Grrrrr B&Q Grrrrrr

Oct 14, 2005 83 Replies

Earlier this year I bought a 14.4V PPro drill, the bearings are starting to get loose and the chuck is a bit wobbly so I decided to take it back under the 3 year warranty and get a replacement. Unfortunately I couldn't find the receipt but assumed that this wouldn't be a problem because it was obviously not very old and seemed to have a date code on the base of the drill body.



I'd expected them to apologise for my inconvenience and deal with it in a couple of minutes to get a satisfied customer and move to the next management issue, instead we spent about an hour trying to find my transaction in their system - to cut a long story short they refused to take it back without the receipt. They turned a minor quality problem into a thoroughly p*ssed off dissatisfied customer.



I'll write to their head office (anyone know the names of the senior managers?) but what are my rights?



Dave


I'm sure you don't actually need the receipt if you can prove you bought it there some other way, credti card statement for example ?

You have certain rights under the sale of goods act but you'd be better asking in uk.legal or searching the google archives of that group.

Mr F.

It was bought with a pile of other stuff so unfortunately a statement isn't going to show the appropriate amount.

Dave

All you have to do is prove when and where you bought it.

As PPro is exclusive to B&Q then there is no dispute that B&Q sold it. As the tool also has a date code on it you can prove that it must have been sold after that date.

I'd write to B&Q pointing out the above, also stating that whilst you have been loyal to B&Q for a long time you'll be shopping at Wickes from now on.

Hopefully, it'll bring a favourable response.

sponix

Maybe try a few more branches of B&Q, IME someone will give in, and its more immediate than letters...

HTH,

Alex.

I'd expect any shop to tell me to piss off if I didn't have a receipt.

That's why I keep the receipt taped inside the original box in the loft for anything high value/with a warranty/likely to go wrong (i.e electromechanical)

Keep better records.

Cheers

Paul.

Where else could you have bought a PPoo drill anyway?

Try again when the pillock isn't on duty. They're normally very good at B&Q returns. I've never been required to produce the receipt, provided I'm willing to accept vouchers or replacement.

Christian.

Dave, B&Q warehouse Coventry (if you're passing on the M6 etc) - I took an elecy screwdriver back with certain problem after a year, no problem, here's another one - nice one I said. This was with no box and no receipt, and wasn't an own brand. I'd support a previous comment that mentions taking it else where. Life's too short to deal with such job worths.

I'll now leave you to appreciate Paul's "supportive" comments and write a suitable reply ;-)

Laters - Ol

Then you're selling yourself short - they cannot insist on a reciept if you can prove you bought it from them and when. In this case the OP has a drill that is exclusively sold by B&Q and it has a date stamp on it indicating it is within its warranty period.

Good advice, but not legally necessary in this case - I'd suggest the OP go back to B&Q and be more insistant.

Dave

It doesn't prove that he bought it though. Ebay current shows up 92 items if you enter Performance Pro and the one I looked at was a refurbed return - they are presumably taking them off B&Q and fixing them.

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Your branch of B&Q may be being a bit difficult but they're probably legally right. As far as B&Q are concerned it could be stolen or even dumped by someone else because it's faulty. You might get a better response at another branch or the same branch at another time. You're entitled to your replacement but B&Q are entitled to protect themselves from potential fraud. Give it another try and see what happens before you try contacting Directors etc.

Cic.

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True but I think they are debadged ones but it could also be nicked. Not that I'm saying Dave nicked it but it's a possibility to a retailer.

Same experience here. I have been know to take stuff back other people have disposed of because it broken and that shouldn't matter either its the product that guaranteed not the receipt.

Paul

[snip]

Here here. It's unfortunate, but I think they only have a legal obligation to take it back if you have the reciept.

That said, I now use NuTool cheapo tools bought from Makro after an experience that was the revers of yours. I took back a £50 SDS drill after about 20 months of REALLY HARD abuse. It had a 2 year guarantee but I expected them to say to send it back to the manufacturer. They gave a full refund without question. I was then able to buy the later, updated version of the same drill for £30. Lovely!

I accept they are not the best tools in the world but they are certainly not the worst and they do the job. Service like that is one way to build brand loyalty for those of us who may not need the most expensive tools.

Rob

Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

More to the point, as I point out in one of my FAQs, one of the good things is that under EU regulation, the statutory warranty is *two* years. One of the ueful things to come out of Brussels.

John Schmitt

But the Sales of Goods Act applies only to the original purchaser, as it is based on the implied or explicit contract of sale.

Whether a separate manufacturer's guarantee is transferrable to a new owner is up to them, as is any conditions attaching to receipts, etc.

Christian.

Receipt or other "proof of purchase".

alex

Off a mate, from a car boot sale, ect. He has to have the receipt, no matter where or what he does for an exchange of drill.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

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