Buying a Computer  See also Buying a Monitor

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Tips on buying a computer

January 2010 For people who are concerned about buying on line be assured that the Distance Selling Regulations are STRONGER than when buying from a shop.  Quoted from Computer Active : " The customer has 7 working days from the date after receipt in which an item can be rejected (not necessarity returned). There is no specified time for return. Your rejection must be in writing (letter or email). You are eligible for a full refund including delivery costs within 30 days - whether they got the goods back or not. But you are responsible for costs of returning (and safe delivery e.g. Insurance - they suggest recorded delivery) It is illegal for them to charge a restocking fee or original packaging though some items such as opened software may not be returned - or an item actually worn. But retailers cannot demand the goods returned 'as new'- though you must take 'reasonable care'. If the goods are faulty you are protected by the Sale of Goods Act (on line ot at a shop). You do not have to have receipt but proof of purchase e.g. Bank statement, is necessary. If bought on line - a faulty item - the retailer must bear the cost of return. If returned in 6 months the retailer has too prove it was not faulty - not caused by you. If he cannot, you are entitled to a refund or repair. The contract is with the RETAILER, not the manufacturer. If it is less than a month you do not have to accept a repair. Insist on replacement or refund. In case of trouble get in touch with Consumer Direct.gov.uk 08454040506"

Windows 7 is now the main Windows on offer and has, so far,  received good reviews. You should be able to pick up a nice desktop or laptop for under £500 and be ahead of the rest of the world ! In January 2010 Dell were advertising a fast desktop PC Inpiron 560 with 2gb memory, 320gb hard disk and Windows 7 for just £399

Magazine PCPro asked their subscribers about their favourite Desktop and Laptop PCs.  These were the results :

For many people getting a basic computer is sufficient. These days a 'basic' computer means one with a Dual Core Intel 1.6 gigahertz chip, 2 Gigabyte of memory, a 230 Gigabyte hard disk, DVD writer, a 19" flat screen), Windows 7 and a Works suite. The graphics will be 'integrated', meaning it is built into the motherboard and uses part of the main memory. Such a computer can be delivered to your door for around £400. In fact, Dell may ADD XP Pro for an extra £50. Take that off and the screen and you can get the same thing for £240 delivered. You would find that buying those items separately would come to quite a considerably more. The retail price of Windows 7 alone is around £70. So, as always, I recommend that people do NOT try to upgrade an old computer and only build one themselves if they want to do it so they can say "I have done it"!  I went to the Misco site and priced up the pieces individually.  It would be at least £100 more.

If you want hands-on support you may still want to go to a 'proper (dedicated) computer shop' in your local town. You may have to pay a little more but it may be worth it. If you are worried about what you would do if your new PC goes wrong you may be tempted to purchase a three year on-site or collect and return policy.  But they are usually quite expensive. In the case of Dell they usually add this automatically and, if you don't want it, you have to 'untick' that option when ordering on line. The purchase will then probably only have a 3 month collect and return facility.  After that you would have to pack it up and send it to them.
Laptops: If you are short of deskspace or require more mobility then a laptop may suit you better. Prices these days are similar to a desktop system, though chip speeds are often lower and the keyboards are a little cramped.  Also the little pads which are used instead of a mouse may take a bit of getting used to.  I recommend a cheap wired laser mouse from Tesco.  A modern laptop is likely to have a wide (15.5") screen, a CD/DVD writer and an inbuilt wireless (Wi-Fi) ability.  If you buy a second hand laptop you are almost certain to have to replace the battery at around £60. 

Why do people pay twice as much for a computer?  The people who pay more are usually wanting superior speed, sound and graphics. These are the Media and Games fanatics who will pay more for a speaker system than I would for a computer.  Their graphics cards have their own on board computer, vast memory and a cooling fan to keep the whole thing from overheating and can also cost as much as a basic computer.  As usual, it all depends what you want to do with your computer.

If you wish to donate your old PC to a good cause take a look at www.computeraid.org  But they only really deal with Pentium 3 and 4 machines ( or AMD equivalent ) with CD and a reasonable amount of memory. Of course, transportation is the main drawback.  You need to contact 020 7281 0091 to get a quotation. It may be better to advertise it with your local Freecycle group.

YOUR RIGHTS  The small print.

I buy stuff on line all the time and benefit from the reduced prices and competition offered by comparative sites. But what are the pitfalls and what are your rights?.

I always use my Credit Card when buying as there is extra protection in doing so, especially if the goods are worth more than £100, when the Credit Card company is obliged to compensate you if things go wrong.  At the moment this does not apply to purchases from overseas.  Apart from this there is quite a lot of protection offered to the on line buyer. The relevant legislation is the Consumer Credit Act 1974.  

The Sale of Goods Act states that goods must be of a satisfactory quality.  Goods ordered on line, by phone or by post can be returned under the Distance Selling Regulations without explanation within 'a reasonable time', which is widely accepted as being seven days. In England and Wales, for the first six months the consumer need not produce any evidence that the goods were inherently faulty at the time of sale. The onus of detecting a fault during this period is on the seller. Your complaint, if you find a fault (not caused by yourselves) should be directed to the SELLER, NOT the manufacturer.  The seller is responsible if the goods do not conform to contract.  Therefore the manufacturer's warranty has no bearing on seeking a repair, replacement or refund. In the case of a fault the buyer must not suffer financially, even to the extent of the cost of collection or return. After the first six months you may have to prove that the goods are faulty by getting it inspected. If a dispute arises take advice from www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.  If all else fails the Small Claims Court may be your only redress for items up to £5000.  Initially6 take advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau. See also www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

Buying from an Auction Site such as Ebay. You have little protection if the seller is a private individual but things are different if the seller is a business.  Even very small Ebay traders may be considered to be Sole Traders and must abide by the rules (though many may not even realise this) Traders are governed by the Sale of Goods Act and the Distance Sellers Regulations. This is even more confusing because the DSRs only apply to Instant Sales (Buy it now) and NOT to auctions.  However, the SOG Act applies to both and to new and second hand goods.

If it is a matter of a service supplied e.g. the provision of an Internet Connection then the law is governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the approach (re an ISP) would be to the Ombudsman Service www.otelo.org.uk and to www.arbitrators.org/cisas

If the goods cause damage or injury different laws apply.  In this case the Consumer Protection Act 1987 says that the manufacturer or importer is responsible.    If the seller cannot advise you who that is then the seller becomes responsible.  Compensation is generally only payable if the damage exceeds £275.

With regard to purchases from Ebay you should view their pages at http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/tp/inr-snad-process.html

If you purchase things as a direct result of an advertisement in a magazine (such as Computer Active) that magazine MAY have a Mail Order Protection Scheme which could compensate you if the company goes bust before you get the goods.

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