Shop returned 'wrong' serviced item

Lendusapund

Hi forum,
To keep this as simple as possible... I handed into a scooba-diving shop my brothers 7 litre bottle to be serviced (regulations etc). Was quoted £35 plus any parts.
Approx 3-4 weeks later I called back into the shop to collect the serviced bottle and paid for the work carried out. I realised the bottle appeared lighter but didnt mention anything and gave returned it to my brother.
My bro later said it wasnt his.. his was a 7 litre bottle & Id collected a 3 litre bottle, even though the shop had a tag on with his name. He also noticed all the stickers he had stuck on were different..he was adimant it wasnt his and called the shop.
Shop said..yes it was his and werent going to do anything about it.
He visited the shop in person and still they refused to listen, but agreed to contact their sub-contractor who does the servicing, after the week=end.
My brother also contacted the sub-contractor asking if they remember receiving a 7 ltr bottle to service with certain stickers.. they did. The scooba0diving shop still refused to accept any error.
Had he collected the bottle himself rather than me, he'd have noticed the error immediately.. I didnt as was only the 'messenger'. He hasnt any codes from his bottle etc, other than knowing the returned bottle was less than half the size and had different stickers.
Has he any comeback at all please?
Regards, RichT

Samba_Pa_Ti

do you have any pictures of the bottle ?

getting back the wrong item after a service is definately dodgy, what if you sent away an ipod for a new battery and got somone elses back with different music on it and less storage capacity ? (im sure this happens but the example is the same)

another thing thats wrong is that you've paid for work to be carried out and got back a different item, obviously the work has not been carried out to this bottle as its not yours.

all i can say is stand your ground with the shop.

Lendusapund

Hi samba
Thanks for you words of advice.
Its more difficult not having any pics of the bottle or noting serial numbers. I will pass your comments on; Ive a feeling our bottle may have been given out to another shop customer.
Regards
RichT

ex.astris

Working in a repair environment myself, I can say that most shops will cover their back by collecting signatures from the person collecting the repaired goods. If you signed for it, your options would appear limited. However, if you didn't, it's a step in the right direction.
I would start by writing a formal letter, and sending it by recorded delivery (so you have a signature and proof of delivery) asking for a formal response from the company on what they are prepared to do to remedy the situation. It's worth noting in the letter that you're willing to initiate legal proceedings, even if you decide not to later.

I would also recommend getting a letter from the contractor confirming they did have equipment sent to them matching your description. With this to hand, the shop may remedy the situation to avoid the hassle. But we'll just have to see how it plays out!