PC world returns policy

FrankR

Hi,
I bought a laptop which has since developed a fault with its trackpad. I bought the laptop 10 days ago and still have the receipt. I paid cash £450. In the receipt it says you can have either a full refund, replacement or gift card within 30 days of purchase. I phoned them up today and the bloke in the phone said they can only offer a cash refund within 21 days, which contradicts their 30 day policy. If I take the laptop to the store, have the tech blokes verify the fault, am I entitled, by law, to a full cash refund? Hope that's clear enough explanation. Thanks.

FrankR

If anyone could explain my rights, that would be great, just so I have a better understanding when I approach them in store. Thanks.

unholyangel

The relevant legislation is the Consumer Rights Act.

Within 30 days of purchase you have the short term right to reject - basically to reject the goods for a full refund.

Any policy they have should not seek to restrict, remove or mislead you about your statutory rights. You'll likely find the policy is for change of mind returns and not where goods are faulty - the staff shouldn't try and apply their policy in such circumstances though.

If it was after 30 days, they have 1 attempt to provide a repair or replacement within a reasonable time and without causing significant inconvenience, if they cannot do this or the goods still fail to conform to contract after their 1 attempt, you have the final right to reject.

Usually there is an assumption that any fault found within the first 6 months is assumed to be inherent but this assumption is not applied to the short term right to reject so technically they could ask you to prove the goods are inherently faulty.

Take them back and see what they say. I must admit I'm a bit puzzled by your worry - you say you bought the item 10 days ago so still well within the policy timescale even if you didn't have 30 days as a consumer right. Tbh the employee probably isn't aware the consumer law changed last year as in my experience, retailers dont train their staff in this.

FrankR

unholyangel wrote: »

The relevant legislation is the Consumer Rights Act.

Take them back and see what they say. I must admit I'm a bit puzzled by your worry - you say you bought the item 10 days ago so still well within the policy timescale even if you didn't have 30 days as a consumer right. Tbh the employee probably isn't aware the consumer law changed last year as in my experience, retailers dont train their staff in this.

Thank you for your reply.

I did buy the laptop 10 days ago. However, what I'm confused about, and perhaps I should have made this clearer, is that the bloke who I spoke to on the phone today, said that as I paid cash, the faulty returns window is only 21 days, as opposed to 30 days if I had paid by card. He then said that, if I return the faulty laptop after 21 days, but before 30 days, I would get a partial cash refund, and a store card credited with the remaining refund. They seem to have two returns policys I wasn't aware of, one for cash , one for card.

Is this actually true?

unholyangel

FrankR wrote: »

Thank you for your reply.

I did buy the laptop 10 days ago. However, what I'm confused about, and perhaps I should have made this clearer, is that the bloke who I spoke to on the phone today, said that as I paid cash, the faulty returns window is only 21 days, as opposed to 30 days of I had paid by card. He then said that, if I return he faulty laptop after 21 days, but before 30 days, I would get a partial cash refund, and a store card credited with the remaining refund. They seem to have two returns policys I wasn't aware of, one for cash , one for card.

Is this actually true?

No. The law states you have the short term right to reject - to reject the goods for a full refund - within 30 days of purchase. After the initial 30 days the position of the law is that where you have the final right to reject, unless it is exempt goods (which is very limited circumstances like a motor vehicle), they cannot reduce the refund within the first 6 months.

In your case, they legally wouldnt be able to reduce your refund unless it had been more than 6 months from purchase.

They could have different policies for different payment methods if they wished - just those policies cannot be less than your statutory rights. Nor should their policy mislead you about your statutory rights.

Was the person who told you the policy the store manager? If not I wouldnt be too worried - as I said, in my experience companies don't tend to train them in consumer rights. Managers are more likely to be aware of the law and you usually only experience major issues when they (the managers) aren't, rather than just the frontline staff.