Member Since: 25 Jan 2010
Location: London
Posts: 8491
Agree all odd, need both sides of the story, but I am damn sure that if anyone sold anything to a forum member and they had a serious concern that required sending it back, the seller would try and help and if no fault was found after it was sent back at their cost wouldn't charge them, that's my point. There must have been a good reason to send it all the way back from Australia! And I am sure BEFORE it was sent back discussions took place plus if you had the address you sent it to in the first place how hard was it to send it back or a letter to the owner, or place a post on the forum to find them
I guess the difference is between buying from a John Lewis type operation with backup and support (but possibly no great discount) or ebay / a market trader that has a guarantee until you are out of sight, you pay your money and take your chance
11th Jan 2013 11:40 pm
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
Discotres wrote:
Well I wouldn't, but that's me, Apple give you 90 days help and support, I would have thought a forum member would have been treated better and helped out, lesson learnt
Believe me Apple wouldn't help either after 4 months as in this case as they only offer 90 days. They would also charge you more than €40 for anything they did, plus they certainly wouldn't hold onto it for that long if you didn't pay.
So not a good comparison if that is the benchmark, plus they have been fighting the 2 year warranty they have to give in some areas and try to sell you a expensive support package.
Starts to make Colin's support look slightly more generous in reality
11th Jan 2013 11:52 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14482
Disagree re Apple. My IPhone 4 developed a fault at 15 months and was replaced FOC. MYMiele vac hose split after 3 years. I called the service dept to buy an new one and they sent an engineer out to replace it. I now have Miele, washing machine, Dishwasher and tumble drier. Brilliant kit nd great service. Because of this 5 of my friends have switched to Mile. Service and customer focus pays.
Getting back on track, you did our best, he didn't reply, he forfeits. Simples
12th Jan 2013 12:07 am
amazing
Member Since: 05 Mar 2011
Location: chengdu
Posts: 1542
Regardless what you do now the guy is unlikely to be singing your praises.
Return the guys original fee
As the item has been reintergrated you have only lost a bit time and postage and not your integrety
A small price to know the measure of a man.
Then refocus and move on..It is better to have and not need it then need and not have it.
12th Jan 2013 4:49 am
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
Moo wrote:
Disagree re Apple. My IPhone 4 developed a fault at 15 months and was replaced FOC. MYMiele vac hose split after 3 years. I called the service dept to buy an new one and they sent an engineer out to replace it. I now have Miele, washing machine, Dishwasher and tumble drier. Brilliant kit nd great service. Because of this 5 of my friends have switched to Mile. Service and customer focus pays.
Getting back on track, you did our best, he didn't reply, he forfeits. Simples
Sorry I was talking more about a product that needed support but didn't have a fault. Wonder what Aplle would do if there wasn't one and the 90 day support had run out.
You were lucky with Miele unless you bought the service certificate.
To be fair though a company has to draw the line somewhere it's standard business practice. Either you build the extra service into the original cost or you go bust.
12th Jan 2013 8:47 am
geoff.
Member Since: 24 Jan 2010
Location: West kent
Posts: 8531
Discotres wrote:
I guess the difference is between buying from a John Lewis type operation with backup and support (but possibly no great discount) or ebay / a market trader that has a guarantee until you are out of sight, you pay your money and take your chance
DT
every MSV-2 owner has his/hers own support area plus we have a dedicated forum for help and advise doubt theres many companies that offer that
12th Jan 2013 9:29 am
pinhead
Member Since: 20 Dec 2010
Location: yorkshire
Posts: 877
We do not know what the customer expected
He may have been after a re fund originally or adamant that there was a fault and not accepting it back until resolved
This fault could have very easily been software rather than the unit hence why no fault found
We need both sides to be able to judge
If it is as clear cut as bbs state then they had every right to dispose of the unit as they so wish and I think 12 months was a fair time scaleClub original turbo
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12th Jan 2013 9:45 am
tomthumb
Member Since: 04 Dec 2012
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As I understand the uk law,
Any goods can be dissposed of after a reasonable amount of time (reasonable) being the key word. T&c's take presedence is timeframe listed.
