Warrenty void if opened?

[daydie]

hey guys,

i want to order the best base stats e.g processor and gpu, but i want to add better hdd and ram afterwards (maybe a couple month) but i dont want to void warrenty.

isit ok todo this ? and still be covered as i dont want to void a warrenty on a 2k laptop lol

 

[Rakk]

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.

 

[Oussebon]

From a value point of view, buying a PC with e.g. 8gb RAM only to upgrade it to 16gb two months down the line may not be as straightforward or cost effective as having just bought the PC with that RAM at the outset.

That may well not be what you're planning but I give it as an example - if you have to do a DIY upgrade to a PC literally weeks after you've bought it, it may have been better to hold off and just buy it more or less as you want it at the outset.

 

[QEin1985]

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)

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.

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.

 

[ubuysa]

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.

Well lets look at each of those terms in detail...

- 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:

PCS's open case policy is a rarity and is very welcome.

- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;

You can't argue with that. If you (or someone else) breaks it that's your fault.

- if you install components that are not purchased from us and they cause problems with your computer, your warranty will be void;

Perfectly reasonable. Why should PCS do a warranty repair on a computer because somebody else fitted parts (any parts) that didn't come from PCS and which later cause problems?

- 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.

Also perfectly reasonable. Why should PCS spend their time and money helping you install parts you didn't buy from them?

- we will support you in installing components purchased from us providing you have purchased them through the upgrade service available on your online account.

And also perfectly reasonable. If you buy parts from PCS they will support you.

If you think any of those terms are unreasonable perhaps you'd care to explain why?

 

[Oussebon]

I might be getting this wrong, but aren't:

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.

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.

Describing the same thing?

i.e. damage caused by DIY upgrades is not covered but faults the item develops not caused by your components are still covered.

Which doesn't sound unreasonable to me...

 

[QEin1985]

The unreasonable term is this one:

- if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void;

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.

 

[SpyderTracks]

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 think you're misunderstanding the warranty. If you installl RAM yourself and the RAM fails, the warranty is still intact for the rest of the laptop.

If you install RAM whilst the laptops plugged in and you fry the motherboard, your warranty on the whole laptop is now void.

So long as you replace all the original parts and the laptop works as it did, then warranty is covered.

 

[ubuysa]

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.

Suppose that somebody replaces the RAM and fails to use an ESD strap. As a result they fry one or more components on the motherboard. That's not PCS's problem and should not be covered under warranty.

 

[Oussebon]

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.

 

[MJSWARLORD]

nobody asked daydie this , why would you need 32gb ram ??? some forums say above a certain figure a large amount of ram become invisible to windows , i am curious as to what he might be doing to need 32 gb ram.
my pcs rig has a gtx 1080 with 16gb of ram and was told witcher 3 would put the rig though its spaces but i opened task managerwhilst running it and it was not even running anything on quarter power.
maybe he does video editing and i dont know how much power/ram that needs.
see my rig in search box as ...... my game breaker rig.

 

[ubuysa]

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.

I take your point on this, but I think that PCS would apply the test of reasonableness to any warranty claim where non-PCS supplied parts had been installed. If they believed that the failure was nothing to do with the parts or installation then I'm sure they'd honour the warranty. What PCS are really saying, and I don't believe this needs to be spelled out any clearer, is that 'if you buy parts from us and install them yourself we will cover you, but if you buy parts from elsewhere and it breaks then we might not'. I believe that all reasonable people understand perfectly well what those terms really mean.

 

[QEin1985]

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.

Yes, thank you, you do get my point. Sorry for my poor explanations on my part. In case of incorrect installation or unsuitable parts, the warranty should be removed only on items directly or indirectly affected by the poor installation. Your view about whether or not the company would try and get out of the RMA is based on your trust and experience with PCS. And I am confident enough in the company based on what I have read that I am very soon about to order £1000 worth of laptop and then install £200 of RAM in it myself. But the warranty wording could definitely be improved - more than anything else for PCS' sake - 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.

 

[keynes]

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.

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?

 

[Oussebon]

more than anything else for PCS' sake

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.

That's obvious, because if they're honouring warranties appropriately then nobody should need to take them to the small claims court (barring such very rare disputes that PCS, as with any organisation, may occasionally fail to resolve amicably).

The benefit to PCS of changing the wording would therefore be in avoid confusion or concern from potential customers.

The issue doesn't seem to come up very often on the forums, however, and PCS have presumably received professional legal advice on the framing of their Terms and Conditions. I assume any amendment would need itself to be properly worded, and PCS would need to pay for legal advice on that.

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.

I therefore might not expect them to make a change on the basis of this discussion - if they have something that works, hasn't caused many problems, and would require additional expense to change.

 

[Rakk]

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.

Also to explain it to cover every single loophole may make it of essay length.

Personally I'm glad PCS let you open the cases and install stuff, some manufacturers void the warranty if you open the case let alone do anything in there

 

[Excy]

- already answered my question)