Would it help my case if I were to buy a new one from PC World? Got my eye on a nice deal at the moment.

No, before you do anything, speak to your bank.

Would it help my case if I were to buy a new one from PC World? Got my eye on a nice deal at the moment.

sadly a lot has to do with what the manufacturer request the retailer does with a faulty item.

its unfair on the customer to be without their item, especially after only a few months

but the manufacturer does have the right to inspect, repair or replace.

the retailer not only has a contract with the customer, it has one with the manufacturer too.

if the retailer sends back a faulty item that the manufacturer deems as having been misused, they will generally charge the retailer for this.

its a shame but a lot more manufacturers are optioning their right to inspect electrical items and choosing whether to repair or replace.

a store manager COULD override the purchase date and issue a return and replacement but its down to their discretion.

if the instore till procedure on their eclipse system says it has to be returned to manufacturer for repair,

they'll generally do it unless you want to spend more than the original purchase price!

that's against soga and very unfair to the customer

i agree its unfair on the customer but how is it against SOGA for a manufacturer to request an inspection of the faulty goods and deciding whether to repair or replace after 28 days of purchase?

surely the retailer has the right to make sure said good havent been mistreat in anyway?

Oliver, the goods (in this instance) can easily be verified as faulty by anyone with eyes and a pair of hands. Apart from this annoying untimely scratch on the screen there is also no visible evidence of mishandling the device. Any reputable dealer could easily tell whether this is the result of mishandling or a failing component.

This is actually where the manager kind of tripped me up yesterday and I lost my argument slightly, I'm not sure he was or you are correct here because it says on this link here-

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/sale-of-goods-act

If your claim is about a problem that arises within six months of buying the product, it's up to the retailer to prove that the goods were of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, or as described when it sold them.

I'm not sure how to interpret that but it sounds a bit to me like an impossible task, or a moot point since everything is sold on the assumption that it has been tested thoroughly and does not appear faulty and the only way any fault or failing component would come to light would be through the customer using it. So on that basis, would it therefore be logical to presume that the item was not of satisfactory quality in the first place, if it was to develop any fault within 4 months (say), and that is a reasonable argument for a replacement or refund?

My bank is just across the road from the PC World so I'll go in again and give them a second chance to cooperate with me before I go there, can do no harm and this time I'll know exactly what I am talking about.

This is unacceptable, I need this camera for my business and they have a duty to provide me with a camera at all times I'd say at least up to 1 year. They also rent cameras out there so they can refurbish this one and use it for that.

From post No.19, PC World have had the opportunity to inspect the product, they chose to do nothing, the manager gets paid to manage customer issues, why not get rid of the manager and just have the terminal manage the stores, as he is simply following what the terminal is telling him to do.

'They were about as unhelpful and cooperative as we all expected, so I basically told the manager that I'd be claiming a chargeback through VISA and taking my custom elsewhere from now on.'

i agree its unfair on the customer but how is it against SOGA for a manufacturer to request an inspection of the faulty goods and deciding whether to repair or replace after 28 days of purchase?

 

surely the retailer has the right to make sure said good havent been mistreat in anyway?

They didn't choose to do nothing though, they offered to repair it. They chose to do nothing to resolve the problem of me being without a camera that I paid good money for for the duration of the repair though.

First thing the guy at the desk wanted see was the receipt. Actually that was the only thing he wanted to look at before suggesting it was sent off for repair. The manager didn't ask to look at it either, I volunteered and demonstrated the problem to him, but he didn't touch it. Like I say I'll go in and try one more time.

SOGA states that it should last a reasonable period, 1 year is not a reasonable period considering how much the camera cost. Visit them again, from your earlier research it sounds like a design fault, as the fault occurs across a range of cameras, so could be inherent, from the point of manufacture.

Oliver, the goods (in this instance) can easily be verified as faulty by anyone with eyes and a pair of hands. Apart from this annoying untimely scratch on the screen there is also no visible evidence of mishandling the device. Any reputable dealer could easily tell whether this is the result of mishandling or a failing component.

 

This is actually where the manager kind of tripped me up yesterday and I lost my argument slightly, I'm not sure he was or you are correct here because it says on this link here-

 

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/sale-of-goods-act

 

 

 

I'm not sure how to interpret that but it sounds a bit to me like an impossible task, or a moot point since everything is sold on the assumption that it has been tested thoroughly and does not appear faulty and the only way any fault or failing component would come to light would be through the customer using it. So on that basis, would it therefore be logical to presume that the item was not of satisfactory quality in the first place, if it was to develop any fault within 4 months (say), and that is a reasonable argument for a replacement or refund?

 

My bank is just across the road from the PC World so I'll go in again and give them a second chance to cooperate with me before I go there, can do no harm and this time I'll know exactly what I am talking about.

 

This is unacceptable, I need this camera for my business and they have a duty to provide me with a camera at all times I'd say at least up to 1 year. They also rent cameras out there so they can refurbish this one and use it for that.

So they didn't want to look at it (so they did nothing), they could have checked the camera and replaced it. It's bizzare when they sold you it, I bet they couldn't wait to show you what it could do.

They didn't choose to do nothing though, they offered to repair it. They chose to do nothing to resolve the problem of me being without a camera that I paid good money for for the duration of the repair though.

 

First thing the guy at the desk wanted see was the receipt. Actually that was the only thing he wanted to look at before suggesting it was sent off for repair. The manager didn't ask to look at it either, I volunteered and demonstrated the problem to him, but he didn't touch it. Like I say I'll go in and try one more time.

reb I want to kiss you! (or buy you a beer if you're a bloke)

Went back in not really expecting much cooperation again, spoke to the guy on the desk and showed him the camera and waited until he started setting things up for repair. How long? No that's not acceptable. Went away to get the manager and was talking to him for ages, thought I was going to get fobbed off again... but after some waiting he returns with a brand new replacement.

