This topic was closed on 09 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/05/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support their. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

Sad to say I didn't get anywhere. And to my shame I let it drop. I got the repair done and the local guy gave me a complete receipt so it could be seen what I had had done. I called Trading Standards who were great with the info but that's as far as they could go with help. Well that's what I was told. Reading back what I intended to do, I am ashamed that I let it drop, but I needed more support as I was lost. All in all it was a very disappointing foray into trying to get some support for an obvious manufacturing fault. If I had taken my complaint back to Comet, I guess they would have fobbed me off again and I just ran out of fight....which is of course what Comet were angling for. Surfice it to say I tell everyone I know not to buy through Comet, but most people just look at me as if I am a sad person and go ahead anyway! I will never buy anything through them again. Good luck with your campaign. Maybe your Trading Standards people will be able to help you. I truely wish I had taken it on further now. But life got in the way and the £150 repair hit I just took on the chin.

OK thanks Seminole. Will do!

Hey thanks for getting back so quickly. I have used the TS site thanks anyway and looked at all the literature. Seems to me that the Act is so wooly that unless the tv actually exploded or something equally dramatic it is more or less useless. I have had an independent tv man in this morning to give me an assessment. He says it isn't what Comet would call a "major" fault. As it is the breaker I can hear ticking, preventing the tv from starting up. He reckons a small component has blown - way before it should but that it will be a small chip! As that's what they are mostly made of. I cracked anyway and he has taken it away to fix it - up to £150 he reckons. He is a local guy who I have used before and trust, so beleive what he says. But, I am not going to let this rest! I will write again to Comet and claim the repair cost...bet I know what they will say and I will approach the cc company and ask for a refund and see what happens. I may even write to my MP and see where that takes me...after all it is infuriating that the tv has broken so soon and the legislation doesn't help! My engineer guy confirmed that Comet are bad news for large purchases as the after care is one of the worst...but he confessed to buying stuff frojm them as they are the cheapest. I guess what my Dad used to say is correct - you get what you pay for! Wish me luck

Hi, I need help and support! I bought on credit - and yes I know I can claim via the cc company, but why should Comet get away with it? - a 28" wide screen tv and guess what - it has stopped switching on. It just goes "tick, tick, tick" trying to switch on but it doesn't! It is my fault that I didn't sort this out when the tv did this temporarily, like for a couple of seconds, in the first year...like loads of us I put my head in the sand and hoped it would never do it again! Stupid eh? Anyway, I called Comet and asked for the tv to be repaired/replaced under European Law (I had seen the Euro Commissioner on tv saying we all have a 2 year manufacturers warrenty). Anyway, Comet were not interested in that but said, in a very proud voice I might add, that they in fact give 6 years cover for major faults. When pressed, they couldn't say what a major fault may comprise of except the "tube" going. Then the bomb shell. They want £60 up front for one of their engineers, or a franchise who work for them, to come and see if it is a "major" fault. Pretty major I suggested when it isn't working so can't be fit for purpose. Anyway, I had looked up Trading Standards website and seen that in fact they are required by law to give 6 years cover of "major" faults. But it has to be proved that the fault was, on the balance of probability, there from the start or waiting to happen due to a malfunctioning part etc....usual wooly speak which helps the trader not the consumer. The £60 is refunded if they agree it is a major fault - yeah right and how often do they agree it is a major fault do you think? I have written twice to them using the TS template letter as a base and twice they have called to say I have to pay the £60 etc. They will of course refund it if it is shown that there is a major fault. And there we have it again, that "major fault" TS are not being any more help, prevaricating but did say they thought £60 was rather steep! But no advice as to what to do next if I wont pay it. My arguement is that 1. Comet should not charge such a punative amount, which is obviously designed to stop consumers from complaining, or 2. if consumers do complain it is all in Comets favour as to what is in fact wrong with the tv and whether that constitutes a "major" fault. 3. If there is a statute saying we have consumer right to cover they should assess the damage and then get into whether it is a pay for repair or not. Comet it seems to me are laughing all ways round. So, help, what can I do? Go the cc route and let Comet off the hook? Take them to court for breach of contract or something? Not fulfilling their part of the Sale of Goods Act Legislation? AND, the football starts in 4 weeks! Good grief, don't let anyone you know buy from them! Thanks all

