Sports Direct refusing refund for a faulty Squash Racket

jasear

paddyrg wrote: »

PC parts and racket strings are not the same thing, and I think you know that deep inside. I totally get you being upset, but consumables are not the same as the main item. For instance, batteries in a toy car or laces in boots.

I would say you may have a decent case for a new stringing though, as opposed to a new racket. Sports Direct though are cheap and cheerful, and not known for customer service - you may have a fight on your hands.

But consumables are consumables whether they are in a PC or a Squash racket the principle is the same, no?

The bottom line is, that I cannot accept that the strings on a squash racket can snap after 1 week. At the end of the day the money I paid covered the cost for the string. The string has to be of adequate quality the fact that it snapped in a week suggests otherwise.

Otherwise you will have a situation where the strings put on squash rackets are cheap and third rate to maximise profits but consumers will have no recourse because its a "consumable" item. Why are consumable items exempt from any quality standards?

Ive just seen two more of the exact item with broken string on ebay being sold by guys that have used it a couple of times.

frugal_mike

I have to agree that consumables should last a reasonable time just like anything else. All items are consumable after all since nothing lasts forever. That's why we're consumers!

I guess I got lucky with my 2 squash rackets though. 20 years on and no snapped strings.

jasear

frugal_mike wrote: »

I have to agree that consumables should last a reasonable time just like anything else. All items are consumable after all since nothing lasts forever. That's why we're consumers!

I guess I got lucky with my 2 squash rackets though. 20 years on and no snapped strings.

Same here, I have never had to experience the string of a squash racket snapping before. Id take it on the chin if this happened after 3 months, but 1 week and 2 games later? Whats the point of buying a new racket if I dont even get a guarantee of the strings lasting for more than 1 week?

Just doesnt sit right with me at all.

DevCoder

There is a difference between items such as strings and ink/toner cartridges (about the only thing I could relate PC orientated to a consumable) and the actual product itself (racket, pc motherboard/cpu etc).

Whilst the consumable is still expected to last a reasonable period it is realised that depending on the usage that it could well stop providing its function significantly short of that.

I would expect them to provide a re-string without any questions and that would be what I'd ask for, but not a refund of the actual racket.

And no offense, but do you guys really go 10+ years between re-strings? Or just that you haven't experienced a snapped string in that period. If so Id say you were really lucky.

I restring my badminton racket every 6 months and that's considered lazy amongst my friends. Playing 4 times a week, its recommended to restring every 2-3 months. Given that's a professional (ok semi professional) level .

jasear

krisdorey wrote: »

There is a difference between items such as strings and ink/toner cartridges (about the only thing I could relate PC orientated to a consumable) and the actual product itself (racket, pc motherboard/cpu etc).

Whilst the consumable is still expected to last a reasonable period it is realised that depending on the usage that it could well stop providing its function significantly short of that.

Fair enough but I dont feel 1 week is long enough to be acceptable. I feel that even if it is a consumable it should adhere to some quality standards otherwise it is a green light for all those companies to use cheap sub standard consumables as they wont be held responsible for anything. If this had happened 6 months later I would still be annoyed but probably just take it on the chin and never buy that brand of racket again but its 1 week.

1 Week to me is shouting out loud and clear that there was something inherently wrong with the string. I challenge anyone to get a squash racket and use it excessively for a week with the aim of breaking the strings. It wont happen unless you have a faulty or sub standard squash racket. I know this, everyone with common sense knows this.

I would expect them to provide a re-string without any questions and that would be what I'd ask for, but not a refund of the actual racket.

I am going to write to their head office and I will give them the option to re-string the racket or give me a replacement in which case I will probably spend a bit more and get something better as I have already seen other people selling this exact make of racket on ebay so for all I know there might be a problem with the design of this racket or a faulty batch?

And no offense, but do you guys really go 10+ years between re-strings? Or just that you haven't experienced a snapped string in that period. If so Id say you were really lucky.

I honestly havent but I play Squash on and off (but have been playing regularly for a few months recently) and in between I have misplaced/lost old rackets. I dont think they would last for 10+ years if you play regularly but I would imagine easily over a year depending on your playing style.

I restring my badminton racket every 6 months and that's considered lazy amongst my friends. Playing 4 times a week, its recommended to restring every 2-3 months. Given that's a professional (ok semi professional) level .

How often have you broken a string on your racket though? I think thats recommended because the string will lose tension after a certain amount of usage but I would be surprised if you start snapping the strings after every 2-3 months.

Hintza

jasear wrote: »

How often have you broken a string on your racket though? I think thats recommended because the string will lose tension after a certain amount of usage but I would be surprised if you start snapping the strings after every 2-3 months.

You quite often see strings going on tennis rackets at Wimbledon and they will most probably be restrung after every match!

geri1965_2

krisdorey wrote: »

The strings would be classed as consumables wouldn't they?

Why would they? They are not designed to be "used up" in the same way that an ink cartridge would be.

jasear

Hintza wrote: »

You quite often see strings going on tennis rackets at Wimbledon and they will most probably be restrung after every match!

These are pros though playing at high intensity hitting the ball harder than we can ever imagine and at a much consistent basis. Secondly, they probably get them restrung for performance reasons and as they have sponsors they can afford to.

Its like tyres in formula one, cars go through a number of them but can you equate that to the real world? Would you use that as an argument to say well if your tyre just burst then its a consumable item and tough luck the same happens in formula 1?

No one buys a Squash/Tennis/Badminton racket thinking the strings will last for one week. It is expensive to get a racket restrung the cheapest I have found is £15. That is more than £30% of the cost of the racket. No manufacturer in the world designs a squash racket for its strings to last for 1 week. No manufacturer would find that as an acceptable quality standard. Neither would any consumer. Therefore this is a defective item unless someone can prove that my misuse caused the strings to snap.

Just think of it this way. You work for dunlop you are incharge of Quality Assurance. You test the strings of 100 rackets to ensure there are no design flaws by using some device to apply intermittent gradual pressure over a period of time. On how many of those 100 rackets the string will snap after you apply forces that amount to 2 hours worth of game time? 2 out of a 100? 5? 10? 98?

If it was 98 would you deem that acceptable and as the Quality Assurance guy put your seal of approval on it? If you would then you wont be in the job for long nor will your company be in a business for long.

If you dont then you are accepting these items are defective, sub standard and not fit for mass production and need to be redesigned an re-engineered.

On the other hand if 2, or 5 out of a 100 rackets had their strings broken then surely you would just write them off as the defective minority right?

So whatever way you look at it an item where the strings snapped after a week is pure and simply defective. Its not even debatable in my opinion, debatable would be if it had lasted for 6 months or ill even accept 3 months but 1 week? No way. I would really like to hear from anyone that thinks its acceptable for a major component of an item with an RRP of £99.99 to completely stop functioning beyond repair after 1 week regardless of what type of item it is.

mountainofdebt

well have you complained to Dunlop if SD won't help?

wealdroam

Jasear, you have written quite a lot here comparing 'the average user' (my words) with the F1 or Wimbledon pros.

You must concede that SD have no way of knowing how you have used that racket.

For all they know a team of ten people has used it for some 24-hour, 48-hour, even week long marathon for charity, etc, etc.

You may have even rigged it up in a machine to fire rocks at seagulls... who knows.

Now, I am not suggesting that you have done any of these things, but from the seller's point of view, it is possible to break a string within a week.

As has been said, it is for the seller to prove the thing wasn't faulty at the point of sale...

...no need for me to write more as I would only be repeating what I said in post #11.