BEWARE of *** Notebook. P Mall [Need Advice Below]

First of all let me begin by stating..
Beware of ***, Pacific Mall, Markham (I will announce the name if he carries out with his threats and returns me a box full of laptop parts instead of my VAIO)

Here is why:

On the night of October 4th, my Sony laptop short circuted after accidently plugging in a powered usb cable which my laptop didn't support. In the morning the next day, I rode the TTC from my place in Toronto to Pacific Mall (decided that because Chinese is easier to communicate for me), an hour and a half distance. To make a long story short this is what happened afterwards.

10/5, Store(owner?) takes a look at it, says USB part of laptop brunt out, should be replaceable although I would only have 1 USB port left. I said fine that was acceptable, and to fix iit right away if it could be done under 60 dollars. (Paid 28.50 at this time just for the diagnostic check)

10/6, I trek again to Pacific Mall hoping it is fixed and just a small problem (the impression given to me was that it was). Store owner asks why did I come, I told him for my computer, the Sony one. "Ohh, that one" he says and commences to tell me that it will take maybe a week to fix (no mention about this yesterday, and no telephone to me either about it) and that the price has risen to a whopping 250+. Alarm bells were going off in my head, but stupidly I choose to ignore my thinking and just wanted to get this fixed fast (I had a paper coming up and needed this laptop to use badly). I said go ahead, fix it!

10/13 (around), I phoned in asked whats up, how is the repair job on the VAIO coming along, when can I pick it up. He is totally bewildered, asks me why I am calling him, do I have no patience, why must I rush him. Being confused myself at this point, I point out that he himself told me to phone him in a week (a week ago). He says I must have patience, takes time, can't rush the repair job (hilarious, it's just taking out the short circuited parts and puting new ones in). After hearing almost a lecture from him about why it is so important to give him lots of time and not rush him, I just decide to let it go. Whatever, as long as hes doing his job and I have a laptop to use in time for my paper. He tells me that it will be done on Sunday next week (specifically).

10/22 (The Sunday), I take another long journey on the TTC to pick up my laptop. Entering his store, he is bewildered once more. "Why did you come, did I ask you to come?". WTF? I told him that it is Sunday, I'm picking up my laptop which has been here for 17 days. I NEED my laptop. He says no no no, it's not done! The service is not done! Why are you rushing me!!! Don't you know that it CANNOT be rushed?!. He denies telling me to come today to the point of calling me a liar. I'm so confused at this point, I sputter out but but but, you told me to pick it up today and it'll be done. He skillfully dodges this and fires back about I should have phoned him first, he would tell me it is not done and I wouldn't have to come all the way here. Good point. BUT if he specifically told me a date, isn't it his responsibility to call me if he can't meet it? At this point, I ask where is my laptop, I want it back, I don't need your "service" on it anymore. He tells me it is in his home, all torn to pieces and he can't put it back right away so I will need to wait until this Friday. I say fine, fix it in the meantime, if you can't just return it. He seems relieved and says no problem no problem, give me a call on Wednesday and I'll tell you whether the fixing has been a success or not (gives the impression that it's going to be repaired by then).

10/25, Today, I just got off the phone with them. He is ONCE AGAIN (it's so infuriating) bewildered and asks why did I call. Have I call to rush him again? Didn't he say he cannot be rushed? I just absolutely give up at this point. I say it's fine, forget the entire thing, just return my laptop back. At this point he is jabbering about complete nonsense. I had said that it was a waste of time leaving my laptop at his store, I could have got it fixed in this 3 weeks and used it instead of trekking an hour a day to use the public ones in my university not to mention all the TTC fares and time (at least 6 hours) I have spent on the bus (I didn't even mention these points, just said leaving my laptop there was a waste of time). He then retorts, in his opinion it is I that is wasting his time... I have nothing to say to this, its absolute nonsense. I just said give me back my laptop. He says it's still in pieces I say fine, I'll come pick it up Friday. He tells me no way. That it will take him till Monday just to reassemble the pieces. This ticks me off again, I told him I needed it put back together and given back to me before Sunday (I have no time after that as mid-terms start), which is already a concession on my part. He says "NO WAY". I will give you the pieces on Sunday and you can put it back together. I ask him whether it takes five days to put back together a computer. He starts sputtering off again and tired by this I just slam down the phone.

