TV faulty - after 15 months

CoolHotCold

Were you on the Currys phone line? or Comets?

You have two totally separate businesses and you mention them both in your posts.


I'm assuming its Comet as you use their name more, if it's Currys I can help you navigate the best way to sorting it, if its Comet I'm afraid your at the mercy of them as their rep no longer seems to be active anymore.

Mr_Benn

Sorry - edited my post - it is Comet.

Im sure theyre used to people going in all guns blazing , so as a ealrier thread the best policy is to go in and be polite but positive.
If the TV was 3 years old, Id still be miffed, but accept Id had 3 years use out of it. But its the fact it was a relativly expensive TV , and has only lasted 15 months.
The power switch was always dodgy , it took 2 or 3 clicks to come on, mayve been a sign from the start something was wrong. I so wish Id swapped it back then.

fiddiwebb

Contact Comet head office if you get no joy at the store.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/mar/25/consumernews.howtocomplain

I know the above link is old but it gives you the general gist of what to do.

If all else fails you could contact Hitachi UK saying you are disappointed to find that their LCD TV that you purchased from the Comet store located at (address & phone number) has failed just 15 months after purchase, that you have approached Comet but they are not interested in helping you with your problem and now are contacting Hitachi UK to see if any advice could be given.

unholyangel

I wouldnt advise you to say you're disappointed. Most places that advise on how to write a letter of complaint specifically state to keep emotion out of it.


Did the repair guy say whether the fault was inherent or not? Would he be able to provide a report stating that if it is?

Ultimately after the initial 6 months, the burden of proof reverses and the onus is on the consumer to prove the fault is inherent. Once you have done that, Comet should play ball.

If the fault is inherent and the report states this, they should also reimburse you for the cost of the report.


You should be aware though, if the tv is disproportionately costly to fix, they may offer a replacement or a partial refund.

Mr_Benn

fiddiwebb wrote: »

Contact Comet head office if you get no joy at the store.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/mar/25/consumernews.howtocomplain

I know the above link is old but it gives you the general gist of what to do.

Very good article - thanks.
Whats so frustrating is that there is a law to protect the consumer, but they make it so ambigibuos that it allows the retailer to still appear to have the upper hand. Anythng using the word 'reasonable' is so frustrating.
Of course they cant list each item indivually, but a better guideline surely could be done ?

I wish I had got more details off the guy I spoke to at the Comet call centre. Although he said he was a techie , he admitted that the store should rectify the issue.

Mr_Benn

My slight concern is they will ask me to prove its an 'inherent' issue. Do I say that it occured once beofre, but I chose not to do anything , or am I then admitting liabilty cause I did nothing ?

Thanks.

unholyangel

Mr_Benn wrote: »

My slight concern is they will ask me to prove its an 'inherent' issue. Do I say that it occured once beofre, but I chose not to do anything , or am I then admitting liabilty cause I did nothing ?

Thanks.

Why are you worried about that? An inherent fault is a fault that has occurred through perhaps unsuitable components being used, something not being done right during the manufacturing process, something in the manufacturing process which causes the fault (basically that it is not done through either consumer misuse or natural wear n tear). The fault isnt necessarily evident right away.

Reasonable cannot really be defined because how long something should last depends not only on the type of goods, but also other factors, such as price paid. And nor is it what the retailer finds "reasonable". Generally for the purpose of the SoGA it is what the average person would deem as "reasonable".

15months imo isnt reasonable - providing the fault is not the result of misuse of course. Get on to Comet and ask what proof they require. Although it is usually an independent report......it does not necessarily have to be this.


And for future reference (although I'm sure some people will disagree).....I got a tv from Aldi for my bedroom, 32" full HD @ £279.99........It has broken twice but when calling Medion (manufacturer) they sent out a replacement tv both times without any problem. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty as standard. At the time, 32" full HD tv's were going for around £500 in Comet/Currys etc so I saved quite a bit. Its not a well known UK grand but apparently its a very good brand in Germany. We've (myself, parents, aunts, cousins etc) have had several different products of theirs over the past 12 years or so and very rarely have any problems (and any time we have had any problems, they've always offered great customer service).

Mr_Benn

Update ...

Took the TV back to Comet on Friday. I first asked a salesman (without him knowing why) what he thought was a resonable amount of time that their tv's should last . He said a couple of years easy.

I then approached the Helpdesk, and within 10 seconds was told they dont cover it as its out of warranty. I was calm but firm, and told them about the Sale of Goods act , resonable time, and that I had spoken to their phone Helpdesk who said it should be looked at by the branch.
She started to then waffle and said she would get a supervisor, but re-iterated they wont fix it.
Supervisor eventually stroleld down, and said the same , though said we will call Head Office for you. She then started to spouting about how I would have to pay for the costs of the item to be fixed.

Anyway , the Head Office said that as it was less than 18 months old, they would fix it !
Dont think the staff were that happy about it , but they were polite enough.

Im still holding my breath as it hasnt been fixed yet , so will report back when I have an update .
But its looks good !

michaelodonnell500

Good luck with the repair.
If they change their mind or you have any other issues this might help:
Faulty TV refunded by Argos (nearly 3 years old)

I can't post the link because I'm new, but I started a new thread feb 13th with this title, which explains my dealings with Argos

I got a partial refund on a 32 month old tv.
Partial refund is based on how long you have had the tv. If my tv was of a high enough value they would have fixed it.

It took 1 letter to argos and 1 engineers report (which was refunded) No arguments, no discussions, just a credit note!

It's worth writing in to these places with your complaints, no disrespect to the staff, but you can't expect the majority of staff to be interested in consumer rights.

wealdroam

Here's the link that Michaelodonnell wanted to post...

Faulty TV refunded by Argos (nearly 3 years old)