Computer says no: Taiwanese laptops were not what they were cracked up to be for school use

THESE students and their parents have a message: avoid Asus. They believe the Taiwanese tech giant’s devices can’t withstand school life.

THESE students and their parents have a message: avoid Asus. They believe the Taiwanese tech giant’s devices can’t withstand school life, despite being pitched as suitable for the classroom.

In January, Vishnu and Keiasha Naidu bought son Dharshan an Asus T100 tablet-laptop hybrid from Officeworks after seeing it in a back-to-school catalogue. They paid $528. The first time its screen cracked the Naidus forked out $264 for repairs. Screens aren’t covered under warranty.

When it cracked again — and after discovering three of Dharshan’s Year 9 buddies were in the same situation — they asked for help and sought to warn others. “I don’t believe it is normal for the screens to crack so easily and for it to cost us so much for repairs,’’ Mrs Naidu said.

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Under the Australian Consumer Law, goods need to be “reasonably fit” for any purpose a customer was told they would be suitable for. Asus and retailers have promoted the T100 as the “perfect productivity solution for both school and work”.

All the boys say they didn’t mistreat their devices / Picture: Cameron Richardson

All the boys say they didn’t mistreat their devices. The second time Dharshan’s screen cracked, all he had done was close it.

When something goes wrong with a product you buy, it is the seller’s responsibility to sort it out. All the families in this story have been given the run-around by retailers. I’ve had a little more success.

Harvey Norman chief operating office John Slack-Smith said the retailer — which sold Cameron Hall’s parents a T100 for $548 — would contact the family.

At JB Hi-Fi, which sold devices to the Cimarustis (T100) and Racines (S400 laptop), marketing director Scott Browning told me he didn’t believe there were “reasonable grounds” for a fit-for-purpose claim. However, he added “I am confident we can look after the customers … if they follow” its formal claims process.

Officeworks said it would exchange the Naidus’ device or offer the family credit.

Asus, the world’s fifth-largest computer-maker, said there was no quality issue with the devices, dismissing reports on several online forums about cracking. “If it’s found the damage occurred under normal usage, Asus will honour the manufacturer’s warranty to cover the cost of the repairs,” Asus PR manager Sally Vernon said. “If we are unable to determine whether the damage occurred under normal or induced circumstances, we will give the customer the benefit of the doubt and make the repair out of goodwill.”

Dad Nick Cimarusti said: “I would avoid Asus products in the future like the plague.”

PACKAGING ROW SETTLED

TOM Hanssens used his 16th birthday money to buy a phone from an online retailer in March. In July it stopped working properly.

The retailer was happy to provide a refund but said the phone had to be returned in its original packaging. “You do not have to return products in the original packaging to get a refund,” the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission advises.

The retailer Evo Electronic did not respond to Public Defender, so I asked its online store host eBay to intervene, which it did. Evo has dropped the condition.