TV Not As Described?

natc

Hi everyone

We bought a small 24 inch LG TV for our caravan yesterday. My husband and I don't know a lot about TV specs so we asked a staff member in the shop about this TV which is HD ready. I asked if we can still get HD channels if it is only HD ready, and the staff member said you can still watch HD channels but they will be downgraded a bit compared to full HD. We were happy with that, as long as we could still get HD, we weren't bothered about it being full HD, as long as better than the standard channel as its such a small screen. 

After doing the auto tuning twice, there were no HD channels. I know now that you can't get them on HD Ready TVs now that I've looked it up online!!!

We are really disappointed and also feel ripped off as, the staff member said that it is capable of HD channels only at downgraded quality, and it was £179.. since looking on their site, we could have got another TV, same size but full HD and with built in DVD player for £169! 

I just feel that in a customer service role, this staff member should have given us this better spec TV and knew we wanted HD channels and didn't advise properly. 

Are we within our rights to take back for a refund?

Also, my husband threw all box away once we turned it on and it was working, will this affect? 

TIA

tacpot12

I think your problem will be proving that you asked to be able to watch he channels. 

You might also need to explain why it took you so long to realise that you couldn’t watch the hd channels. 

Do you remember the name of the sales assistant that served you? 

I would say that you need to start by taking the tv back to the store, and suggest that the sales assistant made a mistake, but remain firm that the tv isn’t suitable for the purpose you were sold it for. 

p00hsticks

tacpot12 said:

You might also need to explain why it took you so long to realise that you couldn’t watch the hd channels. 

OP says that they only bought the TV yesterday ?
I think more of an issue will be that they've apparently disposed of all the packaging.....

natc

Thank you, both.

Yes, we realised the same night as buying the TV. 

We are on a campsite and nowhere to store the packaging, rather large for a small TV, when you're in a small caravan! So husband threw it unfortunately.

The TV wasn't one we were actually looking at either, the staff member had gone in the back to check stock of another and came out with this one telling us its a better brand if tv, would be better quality but was £40 more expensive. I wouldn't be bothered if it had HD! 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

A full HD TV displays in 1080p where as a HD Ready TV displays in 780p, the HD Ready TV will accept a HD source but downgrades the resolution so it's better than SD but not as good as HD. 

Was this a national store (e.g Currys)? 

It's always a bit difficult with information given verbally but it's worth a try to get a refund if you aren't happy, worst they can say is no.

We use a Firestick for everything so I'm out of touch with how TVs get standard TV channels these days, I think a HD Ready TV can pick up HD channels it's just they are only display in sort of half HD. 

Perhaps someone else can advise whether you should be able to pick up HD channels simply via tuning rather than having a plug in box/stick/etc and if you should be able to why you aren't.

If it turns out you can't receive any HD channels at all on a HD Ready TV then I'd certainly push for a refund but wouldn't mention the other better/cheaper TV when returning as it might come across as change of mind rather than a valid complaint about what was said  

born_again

natc said:

Hi everyone

We bought a small 24 inch LG TV for our caravan yesterday. My husband and I don't know a lot about TV specs so we asked a staff member in the shop about this TV which is HD ready. I asked if we can still get HD channels if it is only HD ready, and the staff member said you can still watch HD channels but they will be downgraded a bit compared to full HD. We were happy with that, as long as we could still get HD, we weren't bothered about it being full HD, as long as better than the standard channel as its such a small screen. 

After doing the auto tuning twice, there were no HD channels. I know now that you can't get them on HD Ready TVs now that I've looked it up online!!!

We are really disappointed and also feel ripped off as, the staff member said that it is capable of HD channels only at downgraded quality, and it was £179.. since looking on their site, we could have got another TV, same size but full HD and with built in DVD player for £169! 

I just feel that in a customer service role, this staff member should have given us this better spec TV and knew we wanted HD channels and didn't advise properly. 

Are we within our rights to take back for a refund?

Also, my husband threw all box away once we turned it on and it was working, will this affect? 

TIA

So where are you setting it up. 
If in Caravan, it is possible that the ariel & reception is the issue.

So  best bet try setting it up in house, if you get the HD via that, then the issue is not the TV 👍

As to staff member, did you say this was for a caravan?

