Scan.co.uk not Honouring Warranty

[CHR1S]

Just wanted to post to clarify a few points for the OP,

 

The length of time you had the item was much longer than 1 year infact it was around 23 months.

 

The refund has been calculated taking into account the benefit of use you have had from the goods, this is a legally allowed calculation and if indeed you have already spoken to trading standards or consumer direct as it actually is now then they should have advised you of this. If they didn’t I would call them back and ask them to clarify.

 

 

In commercial and consumer transactions, a warranty is an obligation or guarantee that an article or service sold is as factually stated or legally implied by the seller, and that often provides for a specific remedy such as repair or replacement in the event the article or service fails to meet ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warranty

 

So Wesley, The Item that was in warranty could not be replaced? So what happened to supplying an item of equal or better value?

 

Also, regardless of its age if its under warranty I would expect either a working item or my full money back not some aproximation of what YOU think its worth based on assumed use.

 

All you have done is give the image of a money grabbing company who will spin and manipulate laws to save them some money.

 

Similarly, if the product fails prematurely, it may have been defective when it was sold and could then be returned for a refund or replacement. If the seller dishonors the warranty, then a contract claim can be started in court.

[ICT_GUY]

Nice to see someone posting from the company, but it still makes me mad, and I would not buy from yourselves, simply because you lack customer service or any sense of retaining customers. The cost to you might be £40, which is nothing to a company, but when that customer goes to buy a new computer in the future, you have ruined your chances of repeat custom - something which anyone with any sense of business would understand.

 

Also, your comment in italics is not right. The resoltion is *not* a draft. It just hasn't been adopted by the UK.

 

So, what I'd say to you is this - which does your company find more important? Holding on to a few quid or retaining customers who can potentially spend hundreds of thousands of pounds with your company via their schools?

 

To back up what you have said Vale of Glamorgan - Trading Standards and Consumer Protection information for the UK

 

And its all to do with reasonable expectations. If I buy a £1000 pc I have a reasonable expectation that it should work well and without fault for at least 6 years. I do not have to prove that it was due to a manufacturing fault at time of purchase. If it fails during normal use within the expected life of the product then it is deemed to have been of substandard quality and therefore I can reasonably make a claim.

 

And for Scan to note

 

"After A Reasonable Time

If a fault appears after that nebulous "reasonable time" has elapsed, don't despair. If it's in the first six months, and it's not because of fair wear and tear, accidental damage or misuse, then the retailer must still repair or replace the item. If he demurs, he has to prove the item wasn't faulty in the first place, or that it couldn't be expected to last that long. Often he'll choose to replace rather than repair it.

 

If more than six months have gone by, things change. You might still get a repair or replacement, but now you'll have to prove that the item was faulty when you bought it if the retailer disputes your claim.

 

Where delivery costs are involved, the retailer has to pay them, and repairs must be carried out within a "reasonable" time. If it's impossible to replace or repair the item, you can claim a refund of some, or possibly even all, of the purchase price (depending on how much the item has been used). However, if the fault causes personal harm or damage (a fire, for instance), then it falls under "product liability," which is the manufacturer's responsibility. First, though, go to the retailer; if they're unable tell you who the manufacturer is, then the liability becomes theirs."

Edited June 17, 2009 by ICT_GUY

[Guest theeldergeek]

Threaten in writing to inform trading standards.

 

All goods come with a 6 year guarantee that is the responsibility of the retailer to honour.

 

Retailers keep secret EU law that gives consumers a TWO-year guarantee on goods | Mail Online

 

It is not such a hard and fast rule as you imply.

 

The vendor may be liable for up to 6 years, i.e. UK retailers are required to exercise some responsibility for defective goods for that period.

 

In other words, buy a kettle for £20 that goes wrong in 4 years time, you are not likely to be entitled to a refund or repair as the cheap kettle shouldn't be expected to last that long (yes, you've all probably got kettles that are many years older, but it is just an example!).

 

By the same token however, buy a TV for £2000 that goes wrong within the same time frame, and you have a good chance of a good 'claim'.

 

A vendor is also perfectly within their rights to offer to pay, for example, the cost of labour but not parts. The consumer cannot demand a refund where a repair is more suitable, for example.

 

As with much else in the Sale of Goods Act, it is down to whatever is 'reasonable'. Define reasonable - what is reasonable to you, may not be to me - ad infinitum.

 

Another point is that EU rules specify a 2 year term for warranty - this is actually less than the SOGA gives (i.e. 6 years).

 

So, next time you are told something only has a years warranty and would you like to purchase an extended warranty - question it!

