The One Show - Dom

vyle

Last night, I was at my parents' and they were watching The One Show. Dom had a segment on there talking about the SOGA. That in itself is fair enough, it's very useful legislation.

The problem I have is when he mentioned people being 'fobbed off' when directed to the manufacturer to sort out a problem. As I work selling a lot of technology, there are many, many times when a problem will be sorted out a lot quicker and easier if the customer does go to the manufacturer directly.

Before anybody gets angry and starts bashing keyboards, here are some examples where it is better for the customer to go directly to the manufacturer:

Tom Tom Satnavs - Tomtom will not deal with a retailer when somebody has a faulty satnav. If a customer contacts tomtom, they will usually get a fault code and somebody will be sent out to pick up/exchange the satnav. Everything will get sorted out within a week.

Playstations/Xbox 360s - exact same situation. The manufacturer will sort the problem out far quicker.

Software faults on a pc - Many people don't know anything about computers. They install some software, it doesn't work and think it's a manufacturing fault with the computer. Only the software manufacturer or an afternoon with google will give them a definitive answer to how to fix the problem (which they created).

I never insist that a customer goes through the manufacturer, but as it would take at least two weeks for the item to be repaired through our channels rather than a week through the manufacturer, as well as a door to door service, it usually makes sense and I'd go through them myself in many cases.

Yet with all this about the SOGA and not being 'fobbed off' to go through the manufacturer, some people will happily rant about refusing to go through the manufacturer, while moaning that they have to wait longer than a week for the repair!

The manufacturer can determine a fault over the phone and give a definitive "yes, it's faulty" or "no, press the on switch, you numpty" along with a suitable fault code. We, as a retailer, have the right to have the item looked at to determine if it's faulty before we give a refund/replacement, which takes longer.

I bet tomorrow at work I'll have a lot of people banging on about the SOGA when they've changed their mind about something without having ever read it.

Thanks Dom :rolleyes:

Enfieldian

That makes a lot sense.

Right tool for the job, etc.

Alas, most people don't follow the logic.....

before_hollywood

vax hoovers tell you not to return a faulty hoover to the shop

dacouch

Enfieldian wrote: »

That makes a lot sense.

Right tool for the job

Is the above a job advert for Currys?

Esqui

Yeah, Dom does give us retailers reason to headdesk.

Where possible, I give the customer the option of us booking the repair, or the contact details for our repair agents (normally the manufacturer). In some cases (e.g., customer brings in a camera), it's much easier for them if we book it. In other cases, e.g. a faulty TV, it needs to be troubleshooted over the phone first.

But the main thing to remember is, although a lot of staff may not give the impression, we are not washing our hands of things and letting the manufacturer deal with it. Our contract with the manufacturer is that they will act as our repair agents. If they're mucking you around, come and see us.

As for the examples mentioned above, Tomtom do have a retailer line. As for Xbox and PS3, I've had moments where the manufacturer has completely refused to speak to me!

Oh, the other thing that Dom often mentions is that "retailers have loads of discount to give away; they'll often give you money off so you buy from them. They'll also always give you discount to sell an extended warranty".

Not true

barvid

Irrespective, there's nothing worse than retailers (and I think we all know who they are) who take the "not my problem" approach and seem to train their staff NOT to give people their basic consumer rights. I'll happily go to the manufacturer if it's going to save me time and money, but where the shop display their complete ignorance it drives me mad. The worst one is where they have a handwritten "no refunds" sign, and then follow it up with "this does not affect your statutory rights"...

williham

I love Dom...

vyle

barvid wrote: »

Irrespective, there's nothing worse than retailers (and I think we all know who they are) who take the "not my problem" approach and seem to train their staff NOT to give people their basic consumer rights. I'll happily go to the manufacturer if it's going to save me time and money, but where the shop display their complete ignorance it drives me mad. The worst one is where they have a handwritten "no refunds" sign, and then follow it up with "this does not affect your statutory rights"...

My local sportsworld shop has a no refunds sign. It always makes me giggle when I'm in there.

I just wish Dom had been a bit more balanced in his explanation because it came off as, "all retailers are evil and if they don't put down a red carpet for you and fix everything there and then, they are trying to rip you off."

If he'd said something like, "sometimes, going direct to the manufacturer is the quickest and best way to fix your problem without costing you an extra penny, so do some research/use your brain," I would have been fine with it.

The demonisation of everyone who works in retail does my head in. We don't sit around with pound signs in our eyes thinking, how will we rip people off?

peter_the_piper

Sorry but Doms writers do not do the best with the information available, the same thing happened when he(incorrectly) told eveyone that private parking tickets must be paid or appealed, if they had checked properly successful private parking appeals are as rare as hens teeth.

derrick

vyle wrote: »

My local sportsworld shop has a no refunds sign. It always makes me giggle when I'm in there.

The demonisation of everyone who works in retail does my head in. We don't sit around with pound signs in our eyes thinking, how will we rip people off?

Instead of "giggling" at it, why don't you report them to Trading Standards for a criminal offence? or is it because you are in retail that you are happy to "giggle" at this blatant restriction of shoppers statutory rights?

From Wirral TS; -

"[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]Under the Consumer Transactions Restrictions on Statements Order 1976 it is a criminal offence to display a notice that attempts to restrict consumers' statutory rights.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]Examples of illegal notices are: [/SIZE][/FONT]

• [FONT=Arial, Chicago][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Chicago]
  
• [SIZE=-1]"No Refunds Given"
• [SIZE=-1]"Goods can only be Exchanged" [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-1]"Only credit notes will be given against faulty goods" [/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]It is a common misconception that restrictive notices, such as those described in the example above, can be displayed if they are accompanied by a statement such as "Your statutory rights remain unaffected". This is incorrect as such notices remain illegal."[/SIZE][/FONT]

vyle

derrick wrote: »

Instead of "giggling" at it, why don't you report them to Trading Standards for a criminal offence? or is it because you are in retail that you are happy to "giggle" at this blatant restriction of shoppers statutory rights?

From Wirral TS; -

"[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]Under the Consumer Transactions Restrictions on Statements Order 1976 it is a criminal offence to display a notice that attempts to restrict consumers' statutory rights.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]Examples of illegal notices are: [/SIZE][/FONT]

• [FONT=Arial, Chicago][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Chicago]
  
• [SIZE=-1]"No Refunds Given"
• [SIZE=-1]"Goods can only be Exchanged" [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-1]"Only credit notes will be given against faulty goods" [/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Chicago][SIZE=-1]It is a common misconception that restrictive notices, such as those described in the example above, can be displayed if they are accompanied by a statement such as "Your statutory rights remain unaffected". This is incorrect as such notices remain illegal."[/SIZE][/FONT]

Calm down! I first saw the notice BEFORE I worked in retail. It amuses me because I know it wouldn't stand if challenged. As for reporting it to trading standards, I doubt they'd do anything and it'd take them years of beurocracy before they got to the point to decide not to do anything.

Don't forget that just because I work in a shop doesn't mean I'm not a customer in shops, too. I hope you're not too disappointed to find out we don't have a secret clubhouse where we gather to trade items free from the constraints of money while drinking champagne from the snoods of turkeys.