h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't you enjoy curries on a regular basis?

*delurks and awaits to hear the outcome*

I enjoy spicey Indian and Chinese meals occasionally

The condensation didn't really get *in* as you imagine it. It has always been there. The thing with air and water is that warm air can take more water without condensating. If air cools off it can't take so much water anymore and has to get rid of it. This is for instance why your cold bathroom mirror would get wet when you shower. The warm air in he bathroom can take more water than the cold air close to the mirror.

What I guess has happened is that out of some reason there was too much water in the (obviously warm) air that was in the packaging and then later it got cold and so the water condensed.

Exactly, Tav

But you try getting 'her' to understand that!

When pushed she said... 'I'm not discussing this any further!' and *flounced* off.

I am going to ask to see an unopened disc this evening, just to prove my point, if the Manager will let me.


lil xx

#1 "How does condensation get between the hard plastic box of the cd, between the label and the clear wrapper... when it's inside the unopened security shrink wrapper? Oh, and it was still inside the shop's own plastic carrier bag.

And, what would you do if you returned the item the following day, as you didn't want it, only to have a snotty little cow remove the security wrapper and then tell you she wasn't going to give you your money back because the item is wet! ... Dad bought a laptop on 5th February..."



The 5th February was characterised by extreme weather warnings in the UK with snow and wind. If snow got into the bag and the security shrink wrapping didn't form an hermetic seal - then that could explain the moisture. If the wrapping didn't form a proper atmospheric seal then atmospheric moisture of the 5th February could have got in. Presumably the store worker noticed that there was droplets of water inside the wrapping between the wrapping and the CD casing - as otherwise she wouldn't have noticed it.

In anycase this is all minor issues - the moisture is not going to damage the CD and the CD was still inside its shrink wrapping unused. It costs next to nothing to replace the label and redo the shrink wrap. You can merely argue that it wasn't opened and the moisture "must" have already been present when received.

I wouldn't ask the store manager to look at another unused CD to see if there is any moisture - because there almost certainly won't be, and that's not really going to be your argument.

The fact that the cow removed the shrink wrap is the issue, as that voided the third-party *manufacturer's* warranty.

*just noticed that t'other post wasn't SExy enough...*

>>I wouldn't ask the store manager to look at another unused CD to see if there is any moisture - because there almost certainly won't be, and that's not really going to be your argument.<<


I won't be looking for moisture. I want to see just 'how well sealed' the shrink wrapping is... and to see the horror on their faces when I attempt (pretend) to open it. At least they will have a sense of how horrified my father had been when the woman removed the security wrapper from his disc, thus removing any of his rights at the same time.

We have not had snow in this region, but we did have icy rain and below freezing wind chill factor, and I was always willing to take that into consideration as we cannot say if the disc had been stored in that shop for the entire bad weather period.

The original reason for returning the disc was because the store had pressured Dad into purchasing an anti-virus disc that wasn't needed. He didn't even have broadband at that time, and only recently purchased a cheap set up which is no stronger than the early dial-up packages. According to my sister, who was there at the time, they were pushing this particular disc (as seen by the huge advertising in-store), and at no time did they mention the laptop already had a temporary (30 day) package already installed. They used fear and ignorance of the unknown to sell this disc, their staff should know there are perfectly good programmes on the web totally free of charge that can do the job just as well.


Whether a refund will now be given is yet to be seen.


lil x

SpaceCadette, I was in the middle of typing and retyping all that, and you came in with a one-line answer!

Well since it was the store that opened it and not you - it is not your problem(?) The warrant will be the stores warrant anyway as arranged between them and another party. The CD itself with CD holder, labels and shrink wrap would probably cost about 20 pence to produce - it's the unused software (development costs and support etc) that you would be paying for. It would cost them essentially nothing to bin the CD and give you the refund.

Ah, but unless lil has a fingerprint kit, how will she prove that the cow opened it herself? If you read the disclaimer sticker, by opening the wrap, you have accepted purchase and find the product unobjectionable.

Of course, I guess the hoof-marks would be a dead giveaway...

>>Of course, I guess the hoof-marks would be a dead giveaway...<<




At this rate I will need a new keyboard... Thank Bob for a Politically Correct Orb nearby!

Oh! She did admit to opening the seal, she wanted to see how far the water damage had gone, even though she had no intention of accepting it back.

It seems to me that it should be returnable, particularly if you could bring Tav along to explain condensation...really good description, should go on the Science explained post.

Everyone seems to be ignoring that forum

How I wish I could take Tav with me... and Mala for back up!

I'd come with you!

The duck has been broken in the SExy forum... Hoo suggests a picket of the store


As well as a refund and an apology


Tav, I'll let you know if you need to fly over. We can add that to the expenses incurred