Apple Airpods Max - PriceLuLu

Jordan5008

So, by a few days, just under a year ago, I bought a pair of Apple Airpods Max from PriceLuLu for £460. Apple were charging £549 for them at this time. Aside from not cleaning the detachable ear pads regularly, they've NOT been mistreated. One day, they just stopped working. I tried everything, changed chargers, changed charging cord, did a "hard reset" but got nowhere. 

I made myself an appointment to see the Genius Bar at the Apple Store nearest me. After some fumbling about, the technician got them working and charging again. A week later, they stopped charging again. I made another appointment at the Genius Bar and this time a different technician took them away for ten minutes, came back and said "They're broken, it's going to cost £279 to repair them as you're out of warranty." The warranty with Apple had expired in February 2022, but I later realised that I had only bought them on 22nd August 2021 from PriceLuLu. I've not contacted Apple again with this information as I would rather just get a refund from PriceLuLu within the year seller's warranty.

So, I emailed PriceLuLu including a copy of the PriceLuLu receipt and the report from Apple.

No reply.

I emailed them again, marking it second request.

No reply.

PriceLuLu have a WhatsApp icon shown on their website. Press it and WhatsApp says "This number is not on the WhatsApp network."

The PriceLuLu website is still taking orders. I checked it today. However, their TrustPilot reviews are taking a nosedive for goods broken or not received.

I've sent a final email saying that I will take them to the small claims court if they don't respond by Tuesday 23rd August.

Does anyone have anything to add to this? Would you do things differently? Any advice?

Thanks in advance, Jordan

Jordan5008

Jordan5008 said:

So, by a few days, just under a year ago, I bought a pair of Apple Airpods Max from PriceLuLu for £460. Apple were charging £549 for them at this time. Aside from not cleaning the detachable ear pads regularly, they've NOT been mistreated. One day, they just stopped working. I tried everything, changed chargers, changed charging cord, did a "hard reset" but got nowhere. 

I made myself an appointment to see the Genius Bar at the Apple Store nearest me. After some fumbling about, the technician got them working and charging again. A week later, they stopped charging again. I made another appointment at the Genius Bar and this time a different technician took them away for ten minutes, came back and said "They're broken, it's going to cost £279 to repair them as you're out of warranty." The warranty with Apple had expired in February 2022, but I later realised that I had only bought them on 22nd August 2021 from PriceLuLu. I've not contacted Apple again with this information as I would rather just get a refund from PriceLuLu within the year seller's warranty.

So, I emailed PriceLuLu including a copy of the PriceLuLu receipt and the report from Apple.

No reply.

I emailed them again, marking it second request.

No reply.

PriceLuLu have a WhatsApp icon shown on their website. Press it and WhatsApp says "This number is not on the WhatsApp network."

The PriceLuLu website is still taking orders. I checked it today. However, their TrustPilot reviews are taking a nosedive for goods broken or not received.

I've sent a final email saying that I will take them to the small claims court if they don't respond by Tuesday 23rd August.

Does anyone have anything to add to this? Would you do things differently? Any advice?

Thanks in advance, Jordan

I should add that PriceLuLu don't have a phone number available to ring, or a shop to visit.

Aylesbury_Duck

Where are "PriceLuLu" based?  Are they genuinely a UK retailer, or just a cheap drop-shipping outfit?

How did you pay?

Assuming they are a UK retailer, your consumer right is a resolution (their choice of refund, replacement or repair) but since it's been over six months, the onus is on you to prove a fault that's not of your making.

The seller warranty may be worthless, without knowing its conditions I couldn't say.

What would I do differently? Not purchase expensive technical goods from a retailer I'd never heard of.  As you're discovering, there's a reason they're cheaper than mainstream retailers.

user1977

According to their website:

PRICELULU is the trading name of MEAS Holdings Limited, registered in England & Wales.

Our registered office is
MEAS HOLDINGS LIMITED
Suite 11a, 7 Bell Yard
London WC2A 2JR

Our company registration number is 12394758

and if you look that up you discover that the company was dissolved in February. So they no longer exist.

And when they did exist, they were essentially a one-man band, the one man being a guy in China:

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12394758/persons-with-significant-control

Jordan5008

So they no longer exist.

Yet they're still trading... I went to the website and clicked to add an item to basket and went all the way to the payment page (I didn't buy anything, obviously).

Jordan5008

Aylesbury_Duck said:

How did you pay?

Paid in three using Klarna.

VohnnyJegas

Jordan5008 said:

So they no longer exist.

Yet they're still trading... I went to the website and clicked to add an item to basket and went all the way to the payment page (I didn't buy anything, obviously).

Of course they are, they're a Chinese company with no connection to the UK that use a mailing address in the UK to make them look legitimate.  But if they can carry on taking money then why do they care?

https://www.companieshousedata.co.uk/a/3830719

7 BELL YARD, LONDON, ENGLAND, WC2A 2JR There are 6090 companies at this address

mattyprice4004

This is what happens when you use dodgy sites to save a few quid I’m afraid. 

Either pursue the payment provider, or take them to court as you have a UK address for them. 

pulliptears

mattyprice4004 said:

This is what happens when you use dodgy sites to save a few quid I’m afraid. 

Either pursue the payment provider, or take them to court as you have a UK address for them. 

My bigger surprise was when the Genius Bar didn't say they were fake in this story.  Even the name 'PriceLuLu' screams avoid to me.

Apple will sometimes discount the new product if your old version is faulty so if it were me I'd try and blag a new pair from them with discount.

Jordan5008

mattyprice4004 said:

This is what happens when you use dodgy sites to save a few quid I’m afraid. 

Either pursue the payment provider, or take them to court as you have a UK address for them. 

I have started a claim against them in the small claims court.

pinkshoes

Jordan5008 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

This is what happens when you use dodgy sites to save a few quid I’m afraid. 

Either pursue the payment provider, or take them to court as you have a UK address for them. 

I have started a claim against them in the small claims court.

That's just throwing good money after bad. You will win but then what? How will you reclaim the money? The assets will be in China...

Small claims is not going to work here.