Tesco Customer Service - Mini Cooler

CrazyChemist_2

I bought a Mini-Cooler from Tesco for half price at £19.97 a few weeks ago. I recently noticed that the light stays on when the door is shut and the seal doesn't work all round the door.

I contacted Tesco who said that they couldn't give me a replacement as they don't have any more in stock. They deny it was sold as a second and that if I want a replacement I will have to take it back to store and then get a refund and buy one elsewhere, costing around £40.

I don't have any transport of my own at the moment and don't want to walk 2 miles holding a 10kg mini cooler - they said that even though we get Tesco.com deliveries from them that I would still have to bring it back to store.

I think they should either find me a replacement or pay the price for having to buy a replacement but they say that they will 'adhere to their refund policy'. If that happens I'll be an extra £20 out of pocket because of Tesco.

There isn't any way to prove that they were clearing stock of this because they knew it was a faulty design unless there are any Moneysavers who have also fallen prey to this scam. It seems that just because they hold 30% and most lemming-like people flock to Tesco every weekend, they can now take us for granted and push us around :mad:

What advice would you give in these circumstances? Would I be able to approach Trading Standards about it?

daveboy

Give people a chance to respond.

From your post, it seems that Tesco have said that they will refund, which is what they should do if the item is faulty and they haven't got any more.

It isn't as easy as saying Tesco.com should take it. The chances are that the internet side of Tesco is dealt with entirely differently from the operation of it's stores.

It's not Tescos fault you have no transport. That's where the problem is.

I'm not a fan of Tesco by the way. They are prepared to do what in law they should.

Go to Trading Standards if you wish, but I don't think they'll be interested. Your only other option is to take it to the head office of Tesco and see where that gets you.

Additionally, it isn't good manners to try and prompt a response out of people.

bunking_off

If the cooler is a white one, that also has a heating function, then I got one (at approx that price) and it works fine.

I'm sorry, but I can't really see how Tesco can be expected to do more than refund what you paid.

CrazyChemist_2

daveboy wrote:

Give people a chance to respond.

[...]

Additionally, it isn't good manners to try and prompt a response out of people.

Are you getting my post confused with someone else's? Where did I 'not give people a chance to respond'?

I'm saying that Tesco.com is dealt with by the same side as we can return delivered goods at their stores, but not the other way round.

I think that they should accept that there is a fault and instead of fobbing me off with a refund, should try and obtain a replacement or send mine for repair. The manual does specify repair 'by a trained technician' and I'd be happy for that to happen, but all Tesco want is to fob me off with a refund and not bother with the hassle of sending it for repair.

Isn't it my right by law to have a repair if that's what I'd prefer to a refund, or are they entitled to just offer a refund and nothing else?

daveboy

CrazyChemist wrote:

..............

Do you not remember posting this? Then deleting it soon afterwards?

That is what I meant by giving people a chance to respond.

For the record for others, the OP made a second post underneath the first one because no-one had replied quick enough.

You will find the manufacturer is responsible for any repairs as there must be a guarantee on the product. Tesco are not responsible for that.

Tesco are willing to refund you. They don't have to provide transport for you to get there.

One moment you want a refund, then you want it repaired. You are the classic "will never be satisfied customer". The sort, if I worked there (not that I ever would) and you came in, that I'd refuse to serve as it is clear that there is no reasoning with you.

IvanOpinion

CC, you have been offered your money back which is probably the best you can hope for. If they have no more in stock then they can not replace it and remember that you agreed to their 'refund policy' when you completed the contract by paying for the goods. It is not a scam .. to me it seems exactly the sort of service one would/should expect .. the goods failed within warranty so you get your money back.

I think you have probably fallen foul of the society we live in. We want to pay as cheap as possible and we are therefore not going to get quality goods designed to last for years... I am surprised that some of the tat I see on the shelves these days even makes it out of the warranty period.

Ivan

CrazyChemist_2

daveboy wrote:

One moment you want a refund, then you want it repaired. You are the classic "will never be satisfied customer". The sort, if I worked there (not that I ever would) and you came in, that I'd refuse to serve as it is clear that there is no reasoning with you.

