COMET STORES
Read Consumer Comments Here
 

Sorry, but I can not understand your complaint at all. You are given opportunity to extend the warranty, which you most probably ignored. Now that the machine has broken down you complain.

I feel and may stress goods these day (particularly electrical) do not last very long. This is because competition is rife between manufacturers and retailers hence the quality of the goods purchased are no longer as reliable because of the lowest prices demanded by consumers.

I may also point out that companies such as Which? should take note, would you be having such a fight with a retailer if you had inssured your product......ultimately no. John... 27 October 2002
-----------------------------------------------------------
I have to agree with the above comments from John.
How can Comet be held responsible for the machine being faulty? They offered a warranty which was not taken. Complaining after 14 months is no different to complaining after 2 years. It's just tough luck. Clare... 30 October 2002
------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry but I don't think people know there rights.

Here's a piece from the trading standards:

"when you buy goods from a shop, you enter into a contract under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), which holds the shop liable for up to 6 years after purchase, providing that you can show that the problem is down to an unreasonable fault and not normal wear and tear. Secondly, remember that the guarantee is only ever going to be in addition to your legal rights, and is offered by the manufacturer of the goods as a goodwill gesture. Don't be taken in by the shop's argument here - they are using the issue of the guarantee as a red herring to try to avoid their legal obligations toward you. See our leaflet 'Buying Goods' for more information on your rights."

I am at present having a battle about my washing machine which expired after only 18 months - you should not need to take out extended warranties
Wendy... 2 November 2002
----------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, I fully am aware of the Sale Of Goods act, as I have had to study it for numerous months as part of a HND in retail management, when you mention wear and tear, is this things such as heads moving, or the machine being rewound...ulimately yes. Very similar to your washing machines drum rotating every time it does a spin, wear and tear. Its built in obselence good luck in the small claims court which will cost more than it's worth
John.... 7 November 2002
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wendy, what a load of rubbish, the law says "a reasonable length of time". What is that, to one person 12 mts, another 12 years. Products in general are covered for 12 mts, this is usually considered a reasonable length of time in law. If you dont need warranties why are you suing? If you lose Im sure the warranty will seem better value. Profit on most electrical appliance is 20% to 30% before they have paid staff, bills, transport etc. How are the retailers meant to pay for lifetime repairs!! Everything isnt about price, what happened to paying for service. Dave ... 7 November 2002
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well said John, Clare & Dave.
Mr Hawkins - Why should ANY retailer be made to pay for a Manufacturers lack of standards?? & Why do you think they sell extended guarantees in the 1st place?? Maybe things should be made better quality, but they ARENT & there is NOTHING you can do about it.
Would you drive a car that wasn't insured?? No i dont think so... if you had an accident, your car stolen, then what would you do... complain to the showroom you bought it from expecting them to have some kind of idiot,theft proofing on your car that no-one can break thro????Anon... 19 November 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh deary me. What a load of guff has been pontificated in this thread.
People who have come to this thread (such as myself) please take note. Only one comment is anywhere near accurate: Wendy’s. Otherwise, we've had inane analogies, retail propaganda and wilful ignorance on a woeful level.

These guys have ridiculed Wendy, who quite rightly quoted you the appropriate law. The warranty offered by shops (and manufacturers) is over and above your statutory rights. Such warranties cannot infringe these rights in any way. They are *statutory*. Guarantees and warranties simply give additional rights that shoppers can choose to use. Any attempt to infringe these rights is unlawful. Read you warranty agreement, and I'll lay serious money that one of the last clauses, buried away in the agreement, is "Your statutory rights are unaffected" or some such. Go and read some law before you spout more nonsense.

John and Clare
, don’t speak rubbish. An extended warranty is a difference kettle of fish from your statutory rights. It is more like insurance, and will undoubtedly cover accidental damage (which you statutory right do not). Go read up on extended warranties. They are expensive and virtually useless unless you accidentally damage your goods, and even then you might well be covered by you home contents insurance. Last I heard, Comet, Dixons and the like are being investigated for their practices in selling these so-called 'extended' warranties.

In this case, Mr J Hawkins is completely within his rights. He has 6 years from purchase (under English law) to claim that the goods were not of 'satisfactory quality', and outside of a reasonable period (usually a few weeks after purchase), he can claim for compensation from the retailer (but not the manufacturer: your contract is not with them). In my experience, a reasonable operational time for a video recorder would be around 7 years. His failed after 14 months. Providing he can demonstrate that the video was not damaged by unreasonable treatment (e.g. pouring coffee inside it), which he claims he can, he has a very strong case indeed. Any jurisprudent person would recognise that immediately. Really! An HND in retail management (retail propaganda, by the sound of it) from some college... did they give you the answers on the board beforehand, or were they written on your exam paper already? Give us a break and go do a real degree before you start this nonsense.

Dave, where did you get that information? Wendy quoted from Trading Standards. Are you suggesting you know the law better than they do?

Anon: yes I can see why you chose that name. You need car insurance to cover accidental damage to your car, not to cover you car falling to bits after 14 months of normal usage. All you need is 3-party insurance. If your car suddenly fell apart after 14 months (12 month warranty), would you suggest that was fair enough, and your tough luck? No, a car should last years, and so, barring any accident, if the car was sold as new, with no faults pointed out, at a reasonable price for the alleged quality of the goods, then you have a claim for compensation. But you go right on believing you are right. It’ll subsidise our goods when retailers rip you off so they can fulfil their responsibilities to we consumers who know our rights and refuse to be fobbed off by this arrant nonsense. Dave Pirie... 4 April 2003
--------------------------------------------------------
Well actually I am currently sitting a 3rd year Degree in Retail Business... (Editor's Note: The rest of this comment was apparently lost or corrupted)
Johnnie Mcdougall... 23 April 2003
--------------------------------------------------------
My complaint is that I did not receive a delivery from Comet today (02.07.03) as arranged and agreed. I am awaiting a response to my complaint.
John Weth ... 2 July 2003

------------------------------------------------------
Its interesting to see that so many people can quote Trading Standards. The difficulty arises when these people do not take the time to read the full response from the retailer. Comet have not refused to take responsibility for this item and are in full compliance with the 6 year obligation. To read back on the complaint would be an idea.

Firstly, Comet found the quote from an independent repair agent too expensive and therefore offered Mr Hawkins the opportunity to have this unit inspected to confirm the fault. Mr Hawkins refused this, that was his choice. If Mr Hawkins was so sure that this was a major fault and should not have happened after 14 months why refuse an inspection? After all Comet did offer the customer the inspection fee back should the item be found to have a major technical fault. The customer refused this.

The people in support of Mr Hawkins case appear to be intelligent people and on this basis you would expect them to be aware of the literate which, also gives the retailer rights, one of these being the right to inspect a faulty appliance. This is Comet's right as the retailer.

Yes, they are responsible for the product, yes there is a 6 year obligation but each and every appliance is looked at on its own merit and on an individual basis. The length of time you expect an item to last varies considerably from person to person. Yes, perhaps this item should not have gone wrong but without Mr Hawkins co-operating with Comet and allowing them to take the neccessary action to deal with his issue how would anyone be any the wiser.

Too many people think that Trading Standards are just there for us as customers, this is not the case. I have read the emails exchanged between Mr Hawkins and it seems he had a sarcastic and condesending attitude towards their staff from the start. I think its probably very difficult for the people who do this job to deal with such people, there is only so much they can do. Unfortunatley in life there isnt a magic wand for people like Mr Hawkins who expect everything on their terms, it requires give and take on both parts.
Paul & Sarah ... 28 August 2003


TOP OF List