 

So, a £32 motherboard that fails after 18mths - that would definitely fall within the EU ruling, but over 2 years, a vendor could be quite right to suggest such a spec couldn't reasonably be expected to last more than this.

 

A final point to make, is that only a court can rule on an outcome.

Edited June 17, 2009 by theeldergeek

[Guest theeldergeek]

There is one thing I would like to point out regarding this matter and that is proof of purchase. We see people who claim to have purchased items from us but do not have the receipt for them and these are items that are under a year old so you can imagine what will happen when the general population get hold of this piece of stupidity.

 

A point to note is that you don't need a receipt, just proof of purchase such as a credit card statement etc.

[Guest theeldergeek]

Why not just to the decent thing and either replace the item or offer a full refund?

 

 

Why? Of course, if you want to see prices increased in favour of "customer service" then your policy is the way forward.

 

 

It's all very nice explaining & hiding behind various consumer clauses but this does not benefit the customer at all.

 

 

Fact. The consumer had the product for almost 2 years. The vendor is actually not hiding behind clauses, they are complying.

 

They would soon go out of business if they don't maximise profits.

 

 

You only have to read the other posts to understand there are quite a few customers you have had in the past which are not very happy with your level of service - me being one of them.

 

If want repeat business, cut the crap and offer a replacement or a full refund.

 

Perhaps the consumer should "cut the crap" and not make unreasonable demands on retailers?

 

£32 for a motherboard that failed after 2 years and now they are going to the small claims court??

 

For heavens sake...

[wesleyaldred]

At the end of the day the SOGA pretty much amounts to reasonables and what one person thinks is reasonable the other may not, ultimately however, only a judge can rule on a case.

 

As for the comments regarding the negatives of Scan, the same would apply for any company in the UK, again, the same negatives could be found for any single one of our competitors via a simple google search, no-one is perfect.

 

I can say for a fact however there are many many postive comments for Scan, even this thread as negative as it is has some posts that are positive.

 

We are human, we try our best but we have to accept we will never please everyone all of the time.

[localzuk]

Why? Of course, if you want to see prices increased in favour of "customer service" then your policy is the way forward.

 

 

 

Fact. The consumer had the product for almost 2 years. The vendor is actually not hiding behind clauses, they are complying.

 

They would soon go out of business if they don't maximise profits.

 

 

 

Perhaps the consumer should "cut the crap" and not make unreasonable demands on retailers?

 

£32 for a motherboard that failed after 2 years and now they are going to the small claims court??

 

For heavens sake...

 

Do you also lack simple business sense? (Not meaning to be offensive but it is a simple concept). Maximising profits is what a business should be doing, yes, but this is not done by messing customers around and, from what I've seen, lying, avoiding replacing items under warranty etc... Instead, it is by providing a service that a customer wants, and therefore will use again and again. This is why I use aria.co.uk - superb service every single time. This is why I don't use Dabs.com - they messed me around with a returned item.

 

Simple maths - lose £30 now, and gain potentially £1000's in the future? Or keep £30 now and lose £1000s in the future.

[localzuk]

At the end of the day the SOGA pretty much amounts to reasonables and what one person thinks is reasonable the other may not, ultimately however, only a judge can rule on a case.

 

As for the comments regarding the negatives of Scan, the same would apply for any company in the UK, again, the same negatives could be found for any single one of our competitors via a simple google search, no-one is perfect.

 

I can say for a fact however there are many many postive comments for Scan, even this thread as negative as it is has some posts that are positive.

 

We are human, we try our best but we have to accept we will never please everyone all of the time.

 

Only a judge can rule, or you can use common sense and realise that lost business = bad.

[wesleyaldred]

Do you also lack simple business sense? (Not meaning to be offensive but it is a simple concept). Maximising profits is what a business should be doing, yes, but this is not done by messing customers around and, from what I've seen, lying, avoiding replacing items under warranty etc... Instead, it is by providing a service that a customer wants, and therefore will use again and again. This is why I use aria.co.uk - superb service every single time. This is why I don't use Dabs.com - they messed me around with a returned item.

 

Simple maths - lose £30 now, and gain potentially £1000's in the future? Or keep £30 now and lose £1000s in the future.

 

Ok, just to prove a point you mention "This is why I use aria.co.uk - superb service every single time."

 

A quick Google search against Aria and the very first link provided by google "I strongly advise anyone NOT to purchase ANYTHING from aria as they are abyssmal"

 

Why?

 

Simple - because no company can ever be perfect ! FACT

[localzuk]

Ok, just to prove a point you mention "This is why I use aria.co.uk - superb service every single time."

