Answer: The presence of asymmetric information
Step-by-step explanation: In simple words, asymmetric information refers to the situation when one party to a contract have extra information regarding a subject than the other party of the contract.
Asymmetric information creates the potential of misconduct from the leading party as they can easily cheat the other party by concealing that important information.
In the given case, Mr. Smith was aware that his laptop is not working properly but still he sold its to a customer who was not aware of it. Thus, we can conclude that the correct option is C.