Consumeractive

Have I been ripped off by buying a Chromebook?

Q

I bought an Asus Chromebook from PC World a couple of years ago on the assumption it didn’t need any security programs installed. Now fewer than three years later, I am getting messages saying my Chromebook won’t receive automatic software and security updates from July this year. Asus says it’s Google’s fault. The sales assistant at PC World didn’t warn me that the computer wouldn’t be supported after three years. I feel cheated. Do I have a case against PC World? Roger Perry

A

This is a fascinating case, but not one that’s easy to resolve. Roger may be able to seek redress from PC World, but it would depend on whether he could prove what the sales assistant told him at the time of purchase. Retailers can breach the Consumer Rights Act if they don’t reveal “specific characteristics” of an item when the customer buys it. This can include the item’s durability - ie, how long it’s likely to last.

What’s crucial is whether Roger could have expected PC World to state what the

Chromebook’s lifespan would be, and specifically that it wouldn’t last as long as a Windows 10 laptop. We think the sales assistant had a duty to explain this, even if Roger didn’t ask about the Chromebook’s lifespan. In other words, it’s such an important characteristic of the Chromebook that withholding the info was reducing Roger’s ability to make an informed choice. After all, you can be sure that PC World sold the benefits of Chromebooks once Roger expressed an interest. It should’ve clarified the limitations also.

PC World may be able to argue that it wasn’t aware of the Chromebook’s lifespan, but we think this would make it guilty of incompetence. It’s not hard to discover this information: companies and customers alike can check the lifespan of Chromebooks on Google’s site ( www.snipca.com/35227).

We’re going to enjoy presenting this case to PC World. We’ll let you know what happens. CASE ONGOING