Broken Down Sony Hifi

yakadoozy

I am after advice on a Sony stereo that broke down a few weeks ago.
I have tried all the tips on the Sony website but nothing works so it needs to be repaired or replaced. i bought the stereo on the 1/04/2012 online so its under two years old but out of the so called manufacturers warranty. but to me under two years is not a reasonable amount of time for a £150 hifi (purchased for £89.99 as a manufacturer refurbished). Am i wrong to expect this to be repaired or replaced? I have contacted Richer sounds who have eventually offered to repair the item but the repair is chargeable with a £40 deposit. So the advice i'm after is do i have any rights to have this repaired or replaced or even a refund. if so what should be my next step. Richer sounds have told me i should contact Sony as it is their warranty and not richer sounds. Is that right?

InsideInsurance

Your rights are with the vendor not the manufacturer.

What is the £40 deposit for? Under what conditions is it returnable/ under what conditions do they retain it?

As it is over 6 months old it is up to you to prove it is an inherent fault rather than either user error or acceptable wear and tear.

yakadoozy

They didn't actually say what the deposit was for but normally with repairs of this nature they would knock the £40 off the repair bill.
How on earth do i prove it's an inherent fault rather than either user error or acceptable wear and tear? it won't turn on and just flashes a red light at me, I have only ever turned it on and off using the remote control and really only used the ipod dock and the dab radio very occasionally the cd player. what else would you do with a stereo? Thanks for the reply.

InsideInsurance

Normally if you are challenged you would commission an expert report who'd inspect it to diagnose the problem and the cause.

You need to mention to them them that you are not asking them to repair it (ie you paying for a repair) but are returning the item under the sales of goods act as you've not has a satisfactory life from the item.

George_Michael

yakadoozy wrote: »

but to me under two years is not a reasonable amount of time for a £150 hifi (purchased for £89.99 as a manufacturer refurbished). Am i wrong to expect this to be repaired or replaced?

Just under two years use for a £90 unit isn't too bad, and although the selling price for a new stereo might have been £150, this has no bearing on your one as yours was refurbished.

If Richer sounds decide to follow the SOGA, they could insist that you prove that the fault was due to a manufacturing defect and not because of misuse and you would need an independent report to show this.
If this was the case, they could then opt to refund you instead of repairing or replacing, and they are entitled to make a deduction from the refund to cover the time that you had a working hifi unit.
If they think that a £90 stereo stereo should last 3 years then they may well offer a refund of 1/3 of the purchase price as item failed after 2/3 of its estimated life.

yakadoozy

Ok so if i pay to take it to an independent expert and it is found to be an inherent fault am i entitled to getting that cost back from the retailer? It seems to me it may be easier and potentially cheaper to just replace it myself.

Richer_Sounds_Company_Representative

yakadoozy wrote: »

I am after advice on a Sony stereo that broke down a few weeks ago.
I have tried all the tips on the Sony website but nothing works so it needs to be repaired or replaced. i bought the stereo on the 1/04/2012 online so its under two years old but out of the so called manufacturers warranty. but to me under two years is not a reasonable amount of time for a £150 hifi (purchased for £89.99 as a manufacturer refurbished). Am i wrong to expect this to be repaired or replaced? I have contacted Richer sounds who have eventually offered to repair the item but the repair is chargeable with a £40 deposit. So the advice i'm after is do i have any rights to have this repaired or replaced or even a refund. if so what should be my next step. Richer sounds have told me i should contact Sony as it is their warranty and not richer sounds. Is that right?

Hi there,

I was sorry to read of the problems with your Sony Hi Fi.

So that I can look into this matter further, please would you email me with some more information including your receipt and contact details?

john.p.clayton@richersounds.com

Meanwhile, my apologies for the obvious inconvenience, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Many Thanks

John Clayton
Operations Director
Richer Sounds

unholyangel

yakadoozy wrote: »

Ok so if i pay to take it to an independent expert and it is found to be an inherent fault am i entitled to getting that cost back from the retailer? It seems to me it may be easier and potentially cheaper to just replace it myself.

Yes they would be liable for the report cost also.

The £40 deposit could have been for that though. Some companies do this and say if its inherent they'll refund the deposit, if not then it's used to pay for inspection or put towards repairs.

So may be worthwhile asking them to elaborate on the £40 to see if they'll refund if an inherent fault is found.