Faulty TV

[BB78]

This question has probably been asked many times before but its my first post so please be kind...

I bought a Philips 26" LCD TV from Currys 14th October 2007 (insurance claim & they sent me DSG vouchers so had to use Currys!). I was told the TV was ex-display (but receipt says Return from Service Centre) and had no remote control or instruction manual so was being sold with £100 off the original price of £399.98. I checked at the time what would happen if something went wrong with the TV and was told it was covered by a full 1 year warranty.

In November 07 the TV put itself into installers mode and after a lengthy premium rate call to Philips was told there was no way of getting out of this menu without the original remote! I relayed this to Currys who sold me a Matsui 4-in-1 remote and told me this would control all of the functions the original remote would have done… needless to say it didn’t!! I ended up spending another £24.99 online to get an original remote control because Currys Partmaster said they couldn’t get one and was told I couldn’t return the Matsui remote because I had opened the packaging.

Last month the TV developed a problem with the display (scrolling colours) I called Currys and on the 18th Jan. they sent a Tech guy round to fix it.

Last week the TV developed a new fault in that the channel number will not disappear from the top left corner and as it is an LCD will eventually burn the image into the screen. I called Currys and we tried to fix it over the phone, but as this didn’t work it was decided it was a software problem and the main board/panel(??) needed replacing, a service call was booked for today and I was told the Tech guy would have the replacement part with him to fix it.
Tech guy turned up at lunchtime (no call beforehand to tell me what time he was coming!) and he didn’t have a clue!! After 15 minutes he called someone else who talked him through reinstalling the TV from scratch; which didn’t resolve the problem. He then said the main board/panel(??) needs replacing and has to be sent off for repair and I wouldn’t be provided with a replacement. I told him I had been told he would have the part with him and he said that was wrong and all he had been sent out with was an empty box to send the part back in! He also told me that if I didn’t want to send the TV off for repair I could live with the fault! It might be nothing major but if it’s going to cause a further fault by burning the screen I want it fixed and I don’t expect to buy a new TV under warranty and then live with a fault.

I spent an hour on the phone at 5p per min being passed between Currys Tech Support and Customer Services trying to sort something out.
Currys are saying that they are doing everything they have to do by offering a repair and only once the TV has been away for more than 28 days will I be entitled to a replacement and I will not be provided with a “loan TV” while it is away.

From everything I’ve read else where there seems to be little I can do but as I explained to Currys this is the only TV in the house, I am disabled and basically rely on the TV for company (sad but true!), I subscribe to Sky which I won’t be able to watch while they have the TV and they won’t refund my subscription and I use the TV as my computer monitor, I won’t be able to access the internet and this is not an option as I have to do my weekly shopping online as I cannot get to the shops.

Although Currys are offering a repair; by taking the TV they will be causing me unacceptable inconvenience and cost, do I really have to accept a 4 month old TV which keeps developing faults and wait up to 28 days without a TV for it to be repaired or am I covered by the Sale of Goods Act to ask for a replacement?

[ForestChav]

Legally they can offer a repair and that is all they have to do - provided that the repair is economical with reference to other remedies (ie replacement or refund) and that the repair offered does not cause the buyer "undue inconvenience" which the buyer would then have to prove to be the case.

In most cases a TV is not considered an essential item (it's more for entertainment) but I suppose you might have a case for a replacement if you use it for your computer and have a disability.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20023045.htm
Might be worth having a look through that.

[patdavies]

Just to note, LCD screens do not suffer burn-in. This was a problem with CRT screens.

[gyzmo]

Well, even second hand and damaged goods still fall under legislation covering sale and supply of goods (It's supply of goods in this case as it was not cash (top marks to ForestChav for getting that one right!) but the effect is still much the same). The only thing you cant claim for is where a fault was specifically pointed out to you and it is for this that you are returning it or claiming a repair. As to the remote, that is simply not fit for purpose which you stated it was for, and di not comply with the decsription gave, so you should have got a refund straight away on that (the guy who said you cant return it because it was opened is absolute rubbish. How does he think you are meant to see if it works or not? Is it a psychic remote control?).

In short you have been ill treated by currys in my opinion, and you should ask to speak to a store manager. If he refuses to do anything (and it is down to him to do something) then call CD and tell them the problems and that you have already spoken to the manager. Trading Standards should call you and take it from there. Don't waste any more time or money speaking to customer services.