Comments on: Currys/PC World (UK) Voids Warranty on Hardware If Buyer Installs GNU/Linux

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:28:47 +0000

Thanks to my rant, Currys has changed its policy – see update in http://news.softpedia.com/news/Huge-Computer-Retail-Chain-in-UK-Denies-Warranty-If-User-Install-Linux-463177.shtml

By: T.Lucidity

T.Lucidity — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 08:57:11 +0000

Apologies for the spam.

You might be interesting in updating this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_World_%28retailer%29

And then reading this:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/pc_world_linux/

Maybe punt El Reg a missive?

By: T.Lucidity

T.Lucidity — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 08:51:02 +0000

Speak to your local Trading Standards – they’re in the phone book. If you can’t find it, call the council and ask. And yes, this can “bear fruit”. The Windows Tax claims fail due to the wording in the Windows EULA (they changed it, remember?) But abuse of your statutory rights? Oh….you’ll make some investigator a very happy bunny.

Read this: http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/sale-of-goods-act

And possibly contact them as well.

What Currys can void is their own “extended warranty” as that is over-and-above your statutory rights. However they would have to make the terms of that warranty clear at the time of purchase and you may have claim that they didn’t.

If you are up for a fight, take them to Small Claims court (this isn’t like a Crown court or anything and fees are minimal – you get those back when you win). Now…was it more that £250? See if you win and Currys don’t pay, you can have the entire empire declared bankrupt. Which would be funny. Or have a debt collector enter the store and seize goods. Which would also be highly amusing.

As for GNU/Linux friendly places….http://www.pc.co.uk/ is one. Sort of. They don’t officially support it themselves, but they will sell you a laptop/desktop sans OS and have an active community that does provide support.

Then there’s these lot:
http://shop.gluglug.org.uk/
http://www.linux-onlineshop.de/index.php
http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/hardware/hardware-laptops.html

From major OEMs you have Lenovo ThinkPads and then the Dell XPS 13.

There is no reason to set foot in a Currys store for **anything**!

By: Lukasz S.

Lukasz S. — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 20:56:35 +0000

Could you recommend a shop “Linux friendly”? I would like to buy a laptop at some point and I will avoid PC World.

By: sam

sam — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 10:35:39 +0000

Thats what Statutory rights are for http://whatconsumer.co.uk/what-are-my-statutory-rights/ . They trump Warranties and mean you are leagally intitled to a repair, replacement or refund if you are sold a defective item.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 19:01:01 +0000

Which one would that be in the UK and is this going to be fruitful at all based on past experiences? From what I can gather, complaints in Britain about Microsoft’s abuses rarely bear fruit. I registered some complaints in the US FTC and these were a waste of time.

By: Whoever

Whoever — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 16:30:37 +0000

Have you asked your local Trading Standards about this?