[Caunnysup]

Seeing how the shop sounds like complete shite, I'd be inclined to check that your PC comes back with all the components that it had in when it first went to the shop.

I had a mate who took his PC to a shop and the repair took an entire weekend, it was only when he got it home and it was running like crap that he decided to ask my advice, When I checked it out in windows, windows reported it as having a 2000XP, when there was a sticker on the top clearly stating that it had a 3200 Barton fitted amongst its other original components.
So My friend and I took it back to the shop and told them to put the original cpu back in, or we'd go to the police, they tried to pass it off as a mistake by their technician (but when the PC was originally taken in, it was for a ram upgrade only, so why take the cpu out) it was all sounding really fishy!
So they gave me the 3200 Barton and I fitted it myself, then dropped the 2000 XP into them.

They've done other dodgy **** since then, advertising those crappy Athlon 3000+ Pro cpu's, you know, the ones where a cheap 1600Mhz AMD cpu is soldered directly to a PC Chips mobo, making them impossible to upgrade, unless you swap out the board too.
And then they advertise in the local rag and make it out to be a AMD 3000+ system, which makes it sounds like a 3000XP chip, whereas its not even close to a 2000XP.

My neighbour got stung,
bought one for £300, but because the chip is soldered to the board, it overheats like crazy, the shop refused to return his cash, so I convinced him to fock them off and buy a 2200 sempron, Asus KT600 board and a 128mb FX 5500 for about £130 or so (going back about a year now) and fitted them into his PC, and he has'nt had any problems in over a year, He actually gave me the old board, but even fitting a huge ass HSF to it would'nt solve the overheating, so I ended up donating it to a mate who collects worthless junk, I think he made a bird table or something outta it. [rofl] [rofl]

[SallyIsNice5]

I will go mental if any parts have been changed unless i have told them to do so!!!!

These sort of shops should be black listed!!!!!!

[wowwieholmes]

[rofl] thats is such a good candidate for a sig quote.

And to be honest I feel exactly the same way.

I'm also the one, family are always asking about PC problems, so much so, that if one of them asks my advice, I just tell them to ask someone else, mainly cos of the things they have done in the past to piss me off!

Like when one of my sisters wanted a good PC for my niece, they asked me about this certain PC in PC world that was being sold for £1000, but it was pretty crappy specs, IMO and I told her I could build something 4 times as good and fast for half as much.

So I spent ages looking for good but cheap bits, including the O/S, priced it all up, said I'd even build it and not charge for the build and she said she'd get back to me.

Next thing I hear is she's only gone and bought the one from PC world, cos they offered an extended 5 year warranty for £300 or something (not worth the paper its printed on) and then she rings me up cos its not playing some game and its slow etc etc.

Well I'm sorry but when you ask my advice but don't take it, more fool you!

My other sister does the same thing, so I priced it all up, and it comes to about £700, she then buys the EXACT same spec from a local PC shop for £1500 with again an extended warranty for £200 or so.

Then it screws up, she phones asking for advice, its a sunday, she desperately needs it running that day, so she can do some college assignment, the shop is shut for a few days, so I drive over there (70 miles) fix it,(its just a misconfiguration in the bios), literally 5 second job.

Then once I get into windows, she has no firewall and no anti virus, WTF?

So I spend a few hours sorting everything out, do a bit of tweaking and making windows a bit faster, just the usual stuff.

And her husband, sits there taking notes for about 4 hours.

So anyway, I finish the job, and just before I go, I have a quick look in the room with the PC and her husband is only changing everything I've done in windows.

I wondered what the notes were for!

Apparently he does'nt trust my judgement in regards to the windows tweaks I've done, this coming from a guy who has just learnt in the past month to switch the PC on.

So I just drive home, totally disheartened, in the knowledge that should they ever phone again, I'm just way too busy to help, and they can fock off to their local pc shop and get ripped off, (again).

Sometimes, it makes you wonder why you even bother helping people, especially family who should trust you enough if you've been dabbling in PC's for the better part of 20 years.

