Complaint Review: Richards Computer

I took my laptop to Richards Computers on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 because of a problem with the hard drive. Two days later, they informed me that the hard drive was bad and required replacement. So they backed up my data, installed a new hard drive (or so I thought), and reload the data. On Monday, they called twice to inform me that laptop was ready for pick up. I showed up only to be told to wait another hour-and-a-half because they had not finished all the work. The guy at the desk gave a lame excuse that things should not be rushed, blah blah blah... That's not the point. They told me it was ready for pickup. Twice! With no mention of the 'lame excuse'. So I came back two hours later to pick it up. They knocked $20 (cheap!) off for the inconvenience. Before leaving, I asked the other guy at the desk what hard drive was in my laptop. He said it was a 100GB, 7200rpm HDD and nothing more. I assumed it was a new hard drive and left.

A week later, on Sunday, the laptop failed to start windows - login screen did not appear. Using the power button, I re-started the unit. It began to start and then systematically blacked out. Power was on, but nothing is showing after 10 minutes. I tried starting in Safe Mode only for it to spew a list of files and then stopped. I had a different tech expert look into it. He reported that the hard drive failed completely while initiating data transfer. Furthermore, the hard drive itself was an old, used device from HP. I was not informed that it wasn't new. Upon calling Richards Computers, they told me that it wasn't 'old'. It's 'refurbished'. That it is their practice to use 'refurbished' products, even if they didn't tell the customer about it. I returned for a refund. The 'lame excuse' guy had the nerve to claim that their hard drives never failed. It's 'refurbished', and it's not going to fail? Plus, he lied to me before, so I know he's lying again. Nonetheless, I received my refund.

I had to file this report because Richards Computers' bad service had cost me all the work I had in the laptop. The reports, drawings, manuals, e-mails and other important documents for my work - all gone. Yet Richards Computers will continue to use 'refurbished' devices, old and used disguised as 'new'. They will rip-off everything that's important on your computer. Do business with them at your own risk!