So I upgraded it to the next model up and got a better camera, problem solved!

Thanks again CAG you are invaluable, I'll maybe paypal over a small donation of appreciation later as you have been such a great help to me over the years and I've never given anything in return.

Well Done Physics, it's sorted and your happy, that's great. A donation would be great, a beer would be great, one day.

Will do as soon as I can get paypal to work, a small token of appreciation and good value for money!

Anyone else who is in a similar position stand up for your consumer rights! If you don't get somewhere, try going back in another day and use your powers of persuasion, you never know. Worked for me today anyway, saved myself a load of hassle/paperwork/waiting etc..

great that it got resolved for you. did you pay anything else to upgrade or was it the same price?

its odd but in the 8 years or so i've worked for dixons i've met maybe 2 managers that were all about 'whats right for the customer at the time'.

the rest were all yes-men/women who didnt want to cause any ripples and have regional management on their backs.

good on ya

I must say that some of the advice on here is very unfair.

Assuming retailers, in this case pc world, don't have he right to choose what to do despite soga stating that this is the case.

Some are very quick to suggest chargeback, when no agreements have been breached, totally unfair.

I'm glad the op has had a resolution, and it's nice to see common sense prevail, but talk about jumping the gun.

Rebel, I hope that this encounter might have some effect on your negative view on some retailers and you might actually give credit where it is due.

hello its your fanclub rebel

dx

these ARE consumer forums. retailers are regarded somewhat as the enemy.

recently attended a training course with netgear and the percentage of returns they get which are actually faulty is around 3% apparently.

been reading these forums for a long time and its very rare to see anyone defend the retailers rights under the sale of goods act.

Customers don't need PC World, Dixons etc. They can shop from a variety of retail outlets. Retailers should be doing everything to keep customers coming back to make further purchases. One of those things is when things go wrong with products, 'it's not out problem', 'we can't do this', 'I can't do this' etc, just doesn't stack up. Nobody taking ownership of the problem, nobody using common sense nobody wanting to resolve the issue. As long as you can justify your actions, then it is a poor senior manager that doesn't realise that it will benefit the business. More money is spent on sales training, then on customer service, essentially profits before customer service.

Products are more reliable then ever, so even if every faulty product was replaced instore once checked by store staff, the product either works or it doesn't, there would be no issues. The faulty product could then be repaired and resold as 'refurbished' or sent back to the manufacturer for credit.

great that it got resolved for you. did you pay anything else to upgrade or was it the same price?

 

its odd but in the 8 years or so i've worked for dixons i've met maybe 2 managers that were all about 'whats right for the customer at the time'.

the rest were all yes-men/women who didnt want to cause any ripples and have regional management on their backs.

 

good on ya

Yep, credit to the manager for using common sense, but it is an exception, managers are paid to make a decision, I'd like to see more common sense. SOGA states a retailer can 'repair, replace and refund', well, what's the point if the retailer doesn't use common sense and plumbs for repair everytime because the retailers computer system has that as the only option.

Chargeback is suggested in regards to various factors.

I must say that some of the advice on here is very unfair.

 

Assuming retailers, in this case pc world, don't have he right to choose what to do despite soga stating that this is the case.

 

Some are very quick to suggest chargeback, when no agreements have been breached, totally unfair.

 

I'm glad the op has had a resolution, and it's nice to see common sense prevail, but talk about jumping the gun.

 

Rebel, I hope that this encounter might have some effect on your negative view on some retailers and you might actually give credit where it is due.

That is funny:lol:

hello its your fanclub rebel

 

dx

We see retailers as our friends, they see us as their friends.

these ARE consumer forums. retailers are regarded somewhat as the enemy.

 

recently attended a training course with netgear and the percentage of returns they get which are actually faulty is around 3% apparently.

been reading these forums for a long time and its very rare to see anyone defend the retailers rights under the sale of goods act.

Customers don't need PC World, Dixons etc. They can shop from a variety of retail outlets. Retailers should be doing everything to keep customers coming back to make further purchases. One of those things is when things go wrong with products, 'it's not out problem', 'we can't do this', 'I can't do this' etc, just doesn't stack up. Nobody taking ownership of the problem, nobody using common sense nobody wanting to resolve the issue. As long as you can justify your actions, then it is a poor senior manager that doesn't realise that it will benefit the business. More money is spent on sales training, then on customer service, essentially profits before customer service.

 

Products are more reliable then ever, so even if every faulty product was replaced instore once checked by store staff, the product either works or it doesn't, there would be no issues. The faulty product could then be repaired and resold as 'refurbished' or sent back to the manufacturer for credit.

In an ideal world, but that's not how it works in the real world. Plus, you also have the people would abuse any policy like to get exchanges on items they have broken or don't want any more....

i disagree that products are more reliable than ever. stuff is built to a price and more so regarded as disposable after a year or two.

so it still puzzles me when manufacturers want to repair the product!

either way, thats the contract the retailer has with the manufacturer, so at store level the staff have to respect that. especailly in a retailer like dixons which has over 400 stores.

yes a manager can make a decision and override the system but they will then have to justify it up the managerial ladder and suffer the consequences if the faulty items turns out to be say neglected or misused or in some cases, not actually faulty and down to user error.

this results in store being charged for the item at cost price, affecting the profit and loss report for that store.

dixons stores are run on very tight margins. there is around 3-8% margin on laptops.

and to give you an idea of turnaround, the average range change for laptops is every 13 weeks.

after this time, new models are phased in, older models phased out. there can be a good 6-8 weeks crossover time tho.