Advice please - refunding a customer

Turns out the HDD is fine after doing a full diagnostics with WDs tool. However, I've now stopped the crashing by disabling all startup items. Just need to find out which one it is now. Either way, it looks like yet another software problem :rolleyes:
 
This is why I charge Idiot Tax™. If I can prove that a fault is down to user stupidity, I charge double to fix the problem :)
 
VIRII said:
If you sell me a car are you going to give me driving lessons for free?
I don't think so.
You sold him hardware, if he can't use software then it is 100% his problem and no-one elses.

Charge him for your time £30 an hour plus call out for any and ALL software problems that are of his making.

I fixed a PC for a numpty last year. It was full of viruses, trojans and other garbage that he got from spending his life downloading files from strangers on MSN etc.

I reinstalled windows for him. I told him not to download dodgy files etc. 6 months later he came around for another reinstall and once again it was full of dodgy software and downloads.

The third time he came round I told him TOUGH. I don't have the time.

Stop being so soft, this guy is taking you for a ride.
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Exactly. Some people just refuse to try to learn how to use their PC until their "mate who knows about PCs" refuses to help.

I suppose it keeps us IT support monkeys in a job though.
 
Simmy said:
Turns out the HDD is fine after doing a full diagnostics with WDs tool. However, I've now stopped the crashing by disabling all startup items. Just need to find out which one it is now. Either way, it looks like yet another software problem :rolleyes:
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Are you going to charge him for this as it has nothing to do with you? I would call him up and say what the problem is, and tell him that you will only fix it for a price (£30/hour for example).
 
I think I'm going to do this one for free (honestly, it will officially be the last time :p) and tell him he won't be getting any more free callouts. It didn't take me long to fix, and although it's not the point, it will be the easiest solution in the long run I think.

I've been working for myself for a year and a half now and when I built him the PC, I should have made it clearer I wouldn't support software problems. I've now stressed that in my new warranty T&Cs.

Ah well, it's a decent end to an ultimately crap day. I don't mind people who do stupid stuff on their computers, so long as they don't blame me and act a **** about it :mad:

He also seems very wary of his internet history and has several programs to delete it. Somehow, none of them cleared the index.dat file :D So I've got a list of every website he's been on. It could be used as evidence in court ;)
 
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Keep his computer for a while, inconvenience him. If you tell him it's yet another software problem and that's not high on your priority list, he'll soon get the message.

And charge him from stepping in his house next time he calls you out. Drill into him the difference between hardware problem: the computer has stopped working, and software problem: going on too much pr0n.

If you make a jokey comment about going on too much pr0n, he might be less likely to call you out ;)
 
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