Sony TV packs up after 6 months - what are my rights?

ortolickus

I'm sure this question must have been posed and answered 1000 times, but I can't seem to find anything relevant so I'd be grateful for any guidance.
In a nutshell, i bought a Sony TV from Costco 6 months ago and it broke down on 3rd September. Back in the day I believe consumers had certain rights; the advice always was to return the item to/deal with the retailer. But the retailer doesn't want to know. After an enforced phone call to their "concierge service" (at least it was a freephone)  I was told I must contact the manufacturer. Sony in turn have referred me - in their own muddled way - to a repair service that has a seriously lousy score on trust pilot.
When i eventually got the correct contact details from Sony for the repairer they emailed to say that the part was on order and they'd let me know when it was in stock. I presume they or Sony "diagnosed" the required part from my description of the fault.
So, 8 days in and I'm still awaiting a repair on an expensive TV that is only 6 months old. Are Costco/Sony within their rights to treat me in this disdainful way, or is this normal practice everywhere these days?

RefluentBeans

First thing first - consumers still have rights, nothing any retailer or manufacturer can do will take those away. For the purposes of this discussion, I feel there's two things going on and must be considered:

1. Consumer Rights Act (CRA): These are your rights that you have when you purchase a product from a retailer. They exist between you and the retailer. If the product is less than 6 months old, they have to prove the fault wasn't there when you bought the item, and it is assumed to be there at the point of purchase. After 6 months, you have to prove the fault was there when you purchased and it just took time for the fault to come to light. The question is then, which line of the 6 months are we on, before 6 months or after 6 months? 
2. Warranty: these are things normally offered by manufacturers. They are between you and the manufacturer. They are on top of the basic rights and can be broad or limiting. They may only include certain components of the product, and may have certain exclusions. 

From what you've said, it looks like Costco is keen to get you to go through the warranty from Sony. This is maybe not surprising - takes any risk away from them. But even after 6 months, if the fault is inherent (there when you bought it) the retailer still has to replace/repair or refund (their choice). 

When did you actually buy the TV, and I assume this was a UK Costco, not a US/international Costco? 

Grumpy_chap

Was the purchase from Costco made via an Individual Membership or a Trade Membership?  This may impact whether consumer rights apply or it is a B2B transaction.

Either way, it sounds as though Sony are arranging the repair once the part is available.  I do not consider 8 days excessive.  If Sony do repair the TV will that be an acceptable outcome for the OP?

ortolickus

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

DullGreyGuy

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

You are but it wont come as a surprise that a retailer doesn't employ an army of TV engineers covering the country and so naturally these things are outsourced and often its quicker to cut out the middleman by you talking directly to the repairer rather than having Chinese whispers of you speaking to Costco, Costco speaking to them then relaying back their message.

RefluentBeans

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

If it’s within the 6 months (which it appears it is) you can insist on the repair or replacement being free, but it sounds like that’s already the case. 

I know it’s frustrating - personally I’d go back to Costco and say you want it resolved in a timely manner, and want to know the target date for repair. The law says that, with respect to CRA, that it must be a reasonable time and not putting you at too much inconvenience. 

This obviously varies depending on the product, and situation. A boiler breaking in the midst of winter should be dealt with faster than a broken lamp, for example. 8 days (I assume calendar days not working days) isn’t the worst - and it sounds like they’re waiting for parts. So I would go back and say that you’re not happy and you want them to expedite the process, but realistically if the parts are waiting for delivery, not much they can do in the mean time. 

Ectophile

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

It's a 5 year manufacturer's  warranty.  The manufacturer was Sony.  Costco haven't given you any warranty at all.

Alderbank

Ectophile said:

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

It's a 5 year manufacturer's  warranty.  The manufacturer was Sony.  Costco haven't given you any warranty at all.

I'm not sure that Costco themselves agree with you.

They say

Extended Warranty
Costco.co.uk also extends the manufacturer’s warranty to 5 years on televisions...for added peace of mind.

Wonka_2

Do Costco still have the same TV in stock in any of their UK stores - or has it been superseded in the intervening period ?

If they still have one then asking nicely for a direct replacement might speed up the process

Grumpy_chap

Alderbank said:

Ectophile said:

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

It's a 5 year manufacturer's  warranty.  The manufacturer was Sony.  Costco haven't given you any warranty at all.

I'm not sure that Costco themselves agree with you.

They say

Extended Warranty
Costco.co.uk also extends the manufacturer’s warranty to 5 years on televisions...for added peace of mind.

I'd interpret that as still being a manufacturer's warranty.  Costco are saying that they extend the manufacturer's warranty, which I see as still being a manufacturer's warranty, just Costco pay for it to be longer.

RefluentBeans

Grumpy_chap said:

Alderbank said:

Ectophile said:

ortolickus said:

Thanks for the reply. The set was ordered (from Costco.co.uk) on 07/03 and the date on the invoice is 14/03, which I'm pretty certain is the date on which it was delivered. It came with a 5-year warranty. I believe the wording is "extends the manufacturer's warranty to 5 years"

Edit: This was an individual membership. Of course, it's 8 days and counting. I just don't see why i should have to chase around 3-4 different companies like this. I feel i should be able to contact Costco - the retailer - and ask them to fix the TV I bought with a 5 year warranty from them. I thought i was within my rights to do so.

It's a 5 year manufacturer's  warranty.  The manufacturer was Sony.  Costco haven't given you any warranty at all.

I'm not sure that Costco themselves agree with you.

They say

Extended Warranty
Costco.co.uk also extends the manufacturer’s warranty to 5 years on televisions...for added peace of mind.

I'd interpret that as still being a manufacturer's warranty.  Costco are saying that they extend the manufacturer's warranty, which I see as still being a manufacturer's warranty, just Costco pay for it to be longer.

Their terms don't read like that - it seems in the first few years (where there is a manufacturer warranty), they'll choose to get the manufacturer to repair it, but after that they (Costco) choose who can repair the item:

• Costco reserves the right to fulfil the warranty obligation through, at Costco's choosing, repair, replacement or a refund up to the purchase price.
• Repairs will be carried out by either the manufacturer, Service Power (which is a national service organisation) or another Service Centre approved by Costco.

Guess behind the scenes there may a service contract, but this warranty appears to be provided by Costco. Probably a way to avoid dealing with CRA issues etc - just automatically repair and save time (and money) on arguments with customers. Plus a 5 year warranty from the shop can be more generous than other retailers, and get customers to purchase that way. 

Either way, 8 days for a repair of a TV does seem within the scope of being a reasonable time to repair a TV, especially if waiting for parts.