American Golf

neiljules

Last week I decided to buy a new golf club and trade in my old one, so I went down to American Golf and asked for some advice from what turned out to be the manager. I explained the problems I was having and he recommended a club for me based what I told him and watching me swing it a few times. I paid £70 and put in my old club as £30 trade in. £100 club in total.

After a week of trying to play with the new club I was hitting it even worse than before by a large margin. The club also damaged extremely easily on one shot.

I went to see my golf pro for a lesson and he took one look at my club and said it was totally wrong for me and was only worth about half what I paid for it and it should not have damaged from one shot. He also said that any pro would not have recommended this club for me.

Now, American Golf profess to be able to help you with expert advice but it seems to me that I was just sold anything to turn a profit.

I went back into the shop today to request a refund and was told that it was an excellent club and there was nothing wrong with it and that the damage was all my fault.

When I challenged him on the quality and performance he blamed my swing even though 30 mins earlier a golf pro had said it was the club quality not me. The pro couldnt even hit the thing properly.

When I challenged the manager with some questions about why a quality club would have a non branded shaft that wasnt even labelled correctly he just shoved my club back at me and said tough.

I am now left with a damaged club that is of no use, am £70 out of pocket and dont even have my old club to revert to.

Any advice would be appreciated as I feel that I have been mis-sold something by a self proclaimed expert that was never going to do me any good.

Do I have a leg to stand on or is it just what sales people do and know they are protected by law?

shaun_from_Africa

You don't have any comeback because of the "and was only worth about half what I paid for it and it" because they shop simply offered it for sale at a price that you accepted.

However, the quality and fitness for purpose and a different matter.

If you paid with a credit or debit card then you could contact your card issuer and ask their advice about doing a chargeback.
If they can't or won't help, then legal action may well be your only other option.

You should see if the golf pro that you spoke to be will be willing to write a letter (preferably on official headed paper if they have it), stating that in their opinion the club is vary poorly made which has lead to the damage, and that in their opinion and despte what the salesperson said, it is not suitable for you.

Send a copy of this letter along with a "letter before action" (you will find many templates for these by searching Google), informing the shop that you were sold goods that were not fit for purpose, and in accordance with your rights under the Sale of goods act, you wish for a full refund.
You can file online (moneyclaimonline) for about £35, and you can addthis fee to the amount claimed.

For any goods that become faulty within 6 months of purchase it is assumed that the fault was due to a manufacturing defect and it is up to the retailer to prove otherwise.
I doubt very much if they will attempt this for a £100 club, especially if you have a written report from a golf pro.

unholyangel

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

You don't have any comeback because of the "and was only worth about half what I paid for it and it" because they shop simply offered it for sale at a price that you accepted.

However, the quality and fitness for purpose and a different matter.

If you paid with a credit or debit card then you could contact your card issuer and ask their advice about doing a chargeback.
If they can't or won't help, then legal action may well be your only other option.

You should see if the golf pro that you spoke to be will be willing to write a letter (preferably on official headed paper if they have it), stating that in their opinion the club is vary poorly made which has lead to the damage, and that in their opinion and despte what the salesperson said, it is not suitable for you.

Send a copy of this letter along with a "letter before action" (you will find many templates for these by searching Google), informing the shop that you were sold goods that were not fit for purpose, and in accordance with your rights under the Sale of goods act, you wish for a full refund.
You can file online (moneyclaimonline) for about £35, and you can addthis fee to the amount claimed.

For any goods that become faulty within 6 months of purchase it is assumed that the fault was due to a manufacturing defect and it is up to the retailer to prove otherwise.
I doubt very much if they will attempt this for a £100 club, especially if you have a written report from a golf pro.

£25 if done online £35 if done through the courts.

shaun_from_Africa

£25. Sounds like a bargain.
I would certainly consider spending that if I ever had a trader try to rip me off and wouldn't refund or sort the problem out.

zenmaster

I've got a bag full of these crappy clubs. Just won't hit a ball straight.

Every club, from a £10 Dunlop to a £300 Ping is only worth 50% of what you pay.

Also your teaching pro would diss it, wouldn't he? He's probably got a similar or more expensive club in the shop which would suit you much better.

Have you got a link to the specific club you bought?

What's the damage?

arcon5

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

£25. Sounds like a bargain.
I would certainly consider spending that if I ever had a trader try to rip me off and wouldn't refund or sort the problem out.

+£55 "hearing fee" (if it gets that far)

doesn't sound so attractive now huh

EDIT:
Does not exceed £300.00 £25.00 Exceeds £300.00 but does not exceed £500.00 £35.00

shaun_from_Africa

So £35 to claim and £25 for the hearing.

If I thought that I was in the right and was being ripped off, and providing that I thought that the trader had the funds to pay if they lost, then I would still go ahead with the claim even though it would cost me £60.
After all, £60 is only what I spend on one tank full of petrol for my car.

neiljules

zenmaster wrote: »

I've got a bag full of these crappy clubs. Just won't hit a ball straight.

Every club, from a £10 Dunlop to a £300 Ping is only worth 50% of what you pay.

Also your teaching pro would diss it, wouldn't he? He's probably got a similar or more expensive club in the shop which would suit you much better.

Have you got a link to the specific club you bought?

What's the damage?

http://www.americangolf.co.uk/product/Wilson-Deep-Red-WTX-Golf-Driver/p93190.aspx

The damage is a nice round dent on top of the club and cracked paint... The club actively promotes downswinging which in turn causes the damage.

As for my teaching pro, he is as honest as the day is long mate. He wouldnt let me buy a new driver when I first started as they were too expensive and when I gave him a budget for my new irons he halved it straight away. This is probably why I trusted american golf as they claim to ensure you get the right clubs as well. More fool me.
Wish I had stuck with my pro, but they carry fewer clubs in my price range.

PZH

neiljules wrote: »

The damage is a nice round dent on top of the club and cracked paint... The club actively promotes downswinging which in turn causes the damage.

Have you asked for a replacement club as part of the 12 month guarantee ? (Not exactly what you are after, but at least you would have an undamaged club)

neiljules

A replacement or repair was not offered. Although weirdly he was prepared to accept it as trade in on another club... I am in the process of checking their t's and c's.

bris

It's not American golfs fault you can't hit the club, I can't believe you are being told you have a case here. You bought at retail, of course it's now worth half of what you paid. You hit at very high speed no matter how good you are, hit it wrong and you will damage the club, this is user error and not faulty goods.
I have a set of Calloway Diablo irons and Taylormade R9 woods, not one of them hit straight either, dam even my putter is faulty, or is it just me? Nah I prefer to blame the clubs too.