Currys repair timescales & my rights

[LUFCSupporter]

I bought a new Panasonic Plasma TV from Currys on the 17th April this year. I didn't take out any extra cover so it is within the standard 1 year warranty.

 

3 weeks ago, the TV started buzzing loudly so I contact Currys who came to pick up the TV promptly. I was told I would have the TV back within a week to 10 days. They then called to tell me that the PSU was broken and that they had to order the part.

 

I called them last week and was informed the TV was due to be delivered last Friday but it didn't arrive. After calling them that day I was told that the part had only just arrived and no repairs had been done yet. They apologised for the mix up.

 

I called them yesterday and was informed that the part had not even been delivered yet. I was then told that if they could not repair my TV within 28 days, then I could go into any Currys store and collect a new one on that day. If a new one wasn't available, they would reimburse me in full.

 

As 28 days comes around next Tuesday, I thought I would nip into my local Currys store to ensure I could collect a new one if my TV isn't repaired and sent back in time. The manager abruptly informed me that this wasn't the case and they can have my TV for as long as they see fit as it's not an 'essential item'.

 

Please could you help me confirm my rights as a consumer? Currys are not being very helpful and I can't find any info on their website. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[dx100uk]

bullworks!

28 days!

sadly currys are renound for poor soga understanding at a store level.

 

http://www.oft.gov.uk/business-advice/treating-customers-fairly/sogahome/

 

dx

[LUFCSupporter]

Thanks for getting back to me. My concern is that the SOGA website doesn't fully explain what a 'reasonable time' is to return a broken item. Currys staff in store said that it's over 28 days. I'm going to call Currys customer services again today and get to the bottom of this. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!

[LUFCSupporter]

OK, spoken to another customer services bod and he was very helpful. Explained to me that 28 days was a reasonable amount of time to wait for my TV to be returned and on that day, I can go into any Currys store and collect a replacement. If they don't have one in, they will supply me with a TV to the nearest spec.

 

I'm not too happy with the Currys store staff. They were unhelpful and adamant that I wasn't within my rights. I'm going back there tonight!

[C-130]

I can definetely say as a currys employee the manager is in the wrong. What will happen is basically the store will be charged for the set when you go in for the new one but you wont so he'll be out however much and the company will wait till the financial audit to give him it back. Something the manager will avoid at all costs. So he will lie through his teeth.

 

Simple way of dealing with it is go to customer services and ask for an ultima number or a reference number from guys over the phone. What that does is any call logs will be under that number so the store can see the authorisation or with an ultima number you will have a voucher with x amount on it.

 

The company rule for straight swap no hassle or repair if faulty is 21 days which is what he is quoting. Under knowhow though we are respecting SOGA and anyone with half a brain in the company will see on the intranet a massive moving slogan which states: Colleagues know your consumers rights. Which basically say if it within 6 months its assumed faulty phone service desk who will handle for you. After 6 months ask customer to stay at home for a collection and repair.

 

It also highlights the idea of a reasonable period of time for a repair etc. So the staff do know they are just playing dumb.

[LUFCSupporter]

Thanks for this, really useful info from a Currys insider. So just to clarify, the company rule for reasonable time for repair is 21 days and not 28? Also, I should be able to call customer services tomorrow, receive an Ultima number and go to my local Currys store, quote the number and receive a voucher to buy a new TV? They will have had my TV for 23 days tomorrow.

 

My wife works in retail and suspected that the manager was only concerned about his own figures. To be fair to Currys Macclesfield, I spoke to 'another' manager there today and he was quite helpful. Although he didn't provide me with the same information as you!

[C-130]

Internally we aim for a turn around of products from arrival to repair centre within 28 days. That said we don't tell persons dates etc as a policy to avoid disappointment.

 

With respect to getting the ultima number I can not guarantee you will receive this by phone the second you phone. Generally it takes 48 hours to create and be approved. Basically they work by seeing which TV you have and then matching it spec for spec to the lowest priced TV or same spec we have or fi we have the same set still a voucher to that amount.

 

As I have said I would phone the company and ask the staff int he contact centre to pass you to a team leader or the escalation team. Or go to your nearest largest store if possible (preferably a megastore). Here they have a team who can help you and like me should know the internal procedures enough to be able to use them for the customer.

 

What you could also do is ask for a copy of the notes ins tore and service history. What can often happen (it has happened to me) a not e can say one thing but they actually meant another but persons are too embarrassed to get this solved. Seeing this you may see soemthing along the lines if:

 

Day 1: TV collected

Day5:TV in repair centre fault diagnosed part ordered

Day 6: Part expected in x number of days

Day 6: Customer phoned nad told we will have part on x day

 

What happens there is the call centre want you off their back by saying to you the part will definitely be in on day x where as the notes say expected. Key difference through one word. Generally most parts are in stock though.

 

To get any kind of money though wait till day 29 and see what they say?

 

Also ask when it actually reached repair centres. That date is crucial as currys state (and have won in court) by saying the 28 day rule only begins form when we have it in repair centre.

[p4nd0rasb0x]

Just to clarify. If Currys have had an item for over 21 days and have not yet repaired or returned the item to the customer then the 21 day rule kicks in?? Does the 21 days start from the date of collection?Thanks

[dx100uk]

arrival at repair centre as described above

 

dx

[p4nd0rasb0x]

Thank you.My query was 'is it 28 days' and not 21 as ive been told?

[Danieleber]

Hi two weeks ago I had the same think upending with my laptop. They felt to deliver 3 times, in two weeks time, so I argued my case and I got a replacement laptop plus £100 compensation. (delivering after the date they told you they have broken an agreement so they are responsible for the damage you had incur) my advice don't let them bully you in waiting 28 days, if they told you 1 week, should be done in a week!!!

