Faulty Electrical Item, Same Model In Stock But Different Colour: Exchange?

LouLou

Hello there,

I'm sure this has been asked before, but perhaps the search engine definitions I'm putting in aren't the right ones!

Basically....bought my sister a bargainous coffee machine from a well-known retailer. Opened it up, checked all the bits were there, put it away for a few weeks till her birthday (earlier this week).

Turns out the machine is faulty. I have an identically-branded machine that is similar, and it's definitely leaking and not behaving as it should.

So, back to the retailer.

To my delight, they have lots of stock of this machine there today! Hooray!

But, it turns out, different colours are different prices. The one I got sis was the cheapest of all (the colours on sale today were nearly four times the price I paid!).

Counter assistant said, all we can do is offer you a refund. Is there any way I can get this same model, even in a different colour?

I was going to phone to speak to the manager tomorrow, but don't want to make a fool of myself ! The store concerned were very nice and helpful, I can't fault them there. My sis is quite gutted, she was thrilled with the gift, but I know that doesn't change store policy!

Thanks for reading, and thanks also for any responses.

whitewing

Is it available online for the same price as you paid? If so, and you can afford it now, take the online one and accept the refund. This will also mean that you get a new warranty. But you will have a few days overlap until you get your refund.

unholyangel

You can request a repair, replacement or refund however the retailer can refuse if disproportionately costly in comparison to other remedies.

LouLou

whitewing wrote: »

Is it available online for the same price as you paid? If so, and you can afford it now, take the online one and accept the refund. This will also mean that you get a new warranty. But you will have a few days overlap until you get your refund.

For some reason, the online prices are a little cheaper than the in-store options I saw today. Still considerably more than I paid! The colour I bought sis isn't available online.

I took the refund on my CC earlier but I was just wondering if there was any way I could get an exchange. I can understand why different colours may be different prices: perhaps the colour I got sis was an unpopular one.

marliepanda

No you cannot demand an exchange.

whitewing

I think they could argue that you already took the refund.

I guess you could ask that they sell you a different colour for the price you paid as a gesture of goodwill as it was for your sister's birthday (maybe give her name and address as they may have access to electoral roll info, which I believe gives birthdays.) This could make up for the disappointment. I guess whether they will or won't depends solely on the price difference.

If they still say no but offer a voucher, maybe you could ask to split the difference so that you pay a little more for a more popular colour.

I would politely put it in writing to them. I think it would be a goodwill gesture only though.

LouLou

whitewing wrote: »

I think they could argue that you already took the refund.

I guess you could ask that they sell you a different colour for the price you paid as a gesture of goodwill as it was for your sister's birthday (maybe give her name and address as they may have access to electoral roll info, which I believe gives birthdays.) This could make up for the disappointment. I guess whether they will or won't depends solely on the price difference.

If they still say no but offer a voucher, maybe you could ask to split the difference so that you pay a little more for a more popular colour.

I would politely put it in writing to them. I think it would be a goodwill gesture only though.

I didn't realise they had more of the same model in stock! I'd already been refunded by the time I started looking at other coffee machines.

But, yes, my first instinct was that it would be at the discretion and goodwill of the store whether a replacement was made ("disproportionate costs" and all that). http://www.retra.co.uk/?page_id=119

All I can do is try phoning the manager tomorrow. Thanks for all your replies

LilElvis

LouLou wrote: »

I took the refund on my CC earlier but I was just wondering if there was any way I could get an exchange.

If you've accepted a refund to your card today then how can you call the store manager and ask for an exchange tomorrow? Or am I being particularly dense today.

Cross-posted!

I think you are going to need superhuman powers of persuasion to get a 75% discount, but hopefully they will be able to offer you something, perhaps a reduction off a more affordable model.

LouLou

LilElvis wrote: »

If you've accepted a refund to your card today then how can you call the store manager and ask for an exchange tomorrow? Or am I being particularly dense today.

Cross-posted!

I think you are going to need superhuman powers of persuasion to get a 75% discount, but hopefully they will be able to offer you something, perhaps a reduction off a more affordable model.

I'm not expecting the exchange to occur with no money changing hands, I thought that common sense would prevail , naturally I'm going to have to pay for a new machine.

The assistant told me the colour I'd bought sis was out of stock so I assumed I had no other options, and took the refund. Then I discovered they had more of the model in different colours/prices, when I browsed other coffee machines.

I will ask tomorrow. I'm not someone who has screaming tantrums if I don't get my way, and I understand the store's situation. Just wanted to know others thoughts on this.

molerat

Different colours etc are often promoted by the manufacturer to sell at a heavily discounted price, they make a huge profit on the consumables later. To let you have a different colour at 75% discount would probably mean the retailer making a loss so not much chance.

ThumbRemote

Is the leaky part coloured? Is it easily removed? Could you:

Buy more expensive different coloured item
Remove working part from it, and replace with faulty part from your item
Return more expensive different coloured item for a refund

(Or alternatively does the store have other nearby branches you could try?)