Rights for returning electrical goods bought online less than 7 days ago - not happy with item?

[SheWhoShops]

I bought a Polti steam vacuum cleaner from an online retailer that I took possession of on Weds last week. I paid £419 for the top of the range model (AS720 lux). Tried it out yesterday and was very disappointed - it was very unweildy and badly designed and took me more than twice as long to clean my sons highchair to a less satisfactory level than my old mid-range, non vacuum steamer. The vacuum part got in the way of the steam nozzle meaning that I could not use the "nitty gritty" tool, because the vacuum nozzle attached to it sticks out by about 5 inches. Additionally one of the extension sections would not "catch" when you screwed it on. When I tested the machine on the floor on all the various combination of steam and suction levels and I was just distinctly underwhelmed - felt like I had just wasted £419 and wanted my old one back, which was a shame as I had just sold it.

In many respects the new one is very swanky - materials and build quality etc but it just doesn't work very well. I would even want to keep it if it did not have this ridiculous design where you are constantly kept 4-6 inches away from where you want be steaming and scrubbing. Effectively within 15 mins of getting it running I had the sinking feeling that I have saddled myself with an expensive white elephant.

It's only been tried out once, it is not dirty ( I cleaned out the tubes and everything as best I could see. Most of the labels are still on it, I still have the original box but not the plastic that the accessories were sealed in and not some of the packing cardboard inside the box itself.

Can I return it to the company and ask them to exchange it for a model which does not have the stupid vacuum function (basically Polti haven't come up with a good workable design in my opinion). I am afraid they will say (as they said on their website) that they cannot accept returns once an item has been used. But does that apply if I only want to return it because it is crap, and swap it for something else that I can actually use?

It is less than 7 days that I have had it. I am even prepared to bargain with them to send me a cheaper model and keep the difference if they only just take this beast away from me, please!

Sorry for waffling - the other reason is that I already have a Dyson and a Vax, so the vacuum thing is overkill for me, but I was seduced by extra bar of steam pressure

I think you'd need to return it under the 'not fit for purpose' bit of legislation rather than under the distance selling regulations which allow you a cooling off period. Phone them and see what they say!

Thanks for that. That is what I was thinking - have emailed them with a "not fit for purpose" exchange request (dunno why I feel guilty...it is actually true that it is not fit for purpose IMO)

sws,
If they get arsy look up the SALE OF GOODS ACT which states that a product has to be 'fit for the perpose' it was purchased for.
the general rule with cleaners is the higher the motor i.e. 1200 etc...the better the suction/performance.

From what you say, it sounds faulty if you can't use certain nozzles and the extension thing doesn't catch, so I would go down that route. You don't have to accept replacement on faulty item get refund.
It may be easier than the not fit for purpose. They could say just because you don't like the way it performs it does suck and it does steam, so it's fit for purpose.

Just in case anyone finds themselves in a similar position - useful to know that they have offered me a full refund/exchange as under distance selling regs the customer has the right to cancel the contract within 7 days even if the item has been tried out The relevelant bit of leg. is in OFT Leaflet 698 (Guide to Distance Selling Rules for Businesses) available to view on the net.