Kobo ebook reader from WHSmith - no returns policy

mess0804

I went into WHSmith today to buy the touch-screen Kobo. At the till I was told that they have a no returns policy for it and if I had any problems I had to contact head-office or contact Kobo directly. This put me off buying, I never heard of such a policy...

Do you know if it's store specific? (it was WHSmith in Westfield), or if there is any problem with the product?

I don't want to have to call expensive numbers, go to post office, send it recorded delivery, and so on, if I have the bad luck that it stops working...

I know Asda are selling it, it's quite far, do you know if they have warranty on it or it's the same policy?

jenniewb

I think what they mean is that you can't change your mind and ask for a refund. If the product is found to be faulty and needs a repair or exchange your rights would be to have a replacement or repair rather then a refund.

I don't think they are talking about your warrently here, its not well known but actually the liberty to return anything for a refund or even exchange when there is nothing wrong with the product, thats something stores and brands allow us to do as it seems to have a benefit on their sales. There are a few stores that do not allow refunds (HMV, All Saints and even some (bizarrely not all) items in Argos for example) and many smaller stores don't allow exchanges as well as refunds.

If you were worried about it going wrong or being faulty I'd not worry, if it does go wrong there should be a warrently in place as it is an electrical item, if your unsure then maybe call their head office or customer service to discuss what your rights would be. It could be the no refund policy is just WHSmith's or it could be a rule stated by the manufacturer, think you'd have to ask them to make sure.

mess0804

I asked specificaly what happens if it's faulty and the salesman told me that I have to contact headoffice or kobo directly.
Well, I'll better buy a different reader than to call an expensive number just for a information, I'll wait maybe someone here got it from somewhere else with a normal warranty in place.

Enterprise_1701C

Smiths can say what they want, the fact is that anything that is faulty under warranty should be returned to the retailer. The Sale of Goods Act trumps their policy.

jenniewb

Thars what I said: you'd need to contact the head office to hear what they say. As far as a cashier, they may not be fully educated on the terms and conditions or may not have understood correctly, when I was an SA for a retail store (not smiths but another well known store) no one told us the rules when it came to sales, kids as young as 16 were employed and the general public would ask questions and as common sense went not a lot was explained. The only reason I knew was because I read the big fat folder they gave us, few did and it would have been highly likely that false information would have been given out.

Do not rely on what your told every time, if your unsure you can always get a second opinion, as facts go, you would be entitled to at least a repair if it turned out to be faulty, don't give up so easily!