Purchased Nintendo Switch but it’s being sourced from abroad

GingerMoose24

km1500 said:

I know you are annoyed and it is upsetting, but basically you go onto the world wide web and order a box from an unknown company at a cheap price. What would make you think is a uk company and a uk sourced product?

This is a genuine question by the way. 

A UK registered company. (I don't believe anyone is constantly during Companies House to look at directors etc before making a purchase.

All reviews on Trustpilot in English/from English customers. (On closer inspection most appear to be AI generated from there wording and generic nature)

Appearing in top searchs for Nintendo Switch OLED when google knows my location is UK. 

14 day return policy, which is part of UK law for cooling off period for online orders.

GingerMoose24

Hello,

Thank you to all who commented. Especially those giving advice, and inparticular the one about Very.co.uk and saving 20%.

The product was delivered. It came in Japanese packaging with Japanese instructions.
It does have a moulded Japanese plug on the power lead and the box had been opened and a Japnese-UK adaptor included. This adaptor contains no evidence or markings of meeting UK regulations.

Regarding the manufactures warranty, Nintendo Switch OLEDs have a 24 month warranty:
NSwitch_HardwareWarranty_EN.pdf

I contacted Nintendo directly who confirmed:
"Depending on the console, the European models serial number will be as followed:

Normal Neon Nintendo Switch: XAJ (original model) XKJ (improved battery model)
Nintendo Switch OLED Model: XTJ
Nintendo Switch Lite: XJE

If the serial number is different then is it likely that the console is from another region. If that is the case then there is no warranty to be applicable as the console would have been bought in another region and then resold on the UK market."

I decided to request a refund from the company based on my legal 14 day cooling off period. The company originally responded 5 days later asking for additional information, but since then have not replied.
On 2nd Jan I raised a dispute with my card provider and the company are now re-engaging and trying to action my return request but are being rather slow/difficult.

In regards to why I purchased from them in first place I guess I had made an assumption (yes I know all the keyboard warriors are going to say "NEVER ASSUME") this was a UK company, why:

"A UK registered company. (I don't believe anyone is constantly during Companies House to look at directors etc before making a purchase.

All reviews on Trustpilot in English/from English customers. (On closer inspection most appear to be AI generated from there wording and generic nature)

Appearing in top searches for Nintendo Switch OLED when google knows my location is UK. 

14 day return policy, which is part of UK law for cooling off period for online orders."

A lot asked why do I consider the product not as described or fit for purpose: I stumbled across the unfair trading practices whilst doing some research and I guess using this as a guide led me to believe that by the company omitting important information about the product specifically is my key issue/problem.

Going through the flow chart from gov.uk website you have the following statments:

"Am I failing to give important information about a product"

ANSWER: Yes i.e voided manufactures warranty, different plug type to destination country.

"Does my practice cause, or is it likely to cause, the average consumer to take a different decision about any products or related decisions (including cancellations)?

ANSWER: Yes. I wouldn't have purchased a Japanese model.

"PRACTICE IS UNFAIR"

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

GingerMoose24 said:

It does have a moulded Japanese plug on the power lead and the box had been opened and a Japnese-UK adaptor included. 

OP, just included separately in the box or actually fitted directly over the Japanese plug requiring a tool for removal? 

GingerMoose24

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

GingerMoose24 said:

It does have a moulded Japanese plug on the power lead and the box had been opened and a Japnese-UK adaptor included. 

OP, just included separately in the box or actually fitted directly over the Japanese plug requiring a tool for removal? 

Included separately in the box. So without that adaptor there is no way to use the switch dock without buying a replacement.

Ergates

GingerMoose24 said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

GingerMoose24 said:

It does have a moulded Japanese plug on the power lead and the box had been opened and a Japnese-UK adaptor included. 

OP, just included separately in the box or actually fitted directly over the Japanese plug requiring a tool for removal? 

Included separately in the box. So without that adaptor there is no way to use the switch dock without buying a replacement.

Unless the Japanese versions are different, the switch dock is powered by a standard USB-c input, so you'd not need a replacement dock, just any other USB C source with sufficient power output.  I've not checked the power requirements for the dock, but you can charge a switch from any phone charger.

That doesn't change the nature of your complaint.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

GingerMoose24 said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

GingerMoose24 said:

It does have a moulded Japanese plug on the power lead and the box had been opened and a Japnese-UK adaptor included. 

OP, just included separately in the box or actually fitted directly over the Japanese plug requiring a tool for removal? 

Included separately in the box. So without that adaptor there is no way to use the switch dock without buying a replacement.

If you have been supplied a non-UK plug without an adapter fixed requiring a tool to remove then it does not meet the UK legal safety standards and you can reject on this point alone. 

You'd need to squeeze a returns address out of them, send it back (hopefully a UK address, if so only use Royal Mail Special Delivery) and then if they don't refund approach your card provider for a not as described chargeback. 

Ectophile

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/1768/contents/made make it illegal to sell a consumer product with the wrong sort of plug.

user1977

Ectophile said:

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/1768/contents/made make it illegal to sell a consumer product with the wrong sort of plug.

Must be some relevant exceptions to that, as I understand some phones are now being sold without chargers at all? Would seem odd if you're obliged to sell a Switch with a UK USB-C charger but not a phone.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

user1977 said:

Ectophile said:

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/1768/contents/made make it illegal to sell a consumer product with the wrong sort of plug.

Must be some relevant exceptions to that, as I understand some phones are now being sold without chargers at all? Would seem odd if you're obliged to sell a Switch with a UK USB-C charger but not a phone.

You don't have to supply a plug but if you do it needs to be a UK plug or fitted with a proper adapter and I believe this applies to 200v+, a quick look suggested the N. Switch charging is universal to cope with 120v-240v so I from what I can gather simply chucking an adapter and plug in with a N. Switch doesn't comply (although happy to be corrected if someone has a better understanding of the regs Ectophile has linked to ) but not including any plug would be fine (as far as the regs above go). 

molerat

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

user1977 said:

Ectophile said:

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/1768/contents/made make it illegal to sell a consumer product with the wrong sort of plug.

Must be some relevant exceptions to that, as I understand some phones are now being sold without chargers at all? Would seem odd if you're obliged to sell a Switch with a UK USB-C charger but not a phone.

You don't have to supply a plug but if you do it needs to be a UK plug or fitted with a proper adapter and I believe this applies to 200v+, a quick look suggested the N. Switch charging is universal to cope with 120v-240v so I from what I can gather simply chucking an adapter and plug in with a N. Switch doesn't comply (although happy to be corrected if someone has a better understanding of the regs Ectophile has linked to ) but not including any plug would be fine (as far as the regs above go). 

The basic regulation is quite simple, if working at 200v+ and has a non UK mains plug fitted then the item must be fitted with a fixed UK adaptor, chucking a "shaver adaptor" in the box does not comply, in fact chucking  a compliant adaptor in the box does not actually comply.

(b)is fitted with a conversion plug which complies with the requirements of paragraph (3) below and which encloses the fitted non–UK plug and can only be removed by the use of a tool.