Can you ask Lenovo to return my tablet?

QA Lenovo tablet I bought from Argos last Christmas stopped turning on after a couple of weeks. I sent it back to Lenovo in January under warranty, and initially was told I would be sent a quote for a bill to fix it. Since then, despite emails to the company, I’ve heard nothing. Lenovo’s still got the tablet, so can you help me? Mark Ingram

AWe understand Mark’s instinct to send the tablet to the manufacturer, but it’s a mistake many customers make. Instead, Mark should have returned it to Argos (the retailer). Because Lenovo still has his tablet, we can’t ask Argos to intervene.

We’ve asked Lenovo about Mark’s tablet and why it wants to charge him for a repair. He shouldn’t have to pay this unless Lenovo examined the tablet and found a fault that wasn’t covered by its warranty, or evidence that Mark had damaged it. Either way, by now Lenovo should have told Mark the reason for the delay.

If the fault isn’t covered by Lenovo’s warranty, that doesn’t mean it’s not an inherent flaw. In this case, Mark should return the tablet to Argos for a refund, repair or replacement.