CEX - no returns policy - AVOID

Radio_Five_Live

I have always felts that CEX and their second hand mobile flogging ilk are slightly dodgy operators but now I know it to be true.

Last Saturday I bought a Vodafone-locked iphone 4 for £145 in the central Liverpool branch. I specifically asked about a return on the off-chance that my old one may show up. I was told, provided there was no water damage, no problem - I could go to any store and get a full cash refund. Got home and predictably my old one DID turn up, it had fallen down the back of the bed.

Tuesday after the bank holiday returned to the Manchester Piccadily store to claim my £145 - was told not a chance. The most I could hope for was a credit note to use again in store. Outrageously you can only claim the credit note within a 48 hour period or you don’t even get that - just the offer of an extended warranty on the phone you bought, which has a warranty anyway!!!!!!

I have only now started looking through websites like MSE and Facebook and can see that a head of steam is building about this company and their cavalier attitude to the Sale of Goods Act. It seems they get around the law by classing themselves as a "secondhand goods" store and not as a retailer. Though there may be more to it than this.

In the Manchester branch staff pointed to some in store signs that "fully explained" the returns policy. They were behind the till and I wouldn’t have seen them if I had been in the store all morning.

This may not be technically illegal but it feels like razor sharp practice, or possibly even CEX has an unwritten policy of deliberately misleading customers.

I am now broke and can only hope to flog this silly voucher on ebay, probably for below face price

InsideInsurance

hanwell wrote: »

I have only now started looking through websites like MSE and Facebook and can see that a head of steam is building about this company and their cavalier attitude to the Sale of Goods Act. It seems they get around the law by classing themselves as a "secondhand goods" store and not as a retailer. Though there may be more to it than this.

The Sales of Goods Act is irrelevant to this situation, it only covers cases where the goods are defective, not as described etc. You have no statutory rights for simply changing your mind and no automatic right to return anything that you have bought in person.

Their website also confirms https://uk.webuy.com/help/storehelp.php that their returns policy is 48 hours for change of mind from in store purchases and credit note only but they legally dont even have to do this.

Now evidently your complaint is that the sales representative lied to you and said the returns policy was different to what it is. You need to take this up with the store in question but without independent witnesses or anything in writing it will be hard to prove this is the case. Many of the CEX are fanchises and so the store in question is the better one to complain to (and may in part explain their only partially generous policy)

gik

hanwell wrote: »

I have always felts that CEX and their second hand mobile flogging ilk are slightly dodgy operators but now I know it to be true.

Last Saturday I bought a Vodafone-locked iphone 4 for £145 in the central Liverpool branch. I specifically asked about a return on the off-chance that my old one may show up. I was told, provided there was no water damage, no problem - I could go to any store and get a full cash refund. Got home and predictably my old one DID turn up, it had fallen down the back of the bed.

Tuesday after the bank holiday returned to the Manchester Piccadily store to claim my £145 - was told not a chance. The most I could hope for was a credit note to use again in store. Outrageously you can only claim the credit note within a 48 hour period or you don’t even get that - just the offer of an extended warranty on the phone you bought, which has a warranty anyway!!!!!!

I have only now started looking through websites like MSE and Facebook and can see that a head of steam is building about this company and their cavalier attitude to the Sale of Goods Act. It seems they get around the law by classing themselves as a "secondhand goods" store and not as a retailer. Though there may be more to it than this.

In the Manchester branch staff pointed to some in store signs that "fully explained" the returns policy. They were behind the till and I wouldn’t have seen them if I had been in the store all morning.

This may not be technically illegal but it feels like razor sharp practice, or possibly even CEX has an unwritten policy of deliberately misleading customers.

I am now broke and can only hope to flog this silly voucher on ebay, probably for below face price

Would you still be broke if you hadn't found your original phone? Why didn't you sell the phone you bought?

Caz3121

hanwell wrote: »

I have only now started looking through websites like MSE and Facebook and can see that a head of steam is building about this company and their cavalier attitude to the Sale of Goods Act. It seems they get around the law by classing themselves as a "secondhand goods" store and not as a retailer. Though there may be more to it than this.

If you were to buy a new item from a retailer in store and there is nothing wrong with it and you simply change your mind you have no rights to a refund/credit note.
Most of the big stores do have their own refund policies...28 days etc but this is over and above your rights.
If you buy online you have the DSR regulations allowing you to notify them within 7 days you are returning for refund but this does not apply to in-store purchases, they can simply send you away again with the item you bought

The issue you have is what you were told in the store was incorrect information. Were you able to point out the person that gave you the information?
Would you not have got more by selling the phone on ebay rather than a voucher?

pinkshoes

Some people are missing the point here...

The OP was told they could have a full refund if the other phone turned up. Had they told the OP that no, the policy is no refunds, then the OP would probably not have bought the phone.

The OP is now being offered a credit note rather than the cash refund that they were promised.

steven504

pinkshoes wrote: »

Some people are missing the point here...

The OP was told they could have a full refund if the other phone turned up. Had they told the OP that no, the policy is no refunds, then the OP would probably not have bought the phone.

The OP is now being offered a credit note rather than the cash refund that they were promised.

Yes but he went to a different store most likely belonging to a different person.

DCFC79

Duplicate thread here

debitcardmayhem

pinkshoes wrote: »

Some people are missing the point here...

The OP was told they could have a full refund if the other phone turned up. Had they told the OP that no, the policy is no refunds, then the OP would probably not have bought the phone.

The OP is now being offered a credit note rather than the cash refund that they were promised.

Call me old fashioned if you will but ... OP has lost his/her phone and lo it turns up behind the bed did they not ring it to see if someone answers or better still see if they can hear it...Move along folks there is nothing to add here

halibut2209

Because everyone always has their phone on, and not on silent

jkkne

In that case I'd recommend everyone with an Android device installs AVG Mobilation app which will allow you to lock/wipe or wake up your android phone (even if its on silent) or locate it (based on wireless and gps)

Findmy iPhonee does the same job for iPhones

Always losing my phone in the house and always have it on silent, this really helps

Spank

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Call me old fashioned if you will but ... OP has lost his/her phone and lo it turns up behind the bed did they not ring it to see if someone answers or better still see if they can hear it...Move along folks there is nothing to add here

It's possible the battery died before they realised it was missing