Can I return my TV ?

[mrpenguin]

Four days ago I went into my local Curry's store and after having a look around I bought an LCD TV on HP.

 

Once I got the TV I set it up in my living room but was really disappointed with the quality of the picture. I tried changing settings but I just wasn't happy with the purchase.

 

I called Curry's customer line and explained the situation and asked if they would take it back - the lady who I spoke to called the store and advised if the TV is not damaged then they can take it back.

 

I boxed everything back up exactly as it came and took the TV to the store. While there it was placed on a display stand and I pointed out to an employee the picture problems I was having and after much debate, he concluded that the TV was performing as it should and therefore the store would not accept the TV back, dispite my clear unhappiness with the product I had purchased.

 

My question is "am I entitled to return the TV if I beleive that they it is not what I expected it to be"?

[Michael Browne]

This is from their website:

Currys shop online for appliances, laptops, televisions, MP3 players, sat nav, digital cameras and camcorders, games consoles and more

 

Our returns policy

 

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, we’re happy to give you a full refund, including delivery charge, provided:

 

• You cancel your order within 7 working days from the day after you receive your order
• You return your item(s) to us in their original condition
• If you have opened the box to examine the product you must have done so without damaging or marking the product or packaging
• The product has not been used or installed
• The product is returned with the original box and packaging, with seals and shrink wrap intact and along with any accessories received with it
• Pre-recorded videotapes, DVDs, CDs, minidiscs, memory cards and software are sealed
  
• Any free gifts received with the product must also be returned

[/url]

 

How to cancel an order and return an item

• Go to a store with your receipt and the card you paid with, or
• Email us at [email protected] if you ordered online or [email protected] if you ordered by phone to request that we collect the product or send you mailing labels, or
  
• Phone us on 0844 561 1234 with your order reference number and delivery details to hand

Orders that cannot be cancelled

 

We cannot cancel:

• Reserve & collect items – please return these to store
• When you return a product to store without proof of purchase
• When there is a contract for services with the product and you have started using the services, e.g a mobile phone subscription
• When the seal has been broken on any videotapes, DVDs, CDs, minidiscs, memory cards, software or on any personal hygiene products such as shavers
  
• Goods that were a special order to your specification

They may argue this only applies to internet purchases, in which case ask to see a copy of their store returns policy.

[mrpenguin]

"...The product has not been used or installed..."

 

Trouble there is that I did install the TV.

[Michael Browne]

Trouble there is that I did install the TV.

No, you plugged it in, that's hardly installing it. How else were you able to ascertain the poor picture quality without switching it on?

 

Google Currys return policy - there are plenty of examples of similar refusals by Currys nearly all of which were eventually refunded if you are persistant enough andv stand your ground.

[ForestChav]

The only way you can get them to return it is out of goodwill - unless of course you can show that there was some sort of sale by description element to the purchase - ie if they claimed something at sale (a salesman or a display) that wasn't true.

 

If the item is not faulty then you're down to the store's return policy to accept a return. It's down to them. Though personally I think it keeps the customer happy to accept returns within a reasonable (eg 28 days) time.

[StormWarrior]

This is from their website:

Currys shop online for appliances, laptops, televisions, MP3 players, sat nav, digital cameras and camcorders, games consoles and more

 

Totally different circumstances !

OP said

I went into my local Curry's store and after having a look around I bought an LCD TV on HP.

 

If it's not faulty then you are looking at goodwill only I'm think you'll find.

[gyzmo]

Unless you try the provisions under s. 13 and s. 14 of SoGA, and that may be a bit of an argument.

[mrpenguin]

The only way you can get them to return it is out of goodwill - unless of course you can show that there was some sort of sale by description element to the purchase - ie if they claimed something at sale (a salesman or a display) that wasn't true.

 

If the item is not faulty then you're down to the store's return policy to accept a return. It's down to them. Though personally I think it keeps the customer happy to accept returns within a reasonable (eg 28 days) time.

 

When I took the TV back I had a debate (firm but fair) with a senior employee that the feeds in the store on the display TV's are not the same as that I have at home. As such I felt 'tricked' that I purchased the TV on the belief that I would be receive the same picture quality. The response that eventually came was that I should 'buy better connectors', 'get Sky to come out and check my feed'. Stupidly I did actually buy a better scart cable yesterday but no improvement!

 

When I purchased the TV no one asked me if it was suitbale for my needs, not that I would nnecessarily expect them to but the store advisor also suggested I should have checked this myself.