Ive had the exact same kind of **** myself mate, but thankfully not from family as they all trust me. Some guy at work asked, well begged practically because I dont do pc builds anymore as I cant be arsed with the hassle, to build him a good spec pc for his kids for their school work. Anyway I spent a while looking for the best prices on gear and speccing up a computer for him. I come into work on the Monday to find he has gone to PC World over the weekend and spent nigh on £1200 on the biggest pile of **** Ive ever seen. Apparently his wife, who obviously wears the trousers, demanded they bought one from there as they offer a "good warranty" [rolleyes]

Guess what happened on the Tuesday.................... thats right, it broke and he asked if I would mind driving up to his house 30 miles away to sort it for them. F**K OFF!!!! was the answer, and is to anyone who asks me anything about pc's from now on!! [yes]

[SallyIsNice5]

Right got my rig back noticed straight away 3x heat sinks were missing off my graphics card!!!!!! They guy I sent to pick my machine up got to speak to the useless idiot who was supposed to be looking at my machine. He said tell him who ever built this not to give up the day job!!! That is such a joke as it was Left clicks that built this machine for me.

He said he swapped the CPU over and was able to boot into Windows with any problems, I ordered a new cpu and installed this the weekend - still no go.

So since giving them my machine they have not looked at it for me but they have told me to replace the cpu and that I would be up and running again.

So now I have a new cpu installed and down 3x graphics card mem sinks and no better off! BUNCH OF TW@TS

Bet I need new graphics card now!

[xtrslots]

Which is why you never send your computer away, you send it to a local shop who you have dealt with before.

There are a couple of times the tech i work with has made a mistake - forgetting to plug the molex back into cdrom drive, not installing motherboard drivers on a build, not bothering to cable tie a system, forgetting to put a dialup modem in, but 99% of the systems that go back out are fixed.

[SallyIsNice5]

I have been having a few problems with my rig and previously used Left clicks in the Uk to resolve my pc / water-cooling issue's when I have not had time due to work and other commitments. The customer support has been ok in the past but nothing great, this time I sent my rig to them to check what was up with it.

I had already done a few prior tests and said it's either the CPU of the motherboard.

Left clicks said they would have a look and let me know. Few days went past and they said we are able to boot the machine with a different Cpu so you could try a new / second hand one.

I managed to get the part and tried 3 days of ringing and sending emails to them to see if they wanted the part posting to them - but no luck!!!

Finally get a call saying a few days after say we don’t have time to look at your machine and don’t know if we have received the part or not!

I am 30 miles away from the company so im sending someone to pick the computer up and do it this weekend.

That’s my experience with them so I just though I would share my thoughts before anyone wants to send any hardware leftclciks way - DONT

EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICES!!

[Enrivaanonock]

I wouldn't trust ANYONE else with my PC and I would never consider sending it to someone like that to get it fixed, but thanks for the heads up. I guess they just don't want your money

[SallyIsNice5]

And here i was considering spending another £1300 on a new upgrade - too bad!

[slarceSelia]

speaking of computer issues... someone i know wanted me to fix his computer a couple of months back. After i dragged my heels over it (i spend enough time fixing the family computer only for it to get fooked again within a matter of what seems like minutes) he took it to get repaired at a shop...

the cost? £180 for a reinstall of windows.

if only he wasnt so rude about it and expecting me to do it for free

[slarceSelia]

speaking of computer issues... someone i know wanted me to fix his computer a couple of months back. After i dragged my heels over it (i spend enough time fixing the family computer only for it to get fooked again within a matter of what seems like minutes) he took it to get repaired at a shop...

the cost? £180 for a reinstall of windows.

if only he wasnt so rude about it and expecting me to do it for free

[xtrslots]

speaking of computer issues... someone i know wanted me to fix his computer a couple of months back. After i dragged my heels over it (i spend enough time fixing the family computer only for it to get fooked again within a matter of what seems like minutes) he took it to get repaired at a shop...

the cost? £180 for a reinstall of windows.

if only he wasnt so rude about it and expecting me to do it for free

Lol, who the heck would pay £180 for a windows reinstall, we charge £45 for a full install of windows onto a blank drive + updates, £25 for repair reinstall

[Lebybynctisee]

When will little Jimmy learn!

