sports direct(ly) refuse to be consumer nice

[FindAReasonToSmile]

"We do our best to ensure all of our customers enjoy a happy shopping experience", is what it says on the Sports Direct website. Today I had a very less than happy shopping experience when going back to branch to ask for a replacement for a rucksack that had torn after just 9 months use.
"It's over 6-months old" and "I can see it's been used", said the manager who came down to examine the torn rucksack my teenager used for school. Of course it has been used. I didn't buy it to sit in a cupboard. But not able to stay together for even 9 months is too much to expect? Really? Entire babies are built in that.
"Can I get this in writing?", I asked. To be fair this manager did just that, even giving a phone number (head office?) when I said I would be going to BBC 3 counties about this. It took another request for him to add his own name too but he did.
What really gets me is, if Sports Direct think 6 months is the life expectancy of such products then why not make that clear at the point of sale. Tell me directly and openly, before I buy, that the £14.99 I am about to pay for the rucksack reduced from £29.99, is only expected to last up to 6 months. If I still choose to buy it and it fails even at 6 months the fair enough. But why choose to tell me this is really a £30 rucksack bargain, reduced by 50% to just £15, and then, when it fails, refuse to honour the quality they implied they sold me?
I'm taking this to JVS on BBC 3 counties radio. The monetary value on my individual item is not much but, spread across other such customers, the total injustice is probably huge.

You get what you pay for and at £14.99 I would think 9 months wear and tear is doing well.

How did it get ripped?

A cheap rucksack worn maybe near daily for 9 months suffers wear and tear. Not really that surprising? If you want something to be extremely durable you probably need to pay for higher quality. YABU.

I wouldn't mind it breaking after 9 months if they hadn't sold me a supposedly £30 quality rucksack for the £15. Isn't this an issue with such 'offers', that they tell us we are buying something we are not?
It wasn't used daily. It was the school rucksack so not used at all over the summer or other holidays.

I paid around £30 (full price) for a rucksack three years ago. Although I don't use it daily, when I do use it I put a lot in it and it's had a rough life it looks brand new still so I get what you're saying.

For 15 quid though I'm not sure I'd be kicking up so much of a fuss...

Isn't alot of their stuff 2nds?.. I may be wrong.
Anything I've ever got from There for ds has faded, gone shapeless etc. Yet from JD for. Example it Doesn't?

And everyone knows how crap their returns is.

Meh I don’t think I could get worked up about this.

Was there warranty information given at the time of purchase? Then the store have no obligation to replace anything after 9 months of use. You get what you pay for! Is all this worth the fuss? I feel sorry for the store employees. Since you asked - yes, YABU!

I really doubt JVs will care about this tbh. Plus not sure why you want to publically shame the manager, ensuring his name was written down so you can bitch about him on bloody BBC 3 counties! He didn't make the policy and after 9 months of school use, heavy books etc I'm not surprised it has a rip.

Sorry but how does this make me a troll?

My troll message query was aimed at retroflex.

Yabu

I bought a cheap rucksack from mountain Warehouse lasted about same amount of time.

I wouldn't have taken it back TBH

Hi, Igotthemheavyboobs, thanks for the reply and for deciding what JVS will want to cover or otherwise on BBC 3CR.
Kids don't go to school every month of the year so 9 months calendar time does not mean 9 months of use, probably closer to 6 months anyway. In either case, why promote a supposedly £30 quality rucksack, discounted to £15, and then refuse to accept it should last more than 6 months of any use?

As consumers, how are we supposed to judge the quality of any product anymore? It has become the norm to offer us 'great deals' with 'massive savings' so why should a company get away with bombarding us with 'great deals' to get the sale and then refuse to accept what they really sold us were 'not great deals' and misrepresentations?
The £15 is nothing. The principle is everything because this happens again and again, and will continue forever until we stop accepting this backdoor way of selling us rubbish.

I don't think you have any idea how bady teenagers treat their school bags! They literally chuck them about everywhere ALL the time and hey pulled off them and thrown about. They also very huge amounts in them. My boys rucksacks weigh a ton.

I bet you were an absolute nightmare in the shop.

I really wouldn't consider it a "quality" bag at full price of 30 quid OP. I think 6 months use as a school bag by a teenager sounds like an OK innings for a bag of that price to be honest.

Theres no rule that because it cost more it's better quality.
Primark could decide to double their prices tomorrow, that doesn't make the clothing better quality. So I think you are very hung up on the idea that more money (which you didn't pay anyway) equals better quality, when sadly, that's just not true.
You can try and fight it, but as it's way past their returns policy and they dont actually give any warranty or guarantee at all on their products you will probably be fighting a losing battle.

YANBU. My generic issue rucksack from work that probably cost £5 has seen vigorous use and been stuffed to the brim with heavy stuff. It's also been washed many times in te washing machine (no spin cycle). It's lasted 4 years.

PrincessPain, you are absolutely right that the price of an item does not guarrantee quality, yet if you pay £30 for a product rather than £15, if you go before a judge for a ruling you have more chance arguing the £30 product should have lasted longer. So, with Sports Direct selling a supposedly £30 product as a £15 bargain, are we arguing a £15 or a £30 product expectancy? And this 'bargain' idea applies to so much in modern life, including sofas, cars and holidays.

Thank you 'highonpotandused' :-)

You expected a replacement after using it for 9 months! Ok

OrangeLindt, was I supposed to be buying a paper bag?

You are taking the piss.

I think you just need to let this go. You will make a fool of yourself if you try to take this to the radio.
9 months is pretty much a whole school year. I don't think a £15 bag has done too badly there.
You seem furious about this but you're only upsetting yourself. The shop won't care at all even if it did get to BBC3 counties as, to be honest, the majority of people won't agree with you.