Ebuyer beware returns and replacements under SoGA

[djms]

This company has a very strange interpretation of Sale of Goods Act. If the item is 6 months old it only gives partial refunds. So if your item failed after 7 months you only get a 90% refund. Thats not the half of it. They originally tell you to contact the OEM for returns, again shirking responsibility! Its only when I insisted under the SoGA, that they had to take the RMA, that they arranged a courier collection.

 

What happened to me was that I asked for a replacement item as I knew if I would only get 90% back if I put refund on the RMA. But someone at ebuyer changed the status of the RMA to 'refund' even though they had plenty of stock to give a replacement. They deny any wrongdoing and refuse to replace the item saying I asked for a refund. Rather than put the situation right regardless of whose fault it may have been, a decent company would have said OK whatever, who cares who put refund, the situation is that now the customer is asking for a replacement and we will honour that. In the end so many weeks passed of eBuyers stalling on the replacement, that the item then became out of stock - discontinued (funny that!) They say you have to place a new order, but the items have doubled in price since I bought the old one! Again, very convinient!

 

Are there any grounds on which I can sue using small claims? I have lost only about £5 but I want to do it for the principle and to protect other consumers who have lost far more! People need to be aware this is how they manage to offer low prices.

[renegadeimp]

Get trading standards involved first. Court action should be an absolute last resort after all other avenues have been exhausted.

[djms]

Trading Standards Institute say they are a membership and training organisation and do not give consumer advice - they say I need to contact the Citizens Advice consumer service, which does handle consumer enquiries. Does Trading Standards actually do anything these days?

[citizenB]

This will tell you what Trading Standards are supposed to do ! Apparently not all Trading Standards departments offer the same services !

 

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_protection_for_the_consumer_e/protection_trading_standards_e/trading_standards_problems_they_can_help_with.htm

[Hammy1962]

The trouble with 'trading standards' as they are affectionately referred to is they are, completely, utterly, definitely, incontrovertibly, useless and of no help what so ever, at all.

 

Same goes for the FoS and the DVLA.

 

H