Monopod damaged my DSLR

Sam1993

So I recently baught a monopod from currys for £21.99 which is a primaphoto branded monopod.

It was totally fine when I tried my camera on it in store and it was fine when I used it in my house but I took it out today in Manchester with my camera attached which was on a video stableizer with a microphone as I use it for filming which doesn't even weigh close to what the monopod can supposedly support so it shouldn't of had any problems so I leant down to pick up my bag and the camera came off with the cap and screw still attached and the cap isn't supposed to come off at all so I just watch my camera fall to the floor causing damage to the stableizer, microphone, and camera.

The microphone has a few marks on it and the the cushiony bit on the stableizer has a tear in it and the camera has a dent on the bottom and the image sometimes doesn't show on the screen after I've took the photo sometimes so it's obviously caused some damage inside.

So I took the camera and monopod back to the Manchester store and asked if they could do anything to which he said I can swap it in store for a different one so that's what I did but he did write me note of what happened so I have that as proof but he said he couldn't do anything In store about the damage it's caused to my equipment so I called yo currys and they seemed clueless in what they could do so advised me to contact the company that makes the monopod which is prima photo and I can't fine any contact info online of this company It has a website that's it.

So now I'm absolutely clueless to what I can do because I'm sure I should be entitled to something because it's caused £100s of damage. I just don't know how I can go about this because this kind of thing has never happened to me before. And I'm sorry on how long this is I'm just ranting because I'm mad

KeithP

Have a read of MSE's Consumer Rights guide.

It's all worth reading, but here is just one short extract:

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.

Fosterdog

If you want the damage covered it will be up to you to prove that it is owed.

The monopod doesn't say that it's suitable to use with a video stabiliser nor microphone also attached, that is likely to throw off the centre of gravity and stop the monopod from distributing the weight evenly which could then cause it to snap as you bent down and probably also tilted the monopod whilst doing so.

What was the total weight of your kit? That monopod will hold a maximum of 5.5kg, dslr camera bodies range from around 300g to just under 2kg, a lens can be the same or more on top, then if you had anything like a flash or battery grip added (although I'm assuming you didn't have one if the bottom of the camera got damaged) and finally your stabiliser and microphone it could potentially be over the maximum weight allowance if you had say a Canon 7d with a 200-400 lens (although granted you'd need a separate mono/tripod to support the weight of this one) they come to just under 4.5kg without the extras which combined could certainly weigh more than 1kg.

It may not even be that it was overweight but a combination of the weight, the extras you added on throwing it off balance, and the tilting and it was just an accident waiting to happen

Gleeful

This is why you should insure photographic equipment

Jackmydad

How are you going to prove that it was the monopod breaking that caused the damage, and not you dropping the whole lot that broke the monopod?
Even then, as already said, you'd have to prove that the monopod wasn't overloaded or "misused" in some way.
I'm not saying that either was what happened, but it's what you're going to be asked to prove I reckon.

Best to stick with the known makers of things like tripods, monopods etc.
And get insurance. Does your household insurance cover it?