Phones4u Repair

gurps_cov

In Feb 2013 I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Ace from phones4u online for £110.00.

The phone developed a fault. It kept displaying the charging indicator even when it wasn't plugged into the adapter. As a result I could never tell when it was fully charged.

I sent the phone back to phones4u for repair. They called me back and told me that its a problem with the usb connector and the usb connector isn't covered by the samsung's manufacturer warranty.They want £45 to fix it which is just under 50% of the original phone price.

-Is there anything I can do?

-How do you know which parts of the phone are covered under the
manufacturer warranty?

-Can I play the "distance selling regulations" card here?

-Is it worth going to the credit card company? It was purchased on Mastercard.

Surely the phone should last over a year before developing faults.

grumbler

gurps_cov wrote: »

-How do you know which parts of the phone are covered under the
manufacturer warranty?

It's not really about parts. USB connectors is possibly the most delicate point of modern phones and they imply that you damaged it.

-Is there anything I can do?

If it's really the port, then your only chance is 'not fit for purpose'. This has nothing to do with the warranty and you can sue them via small claims court (online). I can't promise that you'll win, but IMHO this is a likely outcome.

MSE article: Consumer Rights Armour

-Can I play the "distance selling regulations" card here?

I don't see what this has to do with distance selling.

-Is it worth going to the credit card company? It was purchased on Mastercard.

Generally, a CC company is jointly responsible with a supplier. You can sue both p4u and the company and if you win and p4u don't pay (unlikely) then the CC will have to pay instead,

Surely the phone should last over a year before developing faults.

Yes, but as I said, they imply a user inflicted damage, not a fault.

SnowTiger

gurps_cov wrote: »

In Feb 2013 I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Ace from phones4u online for £110.00.

The phone developed a fault. It kept displaying the charging indicator even when it wasn't plugged into the adapter. As a result I could never tell when it was fully charged.

I sent the phone back to phones4u for repair. They called me back and told me that its a problem with the usb connector and the usb connector isn't covered by the samsung's manufacturer warranty.They want £45 to fix it which is just under 50% of the original phone price.

Their manufacturer's warranty argument is a red herring because the contract for the purchase of the phone is between you and the retailer (Phones4U).

Manufacturer's warranty is just a nice little extra for the customer's piece of mind.

According to Which, under the Sales Of Goods Act, if the item was purchased less than six months ago "it's up to the retailer to prove that the goods were of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, or as described when it sold them."

However, some customers are a bit ham-fisted when plugging chargers in. I guess it comes down to whether or not the fault was created by the customer.

Difficult one. I guess you could ask Phones4U for a copy of the report and see if it specifically says anything about user damage.