Boots Fajita kit with fake base!

lindos90

If you are happy to keep the pan anyway and dont want the refund/exchange, why not get trading standards involved and show it to them? if you still have the packaging that says 'wooden base' etc, and can show them the paper transfer etc...

....maybe Boots will give TS a better reply that they are giving you, this may then very well lead to a recall!

May I ask what the base is made of? Just wondering if its MDF, as that is made of wood fibres, so they may get off with it on a technicality!

If it says 'solid wood' then its an obvious misrepresentation, if its MDF then its not so clear, but just my opinion.

The transfer though does make it misleading, and I would have thought that in itself would make the base 'not suitable for purpose' as it would not be safe to put a sizzling hot pan dierctly onto a piece of paper!

Hope you get it sorted though, it does sound misleading and poor quality. Not what you usually expect from Boots.

mallymal

Thanks lindos90, I've done as you suggest and emailed trading standards together with a couple of pics.

In case anyones interested, pix are here: FAJITA1 showing seam where fake wood is joined on the edge, and FAJITA2 showing how the fake woodgrain peeled off in one place even when I was detaching it from the packaging!

https://picasaweb.google.com/purealgarve/Boots?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPb5_ovVy7f9Lw&feat=directlink

sweetcheeks33

Boots customers services are usually good at adding points to your card to so I would Persue this with them. It doesn't matter if you are the only person who has complained it doesn't contain what it says it does on the packaging therefore unsafe to use.its about time boots learned they can't just do what they like and charge through the nose for it!! Keep us update...

mallymal

OK... so I reported this to Trading Standards (via CONSUMER DIRECT website).

A weird technicality - said the bloke from CONSUMER DIRECT who rang me today - is that because I receievd it as a gift, I dont have any 'contract' with Boots - so anyhting they offer, eg an exchange , is goodwill!

BUT>>> had I bought the item itself, I would be entitled to suitable recourse - eg exchange/refund/repair.

What I really want is Boots to own up to this.... or even get fine for FALSE TRADES DESCRIPTIONS. I think all I can do is leave it in the hands of Trading standards. That falls under my local council, so after all the recent cuts, probably one man and a dog to cover 10,000 shops!!!

lindos90

mallymal wrote: »

OK... so I reported this to Trading Standards (via CONSUMER DIRECT website).

A weird technicality - said the bloke from CONSUMER DIRECT who rang me today - is that because I receievd it as a gift, I dont have any 'contract' with Boots - so anyhting they offer, eg an exchange , is goodwill!

BUT>>> had I bought the item itself, I would be entitled to suitable recourse - eg exchange/refund/repair.

What I really want is Boots to own up to this.... or even get fine for FALSE TRADES DESCRIPTIONS. I think all I can do is leave it in the hands of Trading standards. That falls under my local council, so after all the recent cuts, probably one man and a dog to cover 10,000 shops!!!

Gosh, how fustrating! Would you feel uncomfortable talking to your sister in law, see if she could persue it for you, or even get her consent to persue it in her name;)?!

Im quite surprised that CD said that. I do understand about the contract thing, but often they pick up complaints and deal with it themselves. I would say this would be significant enough for them to pursue the fact that the item is significantly not as described and not fit for purpose, irrespective of who as bought the item.

the quality of the 'board' in the photo looks bad, did you take photos of the packaging too, as that would add fuel to the evidence as it is very misleading.

FunnySaving

So what is the base actually made of?

lindos90

FunnySaving wrote: »

So what is the base actually made of?

Im guessing its chipboard, MDF or something similar which does not have a grain, hence the manufacturers have laminated it with wood effect paper.

If the packaging says 'with a solid wooden stand' then I would say its really misleading, and CD should take this up. Also theres the issue as to whether the paper laminate is a suitable medium for standing a very hot cast iron pan on

Trading standards can get involved where necessary when theres not even been a purchase, do the fact the OP didnt buy the item herself is a poor excuse for them not referring it to the reinvent TS team.

Probably depends on who the OP spoke to and how the conversation went, also what act CS were basing their advice on.

mallymal

FunnySaving wrote: »

So what is the base actually made of?

without sawing it in half (which I would take great pleasure in as it's fit for nothing else) it's hard to say.

But from the edge which has scuffed & revealed a tiny bit of the inner, I would say MDF. And the woodgrain effect looks little more than paper... certainly not a "tough" surface like when you get wood effect kitchen doors.

lindos90

mallymal wrote: »

without sawing it in half (which I would take great pleasure in as it's fit for nothing else) it's hard to say.

But from the edge which has scuffed & revealed a tiny bit of the inner, I would say MDF. And the woodgrain effect looks little more than paper... certainly not a "tough" surface like when you get wood effect kitchen doors.

The 'tough' surface on kitchen doors is usually either called a 'foil' or 'PVC coating' depending on the quality, and are usually 'heat resistant' but not 'heat proof', even really tough worktop surface would burn with direct heat like a hot pan, which is what your stand is supposed to be able to do!

(solid would may scorch a little over time, but I would see that as an acceptable 'patina' on a stand like yours, which would be very different to melting plastic or burning paper!)

Gigervamp

It's a real shame that Robert and Mokba haven't posted anything else on this thread considering that they both have this item which was still boxed.

If I had the item and hadn't used it, after reading this thread, I'd have opened it up and had a good look at it and then posted back on here.

Their input would be very valuable.