Precious Little One - Grantham

SECONDTIMER_2

How I wish I'd come across this forum a few weeks ago! Ordered a Nania carseat on 27 January and only received it yesterday. Lucky it got here at all as the box was open at the top and bottom. I've packaged my ebay stuff better! No instructions enclosed either - as if i'm going to fit my childs carseat without the instruction book!

What is really annoying is the non existent communication - they don't tell you when it's been dispatched. I tried phoning them on Monday and was in queue for 1 hour 31 minutes, only to get to position 1 and because it was after 5 at this point they went home, leaving me hanging on the line :mad: It's not a freephone number either!! I've sent e-mails and they've apologised but it's so insincere. won't be going back there again EVER.

PS have had stuff from kiddicare and kiddies kingdom and both great!

humezee

I am having a nightmare with this retailer. They collected a broken buggy from me on the 14th January with the promise that the turnaround time should not be too long. I am still waiting! It is impossible to get through on the phone - I think they divert thier phones all day. I have been getting email responses but I have just discovered that they have been lying to me! They have said that the buggy is back with Stork Talk to be repaired - I have asked them to gwet an update for me and they have said they cant get through to Stork Talk on the phone or get them to respond to emails. I thought I would do some detective work and contact Stork Talk myself...phone answered in 2 rings! They also say they have not had any emails of plo....so what is going one???? They have no record of my repair reaching them so what have plo done with the travel system I paid £500 for and that I have had no use out of for over a month now.

Can anyone help? I want to get the name and phone no of one of the Directors and take the complain directly to them.

Mackenzie from Precious Little One - if you are still out there can you help?

yorksrabbit

humezee wrote: »

I am having a nightmare with this retailer. They collected a broken buggy from me on the 14th January with the promise that the turnaround time should not be too long. I am still waiting! It is impossible to get through on the phone - I think they divert thier phones all day. I have been getting email responses but I have just discovered that they have been lying to me! They have said that the buggy is back with Stork Talk to be repaired -
Can anyone help? I want to get the name and phone no of one of the Directors and take the complain directly to them.

Mackenzie from Precious Little One - if you are still out there can you help?

Hi humezee:

Welcome to mse. When posting here, can you do everyone a favour by being as specific as possible? That way others may be able to help.

In your case, you don't say if you bought a brand new item and it arrived broken, or if you've had it for some time and you've sent it back under whatever warranty that may apply.

If it's the first, then the Sale of Goods Act obliges a retailer to refund or replace any product which upon acquisitiion or delivery proves unfit for purpose.

Quite why so many consumers are unaware of this, I've no idea, but they are.

Many rogue retailers try to pretend that a warranty is the manufacturer's responsibility and that faulty goods must go back to that manufacturer.

Rubbish.

There are, legally, three owners of every new product.

Ownership exists with the manufacturer (1) at time of production. Ownership then transfers to the retailer (2) who obtains the product from the manufacturer. Ownership finally passes to the purchaser (3) who buys the product from the retailer.

The contract between the first two "owners" has nothing whatever to do with the contract between the second and third.

If a retailer has an issue over faulty goods purchased from a manufacturer, that's the retailer's problem. Equally, if a retailer has an issue with their shipper / carrier, so that goods leave the retailer in pristine condition but arrive at the purchaser's door in damaged condition, that's also the retailer's problem.

The retailer's mark-up is there to cover the administrative cost of any and all such eventualities.

Far from trying to get "mackenzie" to post on here or chasing up a retailer's "directors", you should (if you bought the item new, and it arrived damaged and so not fit for purpose) be sending a letter by Signed For delivery and claiming an immediate refund, or an immediate replacement, under the terms of the Sale of Goods legislation.

Advise that acknowledgment of your request must be provided in writing by the retailer within 7 days and refund or replacement must occur within 21 days. Make it clear that if the retailer does not comply with those requests and that time-scale you will refer the matter to Trading Standards.

The address you need is:

Trading Standards Department
Lincolnshire County Council
The Old Malthouse
Commercial Road
Grantham
NG31 6DE

Lincolnshire Trading Standards has an excellent reputation and is one of the few to operate a direct face-to-face service with consumers. You can therefore telephone the department on 01522 782050.

Please note: this facility may be withdrawn if it is abused. The phone number is ONLY for the purposes of making an appointment. It is NOT there for filing a complaint or seeking any kind of telephone help. If you live too far from the area and cannot travel to a meeting, then the telephone number should not be used AT ALL. Set your complaint down in writing and mail it to Trading Standards instead.

