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Damaged goods
I decided it was time to replace my 2013 iMac with its M1 grandchild. We are all aware of global warming and I am a fully paid-up advocate of recycling, so I offered the computer for sale at one of the well-known resellers of used equipment.
The price offered for my goodcondition iMac wasn’t generous, but enough for me to say yes to the deal. I didn’t see the red flag, but I should have done. I’ve read the book, seen the film and its sequels, and I have the T-shirt in many shades.
The reseller simply instructed me to click on a link to book its chosen courier. The next instruction was to “Pack your items into ANY box”.
This is such a simple but dangerously loaded phrase. It did not suggest a particular sized box, neither did it even hint at what strength the box should be, how well padded it should be, or indeed how to pack the box. This cunningly puts all the responsibility onto the customer.
But I have shipped computers before, so I used a larger box, surrounded the screen with bubble wrap, lined the box with lots of extra paper and cardboard from recycled
Amazon boxes and added several sheets of crumpled brown paper. Sorry, trees, but this was all recycled.
A week later, the appointed courier rolled up and knocked on the door. So, the box disappeared from our doorstep and 24 hours later arrived at the merchant. When they opened the box, they found damage (see picture above). It was evident that the parcel had been dropped or thrown, deliberately or otherwise.
The company regretted that they could not pay me as arranged because the goods were damaged and could not be resold. Despite my request for them to hold onto the packaging and the computer, they sent ent it back to me in a different, damage-free box.
I wasn’t happy and filed a complaint with them and the courier company. The latter responded with a bland statement that it can’t provide compensation for any products they damage in shipment. It’s in the small print. This is true, not that I was given sight of the small print prior to the shipment. The reseller wanted proof the iMac was intact before I shipped it: a photo with date information on it. The last picture I could find of it was four months old. Useless. I can’t prove the screen wasn’t damaged before I sent it. What’s more, the contract with the courier wasn’t mine but with it and the reseller.
Moral of the tale? Take a photo of every stage of packing, the device before it goes in the box, the device being packed, and the box being sealed. Stuart Danton
Right to repair?
I bought a Dynabook Satellite Pro L50-J-109 laptop based on Dynabook’s advertising and specifying info, only to find that the NVMe SSD-equipped “dual SSD/HDD” machine was missing the hard disk connections necessary to meet the claimed spec – and was then told if I dared to buy and fit the OEM parts and hard disk the warranty would be void!
Not only is this dual capability shown in Dynabook’s brochure “Dynabook NDNA Recommended Model guide” ( pcpro.link/326dyna), it even publishes a PDF on “Customer Replaceable Units” for this model.
I ordered this “Dual SSD/HDD PC” from CCL, a superb supplier I use frequently. Before I opened the machine to fit the hard disk to complement the SSD, I looked online for teardown guides and videos for this machine. I found two third-party sources, one of which showed an earlier L50-G without the required hard disk connector and “buffer” or carrier; the second confirmed this.
Looking at Dynabook’s spec page it only shows SSD base models, no dual HDD options, so I assumed this was a post-purchase user add-on option. I contacted CCL initially, then Dynabook, who told me the required connector and ribbon cable with HDD carrier or “bumper” part numbers, cost inclusive of VAT and delivery at £65.68, concluding, “fitting them will invalidate your warranty”.
Frustratingly, at this point in time I can’t confirm if the parts are in place or not in this version, as opening the back of the machine would void the warranty, according to Dynabook.
So, Dynabook advertises a “Dual SSD/HDD” machine, doesn’t provide the parts to do so and then tells you, despite publishing the full instructions, “you can’t add the upgrade without invalidating the warranty”. Since it doesn’t offer models with both drives, I feel duped by Dynabook.
I’d be prepared for these parts if it can be shown that the published spec for “L50” does not cover the J variant – but I want to add the hard disk, and wondered if you can wade through the fog created by Dynabook on fitting parts without killing off the warranty?
CCL has been great throughout and I cannot fault it – this is clearly an issue with Dynabook. Bob Stimpson
Contributing editor Lee Grant replies:
Manufacturers can alter certain aspects of their machines during the production run, and it’s not always easy to spot. My recommendation is always to talk to the vendor as you may have a “cooling off ” period to return/exchange the laptop.
We all have a right to repair/upgrade our devices and as the statutory warranty is with your vendor, you could seek its reassurance about the second-drive update kit. Finally, always check the spec with the vendor. Model numbers can be fickle fellows, and I think you’ve been unlucky on this occasion.
Keep the change
Nicole Kobie’s viewpoint on physical cash seems to assume card payment is always an option ( see issue 325, p21).
The south-east coast of Australia is a popular but sparsely settled holiday destination that is partially served by wireless broadband. Several mobile phone towers were damaged in last year’s enormous bush fires, cutting off internet access to some areas. During evacuations of these areas, cashless people who buy everything on plastic couldn’t buy fuel, putting themselves at risk.
While bush fires on this scale are unlikely in Britain, severe storms could leave large areas isolated without internet access. Folding money is a necessary backup as internet access cannot be totally relied upon. Jim Beeston