ALDI DVD player

LoopyPrune

Purchased a Tevion DVD player form ALDI just before Xmas that has now stopped working. Returned to the same store and was told to ring a number which I have now done. Repair centre is going to send me out a returns package and Im to follow the details.

My enquiry is, is this all really necessary. They going to have me mail a £18 dvd player across the country to mail it back. Why dont they just give me the £18 in cash or credit note I don't mind as we purchase shopping there also. Talk about environmental waste. We got petrol/packaging both ways not including my extra trip to ALDI to start with. I commend their repair service if It was a £1000 TV but we taking about a dvd player that costs less then a round of drinks.

OlliesDad

LoopyPrune wrote: »

Purchased a Tevion DVD player form ALDI just before Xmas that has now stopped working. Returned to the same store and was told to ring a number which I have now done. Repair centre is going to send me out a returns package and Im to follow the details.

My enquiry is, is this all really necessary. They going to have me mail a £18 dvd player across the country to mail it back. Why dont they just give me the £18 in cash or credit note I don't mind as we purchase shopping there also. Talk about environmental waste. We got petrol/packaging both ways not including my extra trip to ALDI to start with. I commend their repair service if It was a £1000 TV but we taking about a dvd player that costs less then a round of drinks.

I think in this situation you could quite reasonably refuse to accept a repair.

Under Sales of Goods Act you cannot ask the retailer for a remedy that is disproportianate in cost compared to other remedies. I think you could easily argue a repair would cost more due to the costs involved (carriage each way and an engineers time).

Amistoso_2

but it's for them to decide that not the OP, they are willing to remedy the situation, can't say fairer than that!

OlliesDad

Amistoso wrote: »

but it's for them to decide that not the OP, they are willing to remedy the situation, can't say fairer than that!

Actually, Sales of Goods Act does not say that it is the retailers choice, only that the consumer cannot make the retailer choose an option that is disproportionately costly.

In 99% of choices the retailer will be choosing the cheapest option, hence appearing to being the retailers choice, but in this case it appears that a replacement/refund would cost the same (if not be cheaper) therefore the OP could refuse the repair.

markybaby

OlliesDad wrote: »

Actually, Sales of Goods Act does not say that it is the retailers choice, only that the consumer cannot make the retailer choose an option that is disproportionately costly.

In 99% of choices the retailer will be choosing the cheapest option, hence appearing to being the retailers choice, but in this case it appears that a replacement/refund would cost the same (if not be cheaper) therefore the OP could refuse the repair.

But not to the retailer in this case. The manufacturer will pay all the costs. If the retailer exchanges it they will have to bin the faulty unit at their cost if there is no option to return it for credit. Seems mad on the manufacturer's part but if that is how they choose to deal with faulty units it's their call.

mc33033

OlliesDad wrote: »

Actually, Sales of Goods Act does not say that it is the retailers choice, only that the consumer cannot make the retailer choose an option that is disproportionately costly.

In 99% of choices the retailer will be choosing the cheapest option, hence appearing to being the retailers choice, but in this case it appears that a replacement/refund would cost the same (if not be cheaper) therefore the OP could refuse the repair.

A large outfit buying thousands of these units has the buying power to write into their contracts with the manufacturer that the manufacturer will deal with all warranty/soga claims, possibly even including all shipping costs. So it might be it costs Aldi very little indeed to sort it out - disproportionate costs are really impossible for a consumer to work out as in most cases they are not privvy to the retailers costs.

KeithP

OlliesDad wrote: »

Actually, Sales of Goods Act does not say that it is the retailers choice, only that the consumer cannot make the retailer choose an option that is disproportionately costly.

Which means the retailer can refuse all the solutions offered by the consumer, leaving just the remedy that the retailer [STRIKE]chooses[/STRIKE] prefers, doesn't it?

mc33033

KeithP wrote: »

Which means the retailer can refuse all the solutions offered by the consumer, leaving just the remedy that the retailer [STRIKE]chooses[/STRIKE] prefers, doesn't it?

Thankfully not, if a repair or replacement cannot be offered within a reasonable timescale, or if it would cause the consumer significant inconvenience then they can move on to the refund stage (potentially partial depending on usage of product). The ball is not entirely in the retailers court.

Disproportionate is the wrong argument to look at from the consumer side as the consumer doesn't know the facts. In this case the OP may struggle to show repair not being within a reasonable timescale or argue significant inconvenience so the best thing is just accept the repair.

OlliesDad

markybaby wrote: »

But not to the retailer in this case. The manufacturer will pay all the costs. If the retailer exchanges it they will have to bin the faulty unit at their cost if there is no option to return it for credit. Seems mad on the manufacturer's part but if that is how they choose to deal with faulty units it's their call.

You are absolutely right if it is the manufacturer doing the repair, i took it that Aldi were doing the repairs themselves. OP Can you clarify?

KeithP wrote:

Which means the retailer can refuse all the solutions offered by the consumer, leaving just the remedy that the retailer chooses prefers, doesn't it?

If you feel that the retailer is refusing based on any reason other than cost, you could take them to small claims court and get them to prove the costs, although in the case it would not be worthwhie for a £18 DVD Player.

MC33033 wrote:

Disproportionate is the wrong argument to look at from the consumer side as the consumer doesn't know the facts. In this case the OP may struggle to show repair not being within a reasonable timescale or argue significant inconvenience so the best thing is just accept the repair.

The OP was questioning the costs involved and the environmental waste hence my response. If he was questioning repair times, i would have given the answer you have.