Product issue bought from Drench with warranty, seller not helping. Help appreciated.

dilby

Hi everyone - Recently I bought a vanity unit online from Drench (approx £370) for my bathroom. It was professionally installed by a bathroom fitters but within weeks the brass finish on the handles has bubbled up and the handles have become tarnished - clearly they are not really fit for a humid environment. (Worth noting that it's our second bathroom and hasn't even had much use).

The product listing states it has a 'Lifetime manufacturer's guarantee' and is 'manufactured in the UK to the highest standards'.  I have complained to Drench who asked for photos and contacted the manufacturer and have simply replied that I need to change the handles and they will send me the same ones again and have refused my request for a refund on the product.

I'm convinced there's not a slight issue with their handles but the unity is just awful (we had to have it redelivered twice because it was not square the first two times), and therefore by them sending out the handles I'm just going to be in the same position; handles go bad, they delay things and then I'm outside various returns periods.

It's also not a case of getting other handles as they are specially made handles that slot into top of the drawers. So I'm wondering what my rights are - can I raise a section 75 here?

My ideal scenario would be a refund of the unit as it's not fit for purpose and then I'll use those funds to have a local company do a treatment on the handles (or try painting myself, but of course this shouldn't be my responsibility.)

Any help and advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

Aylesbury_Duck

You need to ask the retailer if you can have a refund and keep the unit, and take it from there.  You don’t have a right to that outcome, but there’s no harm in asking.

Ergates

Your consumer rights lie with Drench, not the manufacturer.

The retailer is allowed one attempt at repair or replacement before you can insist on a refund.  Sounds like they're using that now by supplying (via the manufacturer) replacements.  If/when the replacement taps suffer the same fate you can insist on a refund

Having said that - you said they had to redeliver it twice, which might have used up their "repair or replace" attempt.  Was this due to a manufacturing defect or a delivery problem?

born_again

Given you have been offered a solution by manufacture. I can't see CC going down S75. 

dilby

Ergates said:

Your consumer rights lie with Drench, not the manufacturer.

The retailer is allowed one attempt at repair or replacement before you can insist on a refund.  Sounds like they're using that now by supplying (via the manufacturer) replacements.  If/when the replacement taps suffer the same fate you can insist on a refund

Having said that - you said they had to redeliver it twice, which might have used up their "repair or replace" attempt.  Was this due to a manufacturing defect or a delivery problem?

Thanks for the reply. It was a manufacturing defect; the basin portion was completly warped which they admitted to and replaced (sent that portion only, but the entire unit is what was purchased as it came as one product).

Another q; if they send the handles which are faulty and i then insist on a refund, how is my returns window affected by this?