More about bulling IT man

Sorry to post something negative, but I feel in need of comfort. This is the IT man I wrote of, on a previous thread but the thread failed [a technical issue]. I've had repairs and second hand computers off him since 2019,  gradually realizing he didn't know as much as he claimed - several times I saw him looking up Microsoft 'how to' for things I discovered to be easily resolved.

I'd asked him to get me a new PC and laptop after he said windows 11 could be updated on my computers but would not be stable. I paid him £500 as he asked. The laptop developed a fault just over a year later. He blamed me for not shutting it down properly, yet this was the advice he gave. I paid £60 for this ten minute visit. During this, he boasted he buys cheap parts he gets, '4 for the price of one HP,' which last 4 years whilst the HP last six, which he considered insignificant. Thus he benefits not the customer, getting more callouts - £60 for an hour then £30 per half hour. 

A week later, the laptop would not load a windows 11 update. I'd tried and failed to detach the battery, following a Utube video explaining how to cure the update issue. He offered to come out - another £60. I said, surely it should be under guarantee, being just over a year old. Then he said it was reconditioned and this was on the receipt. I'd never asked for a receipt (foolishly) as I trusted him. He never supplied receipts. I asked if the PC was new, and he said it was. So, why one new and one reconditioned - it made no sense.

I offered to deduct £60 of the paid price (£250) for work he did initially, transferring Microsoft Office and Scrivener, if I returned the laptop to his shop. It will certainly develop faults due to cheap parts and be a headache - especially the advice he gave about using a knife to detach the battery! I suspect the battery is a tight fit because it's not a HP part. But he wants £165 for wiping data and cleaning if I return it. This is ridiculous - paying him so he can re-sell it.

Parents
  • he wants £165 for wiping data and cleaning if I return it. This is ridiculous - paying him so he can re-sell it.

    This is not for his benefit but for yours - if you return the laptop with your data on it then he and/or the person he resells it onto will have access to your data, your browsing history, your passwords (if you save them) etc.

    You can scrub this data safely yourself if the computer works but if you return it to him he will fix the hardware issue, get it running and your data is there for easy access.

    A week later, the laptop would not load a windows 11 update.

    This is quite a common issue with Windows 11 it seems - I have had the issue and I have helped lots of others roll back their updates and it has helped persuade me that it is time to get rid of Windows in favour of one of the free Linux versions out there. Not all the software you use may work on Linux but it depends how often you need to use it - if it is only rarely then you can create a virtual Windows PC to start up on Linux to use for the duration of the work.

    It sounds like it is time to find a new IT support provider. The current relationship does not seem to benefit you much.

Reply
  • he wants £165 for wiping data and cleaning if I return it. This is ridiculous - paying him so he can re-sell it.

    This is not for his benefit but for yours - if you return the laptop with your data on it then he and/or the person he resells it onto will have access to your data, your browsing history, your passwords (if you save them) etc.

    You can scrub this data safely yourself if the computer works but if you return it to him he will fix the hardware issue, get it running and your data is there for easy access.

    A week later, the laptop would not load a windows 11 update.

    This is quite a common issue with Windows 11 it seems - I have had the issue and I have helped lots of others roll back their updates and it has helped persuade me that it is time to get rid of Windows in favour of one of the free Linux versions out there. Not all the software you use may work on Linux but it depends how often you need to use it - if it is only rarely then you can create a virtual Windows PC to start up on Linux to use for the duration of the work.

    It sounds like it is time to find a new IT support provider. The current relationship does not seem to benefit you much.

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