Hmmmmmm.
Sounds like what husband went thru with circuit city and his lap top. We didn't have the money to send it off. I made husband go back to cincy to the store. husband didn't get an exchange, but store took care of sending laptop back and making sure it worked properly. No out of pocket at all for us. And husband had his laptop back in a week.
Now, bare with me, this is my own technique and it normally works quite well.
Very politely attempt to return the lap top. (they'll refuse) Ask to see the manager. (he'll still refuse) At this point begin to get very LOUD in how you've just bought this machine, that it isn't even 30 days....and now it doesn't WORK.....and YOU have to deal with the computer co instead of the STORE that SOLD it to YOU. Get louder as you're repeating the senerio to the store manager. The more customers who stop and stare, the better. (go at a busy time for the store) The store manager, if he has half a brain is going to attempt to get you to go somewhere out of range of now listening customers. Refuse to budge......and repeat loudly why you're not moving and then add that maybe the customers need to know that if they buy a ***** computer here it will fall all on them if the thing doesn't work when they get it home.
Be polite but LOUD, be dramatic, put emotion into it. Draw attention to yourself.
Now unless store manager is brain dead.......this will work. He'll stumble all over himself to find a solution that works for you. Why? Because any customer that has walked into the store during your "scene" to buy a computer is at least now having 2nd thoughts and he doesn't want to chance losing their business.
IF manager is brain dead, HE has a boss. Demand the district manager's phone number. It's best to call while in the store, but you can also call at home. IF he is also brain dead.......get his bosses number and do the routine again.
This happened to my friend at walmart with a brand new e machine. All she did was take it home and attempt to set it up. It didn't even turn on. She used my tachnique. Since our walmart store manager is brain dead, she had to go to district manager level. The same day she even exchanged her e machine for a more expensive HP computer (only model they had available, she'd bought the last e machine) that actually worked with apologies from the store manager thrown in for good will.
99 percent of the time this routine works. At this point you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And it makes the 30 mile trip worth it.
Hugs