 

Rather than lug it back to the store, is there another avenue that would be worth persuing? All I want is a refund so I can get another TV.

[ForestChav]

When I took the TV back I had a debate (firm but fair) with a senior employee that the feeds in the store on the display TV's are not the same as that I have at home. As such I felt 'tricked' that I purchased the TV on the belief that I would be receive the same picture quality. The response that eventually came was that I should 'buy better connectors', 'get Sky to come out and check my feed'. Stupidly I did actually buy a better scart cable yesterday but no improvement!

 

When I purchased the TV no one asked me if it was suitbale for my needs, not that I would nnecessarily expect them to but the store advisor also suggested I should have checked this myself.

 

Rather than lug it back to the store, is there another avenue that would be worth persuing? All I want is a refund so I can get another TV.

Not really, you're reliant on the goodwill of the store, since the item isn't faulty.

 

As for the feeds - well yes. It's common sense that a TV set can only display as good a picture as it receives to begin with. It is down to you to check what you need and what you have before making a purchase - the salesmen are there to answer your questions about a product's suitability not for them to ascertain it is. Caveat emptor, or so they call it. You're not sure, the onus is on you to ask.

 

If the feed is that bad then a scart lead isn't going to affect it, unless the lead is the cause of the problem. There is a reason why the feeds in store are that good and yours isn't - because their feed is better. Now yes, it is like that to sell the set, but the TV is clearly capable of displaying that, and all the store would need to do to prove that is to hook it up to their feed, at which point they have proved the item isn't faulty and that it's your setup.

 

Whilst it's not what you want to hear, I can totally see the store's point on this. If it's not faulty they don't have to do anything, unless they want to. Like if it's your setup that's the problem.

[mrpenguin]

I had feared as much

[sparky0071]

...

[mrpenguin]

...

 

Can anyone tell me why sparky0071 would post a reply and then delete it? See the below email from the CAG webmaster...

 

 

Dear mrpenguin,

 

sparky0071 has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - Can I return my TV ? - in the Currys/Dixons forum of The Consumer Forums.

 

This thread is located at:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/currys-dixons/128621-can-i-return-my-new-post.html

 

Here is the message that has just been posted:

***************

*hi i am a currys dsgi employee *

*if you purchased your tv from a store the we offer a 28 day money back policy however the item must be either unopened or faulty* *clearly your item is not faulty you may need to upgrade your aerial * *we cannot just refund an item because of the quality - this is not a fault* *you need to bare in mind that we need to resell this item if we were to take it back at a discounted price* *so we would lose money * *if the store was to take the tv back from you they would be charged for sending it back as there is no fault with it , this the eats into the employees bonus*

 

*now you did say that you wanted another tv ..........* *if you go back to the original store that you purchased the tv from and said that you would like to purchase another tv and are prepared to spend a little more they are probably more likely to accept the return as that would generate a bit more profit to account for the loss on the other tv * *also talking nicely to the sales colleague helps..... remember its not the sales persons fault they have to follow a procedure which they quite clearly are doing *

 

*also if you havent done so already i would highly recommend taking out the whatever happens produt support on your new tv as if anythig did go wrong with it you would be covered its is especially important if you have purchased the item on credit * *if the tv went wrog 18 months down the line you will not be covered without the product support which means that you will still be paying for your credit agreement but have no use for the tv*

 

*with this product support you will be covered*

*worldwide*

*any accidental damage*

*mechanical breakdown*

*parts*

*labour*

*call outs*

 

*we guarantee there is*

*1 telephone number to call*

*2 working day call out by a manufacturer* *and if we are unable to fix your tv within 21 days we will issue you with vouchers so that you can come in and purchase a brand new one with similar specifications*

 

 

*make sure you take the tv to the store you purchased it you are more likely to succeed * *good luck!!!*

 

*regards jo*

***************

 

 

In response to this...I did tell the store I wanted to buy a new TV, infact it was twice the price! Also, I did speak to the store employee respectfully - I'm not ignornat like that! The funnisest thing is that they still tried to flog me some extended gurantee cover! Unbelievable!

[crh]

go into the settings and make sure the picture is not set to dynamic, then lower the contrast to below 50%

 

you should see a visable improvement in PQ quality.

 

also check out AVForums Home you might find a forum on there where someone has posted the exact settings for your TV

 

If the TV is HD capable i would also look at sky HD