Hi, I have been looking on here for advice and decided to join to see if anyone can help with our situation. I am very sorry if this all seems a bit long.
On 10/01/2012, my husband bought a power supply unit for £49.99 from an independent computer shop based in Essex (have not named them as not sure if that is ok or not). He installed the PSU and on 21/01/2012 the PC shut off without warning. After trouble shooting the problem, he found the PSU was no longer working.
As he had only had it for just over 1 week and it must have obviously been faulty, not fit for purpose and was well within the guarantee, he took the PSU back to the shop with the receipt the next day (22/01/2012). He explained to the lady at the counter, that the unit had stopped working and asked for a refund. The reply he received was very shocking! She said, you must have broken it, we use these in our PC`s and have never had problems with them, that is why we don't like selling components to customers, because they don't know what they are doing. She then in a very condescending and patronising voice said, have you ever built computers before?
My husband used to be a computer engineer, so he knows exactly what he is doing! So very politely he explained to her that he has been building PC`s since 1998 and has built hundreds due to having worked as a computer engineer.
She eventually said that she would be seeing the rep next week and would ask him if she could get a refund for him. She kept the PSU and gave him a receipt which states the item name, price and says, returned please check to see if supplier will take back. She took my husbands number and told him that she would contact him once she had spoken to the rep.
On 29/01/2012, my husband went back to the shop as a week had gone by and no one had contacted him. The lady he had spoken to before saw him and ignored him, so he waited for a man to come to the counter (this man was working on a computer when the lady had spoke to my husband after he asked for a refund). My husband then explained what had happened and again asked for a refund. He told him that the rep hadn't been in yet, so they couldn't do anything until they saw the rep which should be early next week. My husband asked him to phone him to let him know what was happening which the man at the counter assured him he would do. So my husband left without this being resolved for the second time.
Still no contact, so my husband phoned them on 02/02/2012. The lady he spoke to was a different one and was very nice and understanding, he explained everything and asked her if they could contact the rep, she said yes she had his number and would contact him straight away after their phone call. During this last bit whilst they were talking, my husband heard someone in the background say something to her, to which she then said to my husband, her manager had just spoken to her and that she would contact him as soon as she had spoken to the rep (exactly as he had been told before!!) My husband asked her to make sure she would phone him and she said she would, soon.
As we had still not heard from them, we started to research this company and to our shock have found we are not alone with regards to their disgraceful customer service and reluctance to give refunds in some cases they have even threatened people!! So we looked into what the next step would be and used a template letter regarding the sale of goods act which we sent via recorded delivery on 21/02/2012 and was signed for on 22/02/2012. We asked in the letter for them to please respond by 1st March 2012. We still haven't heard anything.
As we need the computer, my husband bought another PSU and since installing it on 23/01/2012, we have had no problems whatsoever. We would really appreciate help and advice as to whether we have done the right thing so far, and how to progress from here.
On 10/01/2012, my husband bought a power supply unit for £49.99 from an independent computer shop based in Essex (have not named them as not sure if that is ok or not). He installed the PSU and on 21/01/2012 the PC shut off without warning. After trouble shooting the problem, he found the PSU was no longer working.
As he had only had it for just over 1 week and it must have obviously been faulty, not fit for purpose and was well within the guarantee, he took the PSU back to the shop with the receipt the next day (22/01/2012). He explained to the lady at the counter, that the unit had stopped working and asked for a refund. The reply he received was very shocking! She said, you must have broken it, we use these in our PC`s and have never had problems with them, that is why we don't like selling components to customers, because they don't know what they are doing. She then in a very condescending and patronising voice said, have you ever built computers before?
My husband used to be a computer engineer, so he knows exactly what he is doing! So very politely he explained to her that he has been building PC`s since 1998 and has built hundreds due to having worked as a computer engineer.
She eventually said that she would be seeing the rep next week and would ask him if she could get a refund for him. She kept the PSU and gave him a receipt which states the item name, price and says, returned please check to see if supplier will take back. She took my husbands number and told him that she would contact him once she had spoken to the rep.
On 29/01/2012, my husband went back to the shop as a week had gone by and no one had contacted him. The lady he had spoken to before saw him and ignored him, so he waited for a man to come to the counter (this man was working on a computer when the lady had spoke to my husband after he asked for a refund). My husband then explained what had happened and again asked for a refund. He told him that the rep hadn't been in yet, so they couldn't do anything until they saw the rep which should be early next week. My husband asked him to phone him to let him know what was happening which the man at the counter assured him he would do. So my husband left without this being resolved for the second time.
Still no contact, so my husband phoned them on 02/02/2012. The lady he spoke to was a different one and was very nice and understanding, he explained everything and asked her if they could contact the rep, she said yes she had his number and would contact him straight away after their phone call. During this last bit whilst they were talking, my husband heard someone in the background say something to her, to which she then said to my husband, her manager had just spoken to her and that she would contact him as soon as she had spoken to the rep (exactly as he had been told before!!) My husband asked her to make sure she would phone him and she said she would, soon.
As we had still not heard from them, we started to research this company and to our shock have found we are not alone with regards to their disgraceful customer service and reluctance to give refunds in some cases they have even threatened people!! So we looked into what the next step would be and used a template letter regarding the sale of goods act which we sent via recorded delivery on 21/02/2012 and was signed for on 22/02/2012. We asked in the letter for them to please respond by 1st March 2012. We still haven't heard anything.
As we need the computer, my husband bought another PSU and since installing it on 23/01/2012, we have had no problems whatsoever. We would really appreciate help and advice as to whether we have done the right thing so far, and how to progress from here.
. We will get writing, and keep you informed of the outcome, thanks again.