From a shops point of view

tomwakefield

Another example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. Someone hears some vague information about SOGA, and goes in all guns blazing making outrageous claims and yelling "I know my rights!"

ShaneUK

I like Maplins, and have never had a problem with them. Had to return an external hard drive (opened) as it wasn't compatible with the drive I had - and they couldn't have been more helpful.

lizziem_2

ShaneUK wrote: »

I like Maplins, and have never had a problem with them. Had to return an external hard drive (opened) as it wasn't compatible with the drive I had - and they couldn't have been more helpful.

That's interesting. My BF tried to return an opened external hard drive for the same reason (non-compatible) a while back but was told it was Maplin's policy never to accept these as returns.

timbo58

I think it varies store to store based on the managers attitude.
I've never had a problem with maplin stuff either.
I do think unless the CCTV system was VERY expensive that it is not really 'reasonable' to expect a repair after 3 years, and demanding that it be done immediately 'in shop' seems a bit OTT, I appreciate the customer wants the data urgently but she does seem to be oblivious to the fact that Maplin are quite clearly a retail store not a repairer.

T_T_2

Which maplin store do you work from out of interest, just so I know to avoid it if I am ever in the area?

Alright so this customer doesn't have much of a case against maplins it would seem but I certainly wouldn't expect to be talked about in that fashion by any representative of a national company. Describing a customer as 'moaning' and suggesting that she 'sling her hook' doesn't do much in maplin's PR battle. I bet your CEO Keith Pacey would be delighted to hear about the good work you are doing promoting maplin.

Mark_Hewitt

timbo58 wrote: »

I think it varies store to store based on the managers attitude.
I've never had a problem with maplin stuff either.
I do think unless the CCTV system was VERY expensive that it is not really 'reasonable' to expect a repair after 3 years, and demanding that it be done immediately 'in shop' seems a bit OTT, I appreciate the customer wants the data urgently but she does seem to be oblivious to the fact that Maplin are quite clearly a retail store not a repairer.

I think she really wants someone to get the data off for her, which is quite different from a repair.

paddyrg

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

I think she really wants someone to get the data off for her, which is quite different from a repair.

I am certain this is the case, a nonfunctioning unit and difficulty getting the files off are very different things. And I would not underestimate the horror of trying to extract data from it (from experience, see above), but that is not the same as non-functioning, just that it is functioning correctly, as designed, nastily.

It's not appropriate for me to do this for your customer, but it can be done. First copy the short time period onto a USB stick. Only copy the exact period as the files are large and you need the file to be under 4GB. Download and install the viewer software. It is unpleasant to use, but nothing else will work. Because those units will record 4 cameras at once, they use a time division multiplex, each camera alternately laying a frame to the file in the ratio chosen for the respective framerates/qualities in the setup menu - usually they are all equal, so you get about 17fps from each camera. You then use the nasty software to turn the one big file into smaller ones covering the right camera. They are encoded in some horrid format, after a lot of trial and error I found one from a karaoke machine(!) which would play those individual files, then I converted them, slowed down the framerate, and burned to DVD. It was a long day.

But if they extract the file to USB stick, they can always put the file viewing software onto the USB stick too, or provide it on a laptop to play the file for the police. It's just the DVD that really hurts. Mind you, a DVD recorder plugged into the back of the unit can just capture what appears on screen, so play the section once in quad, then once for each camera, job done.

vyle

T_T wrote: »

Which maplin store do you work from out of interest, just so I know to avoid it if I am ever in the area?

Alright so this customer doesn't have much of a case against maplins it would seem but I certainly wouldn't expect to be talked about in that fashion by any representative of a national company. Describing a customer as 'moaning' and suggesting that she 'sling her hook' doesn't do much in maplin's PR battle. I bet your CEO Keith Pacey would be delighted to hear about the good work you are doing promoting maplin.

That's not exactly fair. The first post was clearly OP trying to find the right course of action. Perhaps 'moaning' wasn't the best word to use, but I suspect OP merely chose a bad word, not that he meant any offence.

And the 'sling her hook,' wasn't a suggestion, but a response to Halibut who made a comment that Maplin service is always bad. I took it to mean something similar to, "If Maplin service is so bad, why am I trying to do the right thing, rather than telling her to !!!! off."

It's a tad depressing that any time somebody from a company comes here in their own time, off their own back, to try and find out consumer rights so that they can do the right thing, they're always criticised because they work for 'the enemy,' or are regarded with suspicion as if they have ulterior motives.

It's as if this forum is solely for people who don't have jobs, because if they do, no matter what it is they do for a living, they're incapable of doing their own thing and must always be serving corporate Mother Brain.

If I was the CEO of Maplin, I'd be happy that a member of my staff was trying to find out what rights the consumer had, so that they will be able to give correct advice in the future.

Oneday77

This is yet more fuel for my fire of every person in the UK should do some Retail National Service.
Customers do have rights but often mis-understand them and go off on one with the retail worker.

In this isntance the customer was more than unreasonable and 'moaning' would likely be the correct term. If the police required the evidence and she was using a lawyer then I am pretty sure they would arrange data recovery.

Returning any item that isn't faulty is allowed by retailers as a courtesy not a right. An opened hard drive is a dangerous bit of kit to return. Suppose Gary Glitter returned an open hard drive, think about that, would that meake sense. Should a shop take time out to prove the customer is telling the truth that it is unused?

Not all retail workers fit in with a company image. I worked for Dixons in the dim past. Nice customers got what they wanted. Obnoxious, rude, demanding customers got their rights and no courtesy. The former breed of customer is why I left retail.

Googlewhacker

T_T wrote: »

Which maplin store do you work from out of interest, just so I know to avoid it if I am ever in the area?

Alright so this customer doesn't have much of a case against maplins it would seem but I certainly wouldn't expect to be talked about in that fashion by any representative of a national company. Describing a customer as 'moaning' and suggesting that she 'sling her hook' doesn't do much in maplin's PR battle. I bet your CEO Keith Pacey would be delighted to hear about the good work you are doing promoting maplin.

Nice one in taking the OP's posts out of context. :T