This is my true experience.

I know people are going to blast me about why coulnd't I just spent more money on a proper store and how what you get is what you paid. But keep in mind that this store is a authorized retailer to sell many brands of laptops and it had seemed professional enough on first glance having a big "authorized service shop" sticker on. Also the amount I would have paid was even more than it would be at a big box store because I just wanted the repairs to be faster.

If I do recieve a box of parts back from him instead of my laptop is there lawful way of proceeding with this?

is there any written documentation recording the events and services?
or is it just "gimme a few twennies.... ill fix it...".
Its good to have thigns documented by the store and yourself with signatures on both ends. I believe this is what happens @ staples, bestbuy etc...
with $250 you coulda gotten it fixed by techs @ staples or Best buy =\

I'd go back and get my notebook. Did you pay him yet? Something is seriously wrong here.

i dont wanna sound rude... but wtf would you trust your laptop @ some pmall shop? Thats gotta be at least grand worth of gear....

Originally Posted by UrbanPoet

i dont wanna sound rude... but wtf would you trust your laptop @ some pmall shop? Thats gotta be at least grand worth of gear....

I know, I just came from Vancouver, got into a university here. I didn't have any problems with small computer shops in Vancouver (A-power, a lot of Richmond ones, etc). Came to expect the same in Toronto. Turns out I was wrong

i wouldn't ever trust pmall for any repairs at all. if u brought it into an established place like best buy at least everything is all official and documented. and they'd never give this kind of crap to you the way that store in pmall is doing.

him holding that notebook of yours, that's too much power that he's got abusing over you. and the fact that there might be a chance of purposeful damages to your parts when he returns it to you.

Originally Posted by IronMac

I'd go back and get my notebook. Did you pay him yet? Something is seriously wrong here.

I wanna get my notebook but as he said if I pick it up Sunday, he'll give me the parts and I can put it back together myself. I really have no time after Sunday and all in all, this is just really pissing me off TTCing three hours round trip to pick up something that may or may not be ready (I have a feeling he won't confirm over the phone as always)

Did you pay him yet? And, if you did, how did you pay? I hope it was with a credit card because you can then simply do a chargeback on him once you get your notebook back.

Do you have any sort of documentation?

Originally Posted by ecommerce

it's puzzling that you would go on a long bus ride just to go Pacific Mall

who cares if you want to speak in Chinese

if you plan to work in Canada, you have to practise your English

My English is fine, as is probably evident by my post (unless it isn't?). It is easier for me to speak Chinese though.

Originally Posted by rayner55

and the fact that there might be a chance of purposeful damages to your parts when he returns it to you.

This is what I am afraid of.

What I'd be worried about is that the guy has LOST the notebook or has damaged it somehow. I hope that he really is an authorized dealer/repair shop for your notebook brand. You can always complain to Sony about the poor level of service.

Alternatively, if your Sony is under warranty, take back the notebook and go to another Sony repair shop. CALL Sony first to complain and ask them what they are going to do about it.

Originally Posted by IronMac

What I'd be worried about is that the guy has LOST the notebook or has damaged it somehow. I hope that he really is an authorized dealer/repair shop for your notebook brand. You can always complain to Sony about the poor level of service.

Alternatively, if your Sony is under warranty, take back the notebook and go to another Sony repair shop. CALL Sony first to complain and ask them what they are going to do about it.

My laptop is out of warranty (by 1 month =( ). I don't think the shop was a Sony authorized repair but it definatly was Acer/Asus/Fujitsu and some other brands.

I'm thinking that all signs point to how he has somehow damaged it.

Looks like you have crap negotiating skills so you're going to be eaten alive at a place like pacific mall.

Time to look for a new laptop.

Lesson learned. I would never trust such an expensive purchase with shotty stores at Pmall. They are notorious for horrible customer service. If you've paid them good luck with ever getting your money back. But as stated above if it was a credit card you should initiate a chargeback but since those stores at Pacific mall hate credit cards you probably paid with cash.

For $250 you could have bought a service plan at Bestbuy which specifically states that it covers any and all types of Power Surges and you would have likley got a replacement.

Do not shop at Pacific Mall for expensive purchases like those. Theres no consumer protection there and those people couldnt give a rats ass about you after you've given them youre money.