12 months or 24 months, or longer.
2. Did they actuall fix it or do anything to it when you took it in the first time?
3. Was this a Desktop or a laptop?

Thanks, and as pointed out above make sure you have all the documentation when you go to the hearing, I have also found it helpful to write out the cronological sequence of events (what happemed and when) and who said what to whom and take that along so you do not miss anything out, dates times a names of people you dealt with is also helpful.

Look forward to hearing the outcome.

Kind Regards
[/quote]
It came with the standard 12 months but both the Consumer magazine and Consumer Ministry have been pointing out that goods, including computers, are expected to last a reasonable time and that 5 years is a reasonable for a computer.
I don't know what they did the first time: they phoned and said it was fine so I picked it up from them.
It was a desktop.

When I returned the goods the second time, the guy immediately told me that he had no record of any repair or the computer ever being brought back. He said the words so quickly, after taking the goods, it was quite amazing.

When I contacted HN head office they said the guy was a proprietor and I would have to deal with him.

My invoice is from Harvey Norman, not the guy who was so rude.

TVNZ had a major problem with getting him to front up when Fair Go did the item on a woman with issues with the computer that she got from the same New Plymouth HN branch I am having troubles with.

Rwood · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2012, 11:02:22 AM »

I'm planning to buy a laptop late in the year, replacing old XP desktop. Will want about 8GB memory, but hyper-rfast not necessarily mandatory. Am thinking of Sony, Toshiba or perhaps Dell or Acer. Any red flags?

In order, Toshiba, ASUS, Acer.
Dell? Just as bad as HP.
In my humble opinion of course

[/quote]

Oh yes, forgot ASUS. I have been liking the look of Toshiba for price and quality. Dell was just a thought ... they're pretty expensive.

Te Puke Weather · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2012, 11:36:49 AM »

Sales falling at Harvey Norman....

Read more
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/sales-falling-harvey-norman-5010628?ref=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

News:

Author Topic: Trouble with Harvey Norman (Read 14468 times)