Re: Entitled to a refund/replacement?

ridetherhythm

Hi,
Last January, I purchased a new PVC mat for my computer chair from Euroffice.
The item was described as being suited to medium pile carpets (upto 3mm), and decribed as being “far more durable” and of “higher material density”.

http://www.euroffice.co.uk/i/hm12/Cleartex-Chair-Mat-PVC-for-Medium-Pile-3mm-Carpet-1210x1520mm-Ref-1115230EV

Recently the mat’s PVC material has started to crack. There are about five cracks in total that i can visually see in the mat. Most of these appear minor/cosmetic. However, two of these cracks are larger than the others; one is 7cm long, whilst another is 15cm long. This larger crack has split through the 3mm thick PVC material and has caused the mat to split along the length of the crack.

The mat has been solely used in my home office and under a standard office/computer chair. The carpet under the mat has a pile of about 3mm, and I am of average weight. I paid more for the extra thickness found in this PVC mat, over other similar, but thinner products.

Despite this problem not currently affecting the overall functionality of the mat, i will probably have to replace the mat at point because of the fault in the quality and durability of this product. I would expect a furniture/seating accessory product like this to last many years, but certainly over 12 months.

As the mat is under a year old, who should I contact to get a replacement or repair? Should I contact the retailer or the manufacturer? I still have the receipt for the mat, but not the cardboard packaging. The item was paid for on my credit card.

Please can someone advise me on any consumer rights that i might have?
[FONT=&quot]Thanks for any help that you can provide.:A[/FONT]

milliemonster

I am not sure, I think that this sort of product would be subject to a lot of wear and tear anyway, and I can't quite see the purpose of it? my swivel chairs have been just on carpet for years and the carpet has suffered no damage, anyway, as for your consumer rights I guess it would come down to what the manufacturer thinks would be the lifetime of the product under normal conditions but your first port of call would be the retailer, I don't think the section 75 you are referring to with your credit card would cover a refund as it has to be over £100 spent (I think)

zenseeker

Nearly a year is not a bad lifespan for something like this, it does get a lot of wear and tear after all. I wouldn't have thought that you are entitled to any kind of refund or replacement unless the item came with a warranty.