Geez, Ady, that's a shame that Gateway is giving you that kind of attitude. If that were me, I would continue to push the issue. I've had to call customer service and ask to speak to a supervisor more than once to get anywhere with things like that.

An excerpt from a New York Times article on warranties (from 2003):

"Federal law makes it possible for a company to require purchasers to register products in order to get the benefits of the limited warranty, he said, but in practice, such demands are rare. Some state laws ban manufacturers from making a warranty conditional on registration. A California law that takes effect next month goes a step further: it will require a notice on warranty cards telling customers that their warranty rights will remain intact whether or not the cards are mailed in."

From what I can tell, the warranty card has to tell you that you need to return the card in order for the warranty to remain in effect. If it doesn't say that, then the warranty is in effect whether the card was sent in or not, as long as you have the receipt. Of course, things are different between the States and the UK, and it seems like companies have a bit of wiggle room to screw you over. And in your case, there was no card in the box, so I don't know if you have a leg to stand on, but I'd still try to push the issue anyways. Example: I had Primestar (a satellite dish company) many years ago, and when I cancelled it within a month because of reception problems, they tried to hit me with a $300 fee. It took a couple phone calls, and I asked to speak to a supervisor, but when I was done, I didn't have to pay a thing.

Anyways, sorry to hear the bad news. I hope some good luck turns your way for the holidays. At least your mother is making a recovery!