Return to who?

Captain_Leaky

Short story. Purchased a Trendnet Powerline 500 AV2 Adaptor Kit from Argos online on 26th June 2014. One of the units has stopped working a couple of weeks ago. Wife was going shopping today so I asked her to go to Argos to find out what we had to do to get a replacement. Lady at ARGOS said that Argos only covered a one year warranty, which has now expired. She referred my wife back to the manufacturer who covers the product with a 3 year warranty. I have just tried to find out on the Trendnet website as to how I can return this item for replacement but everything looks to only apply in the USA. Can anyone shine a light upon what we should do next?

custardy

http://www.trendnet.com/langen/support/contact.asp

change country to UK.

wealdroam

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

Short story. Purchased a Trendnet Powerline 500 AV2 Adaptor Kit from Argos online on 26th June 2014. One of the units has stopped working a couple of weeks ago. Wife was going shopping today so I asked her to go to Argos to find out what we had to do to get a replacement. Lady at ARGOS said that Argos only covered a one year warranty, which has now expired. She referred my wife back to the manufacturer who covers the product with a 3 year warranty. I have just tried to find out on the Trendnet website as to how I can return this item for replacement but everything looks to only apply in the USA. Can anyone shine a light upon what we should do next?

If you want to claim under the manufacturer's warranty, then you need to abide by it's terms.

You do however, have up to six years to seek a remedy from the seller, Argos, under The Sale of Goods Act.

This extract from MSE's Consumer Rights guide may also help:

Know who's responsible

When returning items, beware shops trying the oldest trick in the book: saying they're not responsible for the shoddy goods and you must call the manufacturer. This is total nonsense!

If a company fobs you off by saying “go to the maker instead”, it's wrong. It's the retailer's job to sort it.

It doesn't matter if it's an iPod from a high street shop or a designer frock from a department store. If something's broken, torn, ripped or faulty, the seller has a legal duty to put it right as your contract is with it.

Captain_Leaky

Wow, thanks for the very quick replies. I've just had to wade through Trendnet's convoluted 'support' section to 'raise a ticket'. What worries me is that they state that all costs of returns (presumably to the USA) have to be borne by me and are non-refundable. I'll look at the MSE guide but have read elsewhere that the retailer is not legally obligated to acpet a faulty return if their own limited warranty period has expired.

custardy

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

Wow, thanks for the very quick replies. I've just had to wade through Trendnet's convoluted 'support' section to 'raise a ticket'. What worries me is that they state that all costs of returns (presumably to the USA) have to be borne by me and are non-refundable. I'll look at the MSE guide but have read elsewhere that the retailer is not legally obligated to acpet a faulty return if their own limited warranty period has expired.

Well its a £32 item. So you need ot weigh up your options/costs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TRENDnet-TPL-408E2K-Powerline-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00JIVZVNS

Captain_Leaky

Not from Argos it wasn't - I paid £59.99. Now, I have just spoken to an ARGOS customer support rep and he tells me that the 6 years thing would only apply if I had a report compiled by an electronics expert/technician and submitted a copy to them which stated that the goods were indeed faulty. I then cheekily asked if I could invoice them directly for this report, to which he curtly replied 'NO!' Despite my quoting the SoGA, they weren't having any of it, so I am now stuck. No joy from ARGOS whatsoever. So much for the much-vaunted Sale of Goods Act eh?

custardy

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

Not from Argos it wasn't - I paid £59.99. Now, I have just spoken to an ARGOS customer support rep and he tells me that the 6 years thing would only apply if I had a report compiled by an electronics expert/technician and submitted a copy to them which stated that the goods were indeed faulty. I then cheekily asked if I could invoice them directly for this report, to which he curtly replied 'NO!' Despite my quoting the SoGA, they weren't having any of it, so I am now stuck. No joy from ARGOS whatsoever. So much for the much-vaunted Sale of Goods Act eh?

Maybe not. however you can replace it for that price.
If you are paying postage we are talking at least 1/3 of the replacement price.

wealdroam

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

I'll look at the MSE guide but have read elsewhere that the retailer is not legally obligated to acpet a faulty return if their own limited warranty period has expired.

Please do tell us where you have read that?

It is certainly true that the seller does not have to provide a remedy if the goods are not inherently faulty, but that doesn't appear to be what you are saying.

Captain_Leaky

So, to summarize -

The Goods ARE faulty.

The ARGOS 1 year retailer's warranty expired a couple of weeks ago.

ARGOS have stated that they do not and will not accept faulty returns after 12 months, even if purchased from themselves.

ARGOS insist that I refer back to the OEM under the terms of their 3 year warranty,

ARGOS stated that the only come-back would be for me to have the faulty item independently assess at my own cost, and only then would they comply with the 6 year thing.

So, it seems that they don't really recognize the Sale of Goods Act nor its requirements after all.

wealdroam

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

Not from Argos it wasn't - I paid £59.99. Now, I have just spoken to an ARGOS customer support rep and he tells me that the 6 years thing would only apply if I had a report compiled by an electronics expert/technician and submitted a copy to them which stated that the goods were indeed faulty. I then cheekily asked if I could invoice them directly for this report, to which he curtly replied 'NO!' Despite my quoting the SoGA, they weren't having any of it, so I am now stuck. No joy from ARGOS whatsoever. So much for the much-vaunted Sale of Goods Act eh?

However, if you get a report that confirms not only that the goods are faulty, but that they are inherently faulty, then the seller is obliged to supply a remedy and cover the cost of that report.

An important bit there is that the report must confirm that the goods are inherently faulty, not just faulty.

Just because you don't understand The Sale of Goods Act, it does not mean that it is no good.

wealdroam

Captain_Leaky wrote: »

The Goods ARE faulty. The ARGOS 1 year retailer's warranty expired a couple of weeks ago. ARGOS have stated that they do not and will not accept faulty returns after 12 months, even if purchased from themselves. ARGOS insist that I refer back to the OEM under the terms of their 3 year warranty, and that's the end of it.

Ok, if that's the end of it... so be it.

Good luck.