Company Refunded Money for Faulty Laptop Also Sent a New Replacement Laptop. What Should I Do?

kanad on 01/04/2021 - 12:52
Last edited 05/04/2021 - 10:20 by 1 other user

Bought a popular model laptop top spec from a well known global company just over a year back. On the 11th month after purchase got error message during boot after bios & windows updates but I can still continue to boot to windows. Technicians visited 3 times spread out due to sudden lockdowns, replaced motherboard thrice, keyboard etc. error doesn't go away. Company agreed to replace the laptop and they said since my model is discontinued they will provide an equivalent latest model (this has latest 11th gen CPU) and it will take 14 days due to parts shortage. I agreed, by now warranty period is over. Then they send courier to pickup my faulty laptop and after that send and email that due to parts shortage it will take over 100 days for the replacement laptop. Not happy I escalated and they said they will refund me the purchase price, again I agreed and they closed the case.

I got refund back to my credit card (lucky I didn't close out this one and it is now in surplus balance). All good I thought, almost bought a new laptop from the eBay deal knowing the refund would come. Then lo, yesterday the post guy came with a new laptop delivered, this is obviously the replacement laptop and either their system or process failed somewhere. The list price of the new model is more than the refund I got but I was thinking to save some of the refund money to buy a little lower specced one. I am talking > $4K

Question to OzBrainsTrust what should I do?

With option 3 I will keep the replacement laptop for an year. Is there a statute of limitation on how long the company can ask me to give their goods back.

Poll Options expired

  • 218
    Contact company to take back the replacement laptop.
  • 33
    Contact company to revert the credit and keep the replacement laptop.
  • 421
    Do nothing and see if the company detects this problem.
Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • OG Puppy Banana on 03/04/2021 - 12:50

    Same same but different to a situation that happened to me when the merchant sent me two flat pack standing desks, rather than just the one I ordered. (Victoria).

    Broadly, the best thing to do is contact them asap to notify them of their error and to request that they immediately pick up the unwanted goods.

    My faulty at best interpretation of the law was that after X amount of days since you sent the email demanding they collect their goods, you can keep it.

    They collected within 5 days and also sent us some free accessories for our honesty as it helped them identify an issue with their system.

    Honesty not a bad policy.

  • dufflover on 03/04/2021 - 12:54

    I'd contact them to let them know, not really cos of morals but because I really CBF setting it all up to make use of it, then to have them contacting me a week or two later and wanting it back.

    If it's the big name like Dell I would be hoping they'd just write it off and say keep it.

  • henno on 03/04/2021 - 13:09
    +2

    I once had my car stolen. It was recovered, and the insurance company took it from the police to their repair shop for repairs.
    During the time it was being repaired, they also paid out my insurance policy in full.
    I ended up with a completely cleaned and repaired car returned to me AND the agreed value of that car in cash.

    You better believe I told them of their error.

  • Franconian on 03/04/2021 - 13:52

    Similar thing happened to me many years ago in the US with Dell. They didn't want to organise collection and I could keep the laptop.

  • Kranbone on 03/04/2021 - 14:29

    I'd inform them of the issue so they can rectify it.

    You got your refund even though it was hard fought. The company has tried numerous times to do the right thing. I'd return the favour.

  • poporange630 on 03/04/2021 - 15:03

    Had the same thing with Microsoft few years ago. I ended up keeping the Surface device.

  • Breno785au on 03/04/2021 - 16:22
    -2

    I'll take it if you don't want it

  • lachhelix on 03/04/2021 - 18:41

    I'd let them know you recieved a second one and to organise to collect it, if they ignore your message or don't bother to collect, I'd wait 6 months and consider it mine.

  • mezje on 03/04/2021 - 19:41
    +2

    Personally, if it was a big company and error was due to internal miscommunication or similar I would just book it as a win.

    If it was a small company and I think the loss would hurt them I would fess up.

    That being said, this stuff rarely, if ever would happen to a small company.

  • RandomFox on 03/04/2021 - 23:25
    -2

    So many people calling it stealing.. same scenario different price if these people ordered 24 nuggets but got 25 would you bother to tell the store because it's stealing?

    • johnno07 on 04/04/2021 - 01:19
      +1

      In what world is four cents worth of chicken even remotely comparable to a multi-thousand-dollar laptop? Both instances are cases of mistake, but only one of those would the victim actually give a shit about it.

      • krisspy on 04/04/2021 - 14:55

        Well it's more the fact that you can't trace a missing nugget no matter how much big 4 graduates you get on the case.

        The laptop doesnt cost thousands to make. It's still a drop in the ocean for say a 20 odd billion revenue company. But it's so easy to pinpoint when the balance sheets don't balance.

      • RandomFox on 04/04/2021 - 19:18

        Your right and like I said it's still the same scenario different price. Yet one is seen as stealing and one probably isn't by the same people.

