Excercise Bike has broken, Littlewoods liable?

Satos

I have no idea where on this great site where to put a question like this so please bare with me.

In May this year I "bought" an exercise bike from Littlewoods, buy now pay next year. A few moments ago it very definitely broke, I think the belt has snapped rendering it useless (have lost 3 stone though, worth it so far).

Where do I stand? I have only covered 1,342.9 km since May, for an exercise product to break after that, surely a free replacement is the way forward.

Would Littlewoods be liable or the manufacturer? I haven't actually paid for it yet so my guess would be Littlewoods.

Any advice would be marvelous.

Waffle_On

Technically Littlewoods are liable as your retailer, but there's no harm in contacting the manufacturer first, their procedures to sort these things out are often quicker and easier to follow.

If they can't help you, then get on to Littlewoods.

Littlewoods

Satos wrote: »

I have no idea where on this great site where to put a question like this so please bare with me.

In May this year I "bought" an exercise bike from Littlewoods, buy now pay next year. A few moments ago it very definitely broke, I think the belt has snapped rendering it useless (have lost 3 stone though, worth it so far).

Where do I stand? I have only covered 1,342.9 km since May, for an exercise product to break after that, surely a free replacement is the way forward.

Would Littlewoods be liable or the manufacturer? I haven't actually paid for it yet so my guess would be Littlewoods.

Any advice would be marvelous.

Hi Satos,

You will need to contact the supplier directly by calling their helpline number as it is under their manufacturers guarantee. We have arrangements in place with these helpline providers for them to identify the cause of a fault as we do not have the necessary technical expertise to do this, and to offer you an appropriate remedy on our behalf. If there is nothing that they can do they will direct you back to us and will give you a reference number so that one of our AfterSales advisors can liaise directly with them to come up with the best solution.

If you would like to email us at help@littlewoods.co.uk we will be able to check your account and give you the correct number to call.

Many Thanks

Andy
Littlewoods Company Representative

George_Michael

Don't you just love retailers who either don't know the law in the UK or know it and choose to ignore it.

Irrespective of whether or not your company has the technical expertise to deal with the problem, it is still wrong for you to state that the customer must contact the manufacturer and for a resolution under the manufacturers guarantee.
You can suggest this and it may in some instances be easier for the customer to follow your advice, but if they want you to deal with the problem, then you must do so.

Littlewoods_company_representative wrote: »

You will need to contact the supplier directly by calling their helpline number as it is under their manufacturers guarantee

They need to do no such thing.
It may well be under a guarantee, but this in no way absolves your company of their legal obligations and I'm amazed that the representitive of a major UK company doesn't appear to know the basics of UK legislation.

However, if a good has an inherent fault, the retailer cannot evade responsibility by simply referring the consumer to a manufacturer’s guarantee. A guarantee does not replace or limit a customer’s statutory rights. Consumers are entitled to rely on the remedies available to them under sale of goods legislation rather than their rights under a guarantee if they wish.

www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn02239.pdf‎

Toxteth_OGrady

Littlewoods_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Satos,

You will need to contact the supplier directly by calling their helpline number as it is under their manufacturers guarantee.

Not if you want to invoke your statutory rights. Under SOGA it is the seller's and not the manufacurer's obligation to sort it out.

As it is under 6 months old it can be assumed that the item was inherently faulty at purchase and the burden of proof is on Littlewoods to prove otherwise.

If they cannot it is Littlewood's responsibility to sort out a repair, replacement or refund (partial), whichever is most economical for them providing the option taken is carried out in reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.

So, in summary, under SOGA Littlewoods should be doing all the leg work to sort it out for you, including contacting the manufacturer and paying for collection/delivery. It is also their responsibility to sort out any inspection/report from the manufacturer.

Alternatively you can choose to do the leg work yourself and pursue remedy under the manufacturer's warranty - which is the easy cop out for Littlewoods.

Toxteth_OGrady

George Michael beat me to it - albeit more succinctly.

Satos

George and Toxteth, I learned long ago if you want something done in the modern world you have to do it yourself, which irritates me. I have emailed Littlewoods twice and the same response each time, 'ring the manufacturer on this number'.

I've tried in vain to contact the manufacturer to sort this, calls go unanswered and my email to them seems to have been ignored. They have until Monday morning at 11am before action will be taken up with Littlewoods.

If then Littlewoods tell me the same as before, I won't be paying for the bike it's as simple as..

tinkerbell28

Satos wrote: »

George and Toxteth, I learned long ago if you want something done in the modern world you have to do it yourself, which irritates me. I have emailed Littlewoods twice and the same response each time, 'ring the manufacturer on this number'.

I've tried in vain to contact the manufacturer to sort this, calls go unanswered and my email to them seems to have been ignored. They have until Monday morning at 11am before action will be taken up with Littlewoods.

If then Littlewoods tell me the same as before, I won't be paying for the bike it's as simple as..

Dont do that. You have the goods still and they are on finance. Your issue with getting your rights under SOGA. Is totally separate from your finance.

You don't pay that, you'll only be hurting yourself. So persue the SOGA route first, letter before action if they still ignore you. Sort that first. They will have to help you. Don't just think "oh I just won't pay".

Ectophile

Is it a separate finance company from Littlewoods? If so, don't just stop paying the finance. Instead contact the finance company, and tell that you want to make a Section 75 claim. Ask for a refund of any money you have already paid and a cancellation of the finance agreement.

shaun_from_Africa

The finance company may not be willing to refund the money and to cancel the finance agreement.

All they have to do is to provide a remedy equal to that which the retailer is legally obliged to do, and it may well be cheaper for them to arrange for the exercise bike to either be collected and replaced/repaired or for a repair to be carried out at the OP's home.
Replacing the drive belt may be something that could be done in a matter of minutes by a service engineer.