This is crazy!

Sooo......today I decided to get shot of this unusable BB playbook. It was doing my head in, it was sooooo slow and unresponsive. Now I can write on here without having to copy and paste from the notepad
I did some research, and decided on a small laptop, win8.1
2.3ghz, 500gb, hd graphics, 4gb, etc etc.
It said on the site, that it came with Norton Internet too.
I reserved one by phone, and got a bus into town and walked to the outskirts where the retail park is.
When going through it with the assistant, she said it comes with 'no' software. I said 'except Norton of course?'. She said 'oh yes, the trial version, one month'. I said 'errrr, nooo'.
I then had a row with the manager saying it was misleading advertising, it hadn't mentioned trial. I got nowhere, despite mentioning trading standards.
I walked over to customer services, used their phone, and ran it by head office. Hey Presto.....point taken, and I get the full software someone with logic
But.....it didn't end there
The assistant then said I need to back it up, because it comes without a restore disc, but.....she could do it there for what I thought she said... £94
I said 'no thanks', and then it came down to £54. Maybe I had misheard.
I said 'no thanks'. I am then pretty sure she said it takes 5 hours to do, and needs a 32gb memory stick. She then said they have some preloaded and might be able to do it for £20 if the manager said it was ok. This just wound me up big time.
I declined and looked it up on google and it seems I need maybe a 6gb , and it doesn't take long??? Can anyone confirm this please?
What a day! Why can't things be simple?
Why is nothing simple these days?

 

Don't know as I a blonde so can't understand anything about this new technology

 

I am well rusty Kandy, but at least you have hair Nowt wrong with Blonde lol

 

That's where you went wrong. There are loads of computer service companies everywhere. Phone them up, tell them what you want and what it's for and after three days they knock on the door with your kit. Up and running, protected and usually cheaper. The HP620 that I use mostly cost me about two hundred and twenty quid (as I recall) three years ago brand new.

 

I paid £249. Good so far just a poor experience in the sales sector
You live and learn though ..... but I am not a complete mug. I suppose some people pay for whatever they say needs doing with no questions.

 

My experience is, that anti-virus software offered such as Norton/McAfee is always a free "trial period" (one month) and then you have to pay for the real deal. That has been the case for a good number of years.

Recent years the same has become true of software such as Microsoft etc. That is how they are able to offer PC's/Laptops/Tablets at such a cheap rate. You really are not getting a cheaper rated product: merely less of it!

So, when I bought a PC 20 years ago, included in the price would have been a full set of software.

When I bought a PC/laptop 10 years ago, it was much cheaper, but, I got less software included with it and more "trial" software. That is how it works: the main product gets cheaper, but, the additional parts now have to be paid out for separately.

Bit like when you buy a printer - cheap as chips ... but, the cost of the ink cartridges are how companies make up the difference and then go on to make a profit.

Of course the sales assistant was able to offer you a steady progression in discount - but, do not think for one moment that you are getting the exact same thing at a cheaper price with each discount she offers you. She would be giving you a price (£94) for something. To be able to offer you it at £54, there would be something less included and so on as she marks it down further. That is how commerce works.

The people paying top whack may not be such "mugs" as you may like to think though Much would depend on the product, the company and what they have to "remove" from something to make the discount *sound* like a discount when, actually, they are selling you a lesser product just making you *think* there is a discount involved

 

Thanks @M
Yep, I understand fully what you have said, and all of that was explained to me 'in store'. Almost word for word
That kind of commerce appeals to me, because as I had read online before the purchase, that not many people want a laptop loaded with what they call 'bloat ware' ?? me included.
I am absolutely fine with that
My grievance was with the product description. Remember....I haven't bought a new pc "for years".......The last one I built myself.
I still think that if something is on a trial, then it should clearly state that, even if just for people like myself, who didn't know 'the norm' for these days.
My point was taken on board by customer services, they knew it was a valid argument, and upheld my grievance
As for the back up service, hmmm, I still understand what you are saying, but I think that would be interesting to see just what they have removed to still come up with the end result...a back up usb stick. If I heard her correctly, then that's one hefty discount

 

Just to add, the site says something like. Software included....
Norton internet 2013
Microsoft office (trial version)
So why make it clear on one, but not the other ?
Aren't 'both' the norm?

 

What do you need to back up when you've just bought it new? I'm lost on that one.

 

I think you need a recovery usb stick in case it all goes pear shaped in the future. It doesn't come with any software, except that which is already loaded. I think its just a safeguard.

http://mobilesupport.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/HT080887

 

Aha, fair enough. £94 is crazy money for that! You could do it yourself for a fiver!

 

I did but for a tenner. I had to use a 32gb usb drive which was usb 3.0 (for speed of transfer)
So the shop assistant was right on that one

 

Honestly, I've never backed up a PC...