Dehumidifier broken within 6 months -online retailer wants us to buy packaging to return at own cost

matty_art

Hi

My wife bought an air purifier from Appliances Direct which was a Which Best Buy.

It worked fine for a couple of months so she gave away the box (lesson learnt there).

It’s now not working properly (within 6 months) as the meter is constantly on the worse air quality and doesn’t move. I’ve followed the maintenance instructions, albeit the ones in the box don’t match our product design exactly as the sensor is in a different place to the box manual despite them being the same model number.

Appliances Direct says it needs to be returned for inspection and that this must be in the original packaging - if this is not available we need to “go to a hardware store” and purchase a suitable box and polystyrene to keep it secure in the box. This would be at our cost as we threw the original box away.

I’m at a bit of a loss here as to what to do - I’m not even sure I could purchase a suitable box and packing materials as it’s quite large and the ones it came in were bespoke moulds.

I don’t think I should have to and have suggested they send a new one and we’ll pack the old one in the box it arrives in to be returned but they won’t budge, even though relevant consumer rights have been stated exactly from the Which magazine. Only thing I can think of is a letter to the CEO if I can find details, or, if my legal position is solid, a small court claim which would seem a bit mad.

Any thoughts?

[Deleted User]

They don't have to choose the replacement option, so your legal position is far from solid.

A few metres of bubble wrap will do the trick.

matty_art

Deleted_User wrote: »

They don't have to choose the replacement option, so your legal position is far from solid.

A few metres of bubble wrap will do the trick.

I wasn’t sure if I had some rights to be funded for return packaging under distance selling regulations if the product is defective, but perhaps not. You’d send with bubble wrap and no box?

I’m just worried, since the company seems to be making life difficult for us and the manual is incorrect which they won’t seem to acknowledge, that they may say it’s not defective and charge me for postage return (they’ve said I need to pay and they will refund if they find it to be defective). My spidey senses are tingling somewhat...

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

matty_art wrote: »

I wasn’t sure if I had some rights to be funded for return packaging under distance selling regulations if the product is defective, but perhaps not. You’d send with bubble wrap and no box?

I’m just worried, since the company seems to be making life difficult for us and the manual is incorrect which they won’t seem to acknowledge, that they may say it’s not defective and charge me for postage return (they’ve said I need to pay and they will refund if they find it to be defective). My spidey senses are tingling somewhat...

If your item is faulty then they will need to cover your reasonable costs.

The item needs to go in a box, a bit of bubblewrap without a box isn't suitable.

If you have any local shops or businesses you'll likely be able to find a nice strong box for nothing.

A fault within the first 6 months is deemed to have been present at the point of sale unless the retailer can demonstrate otherwise.

Have you Googled or checked Amazon reviews to see if others have reported the same issue?

Might provide a resolve or some ammo to back up your claim if the retailer refuses to acknowledge the fault.

Swipe

I always keep hold of my appliance boxes until the warranty has expired.

hollydays

Swipe wrote: »

I always keep hold of my appliance boxes until the warranty has expired.

Perhaps you could send one to the op..:cool:

DoaM

To the OP ... as already mentioned, you need to take reasonable care of the goods and ensure they are packaged for return with adequate protection. Of course the original packaging would be ideal as the seller would struggle to argue any damage was due to the packing. However you are NOT obliged to return the goods in the original or equivalent packaging.

You are also not obliged to cover the cost of returns for a fault situation - the seller must cover all reasonable costs in providing a remedy, including the cost of returning the goods. So all you need to do is make the goods available for collection, at your (reasonable) convenience and the seller's expense.