Distance selling "good practice"?

[jonnyboy]

Hi all.
Mrs JB bought some very well reviewed Raleigh bike lights for my boy who has just started a paper round on the bike we got via Howard (cheers again chap). Saw them on Amazon and bought (visa) although its a third party seller. They took a week to come (far end of what was in the description). Identical product about 25% dearer in local bike shop. Rear one doesn't work so she rang today for them to send out a replacement.
Sellers response was "send it back 2nd class, once we receive it we will test it then send another one out and refund postage. That to me means that they'll have had the readies for at least 3 weeks before we receive a working product, a bit of a ****-take imho, and of course the mornings are closing in fast so no doubt that means Dad up at 6 on Sat and Sun for a further two weeks to drive him.
I think its shoddy practice - its not the suppliers fault they dont work it is the manufacturer, but its up to the supplier to put it right effectively, not have a lax attitude.

Definitively, what are the rules and regs surrounding this with it being online? I bow to your greater knowledge chaps!

Cheers.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Distance selling regs - you can reject goods for no or any reason within 7 days if bought by distance selling rules and ask for a refund. Say if they don't send a new one you will cancel the transaction under the distance selling regs.

 

[Alfie]

The distance selling rules are a bit more complicated;

You can reject the goods anytime for any reason whatsoever provided you notify the seller within seven days of recieving the goods. The seller then has to reimburse your postage costs aswell. They must do the refund within 28 days. The conditions with this are that the goods must be in their original packaging and 'as good as new'. There are some exceptions to the DSR such as personalised items (ie mongrams etc) and software/disks etc which have been opened. These items cannot be returned.

Hope this helps.

 

[nick mercedes]

I think its shoddy practice - its not the suppliers fault they dont work it is the manufacturer, but its up to the supplier to put it right effectively, not have a lax attitude.

Send it back.

Not much to ask really.

If it's a dud they'll send you another one.

 

[jonnyboy]

Another example of this reared it's head this week. In the middle of a huge extension, had a makita 18v power tool battery fail. Most local suppliers over £100, Screwfix with a drill i didn't need £135, Mrs JB then finds a few sellers of genuine BNIB batteries on Amazon. £150 for two and back to work we go.
They have both failed within 2 months, totally unacceptable. Sellers response? Send back but we wont replace until Makita have inspected them estimated lead time 3 weeks. Not good for anyone in business. If I had bought them locally I am 100% sure they would have been replaced at the point of sale.

 

[Rory]

If I had bought them locally I am 100% sure they would have been replaced at the point of sale.

Well, there you go.

If something is being sold at 25% less (bear in mind that's probably 50% of the profit) then something has to give.


On the batteries, I wouldn't be surprised if they were fake - the trade in counterfeit batteries is immense.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It's actually pretty standard for Makita to do that to be honest, I used to have this argument all the time when I was on the tools.

I then changed to using Hilti & Panasonic and never had a problem with dodgy batteries after that.