7.7
- Unlike with most computer companies, we allow you to open your case and install your own components without voiding your warranty on the following conditions:
- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us and they cause problems with your computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us we will in no way support you in installing them or with any problems you have relating to the components you have installed.
- we will support you in installing components purchased from us providing you have purchased them through the upgrade service available on your online account.
You are allowed to open up the cases with PCSpecialist machines and the warranty will not be voided unless you damage it in the process of whatever you do.
If you look in the T&Cs here: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/terms/ it states:
7.7
- Unlike with most computer companies, we allow you to open your case and install your own components without voiding your warranty on the following conditions:
- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us and they cause problems with your computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us we will in no way support you in installing them or with any problems you have relating to the components you have installed.
- we will support you in installing components purchased from us providing you have purchased them through the upgrade service available on your online account.
The PCS price for SODIMM RAM is extortionate. 32GB is almost £300. Even brand for brand you can save £50+. In fact, I have ordered 32GB for a full £100 less than the PCS price and it is still good quality, high speed and with a gurantee to match the CPU (which gives away the brand)
I'd argue those terms are unreasonable and could be argued against in a small claims court. If I have a car warranty, and I fit cheap whipper blades that scratch the windscreen, then it is my own fault, I didn't use the correct parts and my windscreen isn't covered. But if the clutch disintegrates, they don't get to say my whole warranty is void just because of the whippers. And no, just because you have agreed to T+Cs doesn't mean they have to apply - T+Cs also have to be reasonable.
I am about to buy a laptop and fit my own RAM. RAM has a fault, my problem. If the CPU goes because the RAM wasn't matched correctly, my problem. The button on mousepad breaks as it was faulty - PCS' problem.
- Unlike with most computer companies, we allow you to open your case and install your own components without voiding your warranty on the following conditions:
- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us and they cause problems with your computer, your warranty will be void;
- if you install components that are not purchased from us we will in no way support you in installing them or with any problems you have relating to the components you have installed.
- we will support you in installing components purchased from us providing you have purchased them through the upgrade service available on your online account.
andI am about to buy a laptop and fit my own RAM. RAM has a fault, my problem. If the CPU goes because the RAM wasn't matched correctly, my problem. The button on mousepad breaks as it was faulty - PCS' problem.
I fit cheap whipper blades that scratch the windscreen, then it is my own fault, I didn't use the correct parts and my windscreen isn't covered. But if the clutch disintegrates, they don't get to say my whole warranty is void just because of the whippers.
- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;
The unreasonable term is this one:
Under the strictest reading of that term, the whole warranty will be void if the computer becomes damaged due to the actions of someone installing another part. This is not reasonable because it should be that the warranty becomes void only on parts or systems affected, directly or indirectly, by the person fitting or the suitability of the parts. So my examples re: car and re: fitting RAM/mouse pad failure, highlighted how the T+Cs failed under those circumstances.
The unreasonable term is this one:
Under the strictest reading of that term, the whole warranty will be void if the computer becomes damaged due to the actions of someone installing another part. This is not reasonable because it should be that the warranty becomes void only on parts or systems affected, directly or indirectly, by the person fitting or the suitability of the parts. So my examples re: car and re: fitting RAM/mouse pad failure, highlighted how the T+Cs failed under those circumstances.
I believe QUin1985's point is that the warranty could be read as meaning that if you did something like install an HDD to a desktop, damaged another storage device somehow, and later the PSU or CPU went faulty, PCS might not be obliged to cover you for the other faulty parts because you damaged the computer.
(Even assuming you removed the item you damaged to prevent any further fault being caused by trying to run an HDD with a screwdriver poking out of it.)
While the wording of the warranty could arguably be refined to prevent confusion, I don't think PCS would try to use that to weasel out of a legitimate RMA. They never tried to weasel out of any RMA I presented them with.
While the wording of the warranty could arguably be refined to prevent confusion, I don't think PCS would try to use that to weasel out of a legitimate RMA. They never tried to weasel out of any RMA I presented them with.
Never tried to use it but I always get the impression that it is time consuming and expensive (upfront cost?) no guarantee of success and even if successful the firm may not pay immediately?I would have high confidence that a small claim against them would be successful if they refused to honour a warranty on an unrelated part following a poor standard upgrade on a different part of the system.
Let's be clear, if it is indeed the case that PCS wouldn't attempt to apply the cynical interpretation of the warranty text and dodge their responsibilites, then there would be no benefit to PCS of changing the text in terms of avoiding litigation.more than anything else for PCS' sake
e.g. if they changed the Ts and Cs to say something like "only on items directly or indirectly affected by the poor installation." people might claim that as the £15 cheapo PSU they DIY installed and which proceeded to blow up half the PC was correctly installed, the warranty should still cover the smouldering motherboard.