Today I want to share some tips on how to fight back against rip-off Britain – all courtesy of YOU guys out there.
Let’s begin with this brilliant email from Rich Lifer Martin in response to a previous issue about a lady who struggled to get money back for faulty goods.
“Cracking read as always. [You can tell from this opening line that Martin is a man of intelligence exquisite taste - Lewis]. Looking briefly at the poor lady’s problems with the damaged goods, I would have thought the Sale of Goods Act would take precedence over any small print regarding guarantee periods.
Any retailer can put in small print that the guarantee period is x days/months/ years, but the SoG Act says that the consumer can request a full refund or replacement from the retailer if the goods are found to be faulty within a reasonable amount of time.
A short, sharp letter to the store in question quoting the sale of Goods Act might elicit the appropriate response, but my experience with a Nokia phone is that the retailer will try initially to pass the buck onto the manufacturer (incorrectly).
Again from experience, I usually find that being tenacious and banging on at the store will eventually win the day.
Kind Regards
Martin
Great advice Martin, and you highlight a very important point…
As well as knowing your rights, you need to force the issue and press those rights on the shop in question. Sometimes a single complaint won’t get you the response you require. Either your problem gets swallowed up by bigger problems, or the shop in question doesn’t give a toss. However, if you MAKE your problem bigger and louder than others, you’re more likely to get a result.
Here’s another bit of advice from Janet…
“The lady mentioned in your email should take it up with her local Trading Standards office as the manager is quite wrong. If it was broken when it was received the item was not of merchantable quality and the store is in breach of contract and in breach of the lady’s statutory rights.
This isn’t one of those situations when she has to rely on the goodwill (or not) of the manager to replace the item – the shop is legally obliged to supply her with the item she paid for, intact and in working order. Hope this helps!”
And here’s a great example of not letting the issue drop…
“Hi Lewis, The last time I take an item back for replacement (it was a pair of shoes in which the guarantee of 6 months still had 2 months to run) I followed the instructions to the letter. The shop assistant said they could not replace them because they had been worn (which is what I bought them for!!) and they showed signs of wear (yes because I walk a lot). So they could not replace the shoes but could give me 1/3 off the price of a new pair.
There were quite a few customers in the shop and I asked to speak to the manager who said more or less the same thing.
Two other people were at the adjacent cash desks and other customers were trying on shoes etc. In a loud voice I said “Are you telling me then, that your 6 month guarantee is really only 4 months or are you telling me that your guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on.”
One woman customer at the cash desk decided not to purchase after all and others waited to see the outcome.
I walked out with a new pair of shoes.”
Cheers.
And how’s this for making a stand and really not backing down…
“OK Louis Here We Go… I sent an employee, well known to the Bank with a cheque made out to me and marked “please pay cash” and accompanying letter to collect £200. The said gentleman paid in for me 3 or 4 times a week, was well known to the branch and had done this for me regularly for about 2 years.
He was gone for nearly one hour though the branch was only 300 meters away .On return he explained the reason.
The clerk refused the money so he asked to speak to the manager. Trish the manager was on the phone obviously chatting to a friend and for over 20 mins the embarrassed clerk, kept reminding the manager that Nigel was still waiting…..
Nigel still returned empty handed .No phone calls. No apologies – Not one more time. I would have to go myself and collect. On arrival I asked for the manager. I politely but firmly asked who paid for 40mins wasted time. The manager refused to discuss at the counter. I refused to go to the “confessional”. And the manager told me that now I could not have any money from my account at all.
From the credit balance the bank could have paid me the £200 10 times !!
I told the manager that I was going to sit in until I got MY £200 .I was ignored for nearly one hour so began to chat to the queue, telling them how disappointed I was having had the account at the same branch for 48 years……..
When the manager ordered me out I refused to go without MY money. The police were called to remove me. They were really sympathetic telling the branch manager that she could not refuse to pay ME MY MONEY.
Eventually I got my money, and a nice ride home in a police car………followed the day after by a cheque for my remaining balance, and a letter telling me never to go near that bank again.
The head office did not want to know.
Dave
Well Dave, I have to stay you’ve upped the stakes. I’ve never had the police called in to remove me from a building. I now consider this a personal challenge. But what a brilliant story – not because of the outcome necessarily (I guess it was a pain and a disappointment to have to change banks after 48 years – and I think the head office attitude was disgusting), but because of the length Dave went to to get treated fairly.
As long as none of you resort to taking a gun into a shop and taking hostages, I think this kind of outspoken protest is admirable – because why should we take bad service and bad attitudes lying down?
These were just some of the mails I received on the subject of bad shopping experiences – so thanks to all of you who wrote in.