Will try and keep this as short as possible, but could really use some advice - I have been persistent but no one is listening, and I strongly suspect that WEX Photographic are violating the Sale of Goods Act 1979.
Here goes
-September 2011: Buy £400 Canon Camera from WEX Photographic
-October 2011: Camera Breaks (for no reason - used rarely up until then) - simply won't take pictures (a sturdy DSLR with a 5 year warranty)
-Since I am in Switzerland on a ski season, Canon says it will cost lots of money to send the camera back to me so I decide to wait until I get back to England in April. I also email WEX.
-May: Camera sent off to Canon for repair, it is returned to me saying there was 'no fault', but the camera is still broken
-June: I email WEX and they say they will pick up the camera, and look at a replacement or refund if the Camera is like new (which it is)
Aug: Camera picked up. Two weeks later I have heard nothing so contact WEX, who say my camera is ready to be returned to me (after having something replaced). I say I am entitled to a refund/replacement so want either of those.
They say - this is the best bit - that because they had asked me to return the camera in its original packaging, which I apparently had not done, they were sending it back, and I am not entitled to a refund. Turns out the courier had put a return address sticker on the packaging, which WEX said I was responsible for as I should have put it another box! And now the tone of the email correspondence has become quite defensive (I am dealing with some sort of manager apparently).
So: Camera breaks within 2 months of purchase, even though barely used, hence manufacturing error. Wex refusing refund, citing the packaging as the reason, aswell as saying I didn't contact them soon enough so can't prove the breakage happened that early (I contacted Canon promptly and can prove this).
Surely not replacing/refunding it violates the Sale of Goods Act? My camera was clearly never fit for purpose. Surely packaging should only matter when choosing to take back a healthy item within 2 weeks of purchase?
Any advice would be really appreciated, I want to be free of WEX forever but have hit a wall with their fairly incompetent customer service.
Here goes
-September 2011: Buy £400 Canon Camera from WEX Photographic
-October 2011: Camera Breaks (for no reason - used rarely up until then) - simply won't take pictures (a sturdy DSLR with a 5 year warranty)
-Since I am in Switzerland on a ski season, Canon says it will cost lots of money to send the camera back to me so I decide to wait until I get back to England in April. I also email WEX.
-May: Camera sent off to Canon for repair, it is returned to me saying there was 'no fault', but the camera is still broken
-June: I email WEX and they say they will pick up the camera, and look at a replacement or refund if the Camera is like new (which it is)
Aug: Camera picked up. Two weeks later I have heard nothing so contact WEX, who say my camera is ready to be returned to me (after having something replaced). I say I am entitled to a refund/replacement so want either of those.
They say - this is the best bit - that because they had asked me to return the camera in its original packaging, which I apparently had not done, they were sending it back, and I am not entitled to a refund. Turns out the courier had put a return address sticker on the packaging, which WEX said I was responsible for as I should have put it another box! And now the tone of the email correspondence has become quite defensive (I am dealing with some sort of manager apparently).
So: Camera breaks within 2 months of purchase, even though barely used, hence manufacturing error. Wex refusing refund, citing the packaging as the reason, aswell as saying I didn't contact them soon enough so can't prove the breakage happened that early (I contacted Canon promptly and can prove this).
Surely not replacing/refunding it violates the Sale of Goods Act? My camera was clearly never fit for purpose. Surely packaging should only matter when choosing to take back a healthy item within 2 weeks of purchase?
Any advice would be really appreciated, I want to be free of WEX forever but have hit a wall with their fairly incompetent customer service.