On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 23:20:11 GMT, mike wrote:

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:

I seldom have difficulty after an appropriate discussion with somebody
of authority at the retailer. If there is any inconvenience or time
wasting, compensation is normally forthcoming as well.

You obviously have a lot of experience of taking things back.

I have some. Generally, by buying decent things, the frequency of
having to do so is small.



Are these expensive branded items you've researched extensively, chosen
for their inherent reliability and paid a high price for -- but which
have, nevertheless, subsequently gone wrong?

Let me give you a few examples.


Read my other post regarding the DeWalt biscuit jointer. This was
certainly not a cheap item, and when it was apparent that there was a
defect, a refund was made after 18 months. The retailer (Axminster
Tools) received my business for a replacement Lamello. That is what I
mean by good service.

A couple of years ago when they first became available, I bought a B&D
Scorpion saw from B&Q. It was primarily for outdoor work with
branches etc. I believe that the cost was in the £70 area at the time.
The first one that I had simply stopped working. It went back for a
replacement. THe second one jammed and the motor overheated. That's
the end as far as I am concerned. It went back and was refunded.
With a small prompt regarding compensation, £15 of B&Q vouchers were
forthcoming.

Several years ago, my daughter wanted a particular double CD, which
she had identified was only available from Virgin. I was cajoled
into going to buy it for her, on a Saturday morning from their store
in Reading, some 10 miles away. I hate going into Reading town
centre on Saturdays (come to thing of it, I'm not excited at the best
of times) but went and parked up and bought the required CD.
I got it home and discovered that there were two of one CD and not the
second. Of course daughter *had* to have it that day, so back I
went. Everything on the shelf was the same, but then Virgin found
another box with the second CD and put it all together. There was a
short discussion about compensation for wasted trip, time and parking.
They gave me £30 of vouchers.

Not long ago, I called a Marks and Spencer store about 7 miles drive
away to ask them if they had a particular size, colour and style of
shirt that I had seen that I liked. I spoke to somebody in the
department and they confirmed that they did and would keep one for me
until I could get there. I arrived, found the person. Yes they had
put a shirt to one side, but it was wrong on all three counts. The
manager and I had a little discussion. I left the store with £10 in
cash to cover the cost of getting there for a wasted trip. I had
bought nothing.

I went to an exhaust replacement place a year or so ago after phoning
round to check price and availability of parts. At the one I chose, I
asked them again to check and make sure that they had got the pieces
because I didn't want to waste time. They assured me that they did.
I got there, and they didn't have any of the materials, but would have
to go to the suppliers to get them. It was going to take two hours
and did I want to wait or come back. I waited. There was a
discussion with the manager. I didn't pay.


The moral of these stories is that it is possible to get good service,
and each of these retailers has had repeat business with the exception
of the exhaust place. I don't do business with people that
deliberately lie.

Equally, I have had major rows with Homebase, Focus, Great Mills and
others over the return of faulty products - typically at the cheap
end.

This is why I very rarely buy cheap tools and very, very rarely go to
these retailers. The experience has almost always been
disappointing, and each time I am reminded not to use most crappy
volume retailers and not to buy cheap products. It simply isn't worth
the trouble.

You might think that I was hard with the others in expecting that they
resolve the problem and compensate me for the cost and inconvenience.

I don't see it that way. They have quite happily sold me the product
and have not said that it will fall apart after I buy it. I only ever
ask that people do what they say they are going to do. If they do
more then everybody can be pleasantly surprised and more business
happens.

If they do less, then that is not acceptable and I will do whatever is
reasonably required to get the situation corrected. That doesn't mean
pursuing 50p to the bitter end. However, it does mean, on the basis
of reasonableness and expectation that if I have bought a product that
is not at the bottom end of the spectrum, that I have a stronger
negotiating position, both morally and legally.

I have only ever once had to resort to law to get a situation
resolved, and that was done entirely at the cost of the supplier by my
not paying them and their initiating action.

I don't go out of my way to be a latter-day Victor Meldrew, even
though it may sound like it. Almost all the time I am satisfied with
my purchases, although that is mainly because I take the trouble
before buying and I don't buy junk. However, this does mean that
when something goes wrong, I do expect the appropriate party to
correct it. I don't take prisoners regarding that issue.

Sorry if that sounds unusual, but it works very effectively for me.



--

..andy

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