Job hassle [yet again]

A client bought a PC in Feb this year open my recommendation,he wanted a better video card and more RAM, so I added all this and replaced the power supply with something better. Today he phones me up and says it just bleeps at him. I've looked at the beep code and it seems to indicate the motherboard timer has gone meaning a new motherboard.

Asa the original warranty is void who has to cough up the new board? If I was to it could cost him £100 inc the board and labour and I think he may be pissed of about that.

I just wanted some advice with regard to how to proceed.

 

sounds cheap to me.

Charge him!!

 

INAL but shit happens quite often.

Although he brought the kit upon your recommendation he had a contract with whoever sold him the kit not you, now if the additional ram or video card caused the problems then that may be down to you. Hold your ground and let him pay for the replacement kit or let him have a go at the seller.

 

Surely the new board had a guarantee? Most things have to warranted these days so if it's peppered it needs to go back to the supplier. If he bought he takes it back, if you bought it you take it back. If you bought it and lost the receipt you lose the money. Keep things next time.
It's not difficult really

 

Are you sure you are cut out for business?

 

The problem was it was a prebult Acer not built by me, because the case had been opened by myself the original Acer warranty was void.

Anyway I have just been to look at the computer and it turns out it to be a controller on one of the memory sticks that had failed, so not a problem at all in the end.

Very odd that the Phoenix BIOS beep code suggested faulty timer though on the motherboard.

 

It might be a problem if it was the memory that you specified.

 

The computer has been running fine for the past 10 months without a hitch. It was also the original memory that had the fault. Its so cheap any it is not a problem.

 

Apologies if this comes acorss rude as it's not meant to.
If you have to come here to resolve your business issues, I'd echo Bob's sentiment above

 

why not ask for advice..? - it's the only way to learn (apart from mistakes, experience etc) - not everyone knows all the answers all of the time...

 

Yeah your probably right Mr cat

I guess he should have made it very clear that his "upgrades" would void the orginal guarantee and that this was at the users risk. Then there would be no question as to who is liable in this situation.

 

i think its quite refreshimng to meet someone who doesn't know it all.

but honestly, we can't even make our minds up on cables, why would you trust us?

 

Am I imagining it, or is just about every comment you make negative?

 

In this day and age what kind computer manuf doesn't let you open the case?

 

All of them I should think - not that I know for sure, but I would expect most if not all of them to void the guarantee if you crack them open in that period. That said, if they feel the urge to upgrade so soon perhaps the owner should have chosen more carefully in the first place .

 

Not if it's a G5(tower) mac they don't, they have cool removable side walls/or latched hinged sides that positively invite you in;-) What if you want to add a bit of ram FFS...haul it down to PCWorld? seems like just another way to squeeze even more money out of the unwary pc user IMO.

 

MO
I generally confine them to arses who add web adresses to their posts.

 

I wonder if this void of warranty thing is legal practice as one could argue that if you can't open the case the product is not fit for purpose.

 

Of course it is legal. If you built and sold a computer and the the customer takes it apart, adds bits and then brings it back not working expecting you to fix it, would you do that FOC under warranty?
Why on earth would it not be fit for purpose?
The purpose of a PC sold to a customer is surely to use it as a PC, surfing, spreadsheets etc, it is not for them to pull apart and play around with.

 

But the entire point of a PC is it is expandable. You could argue by not being able to open the case it is not expandable. On the hand I bought a PC for myself as it was cheaper than building it, I've had it 10 months and the only original part left is the case, motherboard and optical drive . I have replaced the RAM, hard drive, power supply, video card, adding loads of other cards to it etc so clearly the warranty is void. However if you simply add a soundcard I don't think it is fair that the warranty is void.