I simply want it repaired, or replaced. Is that unreasonable? You seem the type that I would complain to the Manager about if you worked on the CS Desk as you seem unwilling to help. :rotfl: Nowhere have I said I also want a refund as I have made it clear that I am after a cooler which is not faulty. You see, when I bought it I didn't think, 'aha, if this goes wrong I can get compensation from tesco, etc'. I actually bought it because it's a handy thing to have as you can imagine. It doesn't matter what happens, as long as I end up with a working cooler and not out-of-pocket because of this.

IvanOpinion wrote:

I think you have probably fallen foul of the society we live in. We want to pay as cheap as possible and we are therefore not going to get quality goods designed to last for years... I am surprised that some of the tat I see on the shelves these days even makes it out of the warranty period.

Ivan

Well said Ivan. It is a shame that manufacturers are able to churn out such rubbish these days and supermarkets still pass it on to customers. The fact is that some of those items simply do not make it out of the warranty period, which I fear is what has happened to my cooler. If I'd noticed the door when I saw it in-store, I would not have bought it. The point is that now I don't have any of my own transport, I have a problem in trying to get it back to Tesco then ordering another one. See where I'm coming from? What would wise old daveboy suggest I do in this circumstance?

Bossyboots

Re the first post, you won't be £20 "out of pocket", you will simply not be getting the same bargain and it is totally unreasonable to expect Tesco to pay the difference between their price and someone else's. It is your choice to decide whether to buy another one at someone else's inflated price as it was to buy the cheaper one in the first place. If you had not seen it for £20 you would have had to go without or pay the higher price at that time.

I would imagine it is going to cost more than £20 for the hassle factor and repair costs for Tesco to arrange a repair for you so they are offering you your money back which meets their contractural obligations. As has been said, the fact you have no transport at the moment is not their problem. Isn't there anyone who can give you a lift?

CrazyChemist_2

Bossyboots wrote:

Re the first post, you won't be £20 "out of pocket", you will simply not be getting the same bargain and it is totally unreasonable to expect Tesco to pay the difference between their price and someone else's. It is your choice to decide whether to buy another one at someone else's inflated price as it was to buy the cheaper one in the first place. If you had not seen it for £20 you would have had to go without or pay the higher price at that time.

I would imagine it is going to cost more than £20 for the hassle factor and repair costs for Tesco to arrange a repair for you so they are offering you your money back which meets their contractural obligations. As has been said, the fact you have no transport at the moment is not their problem. Isn't there anyone who can give you a lift?

Thanks for that. So under law, they are free to choose whether to repair or replace it? If so, what rights do I have to ask for a repair, seeing as they say no replacements are available? As per their refund policy after teh first 28 days you are entitled to repair or replacement of any faulty item. If they had these in stock but I'd wanted a refund, they wouldn't have allowed it. However seeing as they don't have any in stock and this can't meet the replacement part of the policy, they just decide to refund it when it could be repaired. As such, I didn't agree to this 'policy' when I bought the cooler - I agreed to their policy as posted, not the one that they made up when I presented the problem.

CrazyChemist_2

daveboy wrote:

Do you not remember posting this? Then deleting it soon afterwards?

That is what I meant by giving people a chance to respond.

For the record for others, the OP made a second post underneath the first one because no-one had replied quick enough.

I didn't post that (the quote in your post). Just making up a quote from a post which you claim you saw, isn't going to make people think you're right - look I can make one too:

daveboy wrote:

This is a totally authentic quote from an original post made by daveboy

Where did you get that idea from and why are you continually hitting out at me? All I'm asking is for advice from these good Moneysavers but you have just kept on the attack for whatever reason I didn't 'prompt a response' from anyone - all the others who have replied have done so because they felt they could make a worthwhile contribution to my issue and my understanding of rights as a consumer. For that I am thankful to them as I now understand a little more about what my rights are. This doesn't mean that I'm happy but at least they had the decency to reply to my post without hurling abuse at the same time.

daveboy

You know something? That quote above from me (the ..........) is genuine - I just didn't quote you at the time. You did post it, you know you did. I saw it with my own eyes. You went offline very soon after.

You're just a bit unfortunate that someone saw it before you deleted it. Deny it all you like. I've got nothing to gain from making it up.

Get someone to give you a lift to Tesco - get a refund and get on with life.

Otherwise this issue looks like it'll have you moaning for months to come, and it'd be a shame to ruin Christmas over something like this.