Fighting a war between Fujifilm and Royal Mail!

LucyThomson

Hi all, just looking for a bit of advice.


My new Fujifilm digital camera (bought December 2013) started having problems with the menus/button wheel - a technical fault which would be repaired under warrantee.


I registered the repair and sent it off to the camera repair centre, well packaged, insured with the Royal Mail and sent Special Delivery.


A few weeks after it arrived with Fuji, they sent me an email to say it could not be repaired under warrantee as it has suffered 'impact damage' and so cost to have repaired = £100.
- News to me as it had never been dropped before!


I asked them to clarify what this meant and how they had determined 'impact damage'.


They sent back pictures of the camera - it seems between it leaving me and reaching them, it now has a lovely dent on the bottom of the casing. Therefore they deem that this caused the fault, so no warrantee claim.


I spoke to their office the next day and they said I would have to take the issue up with Royal Mail and ask for compensation through them.


I registered the claim with Royal Mail, sent off the necessary paperwork and photos and the other day received a letter from them to say that unless I had the original packaging, they could only send me 6 first class stamps!


Back on the phone to Fuji, they say they would never keep the packaging of any item - they dispose of it immediately as they put all items into their own bags/trays as they move through the repair centre.


Back on the phone to Royal Mail, they have said they will raise the issue again with the claims department but the adviser admits that it unlikely I will get any compensation.


Can anyone advise who I should be fighting with? I can see the points of view from both companies; Fuji says "why should we have to keep the packaging of all items received just in case there is a royal mail claim?". Royal mail says "prove it was us who damaged it - show us the packaging".


Trouble is, here I am out of pocket of at least £100 for repair. Or £150 to buy new.


It seems both Warrantees and Insurance have been no use to me at all in this case!!


Thanks in advance for any help,


Lucy

ewan_c

Unfortunately, you have been a little too honest in telling them packaging was definitely no longer available. I had a similar claim for a laptop a few years back and they paid out £1000 without even contacting the company I returned it to (though in that instance the company did still have the packaging.)

LucyThomson

Hi Ewan,


I hadn't told them that initially, but they asked me to provide it when they wrote back to me. I assumed it would be my responsibility, as the claimer, to get them the packing, rather than them contacting Fuji? But maybe I was wrong?


I have looked up the 'tracked delivery' signature and now have the name of the person who signed for it at Fuji.


My feeling is, that when you sign for delivery (in this case Fuji), it is your responsibility to check the packaging for damages before signing for it and 'accepting delivery'.


The person at Fuji obviously didn't do this; for that type of dent to occur, the packaging must have been damaged too. So I think I need to put the ball back in their court!

Bantex_2

Why were you not dealing with the retailer?

LucyThomson

The camera was a Christmas gift I was given last year. It only started having problems in March. Seemed like a fix for Fuji under warrantee?

deanos

does RM terms state packaging needs to be kept ?

custardy

deanos wrote: »

does RM terms state packaging needs to be kept ?

Packaging must meet packaging guidelines.
How would you prove it did without packaging?
The statement it was 'well packaged' doesn't really tally with it being dented?

ewan_c

LucyThomson wrote: »

Hi Ewan,


I hadn't told them that initially, but they asked me to provide it when they wrote back to me. I assumed it would be my responsibility, as the claimer, to get them the packing, rather than them contacting Fuji? But maybe I was wrong?


I have looked up the 'tracked delivery' signature and now have the name of the person who signed for it at Fuji.


My feeling is, that when you sign for delivery (in this case Fuji), it is your responsibility to check the packaging for damages before signing for it and 'accepting delivery'.


The person at Fuji obviously didn't do this; for that type of dent to occur, the packaging must have been damaged too. So I think I need to put the ball back in their court!

Yes, you should have just have said they should contact the recipient for packaging. It's easy to be wise after the event though. Agree that whomever accepted the item at Fuji wasn't competent but expect they get dozens (hundreds, even) of parcels every day and there is no way each item is inspected before they sign acceptance.

It's all a bit iffy, isn't it? In my case, quite frankly, I DON'T believe the item was actually damaged as I sent it back in the original manufacturer packaging which was like a work of art. The laptop was held in a sort of moulded suspension tray within the outer box and none of it touched the outer box so how could it get damaged? I believe what happened is the selling company wasn't prepared to take on the loss which occurred as it was no longer a sealed brand-new unit. I only discovered the misdescription after I set it up and it didn't have the built-in wireless capability that they said it had in their advert so I was entitled to a refund.

Someone asked why aren't you dealing with the seller but now it's got a bash in it, they'll just say it's not covered. Have you got accidental damage cover for personal belongings on you home insurance by any chance? That might cover it but you'll have the policy excess etc to take into account.