Three sells faulty phone, refuses to exchange

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Surely it's still the law that if a company sells faulty goods they
> have to replace it or refund within 30 days?

They certainly should be replacing that if it's faulty.

> Surely it's still the law that I have 14 days to change my mind about a
> mobile phone supplier, and one of the valid reasons for rejecting a
> contract is that I can't get a signal at home?

No, you are wrong there. You have no automatic right of cancellation. If
coverage is an issue then you must research before buying. There will
even be clauses in the contract that state "we do not gaurantee
coverage" or similar.

> I presented those options to the Three helpline - that if they wouldn't
> replace the faulty phone, I could certainly still cancel the whole
> contract, and he claimed promptly that I couldn't. (The shop's attitude
> has been that I'm stuck - the phone is faulty, too bad, I should send it
> off for repair.)
>
> I haven't yet ever been able to use this phone at all.

Trading standards, explain situation, they will give you a call
reference number. Go back to shop or phone, speak with manager. If still
no joy then cancel direct debit and shop elsewhere. If they sue you,
defend it in court and any districy judge would rule in your favour in
about 30 seconds flat.
--
Regards
Jon

---

› See More: Three sells faulty phone, refuses to exchange

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> He is probably referring to the 10 posts I made on for newbie forum
> "Getting-started-new-member-help" which WERE all pretty much trash or
> junk - I just wanted to make 10 posts in order to be able to ask this
> question HERE, where I thought I would get helpful replies. (Which I
> have, thank you all.)

Why just use the newsgroup directly, instead of some joke forum site?
--
Regards
Jon

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Now that's annoying, but helpful to know. OK. (The odd thing is, I seem
> to be able to receive signals: I can see all the signal bars. I just
> can't dial out on any non-emergency number, not even 333.)

The phone is receiveing a signal, but of a different network.
--
Regards
Jon

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Thank for you that response! That was exactly my reaction - they tried
> to claim that the charger wasn't covered by the phone's warranty (which
> I suppose <I>could</I> be true if the charger is not actually
> manufactured by Sony - but it was certainly <I>sold to me</I> by Three.)
> The member of staff gave me the new charger with a very stiff "The
> manager says we don't have to, it's a goodwill gesture" message.

The charger is warranted for 6 months. However, warranty or no warranty
the law is on your side on this one.

This manager needs some retail law training methinks!
--
Regards
Jon

In message [email protected],
Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> He is probably referring to the 10 posts I made on for newbie forum
>> "Getting-started-new-member-help" which WERE all pretty much trash or
>> junk - I just wanted to make 10 posts in order to be able to ask this
>> question HERE, where I thought I would get helpful replies. (Which I
>> have, thank you all.)
>
> Why just use the newsgroup directly, instead of some joke forum site?

My thoughts exactly!
OP - Look into Outlook Express (or many other NewReader programs - But you
might well already have OE installed on your computer). It's a much easier
(and IMO nicer) way of using NewsGroups.

--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

In message <[email protected]>, Iain
<[email protected]> writes
>Very definitely not, but it's the reason for some networks choosing to
>offer the 14 day cancellation period. I guess 3 don't.

When I signed up to 3 they certainly *did* make a big show of offering a
cancellation period just like other more honest networks. However, the
small print read that the option to cancel was only valid as long as the
phone itself had not been used to connect to the 3 network - so useless!

--
dave @ stejonda

"Jesurgislac" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>
> On 23rd December, I bought a Sony Ericsson W660i from a local Three
> shop. It turned out to be faulty - the charger didn't work, and when
> under pressure the Three shop gave me a working charger (they insisted
> they didn't have to) I didn't seem to be able to do anything with the
> phone while it was charging - I switched it on several times and got
> nothing but a "Charging" message.
>
> Worst of all, inside my home, I can't use it: although the bars say it
> is receiving a full signal, the phone screen says "Emerg. calls only".
> (For obvious reasons, I haven't checked to see if it really *is*
> emergency calls only.)
>
> I rang their helpline (on my old mobile, and then on my landline) and
> got a very helpful guy who ran some troubleshooting checks for me and
> said it looked like that I had was a faulty phone.
>
> I took it back to the shop on 31st December, and they claimed they
> didn't have to replace it even though what I was asking for was a
> like-for-like exchange within the 14-day cooling off period. They
> offered to send it away to be repaired after New Year, which would mean
> I'd get it back just after the 14-day cooling off period is over (unless
> you allow for the non-working days of Christmas and Hogmanay - I'm in
> Scotland).
>
> The helpline guy called me back as promised today, listened to what I
> had to say, and went into bland "no comment" mode, which didn't surprise
> me: I had started quoting the Sale of Goods Act 1979.
>
> My questions are:
>
> Surely it's still the law that if a company sells faulty goods they
> have to replace it or refund within 30 days?
>
> Surely it's still the law that I have 14 days to change my mind about a
> mobile phone supplier, and one of the valid reasons for rejecting a
> contract is that I can't get a signal at home?
>
> I presented those options to the Three helpline - that if they wouldn't
> replace the faulty phone, I could certainly still cancel the whole
> contract, and he claimed promptly that I couldn't. (The shop's attitude
> has been that I'm stuck - the phone is faulty, too bad, I should send it
> off for repair.)
>
> I haven't yet ever been able to use this phone at all.
>
>
> --
> Jesurgisla

sale of goods act does not limit to 30 days - depends on what would be
reasonable (eg milk a few days). The cooling off periods do not apply if
you go to a shop, only for mail order or 'doorstep' sales.
Try Citizens Advice Bureau - probably fix you over the phone.
Does it work outside the house?
Regards
Phil Brady