[slarceSelia]

Lol, who the heck would pay £180 for a windows reinstall, we charge £45 for a full install of windows onto a blank drive + updates, £25 for repair reinstall

i think it may have been more than that - he was talking about a backup as well... still not enough to charge £180 methinks!!

anyway i made it up to him - i resoldered the wires he pulled out the back of his keyboard for him [rolleyes]

[VowJoyday]

I wouldn't trust ANYONE else with my PC and I would never consider sending it to someone like that to get it fixed, but thanks for the heads up. I guess they just don't want your money

[stupid] I'd rather let someone else give my missus a good seeing to than let some dodgy "PC 'I know bollocks all about computers but if you let me loose on it I'll try and baffle you with bullshite and charge you' store" work on my rig

The small local stores near me are scary, I went to get a new cooler and asked if the guy had any recommendations as to water cooling, he looked at me as if I was mad and said "water, you're avin a larf ain't ya" /me left very quickly

[Caunnysup]

[stupid] I'd rather let someone else give my missus a good seeing to than let some dodgy "PC 'I know bollocks all about computers but if you let me loose on it I'll try and baffle you with bullshite and charge you' store" work on my rig

[rofl] thats is such a good candidate for a sig quote.

And to be honest I feel exactly the same way.

I'm also the one, family are always asking about PC problems, so much so, that if one of them asks my advice, I just tell them to ask someone else, mainly cos of the things they have done in the past to piss me off!

Like when one of my sisters wanted a good PC for my niece, they asked me about this certain PC in PC world that was being sold for £1000, but it was pretty crappy specs, IMO and I told her I could build something 4 times as good and fast for half as much.

So I spent ages looking for good but cheap bits, including the O/S, priced it all up, said I'd even build it and not charge for the build and she said she'd get back to me.

Next thing I hear is she's only gone and bought the one from PC world, cos they offered an extended 5 year warranty for £300 or something (not worth the paper its printed on) and then she rings me up cos its not playing some game and its slow etc etc.

Well I'm sorry but when you ask my advice but don't take it, more fool you!

My other sister does the same thing, so I priced it all up, and it comes to about £700, she then buys the EXACT same spec from a local PC shop for £1500 with again an extended warranty for £200 or so.

Then it screws up, she phones asking for advice, its a sunday, she desperately needs it running that day, so she can do some college assignment, the shop is shut for a few days, so I drive over there (70 miles) fix it,(its just a misconfiguration in the bios), literally 5 second job.

Then once I get into windows, she has no firewall and no anti virus, WTF?

So I spend a few hours sorting everything out, do a bit of tweaking and making windows a bit faster, just the usual stuff.

And her husband, sits there taking notes for about 4 hours.

So anyway, I finish the job, and just before I go, I have a quick look in the room with the PC and her husband is only changing everything I've done in windows.

I wondered what the notes were for!

Apparently he does'nt trust my judgement in regards to the windows tweaks I've done, this coming from a guy who has just learnt in the past month to switch the PC on.

So I just drive home, totally disheartened, in the knowledge that should they ever phone again, I'm just way too busy to help, and they can fock off to their local pc shop and get ripped off, (again).

Sometimes, it makes you wonder why you even bother helping people, especially family who should trust you enough if you've been dabbling in PC's for the better part of 20 years.

[Enrivaanonock]

I also get asked by my entire family and circle of friends to build/fix/upgrade/tweak/install their PCs, but thankfully they all respect my advice and decisions, and will trust me to do anything to their PC without a second thought.

But I'd probably feel the same way as you if somone asks for your help but decides that just because somone works in a computer shop they must know more than you about computers.

[SallyIsNice5]

I just rang them back to find out when i could pick the rig up and they have been very rude on the phone......How the hell to they expect customers to come back?

I Have had to cancel allot of things to get it sorted out on Sunday and not to mention paying someone to take it back and forth.

Best of it is right I think they are going to try and charge me for having my machine for a week and have doe nothing!

[Caunnysup]

Just hope you get it sorted Jimmy, good luck too you on that!

Yeh! anyway even though my sisters don't trust my judgement (probably cos I'm pretty much completely self taught), My father trusts me completely and always asks my advice on PC stuff etc.

I've even built a few PC's for his friends, cos I know he has bragged about my uber skills (lol) to his mates down the pub and a few have phoned asking for advice and PC builds, so at least someone in my family appreciates my advice.

[VowJoyday]

Best of it is right I think they are going to try and charge me for having my machine for a week and have doe nothing!

Hopefully they don't charge you, these tosspots give the people who actually enjoy the job and enjoy helping a bad name.