currys misleading vat offer

emeler

hi,im new here and hoping someone can give me some advice.

I was looking at a sony vaio netbook in my local currys store just over a month ago when the sales person came over and told me that sony have a offer where if you send your receipt to them after you've purchased a sony item you will get the vat back,which worked out at £46.
so i went ahead and bought it and sent my reciept along with the model number etc to sony.i'd been waiting for over a month so called them this morning to find out whats happening for them to inform that my model of netbook is not in the offer and only certain electrical items are so am not eligable for the vat back.
I then phoned currys as if i knew this i wouldnt of purchased it knowing i could probably get it cheaper elsewhere for them to say the person who sold me it was wrong but theres nothing they can do about it.do i have a right to my money back?

sweep9

Yes, you do have the right to your money back because the advice you were given was incorrect.

The problem now stems from proving that incorrect advice was given. To this you'll somehow need to prove the information given by the original sales person was incorrect.

Your word vs Their word... I doubt you get far unfortunately!

emeler

i have proof as the sales person is named on the reciept and he gave me the sony vat form which i couldnt of got unless he gave me.

CoolHotCold

You mean http://campaign.odw.sony-europe.com/cross/H164/pdf/VAT-back_claim_form.pdf That one?

Best bet is to go into the store, ask a manager who will ask the member of staff, if the staff member says yes I did say that then shouldnt be a problem, if the staff member says nope never said anything about that, then its your word against theirs.

Out of interest, what was the Model of the laptop?

*Edit*
From the Currys website I suspect it was a SONY Vaio VPCM13M1E/ (either ending in P/W/L for the colour), now on the sony VAT back website it says that only the P version is available for VAT back the pink one, however on the actual form that you send to sony it states M13M1E VAIO netbook which I (as would anyone) assume to mean any colour VPCM13M1E, in which case the Currys customer advisor was correct in saying you are eligible for VAT back and the problem lies on Sonys end and not with Currys.

However I'm taking a huge stab in the dark with the information supplied and what is currently available on the Currys website (also £299 would give you about £46 VAT back) and I might be totally wrong regarding the model no you purchased but if it was a VPCM13M1E you purchased then its Sony's issue and Currys was right in giving you that advice.

emeler

the model number is vpcm12m1e and its pink.

CoolHotCold

Sorry, although the specifications are exactly the same from what I see to the M13M1E its not on the VAT back form.
Like I said best bet is to go back into the store and speak to a manager who will speak to the customer advisor. And it goes from there.

mynameisdave

emeler wrote: »

do i have a right to my money back?

Have you asked them for a complete refund and to return the laptop, or are you only asknig for them to refund you the VAT portion of the costs.

They may be more accommodating to refund you the VAT than the whole item. If you want the whole item refunded then he could be a fight to prove the person actually said that it was included.

Jakg

emeler wrote: »

i have proof as the sales person is named on the reciept and he gave me the sony vat form which i couldnt of got unless he gave me.

You can get the form online, and many stores leave them at the door to attract customers to buy.

Secondly, the store will much prefer to refund you the whole amount than the £46 - as thats more than they make on the entire unit.

CoolHotCold

Jakg wrote: »

You can get the form online, and many stores leave them at the door to attract customers to buy.

Secondly, the store will much prefer to refund you the whole amount than the £46 - as thats more than they make on the entire unit.

The store will do neither unless you can prove what was said or the Customer Advisor admits he said that to you, (depending how long ago and how busy since then etc etc)

You also have to take part of the blame unfortunately, it does say at the bottom of the form which items are included, a quick cursory glance told me that. Not shifting the blame onto you, but everyone should double check things when they are told by a customer advisor in any store (especially in regards to money back or special deals etc)