But 2 letters of intent MUST be sent to the owner of said good,
So if atleast 2 letters of intent were sent (recorded delivery) proof needed,
I would've dissposed of & been I'm my right to disspose of any goods.RRSport MY12hse but don't hold that against lill o me
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12th Jan 2013 10:13 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73131
tomthumb wrote:
As I understand the uk law,
Wasn't the buyer Aussie?
BBS SPY wrote:
He lives in AU as it happens.
12th Jan 2013 10:33 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
I think there has to be some default goodwill towards the customer. He has paid money for a product, paid for its delivery and paid for its return when he thinks the product does not work. For a number of years you have had his money, his product and latterly some needed parts. Throughout this period he has had nothing but a hole in his bank balance.
In equal regard you have incurred costs. If he pays his outstanding bill as agreed I think you should provide a recondition unit (ie not new) and move on. Customer service is everything and you should embrace every customer that has paid money for your product.
Can I explain or justify what this guy has done - no. Does that matter - no; he has paid money and deserves something for it. You cannot keep the money and the product just because none of us can understand why he has done what he has done. Who knows what this guy has been through in the intervening years.
As a small business you have to embrace each and every customer, no matter what you may think of them or their motives.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 25 Jan 2010
Location: London
Posts: 8491
My point is all this disposal nonsense should never have come to be, SOMETHING more to it, as Geoff says they get support, so for the chap to go to all the bother of posting it back more has gone on than we know, I feel the vendor knows that and is now trying to get moral support for something that should never have happened.
If it did have a fault claimed by the buyer, how do we know nothing was wrong with it, was it quickly re programmed to save face?
Why if a forum member charge 40 Euros, must have been a genuine concern by buyer, plus buyer was out of pocket for postage, a quick bench test would cost pretty much nothing, plus I would just be relieved nothing had been wrong with it and it should be looked on as customer service learning from why it was sent back, would you buy one now after reading about this? I would and many others here I guess preferred to read about great support being given to help a forum member at no cost and full details of what had or he thought had gone wrong to save someone else the problem.
They had his address, where is evidence of the letter to him?
He was a forum member, where is the post to track him?
Was Martin asked to track him?
Would they 'really' break up a 'perfect' functual unit?
Did they have his telephone number, must have had his payment details, more to this!
And all of the above is asked BECAUSE he was a forum member and you would have thought he would have been looked after, from reading replies it seems everyone is focusing on T&C's, storage of a tiny unit, and the law, I am looking at common sense, good customer care and how I would deal with it if it were my business and I wanted to maintain a great reputation, not put people off!
Anyway, there was a public post asking if the vendor was reasonable and I am responding, my answer is definitely NO.
12th Jan 2013 11:02 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73131
Robbie wrote:
As a small business you have to embrace each and every customer, no matter what you may think of them or their motives
Or tell him "sue me!!". Without both sides of the story difficult to decide what I'd do in the same situation. As usual, the Devil's in the detail and usually somewhere in the middle, plus the customer's always right, till he's wrong. Sometimes companies are in the wrong and customer is getting screwed, equally there are times when the customer is screwing the company and I don't think it's right that the company should automatically ask "and how far should I bend over, sir?".
12th Jan 2013 11:06 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Discotres,
I agree with your post.
In a way I am dreading to hear the other side of this. Somehow I know it will start with 'following my kid's diagnosis of leukaemia'.
Guess you need to have a life-changing experience to know how personal admin can go to ratshit for a number of years.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
I really think that the views expressed by DT & Robbie are first class.
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12th Jan 2013 11:13 am
Discotres
Member Since: 25 Jan 2010
Location: London
Posts: 8491
I would expect any vendor on the forum to go the extra mile for a forum member (John Lewis type friendly service) I don't see that here, as I said earlier lesson learnt!!
Lets get the forum member in on the conversation, that should make things more interesting
Anyway after seeing the poor people losing out to Jessops, it has to be buyer beware!
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plus if you had the address you sent it to in the first place how hard was it to send it back or a letter to the owner, or place a post on the forum to find them 
