Page 36 - link magazine

36 The Lin k Magazine • January 2004
Buyer beware. Know your rights
Rosemary Clifford from Westlea recounts a saga of mis-selling, misrepresentation and legal harassment. If you've bought an item for
Christmas or in the sales which has gone wrong, its worth reading on.
In February 20021 bought Nokia was entitled to was a repair under phone and in person on several
8210 mobile phone for £170 from the 12 month warranty and was occasions. Each time I was re-
the West Swindon branch of given the address to send it away ferred on; twice I was told that
Dixons. myself. I was not happy but felt themanagerwas'toobusytosee
1 immediately discovered a mi- that I had no other option than to me.' urt jud
nor faultand wentback to the store. do what I was told. I eventually complained to ,.y 9, -
I was encouraged to carry on using Four attempts at repair were Dixons customer care depart-
the phone 'to see how I got on.' made over the next six weeks, cur- ment who said they would get
Within two months it had devel- ing some but not all the faults. I the manager to contact me.
oped several more serious faults struggled on with the phone until When he did it was to say that
so I went back to Dixons to ask for April 03, after the sixth repair, I if I wanted a refund I would
a refund. But I was refused as I had asked again for a replacement. have to contact the company's
had the phone for more than 16 This time I asked Nokia and 02 solicitor!
days. I therefore asked for a re- who refused and told me to go back At this point I visited the
placement but was told that all I to Dixons. I contacted the shop by Trading Standards' Advisor at w
the Safer Swindon Shop to ask
for help. To my surprise she
Stressed out trying to make sense told me that not only should I
of your self assessment tax return? have had a refund when I reported fund when I first asked for one?
the first fault to the shop, but I was Why did the litigation depart-
Let Stress Busters Accounting Services help also entitled to a refund or a re- ment go to such lengths to try and
placement when I went back two frighten me off? Why didn't they
by taking away the tension and worry.
months later with further faults. try and settle out of court? They
We help with personal, sole trader, partnership Had I been happy for the phone to should have known they would
and small business bookkeeping and accounting needs. be repaired, the shop should have not have a leg to stand on. What
organised it for me. did it all prove - except what bad
Self assessment tax return from £50
VAT/bookkeeping from £25 per month She suggested the time had come customer care Dixons offer.
These are just some examples of our highly competitive rates to write to Dixons asking for a full Look at the number of almost
refund within 14 days or else I identical complaints to be found at
We fit in with your availability: daytime, evenings or weekends would take them to the Small the web site the Dixons Support
Free collection and delivery of records. Free initial meeting Claims Court. I did this and two Group: http: / / groups.msn.com /
letters followed from Dixons say- DSGretailsupportgroup
Call 07952 433548 for a worry free future
ing that as the phone was now The moral of this story is know
Or mail: [email protected] more than 12 months old I was no your rights and be prepared to
longer entitled to anything. stand up for them. If you are enti-
I filed the papers with the Small tled to a refund, do not leave the
Claims Court in June. What fol- shop until you get one or else com-
lowed I can only describe as total
plain to the head office.
WeOfr4e dera ment by e llerial- them to the Small Claims Court. If
If they still won't pay up, take
department. I receivedived a letter al-
most once a week asking for detail
after detail to prove my claim. They enough people do this perhaps we
will stop getting such shoddy serv-
wanted to know the names of eve- I ice from our local chain stores.
Ok4n complained,the relevant dates and • The Safer Swindon Shop is in
one p I had spoken to each time
and
Havelock Street, Swindon. Tel:
even petrol receipts for each jour-
aev I made to the shop. They also 525114.
anted copies of itemised bills to
prove each 'phone call I had made Group support for
(costing £25 from BT for the entire
James Butcher Housing period) and they wanted an inde- carers of drug users
Association provides a pendent engineer - of their choos- Swindon Druglink will be run-
ng and costing me £90- to test the ning an ongoing support group
wide choice of quality,
phone to prove it was faulty. forparents,family members and
affordable housing for This was despite the fact that I carers of persons misusing
those in retirement in the had discovered on theinternetthat drugs.
the Nokia 8210 was the subject of This group will provide mem-
Swindon area. court cases in America and Aus- berswiththeopportunitytodraw
tralia for being sold when it had on experiences of drug related
Tel: 01672 515622 proven inherent faults which could family problems within a safe
not be cured, environment supported by pro-
www.jbha.co.uk By the time the case came to fessional facilitators.
court in October I had a file full of It will enable members to dis-
letters to and from Dixons and I cover appropriate strategies to
would notbe put off. Guess what— manage their problems.
The group will run every Tues-
James Butcher The judge said I was 'undeni- day evening from 20 January at
I WON! (ahot c).
Housing Association a bly entitled to damages' and I got the Well Woman Centre, Milton
y
m refund Road Health Hydro.
uld and court expenses.
Providing accommodation throughout the central and south of England. But I can't help thinking —why For more details call Gina
why?
A charity, incorporated as an Industrial and Provident Society No. 16602 R. Moroney at Druglink on 610133.
Why didn't Dixons give me a re- Y $