Energy saving light bulbs from Maplin

Fruitcake

pinkshoes wrote: »

If Maplin won't replace things like lightbulbs, that's fair enough, but then they should also provide some sort of facility to test them (oohhh, like an electric socket and a lamp!), thus showing they're working in the first place!

It doesn't actually matter what Maplin's return policy is, what they sell must be of merchantable quality and fit for use. If their return's policy is at variance with this, it is illegal. Having a sign that says it is also illegal.

Even if they check the bulbs at point of sale, if they blow soon after then they are not fit for purpose and Maplin's are obliged to replace them under the Sale of Goods Act.

The Low Energy bulbs I have bought recently are clearly marked with the legend, "8 Year" in large letters and "Lifetime 8 Years" in the description on the box. The implication from this description is that they will last a long time. This means you are entitled to a full refund/replacement for a blown bulb even if it is months after you bought it, and a proportional refund years after you bought it. (Assuming it has been used correctly and not suffered damage or misuse.)

I had no problem exchanging two low energy bulbs at Homebase even though several weeks had passed on each occassion since their purchase.

TheDoolallyDilly

Fruitcake wrote: »

It doesn't actually matter what Maplin's return policy is, what they sell must be of merchantable quality and fit for use. If their return's policy is at variance with this, it is illegal. Having a sign that says it is also illegal.

Exactamundo - I pointed this out, over and over again to the Manager at my local store, but he just shrugged. :mad:

I got my money back with no quibble (because they were wrong) from their Head Office but very, very slowly - it took about two months.

TDD

prowla

I once took an energy saving bulb back to my local Tesco - they tried to refuse and also to imply I was stingy/foolish.
But I didn't see why I should buy something and get home to find it didn't work.
I got the refund.

KennyVader

If dodgy people returning used lightbulbs and claiming they were new is such a problem (I can't believe it would be, as they discolour with usage, so it's going to be obvious whether they've been sitting in a lampshade for months) then they could simply print a serial number, batch number, or year of manufacture on each one, and keep vague records of what batches or serial numbers were on sale where, when.

This isn't a reason for shops to try to ignore their legal duties at all.

I once bought a load of quite specialist candle bulbs which all failed really quickly. I contacted GE about it and said they were achieveing nowhere near the rated lifetimes that were printed on the boxes. GE sent me an entire carton of replacements, and acknowledged that the ones I had must have been a faulty batch. It does happen that lightbulbs can be faulty!

deedee1968

I don't know how shops can be that petty. I saw a few items in the Maplin catalogue that I was interested in buying. I would be quite wary now.

Especially as we brought a wireless adaptor from them but couldn't get in to work with our computer and internet connection. We didn't bother to take it back because the problem could be at our end.