Comet

Pelican_2

I just thought I'd let you know Comet's policy on customer returns for faulty goods.

This is straight from a store manager's mouth, I'll try to quote him as accurately as I can remember:

"Say a customer buys a 1500-2K TV- and that's not unusual- and they get it home, plug it in and it doesn't work. They bring it back in the next day demanding a refund or exchange, well, we can't do it. We send out an engineer to them. That's Comet's policy I'm afraid"

He clearly is unfamiliar with The Consumer Goods Act!

I know you will all be familiar with Comet customer services- there are many threads on it, but I thought you may appreciate that particular gem!

Astaroth

Isnt unfamiliar at all..... the sales of goods act does allow a retailor to "prove" that the item wasnt faulty at the time of purchase and of cause also that the fault is due to user missuse. I very much doubt a sales advisor or manager in a electrical store would be able to tell the difference between a manufacturing fault against a TV that someone has poured water down the back.

It certainly is unusual for them to appoint an engineer on such a recent purchase (though you didnt say what the time difference is between the purchase and your returning to the store) but it certainly is within their rights.

executiverocker

thats comet for you, avoid like the plague!

gyzmo

In a situation like this, it is down to the retailer to prove that the fault was not present at the time of sale, nor would have developed under normal circumstances. The presumption allowed by SoGA is that, for the first few months (6), the fault was present at the poitn of sale, and burden of proof otherwise falls to the seller. After this time, the situation is reversed. Whilst they do have the right to investigate, it should be reasonable to do so and not an attempt to fob people off as so many companies do.

If that manager had said the same thing to me, he'd quickly find himself trying to explain the situation to a couple of my non-smiling colleagues from Trading Standards.

ariba10

Son bought a cooker off Comet and when it was connected there was a flash and a bang.

The shop manager wanted to send an engineer down to look at it. We told him that if he did not come and collect it it would be on the shop doorstep the next morning. -Not fit for purpose- They came and picked it up and we had a refund.

firespire

Some people don't want to lug the faulty TV back to the store. The engineer calling to check it out is preferable to some. If he/she sees the TV has a big fault a new one will be sent to you and the old one taken ( I have known this to happen).

mishkanorman

My parents purchased a washing machine from a different electrical retailer and found that it didnt work (first wash on the day it arrived got stuck midcycle), they had to wait a week for an engineer to inspect it, he agreed it had a major fault and they got a replacemnet one delivered a few days later-they didnt argue or kick up a fuss and were very pleased at the way it was resolved ! They were happy with this as they felt if they returned it and it wasnt faulty, it was just them being a bit dumb, it would have taken a hell of a lot more hassle taking it to the store (god knows how) and then trying to prove it wasnt working when they is no way of plumbing a machine in in the store !!!


mishka

gibby

we had the same problems
simply do not tolerate the advice from the manager
they will even tell you trading standards & CAB are wrong

just state you are rejecting the goods because

do they want to collect it or would they prefer that it will be returned to the store on saturday moring and you will charge them for the delivery

we didnt do thsi but went through a 3 month battle and they did refund a cooker that we had to use
do threaten county court action, leafleting cars and customers in the car parks and local press

never ever buy from comet - even if it is cheap as they do not take goods back if they can avoid it

G

Astaroth

3 months to force them to take it back? They have only said to the OP that they want to send an engineer to inspect it which will be done in a much shorter time frame than 3 months and they are entitled to do. Of cause they could take it away and have it inspected offsite but then you are without the TV for even longer (surpised they dont do this as it is the cheaper way to do it).

They are entitled to have the item inspected to ensure that you have not intentionally broken it or have caused the damage by miss use. People in electrical stores are not trained to be able to do this kind of work on every single electrical product they sell which is why they require engineers to be involved.

Whilst I agree that Comet arent generally good for the customer service I have to say that this is one of the examples of their better service.

A_Nice_Englishman

Sending an engineer out also gives him the opportunity to make sure the customer hasn't connected it up incorrectly or doesn't understand how to use it. In "the old days" it would be normal for the equipment to be delivered and installed but in these days of cut throat competition that's something that has had to go.

Anyway, customers who take things back when they think they're faulty do others a favour as they can buy the returns at cheaper proces

asandwhen

i had the same problem with comet when I purchased my tomtom..... avoid