[dx100uk]

Thank you.My query was 'is it 28 days' and not 21 as ive been told?

 

last line of post 7?

 

its only their timescale anyhow

 

there is no 'rule' as such

 

i'd go with the court case timescale

 

dx

[p4nd0rasb0x]

Thank you. My apologies if the answer was already there, in all honesty I was too tired to read through it all........I will have a good read later and make some mental notes not to be so lazy next time p>

last line of post 7?

its only their timescale anyhow

 

there is no 'rule' as such

 

i'd go with the court case timescale

 

dx

[p4nd0rasb0x]

Thank you They originally told me one week and when it didnt arrive back (i took the day off work) I phoned and queried it. They said it wasnt ready and hadnt been repaired and it was a suspected 'physical damage' fault. (It wasnt as i can assure them it hasnt been damaged by me) Havent heard back from them since!!! so going to sit it out. Besides I really dont have the time to hang on the phone whilst someone deems me suitable for a response!!

Hi two weeks ago I had the same think upending with my laptop. They felt to deliver 3 times, in two weeks time, so I argued my case and I got a replacement laptop plus £100 compensation. (delivering after the date they told you they have broken an agreement so they are responsible for the damage you had incur) my advice don't let them bully you in waiting 28 days, if they told you 1 week, should be done in a week!!!

[Kellyashmore21]

I'm just wondering if it is 28 working days as my laptop has now been sent back to the repair centre 3 times as they have said each time my fault is due to accidental damage which it is not and when I went in to speak to the manager he stated 28 working days but when I went in to collect my laptop after the second time a cashier said it was just 28 days I'm unsure.

[labrat]

its just 28 days

 

but you might find that if they think its accidental damage they might not count those repairs

 

for example if its

accidental damage - fault - fault - fault they wont count the time it was in for the first repair unless the second repair is for a fault thats happened in the first repair

 

if htey have said accidental damage though you might be able to argue it, what laptop and fault was it? some things that look like accdiental damage is actually a known issue

[Kellyashmore21]

It's a toshiba laptop not sure on the model but

 

i brought it in march and

 

in August it started deleting everything I clicked on.

 

Deleted all shortcuts and I can't click on anything now or it will delete it.

 

I thought the detente key was stuck in so I lifted it up and it came off, it wasn't broken all the bits were still with it but as it was fiddlely I couldn't put it back on myself.

 

i took the laptop to a computer shop who told me that the delete key could be put back on but the fault with it deleting things was inside the keyboard and it would need a new one anyway.

 

I told him I had it for just six months so instead of me paying he suggested I take it back to currys as it should be covered under warrenty.

 

Now when I took it in for repair they wrote down what was wrong with it and sent it away( that it was dwleting everything and that i didnt care about the button being put back on.

 

The day it was due to come back I had a phone call to say it had been sent back un repaired but no paperwork was attached.

 

So they sent it back with the problem of' the delete key was off'.

This was not the reason I took it in.

 

I then spoke to the know how team who told me that they wouldn't fix it due to it not being covered by the warrenty.

 

I asked them out of curiosity what they had down to be fixed and they said the delete key needs to be attached!

 

I was not happy I told him what the real problem was and he told me that's not what was on there system

and they would need to send it back to the shop to be booked out with the new problem.

 

I went in the shop yesterday to see what was happening and he said the know how team had rang him and told them they wouldn't be repairing it due to accidental damage!

 

As I was so angry he said he will email someone and get back to me as hes going to try and send it off again with the real problem!

but as I mentioned the 28 day thing that I had been told on a previous visit,

he said its actually 28 working days as if I gave u an exchange it will come off our profit and loss! I was shocked!

 

I don't know where I stand

 

it's six months old and has been unusable for 2 months of that,

I wouldn't mind if I had actually broken it but it started dOing it on its own.

[dx100uk]

urm

 

to be honest this sounds like a virus issue

 

the fact that you popped of the delete key, confused them.

 

even if the delete key was faulty and 'on' all the time

clicking with the mouse , [without accepting the warning box - do you want to delete this etc]

 

would not get rid of shortcuts.

 

 

dx

[Kellyashmore21]

I had a complete virus screen by the computer shop I first took it too as that's what I thought it was and they got rid of what was on there ( not sure what the proper wording is for it). Then the problem was it was still deleting things. So he hooked it up to a keyboard and the laptop worked fine it stopped deleting things when he took it back off the laptop it started deleting it all again. So he said that it needed a new keyboard. It will only cost £40 for them to do it but it's inside the keyboard that has issues and I didn't do it!

Thanks for your replays by the way!

[dx100uk]

plugging an external keyboard on a laptop, will not stop in built in one from working

 

it will make no diff.

 

something weird going on here

 

dx

[Kellyashmore21]

Ok thanks for your help, I'll see what they say and maybe get it repaired and pay.

[labrat]

its should be covered - i know the advise for all other manufactuers is that if a single key has come off its not classed as accidental damage only if its multiple keys

 

i wonder if the store even sent it off for repair....

[labrat]

which is a little daft as the clips are easly broken just by trying to push the key back on

 

although i do know tosh are alot stricter than most

[Kellyashmore21]

I have had a phone call today from the manager asking me to go In and choose a new laptop as they made a mistake by not putting the correct problem down when I first took my laptop in. And if the had of done It would have been fixed the first time and for my inconvenience of not having a laptop for 3 weeks and a potential another 2 weeks I was given either a refund or new one! So I'm happy now! Still have no idea what was wrong with it though