I think that it is entirely wrong to say that the banks hold all of the trump cards. You may think that it is a bit esoteric and a bit harsh but when people think like this (naturally enough), then I realise that the one real trump card which the banks do have is that they have the right mindset to keep on with the unlawful harvesting of people's bank accounts. In every other way, their position is a liability. The very fact that all of the banks act in the same was amounts to a restriction on a freedom of choice which in itself brings their T&Cs within the definition of "unreasonable" in the Unfair "Contracts" Terms Act 1977. It is their very large dinosaur-like bureaucracy which is so inflexible and takes such a long time to adapt to new conditions. It is their lack of transparency - one might say honesty - about what they are doing which makes it so difficult to confront their problem face-on. And of course, what they are doing is unlawful Agreed - what they are doing is unlawful, as you are proving in trying to get them into court! But, we are stuck, as there isn't another banking facility which doesn't apply unlawful T's&C's. So if we want to use banking facilities we have to use the system. You are correct that it is a mindset, our mindset, it is their power, their obvuscation (sp?) that keeps us compliant - we need empowering which is what is happening through this site. You are leading the way in getting the mindset changed, ours and theirs, and these charges reduced. Keep on going, we will all benefit!

Hi Guy, If you look on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com and in the section of current accounts, there is a huge, and I mean huge, thread full of people who have their own complications with banks etc. However if you plough through, you will read success stories and helpful advice and information. I got my letter from there and I did get some charges refunded straight away- so it is worth doing. It seems to us that the banks hold all the trump cards, 'cause as it is pointed out, there isn't a banking institution that offers different T&C's. So basically we are stuck. Maybe you should open a third account(although it could get very confusing having so many accounts lol) so that if either of the two you are with get difficult you could switch. Many people seem to work with more than one account, for this very reason! I have still to write my letter - and to broach the subject with Barclaycard....gulp...but I think I will be horrified once I get my 6 years worth of statements.....if that is how you do it with credit cards...I need to look up the specific advice for that. Ho Hum Best of luck

Thanks, yeh, I have looked back and we have been amazingly successful in keeping within the overdraft limit. Now we don't have a regular income though, we don't want to antagonise Barclays. Without our overdraft limit, we would be stuffed! I have been thinking about this and believe my best way forard is to write saying I accept their refund, but still reiterate that the charges are punative - just in case we need to revisit this in the future! What do you think?

Hi all, I have written to Barclays and asked for a refund of charges, which in respect of many others are small - but large to us! We are swinging from having funds and not having anything! My husband is trying to work for himself - and I had a breakdown 18 months ago and am trying to get back into a frame of maind to work again! Enough of the sob story background. Just to show that each penny is important! So, we went over our overdraft limit in December last year - first time in 6 years - and lovely Barclays sent us a standard automated letter saying they were applying charges...."Paid Referral Fee". The first letter showed us £141.67 over the overdraft limit. We were charged £25 - which "as a gesture of goodwill" was refunded. Of course the problems compounded and we went over again. We were able to put some money into our account but were never in control as we didn't know how much we were over at any given time. Even logging on to try and manage the account wasn't any good as that information isn't up to date. We put in what we thought would be enough to cover the extra plus what was due to come out - only to find out that we were still over as more had gone through than we expected - the bank just gayly took more fees without so much as a nod to the fact that we were obviously trying to stop the situation from occuring. I have a great deal of frustration that we are treated as a number and not individuals trying to stay within the terms of their T&C's. I do not want to call India and talk to a person looking at a screen who we all know has a crib sheet of questions etc. We have no faith that they really want to assist in helping us manage our affairs. We now have another "goodwill refund" of £50 after sending a complaint letter to them quoting case law from http://www.moneysavingexpert.com. But this leaves us still having been charged penalties above and beyond what is reasonable. My question is I guess should I carry on and write again - pointing out the unreasonableness of the charges once again - I haven't applied any interest yet as the fees are relatively new - and it seems rather complicated. The spreadsheet didn't seem to show Referral fees. I don't think the amount (£50) it is enough to file a claim - but I guess there are millions of people like us who transgress just a little and it really seems more trouble than it is worth! Any comments?