Why are mobiles exempt from 16 day money back

sherbie28

I've been into Argos today to buy a mobile phone for my mum's birthday. I presumed that if the seal wasn't broken I be able to return it if it was the wrong model. However at the till I was told I wouldn't be able to do this. Something which I thought was really weird though is that when I went to the collection point and assistant brought the mobile to me she broke the seal on the box and checked inside even though the seal states that it's been checked. What's that all about? Is she trying to off load something on me that someone's already brought back hence telling me she has to break seal and look inside!

top_banana

sherbie28 wrote: »

I've been into Argos today to buy a mobile phone for my mum's birthday. I presumed that if the seal wasn't broken I be able to return it if it was the wrong model. However at the till I was told I wouldn't be able to do this. Something which I thought was really weird though is that when I went to the collection point and assistant brought the mobile to me she broke the seal on the box and checked inside even though the seal states that it's been checked. What's that all about? Is she trying to off load something on me that someone's already brought back hence telling me she has to break seal and look inside!

I think that this is something to do with people taking the 'box' away and then saying that the phone was missing or damaged when they got home.

I bought a car cigarette lighter 3 way adapter ( to plug in sat nav / speed cam detector) and even that is exempt from their 16 / 30 day money back policy

Mack_3

As the last reply states the open of the boxes is just to show you all the contents are there. Its much the same all shops do with Jewellery, however with mobiles its not standard policy, it will hust be that the store in question has probably had an abuse of the trust we hold with customers and someone has probably said they recieved an empty box, which unless you open every one to customers it is very very hard to prove that the phone wasnt in the box.

However by law Argos once they sell something do not have to take anything back, however they offer the 30 day money back as a bonus to customers (as do most retailers) however because its not law they can pick or choose what they want to exclude from this..... although if you buy online you are covered by the standard distance selling regulations which obviously overide any exempions of Argos providing seals etc are not broken.

Inactive

Argos used to accept almost anything back up to 16 days from sale, basically because a customer couldn't get a " hands on " experience because they are basically a warehouse, however they seem to have gone downhill with their latest rules.

I buy items of value via their delivery service now, so that I can benefit from the legally binding distance selling regulations.

A bad move Argos.

Ardsguy

Mobile phones are exempt from the 30 day MBG, along with MP3 players &digital cameras due to the nature of digital storage. If it was to be returned, its not appropriate to resell without being returned to manufacturer to be "reset".

sockpuppetuk

Mack wrote: »

however with mobiles its not standard policy, it will hust be that the store in question has probably had an abuse of the trust we hold with customers and someone has probably said they recieved an empty box

Recently Argos did a half price deal on a phone and I needed 3 of them but my local branch only had one so I had to travel to the next nearest one for the second handset and to another branch for the third.
All 3 Shops broke the seal and opened the box in front of me to "check the sim card was in there".

Kj123_2

I bought a twin DVD thing for the car last week from Argos, they too are exempt from the 30 MBG.

Inactive

Ardsguy wrote: »

Mobile phones are exempt from the 30 day MBG, along with MP3 players &digital cameras due to the nature of digital storage. If it was to be returned, its not appropriate to resell without being returned to manufacturer to be "reset".

So how come they still sell these items via their delivery service, where items can be returned up to 7 days, due to legislation?

Nilrem

Yup, distance selling act.

yeslek

what is this mighty distance selling act? (i've never heard of it before)

postingalwaysposting

yeslek wrote: »

what is this mighty distance selling act? (i've never heard of it before)

http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/