Given possibly used item, sold as new at John Lewis.

arcon5

Sounds like shoddy service to me!

They mis-sold the item to op and couldn't even be bother sorting out using the remedy of ops choice ie the correct machine. I would expect much better from a premium brand!

wealdroam

parrysite wrote: »

I am writing to JL's head office- do I have any right to want the machine I was led to believe I was buying at the cost I was told I would pay??

No.

Now that you have accepted their offer of a refund plus £10, you no longer have the right to the machine you originally thought you purchased.

visidigi

parrysite wrote: »

1) Told me I can either have a refund or pay the extra money to receive the right item... why on earth should I have to do that?

2) In the end I got a refund and £10 for petrol/parking fees. I am annoyed as now I have no coffee machine and I am still out of pocket.

3) I am writing to JL's head office- do I have any right to want the machine I was led to believe I was buying at the cost I was told I would pay??

1) You should have to do that because that's all he is required to do for you. As has been said, a mistake has been made, you bought an open box at a discount (doesn't matter whats on their website, its instore that counts (they would match the website if you ask - JL stores frequently price match local stores on items so sometimes store is cheaper than website). You got a used item, you're not happy, you can have a refund. They're not obligated to give you another product unless you can absolutely argue the loss of bargain condition - which you can't (no seriously, you can't).


2) Well done JL - they gave you compensation for your costs. Thats all they had to do. You're no worse off than when you started and thats why JL offered it to you.

3) Why bother? Are you entitled to the item, no. You are entitled to be returned to the position from which you started, which you have, with compensation. You started without a coffee machine and money in your account. You've still got no coffee machine and you've got the money coming back to your account.

End of. Their reputation is built on good customer care for reasonable customers. You are not being reasonable.

And before you ask, no I don't work for them.

visidigi

arcon5 wrote: »

Sounds like shoddy service to me!

They mis-sold the item to op and couldn't even be bother sorting out using the remedy of ops choice ie the correct machine. I would expect much better from a premium brand!

Totally disagree, its an open item, they provided a refund. The OP is returned to the position they began, on what grounds should they have done more?

Littlestars_2

The item bought was advertised as open box meaning that its possible a return, they are not in a position to offer you a brand new item for the same price as the open box one as you where aware it was open and not a brand new in the box item. If want the brand new item then you would need to pay for it, open box items are sold at a discount for a reason because most of the time they are returns so can only be sold on for cheaper.

parrysite

I bought the open boxed item after being advised it was ONLY reduced due to the box being damaged- I specifically asked if it was a return and I was told that it wasn't.

I don't think it was unreasonable for me to ask for the machine that I was told I was buying. I was told I was getting a £99 machine for £60 due to the box being opened. The actual machine I got was a.) used and b.) not the machine I was told I was buying.

I still think, having worked in customer service myself, that the right thing to do- and the thing that I would have done- is to replace the item with the one I was told I was buying.

I've got a refund now and I suppose I should be happy with that, but I'm still not really satisfied that they dealt with it in the right way.

visidigi

parrysite wrote: »

I bought the open boxed item after being advised it was ONLY reduced due to the box being damaged- I specifically asked if it was a return and I was told that it wasn't.

I don't think it was unreasonable for me to ask for the machine that I was told I was buying. I was told I was getting a £99 machine for £60 due to the box being opened. The actual machine I got was a.) used and b.) not the machine I was told I was buying.

I still think, having worked in customer service myself, that the right thing to do- and the thing that I would have done- is to replace the item with the one I was told I was buying.

I've got a refund now and I suppose I should be happy with that, but I'm still not really satisfied that they dealt with it in the right way.

You had the opportunity to check the box if it was an open box. You asked them a question, they may have made a mistake (confusion, didn't handle the return etc etc.) There's nothing to say it wasn't a shop demo unit either, which wouldn't have been a customer return.

The machine wasn't what you were lead to believe - so you were entitled to take it back and get back what you paid. You did this, they did that.

They were not obliged to do anything more. In fact, you're lucky they do, usually shop soiled, discounted goods have a no refund policy, sold as seen.

As for what you would have done if you owned a business I admire your belief that you could afford to do so - I would imagine that view would change when you had dealt with joe public a few times...

Money-Saving-King

I would have kept it. £40 off for a box that you dispose of seems a hell of a lot of money off! For what you got the price seems pretty good anyway.

ThumbRemote

visidigi wrote: »

They were not obliged to do anything more. In fact, you're lucky they do, usually shop soiled, discounted goods have a no refund policy, sold as seen.

"Sold as seen" and "no refunds" are a breach of your statutory rights.

Albeit cosmetic damage seen by the purchaser prior to the sale can be grounds for refusing a return. In this case it must actually have been seen by the purchaser, not just that they had an opportunity to open the box and see it.

ThumbRemote

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

I would have kept it. £40 off for a box that you dispose of seems a hell of a lot of money off! For what you got the price seems pretty good anyway.

Except that the machine OP was told they were getting was not the machine they got - bargain or not, it's not worth keeping something which isn't what they wanted.