Think I was sold a faulty new bulb at Euro Car Parts

MiserlyMartin

Hi

I bought a headlight bulb but after fitting it does not work. I wore gloves so not to touch the glass. The filament buzzes out ok with a meter and I have 12V to the bulb.

They have a big sign in the shop saying no refunds for electrical items but surely I have a case for a replacement?

savemoney

Yes you should have a replacement, no refunds sign is illegal as well HERE or here

Can I put up a ‘No Refunds’ sign in my shop?

No, any sign which seeks to remove a customer’s right to a refund is illegal. This is not to say that you would have to give a refund every time a consumer complains to you, but a ‘No Refunds’ sign may give customers the impression that they do not have a right to a refund whatever the circumstances. Every complaint should be dealt with on an individual basis and if you feel a customer has an unjustified complaint then you can refuse to give redress. If you are unsure of your legal position with any particular customer, always contract your local Trading Standards Service who will be able to give impartial advice.



Some stores in the UK cling to the idea that their returns policy somehow trumps the law. Some stores are simply ignorant of what their duty is. They will claim they have a ‘no refunds’ policy and will only allow replacements or ’store credit’ but it is not their decision to make, it’s yours. This goes for online and catalogue purchases, too.

KeithP

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

They have a big sign in the shop saying no refunds for electrical items but surely I have a case for a replacement?

A replacement isn't a refund. Is it?

MiserlyMartin

savemoney wrote: »

Yes you should have a replacement, no refunds sign is illegal as well HERE or here

Yes I was aware of that but even I started to think that the signs must have been legit when I saw then. Upon asking I was told refunds would be given as long as the bulb has not been fitted. But you need to fit the bulb to see if it isn't working so I don't see how that one can stand up. I can sort of see thie point as people sometimes touch the glass when fitting the bulb. They only have your word that you didn't.

Looks like I will have a fight on my hands when i go back to the shop?

MiserlyMartin

KeithP wrote: »

A replacement isn't a refund. Is it?

True but that sign could still be illegal. I will probably have a better chance of a replacement hopefully.

mikey72

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

Hi

I bought a headlight bulb but after fitting it does not work. I wore gloves so not to touch the glass. The filament buzzes out ok with a meter and I have 12V to the bulb.

They have a big sign in the shop saying no refunds for electrical items but surely I have a case for a replacement?

If it buzzes ok with a meter, have you tried the one from the other side to make sure the loom is ok?

bartman

mikey72 wrote: »

If it buzzes ok with a meter, have you tried the one from the other side to make sure the loom is ok?

Good idea!
Also, even if you had touched the glass with your fingers, at worst that would have the potential effect of causing the glass to break when the bulb gets hot, in other words shortening its life. It wouldn't cause the filament in the bulb to fail from the start.

goldspanners

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

The filament buzzes out ok with a meter and I have 12V to the bulb.

you might have 12v but do you have enough current?

as another poster has said swap with the other side if you don't have a test lamp or multi meter.

KeithP

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

True but that sign could still be illegal. I will probably have a better chance of a replacement hopefully.

Why are you so worried about the sign? Ignore it.

If the test you are about to do show the new bulb as faulty, ask the guy to replace the faulty bulb that he supplied earlier.

pompeyrich

Sometimes a fault could cause a new item to fail, in your case a lamp blew, why? Probably just reached the end of it's life, you buy a new one it doesn't work, was it a duff bulb or is there a fault on your car which caused a perfectly good bulb to blow? ECP dont know so hence their policy not to refund on electrical items. Maybe ok with a relatively cheap bulb but put that scenario to an expensive item like an alternator or an ECU and you can start to understand their policy.

dannymccann

You shouldnt be touching the bulb gloves or not. Usually they come with a little foam thing around the glass you can hold, failing that just fiddle it into place using the metal holder