Faulty Berghaus Jacket, from Blacks store

biscit

geri1965 wrote: »

Because I've returned faulty items before and been refunded without question. It's called good customer service.

It depends on the fault- the item you took back may have had a more obvious fault.

lucylucky

GibsonSt19 wrote: »

The wait is for them to send the jacket off to Berghaus to assess whether there's a fault or not. If Berghaus advise the zip's faulty, I should be able to get a refund or replacement.

My issue is that having to wait for Backs to do this will involve significant inconvenience to me (needing a waterproof jacket with helmet friendly hood tomorrow, and at the weekend). No one I know has a spare either.

Throughout my 'consumer' life, I've never encountered this situation of the shop needing to get the goods inspected by the manufacturer before offering a refund or replacement. It's perfectly clear that the zip is faulty, and hasn't been tampered with. This is presumably what the manufacturers have to assess. In addition to this, I thought the fact I was initially requesting a straight replacement was evidence enough I hadn't changed my mind about the jacket. You could have damaged it and want a new one

I'm not sure I have the time or patience to take this down any other route, than that offered by Blacks. Have you actually given it back to them?

It does seem incredibly beurocratic, and not at all customer centric, but I guess it's not something I can change.

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions, as I appreciate them all very much.

Did you explain your need for a jacket this evening?
I know some places do hire stuff so they may have some sort of option available. (Apologies if you have already tried this to no avail)

GibsonSt19

Hi all, I decided to take the coat back to Blacks, and they sent it away to Berghaus for inspection. Blacks left a message for me yesterday, saying the coat had been returned to store, and that they'd explain the situation to me when I go there.

Now, I want to be prepared when I go there, and in light of the fact I now wish for a refund am I right in thinking if I ask Blacks if Berghaus have done some sort of repair to the jacket, that would be an admission of fault, and I'd be able to politely request my refund?

In the event I take the coat away, and the zip is still messing up, am I then stuck with a very expensive, and practically useless jacket?

I really do want a refund on this now though, as I don't feel Blacks customer service has been good at all in this instance.

What would you good people of MSE Land do?

lindos90

GibsonSt19 wrote: »

Blacks left a message for me yesterday, saying the coat had been returned to store, and that they'd explain the situation to me when I go there.

You think from the phone call that they have sent it back 'repaired' interestingly when I read your post I assumed it ment that they think you have damaged it with use and have just returned it as it was. 'explain the situation when I get there' doesnt sound good really. If they were agreeing to a refund why not tell you there and then over the phone. (just speculation obviously)

This is a tricky one really, if a zip is 'broken' I would say it would be very difficult to prove one way or the other. An inspection by the manufacturer is not always going to be totally objective surely if there is a refund riding on the outcome?

I hope you get it sorted, you must feel really annoyed that you paid so much for a jacket and its broken so quickly. Let us know the outcome, Im sure you will get further advice if there has been problems.

lucylucky

If it was faulty and has been repaired then I think that the retailer has fulfilled their obligation (but I could be wrong)

lindos90

I always thought it was the manufacturer who could decide whether they replaced, repaired or refunded (whichever was the most financially viable for them). However Im sure ive read on a recent thread there that if someting is agreed as being faulty, its the customers choice now, it was a quote from consumer direct.

Edit..here it is..

When can I get a refund? When will I be entitled to only a repair or replacement?

If you are returning goods that are not of satisfactory quality or not as described and you inform the trader of the problem within a reasonable period of time, you may be entitled to full refund. If you have had some use from the goods or have had them for a while before you take them back you could ask for a repair or a replacement item. You, as the consumer, have the option of which solution you would like, however you must not require the trader to repair or replace the goods if this would be too costly, as compared to another remedy.

If it has been mended, then yes its now a wearable jacket, and thus the OP will now not have the 'choice' of a refund/replacement. Its going to be an uphill struggle for the OP to stick out for a refund.'Well yes its mended, but I dont want it now'

It will be interesting to find out what the shop has said, then the OP can get some advice here on what to do next.

barbiedoll

It seems that the more you pay for a product, the harder it is to get the manufacturer to accept that there may be a fault with it. I've read posts on here regarding hugely expensive handbags which have had obvious faults and yet the manufacturer will simply not admit liability. And look at the trouble people have with laptops and mobile phones. It's outrageous that consumers can spend hundreds of pounds on an item and yet are expected to put up with shoddy goods.

