Reply to: Sky News exposes dodgy laptop repair shops

[Cyberman]

Browsing your files is wrong but not really scandalous. Finding bank details and trying to use them is utterly illegal.

.. but could be lucrative !!

[NotAllThere]

I think the point is, your typical user when faced with a laptop that won't boot has no option but to leave personal info on it.

When my laptop went in for repair (power socket broken), I took the HD out.

Not exactly a difficult job on most laptops. The laptop was still under warranty, and, no, taking the harddrive out didn't invalidate that.

[the_duderama]

Not just a technician, but an Engineer...

I even avoid calling myself an "engineer" or "professional" as i'm not chartered through any engineering establishment nor do i have a B.ENG/M.ENG.

[Platypus]

Any shop that goes sifting through your data files should be sued.

IIRC you can only sue someone if loss/damage occurs

[PM-Junkie]

I just don't agree, regardless of what pr0n could be on the drive. You don't expect your gardener to be snooping through your study or the mechanic listening to your CD collection or reading the mail you left in the glove box.

You should be able to expect and be entitled to a reasonable amount of privacy. Any shop that goes sifting through your data files should be sued.

I agree, but there is still a little part of me that thinks that anyone who is silly enough to hand over their hard drive to PC World deserves what they get. If I did, I would be amazed if I got the same one back.

[TriggerHippy]

IMO nothing wrong with looking round the hard drive : suppose they found child porn?

However copying the data is clearly wrong. And attempting to login to NatWest account is surely criminal. I hope the police are involved.

I just don't agree, regardless of what pr0n could be on the drive. You don't expect your gardener to be snooping through your study or the mechanic listening to your CD collection or reading the mail you left in the glove box.

You should be able to expect and be entitled to a reasonable amount of privacy. Any shop that goes sifting through your data files should be sued.

[PM-Junkie]

So you wont mind the electrician having a rummage through your other halfs underwear draw next time he is at yours for a blown fuse? Just in case you have some child porn in there?

The electrician we use is of the female persuasion...so let me think on the ramifications of your question and get back to you later

[Platypus]

I like how they call some spaz in a computer repair shop a professional, and then compare them to a teacher/solicitor/accountant.

Indeed, many are basically trained monkeys!

[the_duderama]

I like how they call some spaz in a computer repair shop a professional, and then compare them to a teacher/solicitor/accountant.

[chris79]

Ok,

I agree with the replies here - what they have done is wrong, but my point being that you can't just rely on everyone being trustworthy in this world - and there is some lengths you can go to for self help, be it personal data security, or getting more than one quote..

Apart from that, yes - what they have done is wrong and illegal (in the bank details situation)..

I just think that the headline makes out that all PC repair shops are scammers/hackers and untrustworthy - bit of a slanderous title - I wasn't happy with the way the article was written.

[BoredBloke]

Shock horror - some bint goes into a shop with a laptop not switching on, the dodgy shop quote her £130 for a new motherboard and browse the pics she took of herself with her knockers out for her boyfriend..

Why is he browsing her hard drive? The thing wouldn't boot due to an incorrectly fitted bit of memory.

People need to take more responsibility for their personal data such as encryption or NAS drive rather than leaving it to chance that other people are 100% trustworthy.

It's a laptop. It has a hard drive for storing data. I know plenty of people who have a laptop but don't even know what a NAS drive is.

As for scamming them for a new motherboard, personally speaking the technician may have been justified to quote this if they had deliberately left the memory chip loose as it could have constituted an intermittent fault, or could re-occur again in the future. Memory modules don't just work themselves loose unless you're playing american football with the laptop...

I don't agree. It could have been badly fitted to start with. I've had a memory issue before and more often it's the memory that is at fault. I wouldn't replace the MB because it might be faulty. That was simply somebody pulling a fast one. They wanted 130 because the 2 mins reseating the chip and the 30 they would have charged for that was not enough for them.

[The Lone Gunman]

IMO nothing wrong with looking round the hard drive : suppose they found child porn?

However copying the data is clearly wrong. And attempting to login to NatWest account is surely criminal. I hope the police are involved.

So you wont mind the electrician having a rummage through your other halfs underwear draw next time he is at yours for a blown fuse? Just in case you have some child porn in there?

[Platypus]

But otherwise: browsing "the pics she took of herself with her knockers out for her boyfriend" is wrong.

one of the perks of the job

You've clearly never mended a computer for a mate

[d000hg]

Shock horror - some bint goes into a shop with a laptop not switching on, the dodgy shop quote her £130 for a new motherboard and browse the pics she took of herself with her knockers out for her boyfriend..

Hardly deserves the title "REPAIR SHOPS HACK YOUR LAPTOP"...

Browsing your files is wrong but not really scandalous. Finding bank details and trying to use them is utterly illegal.

[deckster]

IMO nothing wrong with looking round the hard drive : suppose they found child porn?

Eh? So, because a tiny minority of computers may have illegal images on them, we're expected to open up to all comers with nary a complaint? You won't mind when the police come knocking on your door next week to check for illegal immigrants under your bed then, just in case like.