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internet vs. local shopping


sharney houghs
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I haven't read all this thread - but EXCUSE ME - the retailers you have mentioned ALL buy their stock over the internet (or equivalent). They then hold loads of stuff in a big warm room so we can paw all over it to see if it's what we want. - take it or leave it is the motto. Or more formally "We are placing this on OFFER for a price - if you want to ACCEPT our offer at that price (after you have pawed over it) Then we have a deal. A CONTRACT. Then if there is any quibble - we will meet in court. Simples. With the locals it's an appointment with G Niphisers. If it's outwith this county then you may find it's a tad harder to find a solution.

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So was mine. They have lost our custom plus we were also told that if we opened one of the packaged leads, we could not return it if it did not do the job required

 

Errm, perhaps I have read this wrong but do you mean that you think it is acceptable to purchase a product, open the packaging and then return it when there is nothing wrong with it?

 

Had you purchased a tin of beans, gone home, realised it wasn't the correct beans for the recipe, would you then return the tin of beans?

 

I am not supporting any of the companies mentioned but surely it is hardly helping them keep their heads above water when people are opening the packaging and then returning things without good reason??

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We went in. We asked them for their advice as to what we needed for the job required. They sold us a lead in a plastic bag. We asked then and there at the point of sale that if it did not do the job we needed (which we had explained to them dilligently - my OH is a knowledgeable about electrics), could we bring it back. No, the reply came. So we went home, opened the plastic bag, tried the lead, found it did not do the job required and took it back.

 

They had all the information required. They knew the job that the lead was supposed to do and basically we had been mis-sold the piece of kit.

 

Fair play to them, though, that they gave us our money back but it will not be difficult to locate another plastic bag and staple it together to re-sell this lead to someone else.

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we were also told that if we opened one of the packaged leads, we could not return it if it did not do the job required.

 

We did open it, it didn't do the job required so we did return it

 

This was against the buyers statutory consumer rights to receive goods that are suitable for the purpose for which they are intended (IE can do the job).

The only items you cannot (in the main) return are consumables (Scent, Toiletries, personal hygiene items and goods that cannot be re-sold once opened).

As the shop advised that the lead Frances got was suitable for the job it was required for but proved otherwise the shop could have fallen foul of the "Goods description act".

 

 

Errm, perhaps I have read this wrong but do you mean that you think it is acceptable to purchase a product, open the packaging and then return it when there is nothing wrong with it?

 

 

 

Yup Pooks, You read it wrong :wink:

 

They had all the information required. They knew the job that the lead was supposed to do and basically we had been mis-sold the piece of kit.

 

Fair play to them, though, that they gave us our money back but it will not be difficult to locate another plastic bag and staple it together to re-sell this lead to someone else.

 

Fair play nothing! To refuse a refund would have been against the law as laid down in the "Customer statutory consumer rights of goods act" (I think that is its title) which could have landed the shop on deep doodoo.

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we were also told that if we opened one of the packaged leads, we could not return it if it did not do the job required.

 

We did open it, it didn't do the job required so we did return it

 

This was against the buyers statutory consumer rights to receive goods that are suitable for the purpose for which they are intended (IE can do the job).

The only items you cannot (in the main) return are consumables (Scent, Toiletries, personal hygiene items and goods that cannot be re-sold once opened).

As the shop advised that the lead Frances got was suitable for the job it was required for but proved otherwise the shop could have fallen foul of the "Goods description act".

 

 

Errm, perhaps I have read this wrong but do you mean that you think it is acceptable to purchase a product, open the packaging and then return it when there is nothing wrong with it?

 

 

 

Yup Pooks, You read it wrong :wink:

 

They had all the information required. They knew the job that the lead was supposed to do and basically we had been mis-sold the piece of kit.

 

Fair play to them, though, that they gave us our money back but it will not be difficult to locate another plastic bag and staple it together to re-sell this lead to someone else.

 

Fair play nothing! To refuse a refund would have been against the law as laid down in the "Customer statutory consumer rights of goods act" (I think that is its title) which could have landed the shop on deep doodoo.

 

Okay, how does it work if you buy something from an internet company, open the packaging, which, in my experience when buying AV accessories is you need scissors or a knife to open and then find it can't do the job! I would assume you can't just re-package it and send it back and hope to get a refund. Would I be totally wrong there?

 

Cheers

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I think that if a seller be it on the high street or the internet describes something as suitable to connect a named gadget to another named gadget and it will not do so then the something has been miss-sold and the customer is entitled to a full refund. However if the customer has just assumed that a cable will do the job then the supplier is not required to take it back wrapped or otherwise.

 

Of course the other side to internet v local shop purchases is choice. Over the years I have bought lots of DVDs on-line because Amazon or someone on e-bay had the DVD I wanted while the local stockists did not. Same with CDs and at one point I even offered a well known record shop the chance to order what I wanted before I ordered on-line.

