FNB Connect - Malfunctioning Laptop - HP Notebook 15 N3060

I have always read reviews where people say if only they could give companies a zero rating and this is one of those reviews where FNB deserves a zero.

(1) My dad purchased an HP Notebook 15 N3060 from FNB Connect on 29 August 2019 for my younger sister as she was going to university in 2020. (1.1) She used it in preparation for exams and it began giving her problems, this was then reported reported to FNB and an arrangement was made and it was collected on the 04 December 2019, fixed and brought back within some few days. (1.2) These are the problems encountered: (a) It was slow in switching on and opening applications and, (b) It would occasionally have a blank screen.

(2) My younger took the “supposedly fixed” laptop to university in the beginning of 2020 and she reported that the abovementioned problems were persisting and over and above those 2 problems, the was an additional problem: (c) The battery would not last for more than three(3) hours on a busy academic day. (2.1) This was ONCE AGAIN REPORTED to FNB and an arrangement for collection was made on the week that succeeded the 21 February 2020 at the university. (2.2) The collection did not materialised because it coincided with her Test week and the packaging couldn't be obtained as it was left back at home. (2.3) Fortunately, tertiary institutions later suspended their academic programs as a result of COVID19 and she came back on the 18 March 2020. (2.4) The problems seem to never end, guess what, she encountered more problems when she was back home: (d) The laptop burst-open as she was charging it. (2.5) This was ONCE AGAIN, for the THIRD TIME, reported to FNB through his private banker NTIBANENG MAGOOA, who then escalated the matter to FNB Connect and they advised they are currently closed due to lockdown. However, we can call them after lockdown to arrange that the laptop is collected for repairs. They will collect wherever the laptop and she provided us with the following number ***

(3) My dad contacted the Platinum Warranty Desk who then responded, with the signature stating SKHOLIWE PETER, on the 8th May 2020 to alert us that collection for repair has been logged and our courier will be in contact with you within the next 24 - 48 hours to schedule a collection. (3.1) They fetched it sometime in May, understandably so as the the lockdown regulations had been relaxed. (3.2) Less than a week after it was collected for repair, it came back and the above problems stated in (1) had been resolved, however it came back with more problems: (d) The laptop would seldom switch itself off, randomly and the battery wouldn’t last for more than 2 hours. (3.3) As we should all be aware, universities have been running their academic programmes online and my sister was unable to use her laptop from May, after it had been reportedly “fixed” until mid-July and all the while, FNB has been taking premiums, monthly, with no delay from my dad. If my sister did not have any other means, how did you expect for her to engage her academic problems?

(4) The problems never end. Now, the laptop had expanded, unprovoked, where the cd compartment is and guess what else, still the same old battery problem! (4.1) An email was sent to Device Guru (***) on the 14th August 2020 and Platinum Warranty Desk responded again on 18 August 2020, to inform us they will collect it. (4.1) They collected it in August 2020 and was returned back to us in August 2020. The only problem that had been fixed, was the expansion of the laptop, the battery problem still persisted. (4.2) All this while, my dad was constantly tried communicating with his private banker, NTIBANENG MAGOOA, who would not respond to him.

(5) On the 29th September 2020, my sister, became aware, as she was updating her system, through a screen that popped up, that her warranty had expired on 06/11/2019. HP has a laptop coverage of a year, how is it then possible that the warranty could have expired within the 3 months of the laptop having been purchased. (5.1) Evidently, this laptop is an old laptop which was cosmetically covered and resold / put back into the market and my dad became a victim. (5.2) My dad reported the matter, YET AGAIN, and one of your agents informed him that he was elevating my dad’s problem to the supervisor(s) through an email and he refused to copy him in, stating that this me. was an internal matter and to date, we have still not received any feedback.

(6) Before writing this review, I read a review similar to mine, from Chantal, titled “FNB Connect - Defective HP Intel Core i7” who had the same problem and in her review she stated that FNB informed her that “there had been a batch of devices received from the supplier with *******ed operating systems and this was being addressed”, CLEARLY, my dad, yet again, was a victim.

My dad has since resorted to buying a new laptop, and please tell me, if this is fair, for us to pay for a laptop that we are not using for over a year. Does the CPA not apply to FNB?

This is a warning to everyone that buying a laptop from FNB will be the biggest mistake of their lives.

Could FNB please come take their laptop and refund my dad his money that they have been taking since August 2019 until January 2021, because clearly FNB is running a ****, where they sell their devices as new products all the while they are old, used and problematic device