  • cookie2 on 03/04/2021 - 23:25

    Hold onto it. Don't actively mention to the company (unless a small business-not a company). Buy your new laptop you wanted and use it as normal. Then when you're comfortable they're not coming looking for it, sell it.

  • johnno07 on 04/04/2021 - 01:20
    -1

    Everyone here saying you're entitled to keep it after X amount of time is wrong. You aren't. This is clearly a mistake - not randomly mailed unsolicited goods. However it's unlikely there will be repurcussions for hanging onto it.

  • mandelbrot on 04/04/2021 - 06:22

    Hold onto it, but buy something else from the company for the same amount. Consider it a discount on both items, and the company gets a sale.

  • khomeini on 04/04/2021 - 07:46

    Depends on your level of morality. Are you the type of person who gives back money if undercharged?
    I personally would give it back but it goes back to your moral standpoint and everyone differs by degrees. Especially the higher the amount.

    • kanad on 05/04/2021 - 10:34
      +1

      Yes, I pay back money. The other day a tradie from a company working at my home mentioned that customer has stolen his tool. I was incredulous, he said he left it after working at a customer and when he returned to get it back they simply denied he left the tool. That is it, he couldn't do much. So shit people like that exists but I am will never do such things.
      I this case I will simply wait for 3 months and see what happens.

  • imurgod on 04/04/2021 - 08:15
    +3

    FWIW, I would recommend doing the honest thing.

    Every since I had kids I decided to grow as a human and always take this approach.

    Whether it's coincidence or not, things keep getting better for me.

  • Candour on 04/04/2021 - 09:23

    what would you do if you got a $1M deposit in error in your bank account?
    stealing is something taken through an error on the other party's part.
    we invent complex systems of morality to evade ethical and moral choices.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2021 - 09:58

      Don't be ridiculous, $1M is not worth the risk these days. $10M on the other hand…

    • mandelbrot on 04/04/2021 - 10:27

      Totally different scenario. There are different laws that apply for money incorrectly deposited in your bank account. People have gone to jail for spending money that banks have accidentally transfered to their account.

      You tell me of one incident where a person has got a slap on the wrist for using received unsolicited goods.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2021 - 09:53

    Let them know by sending email to generic support email found on their website, the one that receives so much spam that it's effectively blackholed.

  • Momoni on 04/04/2021 - 09:57
    +2

    I ordered an iPhone on a plan about 2 years back. Received two. Tried very hard to return one. Calls, email, chat to no avail. In the end I went to a company owned store (Telstra) and handed it in. It was the right thing to do.

    • berger on 04/04/2021 - 15:31
      +1

      Telstra staff member would have had a very profitable experience

      • Momoni on 04/04/2021 - 16:22

        Perhaps. But I did record it against my Telstra account. And followed up with a message to Telstra.

  • krisspy on 04/04/2021 - 14:46

    I bought a switch game back when after pay were having deals. Express posted the first one and auspost reported delays, company sent another one for some reason. They arrived 2 days apart. Sold both for a profit.

  • p1 ama on 04/04/2021 - 22:07
    -4

    To be perfectly honest, reading the responses here, I'm not even surprised that customer service is no longer a thing and that most companies now treat their customers like shit. I don't like commenting on others' morality, but if you're one of the 400+ who voted to just keep the laptop, you should surrender the right to ever expect good customer service from any retailer in the future. In fact, you should expect to be treated like garbage and all of your returns/complaints treated exactly as per consumer law (which is very stringent) and for all of your requests to be as bogged down and delayed as possible.

    FWIW, I'm not saying that as "revenge", but rather, that this is what that sort of attitude will result in in the long run. It just leads to a shit experience for everyone because of the shitty actions of a few. I still remember a time when shopping and dealing with store reps was a positive experience. Now, it's all just suspicion.

    If it was some minor infraction, e.g. Maccas giving you an extra burger or something, then yes, whatever, it's just going in the trash if you return it anyway so you might as well just eat it. But a > $4,000 laptop? Come on now.

  • nowlan on 04/04/2021 - 22:19
    -1

    Expect a phone call very soon.

  • Ash-Say on 05/04/2021 - 09:07
    -1

    Looks like they are connected

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/615147

    • kerfuffle on 05/04/2021 - 12:23
      -1

      Dense much? That was a troll thread.

      • Ash-Say on 05/04/2021 - 16:09
        -1

        Ok fluffy

  • OzHunterNSW on 05/04/2021 - 10:17
    +1

    Obviously this is causing you immense moral anguish… they tried to do the right thing for you… will you do the right thing in return?

  • Ramrunner on 13/04/2021 - 18:27

    I'm just wondering which company this is. Certainly not Razer or Lenovo, who've screwed me over right royally before with warranty issues. Getting a full refund and/or replacement laptop I've never had any success with in the past so quite impressed somebody got both.

    To be fair though I would notify them about the double up. But that's just me.

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