Rights on a faulty Blu-ray player less than 1 year old

Mr_Benn

Panasonic Blu-ray player. Bought from OnBuy last August. £150 by credit card online. Intermittent issue playing disks. Reported to them in writing in April.

OnBuy firstly told me to go to Panasonic as over 6 months old. Now they are only offering a £30 refund and i keep the player, or I have to get an "independent written diagnostic report from a qualified domestic engineer or an authorised service centre".

I thought it was my disks were faulty, but having bought new versions of the disks it is the player. Wish Id sorted it earlier but hey ho. I did speak to Panasonic and they said its with the seller (as well as offering some complicated ideas about making sure the disk hardware &software up to date) The fact its under 1 year old surely means its not fit for purpose ? It just sounds like a fob off, knowing people will either take the £30 or just not bother.

Im happy to just get it fixed, but their tone of response (obviously a cut and paste) has really annoyed me.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

user1977

They're correct insofar as after six months the onus is on you to prove that the fault is an inherent one rather than something else having happened to it - doesn't necessarily need to be an "independent written diagnostic report" etc, just something which will persuade a court on the balance of probabilities that the problem was there from day one.

visidigi

What warranty did you get? Is it a grey import?

born_again

OnBuy is a market Place like E-Bay.

So is this a 2nd hand item?

We connect you with thousands of trusted sellers, so you can shop with confidence from over 35 million products - all in one place! Most orders arrive without a problem, but on the rare occasion that things don't go as planned, we've got you covered.

All eligible items bought on OnBuy are automatically covered by OnBuy Protection for up to 180 days after purchase, no matter how you choose to pay.

No catches. No hidden costs. Just our way of letting you know you're in safe hands when you shop with us!

Mr_Benn

Thank you fall or the feedback so far.

Just to answer your questions :

The Bluray player was bought as brand new. (It seems to be from a company called Studio Direct , via OnBuy.)

They've confirmed that there is a 1year Manufacturers Warranty.

I dont know how I can prove the fault has developed more as time has gone on ?

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82004325#Comment_82004325

You need to get a 3rd party report on the issue.

You have no rights with Onbuy. Any claim is with the actual retailer that sold the player, but after 6 months it is up to you to prove a inherent fault.

What are the warranty T/C?

sheramber

For a warranty claim contact the manufacturer.

visidigi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82004325#Comment_82004325

You dont need to - you are claiming under the warranty, so speak to panasonic and see what they say.

Mr_Benn

I did speak to Panasonic, and they told me that the liability is with the Company who sold me the player. The guy was being helpful and started to explain about checking firmware versions and so on. Seemed a lot of work at the time for something less that a year old.

Anyway, Ive just found this on the OnBuy website, which to me reads that the Store have to inspect it / repair it (its clever though, saying 'confirmed to have a manufacturing fault', which their attempted cop out to try and get me to pay for an inspection probably comes from) ?

• After 6 months of delivery: The seller still has one opportunity to repair or replace the item if it’s confirmed to have a manufacturing fault. If this isn’t successful, you may return the item for a refund. However, the seller may make fair deductions for use during that time.

Important notes:

Items must be returned to the seller for inspection before any refunds, repairs, or replacements can be issued.

If a fault or issue is confirmed, your return postage costs will be reimbursed, just be sure to keep a copy of your postage receipt.

Mr_Benn

I dont see how the Seller stating I have to pay to get it checked over is legal / fair ? What happens if you buy a TV or Washing Machine that goes faulty over less than a year old with a 1 year warranty. You dont have to pay for an external engineer to come out and look at it, you just ring the store you bought it from eg Currys etc.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82007056#Comment_82007056

You have 2 options

Warranty is as per retailers T/C on the warranty

Your consumer rights.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product-aTTEK2g0YuEy

Six months or more

If a defect develops after the first six months, the burden is on you to prove that the product was faulty at the time the goods were delivered to you.

In practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems or defects across the product range.

The retailer can also make a deduction from any refund for fair use after the first six months of ownership if an attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful.

You have up to six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland.

This doesn't mean that a product has to last six years - just that you have this length of time in which to make a claim if a retailer refuses to repair or replace a faulty product.