An outdoor jacket in this price range should have a fully functioning zip which should be almost impossible to break or to tamper with. I had a child's jacket bought from a well known discount store (cost around £12), I wore it for over 6 years and the zip never failed once. Unless the OP bought a jacket 2 sizes too small or has attacked it with a pair of pliers, either of which should be obvious to the shop staff, I cannot see how both the retailer and the manufacturer can dodge their responsibilities under SOGA? This idea of sending it back to the manufacturer for an impartial inspection (yeah, right!) is another delaying tactic and is designed to confuse and scare the customer into putting up with extremely poor service. If an item is clearly faulty, there should be a refund offered, no questions asked. Let's hope this hits Blacks where it hurts and that customers stay away after reading this. Maybe they don't realise just how many people actually read MSE?

lucylucky

barbiedoll wrote: »

It seems that the more you pay for a product, the harder it is to get the manufacturer to accept that there may be a fault with it. I've read posts on here regarding hugely expensive handbags which have had obvious faults and yet the manufacturer will simply not admit liability. And look at the trouble people have with laptops and mobile phones. It's outrageous that consumers can spend hundreds of pounds on an item and yet are expected to put up with shoddy goods.

An outdoor jacket in this price range should have a fully functioning zip which should be almost impossible to break or to tamper with. I had a child's jacket bought from a well known discount store (cost around £12), I wore it for over 6 years and the zip never failed once. Unless the OP bought a jacket 2 sizes too small or has attacked it with a pair of pliers, either of which should be obvious to the shop staff, I cannot see how both the retailer and the manufacturer can dodge their responsibilities under SOGA? This idea of sending it back to the manufacturer for an impartial inspection (yeah, right!) is another delaying tactic and is designed to confuse and scare the customer into putting up with extremely poor service. If an item is clearly faulty, there should be a refund offered, no questions asked. Let's hope this hits Blacks where it hurts and that customers stay away after reading this. Maybe they don't realise just how many people actually read MSE?

My goodness some people do go off on one:D

Maybe the item was not "clearly faulty" maybe it was but only after letting Berghaus see it will anyone know. This the retailer has now done. No-one appears to be dodging anything.

The OP will find out what the outcome is when they go to the shop.

BlueC

GibsonSt19 wrote: »

What would you good people of MSE Land do?

I'd go see what they have to say for themselves about the jacket.

Not sure what I'd do if they start being difficult, but I do have experience previously of having escalated something to Blacks head office and they dealt with my case in a very satisfactory manner. This was after I got nowhere at all in-store or on the phone to their CS. Still, this may not be required as until you return to the shop you don't know what the outcome will be, so go ahead and find out, and make sure to report back and tell us!

Still, Blacks is quite far down my list of preferred retailers for outdoor gear these days and your story so far is doing nothing to alter that.

Good luck

barbiedoll

lucylucky wrote: »

My goodness some people do go off on one:D

Maybe the item was not "clearly faulty" maybe it was but only after letting Berghaus see it will anyone know. This the retailer has now done. No-one appears to be dodging anything.

The OP will find out what the outcome is when they go to the shop.

I'm a nice person in real life...honest! :rotfl:

But it does make me cross when I've paid a lot of money for something which is clearly faulty and yet the retailer wriggles out of honouring my rights by bleating on about sending it back and getting it checked out, as though I'm lying! I had real issues in the O2 shop a few years ago, when the camera on my new phone didn't work. The sales assistant agreed that it didn't work, the tech guy in the store agreed that it didn't work (1 day after purchase, I hadn't even made/received any calls on it!) and yet they still wouldn't exchange or refund it. I had to have a bit of a tantrum in the shop to get my money back, my husband and kid walked away and pretended that they didn't know me! :rotfl:
When I protested that I couldn't be without a phone, they offered to lend me one of their phones until mine came back...for a £50 deposit!
I don't think so!!!