To want a replacement not a repair?

[Gribble]

Bought a TV 3 months ago from one of MNs well loved Supermarket chains and its developed a couple of faults.

Rang the helpline as advised on the receipt to be told they want me to take a pic of one of the faults to prove its not accidental damage before they send an engineer out. I cant do this, so they inform me that they will send an engineer out but if he / she deems it was accidental damage then I will be paying a call out charge. I tell them no I wont as it will be my word against theirs and Im concerned that the engineer may deem its accidental when its absolutely not. (Appreciate that they must get chancers but I used to work for a repair company and the engineers were told that where possible if they can get away with reporting faults as accidental damage then they should so Im understandly a bit jaded about repair services.).

The little shite customer service agent on the end of the phone tells me rather patronisingly that "if you havent damaged it then you have nothing to worry about do you". I tell him that Im going to go back to the shop as I want a replacement, not a repair (as the TV is obviously knackered so how long before something else falls to shit with it), and he laughed and said "they would just direct you back to this helpline". I ask what happens if the engineer cant repair it at my home - they take it away to be repaired. Will I be left with a loan TV while the repair is carried out - No. Now at this point I admit I turned into a bit of a knob end and Im sure I said something about the SOGA and I believe I may have even said "I know my rights" but I was just getting so worked up at the fact that my 3 month old TV is shagged already and the patronising tone.

Ive left it with them that I wanted to look into it further as Im not happy at all. If the TV was a year old or something then fair enough but its only 3 months old. I dont want it repaired because what then? Something goes on it again?

So AIBU to fight for a replacement rather than a repair? Especially as if they take it away we'll be without a TV for X amount of time and thats just simply not an option.

I expect to be told that years ago people lived without TVs, read a book etc etc, we have simple pleasures in this house, the TV is one of them.

oh it gets better, even if Ive been deemed to have accepted the goods Im entitled to a repair OR replacement.

So either way Im walking out of there tomorrow with £, or another telly, or a customer service dude as a ransom until I get my £ or a new telly

I would suggest not bothering with LG, I have had their TV's, VCR (showing my age) and HDD/DVD Recorder, every single one has gone tits up within months of purchase, unfortunately we lost the receipt for the HDD thing otherwise that would have gone back to be replaced by a better brand.

WTDWL - since looking around this morning I seen that many agree with you about LG. I might try printing off some of the comments on other sites and ask for a replacement but another brand [chancer]

I bought a washer/drier from JL and it borke with 6 months. They were awful and just keep sending the repair service, it took about 4/5 visits from repairers, lots of phone calls and 8 weeks before we got a new machine - that one was faulty on arrival!!!

Booooooo!

Just spoken to Consumer Direct just to see what their take is on this.

The really lovely chap I spoke to said that its perfectly reasonable for them to want to come out to look at and repair the TV AND its reasonable for the TV to be taken away for X amount of days to be repaired and as its considered entertainment its not considered to be a significant inconvenience to me.

I beg to differ, without my TV I will literally die, especially as Im on mat leave and have a DS1 going through the very terrible twos and when Im dealing with DS2 (baby) cbeebies The Discovery Channel is the oly way I can keep DS1 occupied. Still going to try the store tomorrow though, nothing ventured nothing gained I suppose.

I would try them. I'm really annoyed that I didn't cause merry hell insist my tv got sorted. I did mean to, its still on my list of things to do! I'm now stuck with a tv taking up space that I can't do anything with over my dead bnody will I pay tesco to fix it but I don't want to throw it out it cost £500!!

If consumer direct have said tesco are being reasonable GRR then I wouldn't mention that you have spoken to tesco customer services, or consumer direct when you go to store, just be really polite and ask for their help at first. Then if you get no joy start snarling

(and don't forget to take down their names)

Can youn didtract DS1 with cbeebies discovery channel online if they do take your tv? Not sure if 2yos are safe with a laptop but it might be better than locking him in the cupboard tearing your hair out!

Can you not distract - evidently my DD is not safe near a laptop and I need new glasses!

double boooo!

Just spoke to a lovely guy at the store I bought it from and he said they would just turn me away and refer me to the helpline.

Average turn around time for repairs in his experience is 2 weeks.

Going to bite the bullet and phone the helpline again and just hope I dont get the prick I spoke to yesterday

You may find it easier to go directly to their CEO [email protected] Having previously worked for the CEs of a couple of Blue Chip Companies, I know that they will have a team which deal solely with CEO complaints.

When I have taken things back like this, I just pitch up with the item, the receipt, and say 'I need a refund for this please because it is faulty.'

I have taken back shit shoes to Shoezone, a dress with a broken zip to M and S, and garden furniture to Morrisons this way and they have never quibbled.

No need to tell them a long tale, they know you can return for a refund if it is faulty. It's not a goodwill gesture like when you are returning things because you changed your mind or they don't fit.

X posts

Oreo - ha! Didnt think of using the laptop, hes pretty good with it actually so at least that will keep him occupied (its more when Im bfing that he plays up). Failing that Im sure someone I know has got a spare TV I can use for a little while.

Tesco-boy I spoke to said if its got 2 faults it will probably cost more to repair than for them to just replace, but the store needs a code from the repair centre in order for me to pick up a replacement TV so thats why i have to go through that route first.

Just spoke to DP about it who is winding me up now about not going to the store and asking if Im a man or a mouse

oh gash, Im so torn now because of the latest posts, damn you all

I didnt give Tesco-boy my name or anything so I could still rock up there tomorrow I suppose. The consumer Direct dude said in terms of the law it is perfectly legal for them to offer to repair the TV. But IMO from a goodwill POV (and the fact that me and my mum between us spend £100+ a week there and I buy all of the kids toys etc from there) Id like to think I can just get a replacement from the store and let them sort the bloody repair out if they are so bothered about recouping the cost from the manufacturer.

Right Ive given this far more brain space than it deserves.

Rang the helpline, got someone else, engineer is going to ring me to arrange a date / time.

IF the TV goes faulty again THEN I'll bring the big guns out

Hope this might help but the under the SOGA 1979 S48(A)(2)a - the buyer has the right to require the seller to repair or replace the goods in the event the good are faulty, in essence it's your choice not that of the seller i.e. you can request a repair or a replacement.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/54

in regards to the helpline rude person, most of them will have a recording blurb saying "this call may be recorded for training purposes" or something along that lines, so if u do want to make a complaint about that person everything would be on file as everything is recorded or at least should be, and please do if he was rude, as ive worked in call centres/helplines and the rude ones seem to always get away with doing it as people cant be bothered to complain so the rest of us have to deal with the full out

We were told we had to send back a monitor to the repair centre but I just packaged it up and took it back to Tesco instead, they exchanged it there and then (was a year old at this point)

1sttime - thats what i said to consumer direct dude but he said it means repair or replacement in that order, supposedly....

Crystals - it did have that message, but to be fair I was a bit rude back to cheeky callcentre knobrash person

anyway, outcome know is im waiting for the engineer to call to arrange date / time. Considering the faults I think they are going to take it away to be repaired.

thats potentially 7 - 14 days without a tv unless i can use my mums from her bedroom ::::wail::::