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They had all the information required. They knew the job that the lead was supposed to do and basically we had been mis-sold the piece of kit.

 

Fair play to them, though, that they gave us our money back but it will not be difficult to locate another plastic bag and staple it together to re-sell this lead to someone else.

 

Fair enough, I wasn't aware that they had recommended the lead to you. Was the lead from a branded company? Or was it the shops own packaging? If they repackage it and attempt to sell it as new then are they not breaking the law and possibly voiding any manufacturer warranty that comes with the lead?

 

I wouldn't want to be buying a previously opened package with the possibility of bent pins or broken wires without prior knowledge.

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@ Clonkie - I understand your comments, and I appreciate the position that you're in, however, beyond comestibles there must be something else to ensure that trade stays with you. You can not insist on customer loyalty because "it's good for shetland", you need to do something to gain and keep that loyalty. Local shops will exist for conveniences and food as they can't easily be delivered, which means that jobs there won't necessarily be at risk. To claim that the Shetland Economy is at risk is going too far as I don't think that local shops that sell 'internet' type goods as as big an employer as say fish factories, bakeries, butchers, cafes etc - so if these businesses want to survive then adapt to the market, change your product lines, and add some level of customer service that adds value to the products on sale.

 

Surely mail order was as big a threat in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and businesses seem to have survived that - what is internet shopping but mail order? Add value, make it worth shopping locally. Personally I would prefer to buy goods from someone I could talk to and go to if there was a problem as customer service always swings things with me.

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To claim that the Shetland Economy is at risk is going too far as I don't think that local shops that sell 'internet' type goods as as big an employer as say fish factories, bakeries, butchers, cafes etc - so if these businesses want to survive then adapt to the market, change your product lines, and add some level of customer service that adds value to the products on sale.

 

It is not just direct employment that you need to look at. You also need to consider supply chain patterns for local businesses. Look at things like repairs and renewals, professional services, and all services and goods these small businesses purchase. Although I am not arguing that there may be other higher impact industries.

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Okay, how does it work if you buy something from an internet company, open the packaging, which, in my experience when buying AV accessories is you need scissors or a knife to open and then find it can't do the job! I would assume you can't just re-package it and send it back and hope to get a refund. Would I be totally wrong there?

 

Cheers

 

If the item is wrongly described (and you can prove it) you are "By Law" entitled to your money back irrespective of any packaging being opened

 

eg: you request a cable for a XXX DVD player, on researching the internet you find one that says "Suitable for XXX DVD player" but when you receive it it is in a "Clamshell" packet and you have to destroy the packaging to get to the cable, you then find it isn't at all suitable (ie too small/big or not enough pins etc) then as long as you haven't damaged the cable/item itself you are entitled to return it and get a refund in full.

 

See http://www.which.co.uk/advice/returning-goods-your-legal-rights/your-rights/index.jsp

 

Hope this helps.

M

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Fair enough, I wasn't aware that they had recommended the lead to you. Was the lead from a branded company? Or was it the shops own packaging? If they repackage it and attempt to sell it as new then are they not breaking the law and possibly voiding any manufacturer warranty that comes with the lead?

 

I wouldn't want to be buying a previously opened package with the possibility of bent pins or broken wires without prior knowledge.

 

It was from a branded company and had a bar code! It came in a sealed plastic bag with no obvious way of getting into it but ripping.

 

I would presume they would check for bent pins or broken wires before selling it on, if that is what they decide to do with the item. It was a 2 to 1 scart plug.

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Fair enough, I wasn't aware that they had recommended the lead to you. Was the lead from a branded company? Or was it the shops own packaging? If they repackage it and attempt to sell it as new then are they not breaking the law and possibly voiding any manufacturer warranty that comes with the lead?

 

I wouldn't want to be buying a previously opened package with the possibility of bent pins or broken wires without prior knowledge.

 

It was from a branded company and had a bar code! It came in a sealed plastic bag with no obvious way of getting into it but ripping.

 

I would presume they would check for bent pins or broken wires before selling it on, if that is what they decide to do with the item. It was a 2 to 1

scart plug.[/quote

 

I can't understand how the sales person managed to get that wrong!! :shock: Are you sure you explained what you needed correctly as a 2 to 1 scart lead in this day and age is an extremly basic accessory?

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We explained we needed a 2 in 1 scart plug to connect the dvd with the freeview into a two scart socket telly. We had to get three scart plugs into 2 scart sockets. The third was for the wii that went straight to the telly. When we connected it up - we either got sound and no picture or picture and no sound.

 

We realise that this is rather a grey area. The lead was not faulty it just was not the type needed for that specific job. And, yes, we had explained in great detail what the set-up was before we purchased the scart lead/plug.

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