please help, refund being refused - faulty product / distance selling

Legacy_user

Hi, I am havig trouble with this and hope somebody can help me out.

I bought a scooter from this company http://www.scootercity.co.uk and when it arrived, i first found that the provided tools were the wrong size, and then after finally getting it put together, it stopped working after 2 metres.
I contacted them asking for a refund and they asked me to check the wires. I checked the wires i had access to, they told me to check the battery wires. The only way to do that was to unscrew the top panel and since the company sells spare parts as standard, I dutifully did as instructed deeming it safe to open that compartment. basically the wires inside don't stay put and so I would have to keep opening it to reconnect them. i lightly put tape around them careful not to let the sticky touch the wires. but the scooter won't even go u a hill. it's clearly not as advertised and faulty, but paypal refused teh refund becaue apparently I had altered it!?
I don't want to deal with the company and be at their behest, since they put on their website that they want to 'check the parts' etc and they'll probably try to make out that it's not faulty and then charge me for shipping etc. I made a mistake dealing with them. I just want to return it and be done with it. I don't expect them to pay return shipping. I mean I could, since it is faulty, but I just want to be done with it to be honest.
What advice can you give me? I already replied to paypal telling them that i had not altered it at all, I merely followed the instructions of the vendor and did not modify hte product in any way or cause 'damage' with sticky tape. I also want to add that I requested the refund within hte 7 days allowed to cancel a contract in distance selling regulations.

daveybea

how about contacting trading standards? they should be able to help

System

Thank you, that sounds like the best course of action, I will do that if paypal do not respond favourably to my follow up.
Appreciate it! ^_^

wealdroam

tremault wrote: »

Hi, I am havig trouble with this and hope somebody can help me out.

I bought a scooter from this company http://www.scootercity.co.uk and when it arrived, i first found that the provided tools were the wrong size, and then after finally getting it put together, it stopped working after 2 metres.
I contacted them asking for a refund and they asked me to check the wires. I checked the wires i had access to, they told me to check the battery wires. The only way to do that was to unscrew the top panel and since the company sells spare parts as standard, I dutifully did as instructed deeming it safe to open that compartment. basically the wires inside don't stay put and so I would have to keep opening it to reconnect them. i lightly put tape around them careful not to let the sticky touch the wires. but the scooter won't even go u a hill. it's clearly not as advertised and faulty, but paypal refused teh refund becaue apparently I had altered it!?
I don't want to deal with the company and be at their behest, since they put on their website that they want to 'check the parts' etc and they'll probably try to make out that it's not faulty and then charge me for shipping etc. I made a mistake dealing with them. I just want to return it and be done with it. I don't expect them to pay return shipping. I mean I could, since it is faulty, but I just want to be done with it to be honest.
What advice can you give me? I already replied to paypal telling them that i had not altered it at all, I merely followed the instructions of the vendor and did not modify hte product in any way or cause 'damage' with sticky tape. I also want to add that I requested the refund within hte 7 days allowed to cancel a contract in distance selling regulations.

OK, a few points...

You are going to have to deal with the company if you want a refund.

Under Distance Selling regulations, you have up to seven working days after receipt of the product to send a cancellation request to the seller.
If the seller has not notified you of your cancellation rights, check paperwork/emails, then you have significantly longer in which to cancel.

You do not have the right to insist on a refund within seven days.
Although it should be dealt with as soon as possible, the DSRs allow the seller up to 30 days to provide the refund.

Not sure why the poster above suggested contacting Trading Standards, as this will not help you get a refund.

If you want to contact anyone about that, it should be CAB's Consumer Advice:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/consumer_e

System

I'm not sure if my post was clear enough but trading standards sounds right. The DSR's are only part of teh story. the fact is, the product is both faulty and not fit for purpose. after checking some more info around here, I realised I have a legal right to refund under the sale of goods act 1987.
So that is something that will be included in my communications with paypal.

wealdroam

tremault wrote: »

...trading standards sounds right.

You are mistaken.

Trading Standards do not pursue complaints from individuals.

As Trading standards themselves say:

It is essential that consumers report their concerns to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service so that crucial intelligence can reach trading standards.

That webpage goes on to give the CAB's Consumer Advice Line telephone number.

tremault wrote: »

I realised I have a legal right to refund under the sale of goods act 1987.

It's 1979, not 1987.

tremault wrote: »

So that is something that will be included in my communications with paypal.

OK.

browneyedbazzi

tremault wrote: »

I'm not sure if my post was clear enough but trading standards sounds right. The DSR's are only part of teh story. the fact is, the product is both faulty and not fit for purpose. after checking some more info around here, I realised I have a legal right to refund under the sale of goods act 1987.
So that is something that will be included in my communications with paypal.

Just because something 'sounds right' doesn't mean it is. Wealdroam is correct that TS don't deal with individual civil complaints (which yours is). If you want civil advice you need to contact the Citizen's Advice Consumer Service. Even if it were a criminal matter (which is isn't!) you'd still need to contact Citizen's Advice and it's for them to forward the complaint to TS if appropriate. Consumers can no longer contact TS services directly (except in a very small number of authorities - mostly in Wales - where TS still have some civil advice staff).