As to the calibre of the retailer, its customer service coupled with excuses on here about everything from new telephone systems to a seasonal shut-down of Internet operation are distinctly unimpressive.

Good luck.

humezee

Sorry for not being specific before. My buggy is a Britax Vigour 3 + - it has been used since Sept 1st 2008. After much pressing, it has been sent back to me from PLO however much to my dissapointment, it has not been repaired! The break is still there. I have contacted Stork Talk (the repairers) and believe it has not actually been sent back to them for repair at all! They have no record of a repair that fits the description of mine.

Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed? I am not sure if it fits the "sale of goods" act, as it has been used for 4 months?

I am at my wits end with this as I have spent hours calling thier various contact numbers, all of which are permanantly engaged.

Claire

yorksrabbit

It's within the warranty period, the damn thing isn't even six months old.

The warranty is between Britax and PLO. Do as advised above: refund now. Or ask for a replacement. . . but only if you wish to continue on in a lasting relationship with this retailer.

For the information you need on your consumer rights, go here:

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/understanding-the-sale-of-goods-act/your-rights/index.jsp

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/the-sale-of-goods-act/

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/know-your-rights/

and this template here: (if you decide to use it, tick the option 'I want a refund')

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/making-complaint/template-letters/sale_of_goods_act/

missyXXXX_2

Hi all,

I totally disagree with what your saying about Precious Little One, I always use them and they always give fantastic service and after care. The phone sytem has been changed for our benefit people...can you not see this??? instead of having to hold its an engaged tone so you are not spending money unless you are connected. As for the emails....a reply in 48 hours is good in this day and age! Just remeber its not just you they are dealing with they have a lot of customers that call and email and i'm sure they are doing all they can to help you. Put yourself in thier position and give them a break! As for the trading standards, don't you think a compnay like this will be covered from head to toe?!...er YES!

Mike1901

Hi,

Firstly, your claim that a 48 hour response from a store is good - absolute rubbish. I would rate that average to poor - I would lose possibly 95% of my customers (I run a computer support company part time) if I waited that long to reply to an email.
Secondly, an engaged tone really does take the mick - it's fine on occasion but from what people here are saying it's either engaged or ringing constantly. I know what I'd prefer out of a working queueing system and the above.
And thirdly, it's obvious that you are affiliated with/work for the store - the fact you are bigging them up so much without a recognition of any failings whatsoever, plus the fact you have a grand total of one post.
Hmmm....

yorksrabbit

missyXXXX wrote: »

Hi all,

I totally disagree with what your saying about Precious Little One, I always use them and they always give fantastic service and after care. The phone sytem has been changed for our benefit people...can you not see this??? instead of having to hold its an engaged tone so you are not spending money unless you are connected. As for the emails....a reply in 48 hours is good in this day and age! Just remeber its not just you they are dealing with they have a lot of customers that call and email and i'm sure they are doing all they can to help you. Put yourself in thier position and give them a break! As for the trading standards, don't you think a compnay like this will be covered from head to toe?!...er YES!

Ah, the joy when a phony lands on MSE in hope of retreiving a bad situation and only making it worse. . . :rotfl:

Gawd alone knows what your connection is with Precious Little One but with friends like you, they sure as hell don't need enemies. At least this other poster yummymummy on this other forum was slightly more credible, though the line about spending three hours with a member of staff kinda stretched things:

http://www.xomreviews.com/users/yummymummy

but then, and like you, she was another one-time poster. Small world, huh?

As for your hilarious line about consumer legislation, do try again: the only head to toe covering likely to apply at this rate will be by Trading Standards of Precious Little One, Grantham. Not the other way around. And TS will certainly be interested in PLO's Terms & Conditions:

http://www.preciouslittleone.com/siteinfo/returns.asp

So. . .

To anyone else on here less enamoured of PLO than the loyal missyXXXX, the previous advice still stands: your statutory rights have nothing to do with retailer repairs of goods not fit for purpose.

If Precious Little One continues to refuse a refund or replacement where such is warranted under the Sale of Goods Act, notify Lincolnshire Trading Standards immediately.

vikingaero

What is it with baby goods companies that make them feature so much in complaints forums?

Are the people who go into this business thinking about the concept they offer and lack any business skills?

Is the supply side of the business different to other businesses?

yorksrabbit

vikingaero wrote: »

What is it with baby goods companies that make them feature so much in complaints forums?

Are the people who go into this business thinking about the concept they offer and lack any business skills?

Is the supply side of the business different to other businesses?

Good question.

It may have something to do with their particular speciality: they wind up thinking their customers are as infantile as their product users.

Big mistake.