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Currys PC World apologises for overcharging customers on laptop orders

Cherry Reynard
Written By:
Cherry Reynard
Posted:
Updated:
16/03/2018

Currys PC World has apologised and said it was ‘urgently re-briefing’ its stores after an investigation found customers had complained of being pressured into paying up to £40 more than the advertised price for a pre-setup laptop.

Campaign group Which? said the problem was persistent and it had first raised the issue in January 2015. The consumer group found that despite ordering online or going to a store after seeing an advertised price, people were told that pre-setup laptops were the only ones left in the shop so they had to pay more.

Currys PC World does offer an optional £35 ‘Knowhow’ setup service, as advertised on its website, which includes a USB recovery stick. Customers said they were not told it was optional.

Which? said Currys PC World could be breaching the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations with ‘Bait advertising’, where retailers lure shoppers into their store with attractive advertising, knowing they can’t honour the offer or there’s only a limited supply of stock.

Currys PC World is also required to advertise the full price of a product that is bought online under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

A spokeswoman for the group told Which?: “We are urgently re-briefing our stores now to remind them that, in the small number of cases where only pre-set up models are available, customers should not be charged for the service when they buy their laptop.”

Currys PC World asked customers affected by this to email it directly at whichsupport@dixonscarphone.com so it can refund the extra charges and feed back to stores and regional managers.

Alex Neill, Which? director of home and product services, said: “This issue has been going on for more than three years without resolution and we are disappointed people are continuing to report feeling pressurised into parting with their cash.

“We want Currys to make cast-iron guarantees that it will put an end to this practice and that customers who’ve been caught out will be reimbursed.”