 

A quick Google search against Aria and the very first link provided by google "I strongly advise anyone NOT to purchase ANYTHING from aria as they are abyssmal"

 

Why?

 

Simple - because no company can ever be perfect ! FACT

 

I know, but you are arguing a pointless argument!!!! Please follow what I said, about your policies being poor. About your business preferring £30 in the pocket now that the potential for £1000s in the future. I know you likely have no control over these policies yourself, but you do have the ability to point your managers here and show what they look like to a group of professionals with a combined buying power that reaches into multiple millions of pounds. Having a company representative like yourself come here and spend your time arguing that the customer is in the wrong, and you're being fair simply makes the company look even worse!!!

[Guest theeldergeek]

Do you also lack simple business sense? (Not meaning to be offensive but it is a simple concept). Maximising profits is what a business should be doing, yes, but this is not done by messing customers around and, from what I've seen, lying, avoiding replacing items under warranty etc... Instead, it is by providing a service that a customer wants, and therefore will use again and again. This is why I use aria.co.uk - superb service every single time. This is why I don't use Dabs.com - they messed me around with a returned item.

 

Simple maths - lose £30 now, and gain potentially £1000's in the future? Or keep £30 now and lose £1000s in the future.

 

Or lose £30 now, period.

Either way, easy argument to make, impossible to prove.

 

In respect of business sense, yes, I have plenty - Having run my own successful business for almost 6 years, and being voted "most popular trader" would indicate I have a lot of business sense and a lot of knowledge about consumer relations. I only gave it up due to ill health otherwise I'd still be doing it.

 

Scan may have messed this customer around, but he has no significant claim with them when the law is applied, and the law is all that Scan are applying.

 

I wasn't discussing the merits of their customer service you'll note, but agree it hasn't exactly been particularly good.

[localzuk]

Or lose £30 now, period.

Either way, easy argument to make, impossible to prove..

 

Oh, it's easy to prove! ie. I won't be buying from them. And as I said, I would have considered it had I not seen the earlier complaints on this site. I was actively looking for new suppliers around the time mattx posted his complaint about them.

 

The accounting term for this is 'Goodwill' ie. the non-physical value of reputation, customer loyalty and other non-physical assets.

 

This is actively used in accounting when valuing a company. So, if a customer has bought from your company a few times in a year, you can value your company the next year to include the potential purchases that that customer may make. This is used when a business is being bought/sold really, but it also is useful for figuring out sales potential and goals for each quarter etc...

Edited June 17, 2009 by localzuk

[CHR1S]

And still the point everyone is avoiding to answer... if it was in warranty it should be replaced regardless right?

 

A car warranty has an X Year or Y Miles clause assuming heavy use, a Motherboard does not have a X Year or X boot/reboot warranty so the same assumption surely cant be made?

[Guest theeldergeek]

Oh, it's easy to prove! ie. I won't be buying from them. And as I said, I would have considered it had I not seen the earlier complaints on this site. I was actively looking for new suppliers around the time mattx posted his complaint about them.

 

That's not proving your argument at all, but I don't expect you to see that point of view as you have quite clearly made your mind up. You seem to have a very narrow viewpoint.

 

You are seeing this issue from nowhere other than an aggrieved consumer when in actual fact, you seemingly have no involvement with Scan other than this thread and have subsequently jumped on the oh so familiar soapbox that is the Internet forum to berate a vendor who is sticking to his rights.

 

Don't lose sight of the facts in law, not what you think should apply in policy.

 

Scan are simply applying the law, the fact that you don't like their policy makes it personal and nothing more.

[Guest theeldergeek]

And still the point everyone is avoiding to answer... if it was in warranty it should be replaced regardless right?

 

No, not quite. If it is in warranty, the vendor can offer a repair, replacement or refund. The latter can allow for previous use of the product, in this case, almost 2 years worth.

 

Car analogy's rarely work either.

[strawberry]

i wont be using them if this is how they do business.

[Guest theeldergeek]

i wont be using them if this is how they do business.

 

You've just ruled out a 1001+ businesses you won't be dealing with then - yes?

 

Admittedly, Scan haven't excelled in customer service on this one, but I very much doubt it's how they do business overall.

 

Don't fall into the trap of 'soapbox' judgement.

[JJonas]

Maximising profits is what a business should be doing, yes, but this is not done by messing customers around and, from what I've seen, lying, avoiding replacing items under warranty.

 

Dont forget I had to pay to get an item back that was clearly faulty. Another case of maximising profits?

Dont get me wrong I was very happy with the level of service I was getting up to this point its just things like this destroy my confidence in a company and as a result I am now using other suppliers.

 

remember a happy customer will tell somebody an unhappy customer will tell everybody.