Grumpy_chap

natc said:

we weren't bothered about it being full HD, as long as better than the standard channel as its such a small screen. 

This does not particularly help the OP, but the need for HD is less, not more, on a smaller screen.
HD means more dots on the screen so the gaps between dots are less / smaller.
On a small screen the gaps between dots are smaller anyway.
It is when you get to a larger screen that the big dots need to be smaller and HD is required.

kaMelo

You're really not missing anything if you're receiving your tv channels via aerial, there are not that many channels broadcast in HD. As far as I'm aware there are only BBC 1-4, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 so you're not losing out in terms of quantity as all are available in SD.. Whether an HD ready tv with a resolution of 720p is that much better than an SD resolution of 576i is debateable, on a 24" tv I doubt whether anyone would notice any difference.

Still, that doesn't change the fact you didn't get what you asked for but proving that may be difficult. Throwing the box away didn't help your position either..

PS
Not a dig at you OP but why do people toss boxes away the second something is open?
I always try to keep boxes at least until the warranty has run out simply because returning something is so much easier with the original packaging. Am I weird?

natc

kaMelo said:

You're really not missing anything if you're receiving your tv channels via aerial, there are not that many channels broadcast in HD. As far as I'm aware there are only BBC 1-4, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 so you're not losing out in terms of quantity as all are available in SD.. Whether an HD ready tv with a resolution of 720p is that much better than an SD resolution of 576i is debateable, on a 24" tv I doubt whether anyone would notice any difference.

Still, that doesn't change the fact you didn't get what you asked for but proving that may be difficult. Throwing the box away didn't help your position either..

PS
Not a dig at you OP but why do people toss boxes away the second something is open?
I always try to keep boxes at least until the warranty has run out simply because returning something is so much easier with the original packaging. Am I weird?

I never like to throw boxes out, but husband won't keep them. Really grates me! But, we are away at caravan and there wasn't anywhere to store it, and the TV did turn on and seemed to be 9k, except later in the evening I thought the picture wasn't very good and realised it wasn't HD and couldn't find the channels, even after retuning.

We had been using another small TV, full HD before this one, and definitely noticed a difference between sd and HD. This was the reason I definitely wanted HD. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like channels 1-5 😲

natc

Grumpy_chap said:

natc said:

we weren't bothered about it being full HD, as long as better than the standard channel as its such a small screen. 

This does not particularly help the OP, but the need for HD is less, not more, on a smaller screen.
HD means more dots on the screen so the gaps between dots are less / smaller.
On a small screen the gaps between dots are smaller anyway.
It is when you get to a larger screen that the big dots need to be smaller and HD is required.

I definitely notice a big difference with HD compared to sd. That is why I wanted HD.

natc

born_again said:

natc said:

Hi everyone

We bought a small 24 inch LG TV for our caravan yesterday. My husband and I don't know a lot about TV specs so we asked a staff member in the shop about this TV which is HD ready. I asked if we can still get HD channels if it is only HD ready, and the staff member said you can still watch HD channels but they will be downgraded a bit compared to full HD. We were happy with that, as long as we could still get HD, we weren't bothered about it being full HD, as long as better than the standard channel as its such a small screen. 

After doing the auto tuning twice, there were no HD channels. I know now that you can't get them on HD Ready TVs now that I've looked it up online!!!

We are really disappointed and also feel ripped off as, the staff member said that it is capable of HD channels only at downgraded quality, and it was £179.. since looking on their site, we could have got another TV, same size but full HD and with built in DVD player for £169! 

I just feel that in a customer service role, this staff member should have given us this better spec TV and knew we wanted HD channels and didn't advise properly. 

Are we within our rights to take back for a refund?

Also, my husband threw all box away once we turned it on and it was working, will this affect? 

TIA

So where are you setting it up. 
If in Caravan, it is possible that the ariel & reception is the issue.

So  best bet try setting it up in house, if you get the HD via that, then the issue is not the TV 👍

As to staff member, did you say this was for a caravan?

Yes,we told the staff we were using it in caravam and wanted HD channels. And we have used another TV, full HD, which received HD channels on a small aerial at caravan.