Faulty golf trolley, help!

[MrsM]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help with this. I purchased a powacaddy from an online shop a year ago now. In June the trolley developed problems and as it was under warrenty I sent it back at the end of June. It took a lot of emails and phone calls over 10 weeks to find out what was happening with the item, a lot of the emails were ignored. I finally got it back a week ago to find that not only was it still faulty but they had sent a faulty battery back which was not the original and did not fit the casing. I have sent another email compalining about this and they have said they need to see it again.

I'm really not happy about this. Not only has my Husband not got the use of this over the summer months when he plays most frequently, costing us more with having to hire trolleys but I am not even getting what I originally purchased back. I paid over £200 for this and at least expected it to last 2-3 years!! I also don't want to wait another 2-3 months on a repair that doesn't happen, which would also take us into the winter which will mean the trolley doesn't get tested much.

Am I in my rights to ask for a partial or full refund or is my only option for the item to be sent back again?

Hope you got this far! Thanks in advance.

[labman]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

From what I have read, if I have undrstood the legislation correctly, it depends what was in the guarantee goven with the product. The OFT have a good guide if you Google long distance selling regulations and I found this site good:

The UK's Distance Selling Regulations

[MrsM]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Hi, Thanks for the reply. The guarantee was 12 months. I have been contacting them through email for the last week about this. They no longer seem to be able to find my details! Anyway they are now telling me that as the trolley was bought 13 month ago I am out of the warranty and no longer qualify for a refund. The original fault was reported just before it was 9 months old and only through their neglegance has it got to this far. (It took them 3 months to get the trolley back to me). Can they do this?

[CleverClogs]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Hi, Thanks for the reply. The guarantee was 12 months. I have been contacting them through email for the last week about this. They no longer seem to be able to find my details! Anyway they are now telling me that as the trolley was bought 13 month ago I am out of the warranty and no longer qualify for a refund. The original fault was reported just before it was 9 months old and only through their neglegance has it got to this far. (It took them 3 months to get the trolley back to me). Can they do this?

It is plain that they can do that, as they have done it.

The real question is whether they should be able to get away with it - I do not believe they should.

How did you pay for the contraption?

[tortoise]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

A good walk spoiled. Be glad to see the back of it and invest in a horse. Polo is the only real sport. If your husband does not realise this he deserves to be his own caddy.

[Amethyst]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Have you spoken directly with PowaKaddy or have you just been dealing with the retailer ?

[CleverClogs]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

The contract is, of course, with the retailer rather than the manufacturer.

[Amethyst]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Aye I know CC, was just having a ponder on the warranty which I think is manafacturers warranty and sometimes the manafacturers give more of a hoot than the retailers...may be or maybe not in this case hence wondering who had been handling the repairs so far - the retailer or the manafacturer xxx

[Rasper]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

sorry I'm new. thought I had posted a double post. Just want to say that Amethysts post above is the best advice. Go to the manufacturer surely.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Aye I know CC, was just having a ponder on the warranty which I think is manafacturers warranty and sometimes the manafacturers give more of a hoot than the retailers...may be or maybe not in this case

True - especially if they believe this dissatisfied customer may lose them other sales.

hence wondering who had been handling the repairs so far - the retailer or the manafacturer xxx

From their apparent ineptitude, it surely must be the retailer or the retailer's 9 year old daughter.

[MrsM]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

Thanks for all your replys. I contacted Consumerline and they advised I send the company a recorded letter and give them time to responde. That was until Friday 14th which obviously now has passed. Before the letter I was offered that they take the trolley again and fix it for a fee of £60 and after much argueing they offered it for free. I'm not happy to take it and as Consumerline told me it would be winter when it was returned therefore I would not get testing it properly until next year. I am now going to put a small claims in which I said I would do should I not get a reply by Friday. Do I now need to go back and advised the company again that this is what I will now do. They have completely ignored me for over 3 weeks now.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

It will not do any harm to send the oaf(s) a formal letter before action and it may even persuade them to see sense.

[Moni]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

before you go to small claims court check your home insurace policy. Without a solicitor you do not stand much of a chance at winning. They say onlt 60% win without a solicitor. If you loose then what ? more costs to appeal.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

before you go to small claims court check your home insurace policy. Without a solicitor you do not stand much of a chance at winning. They say onlt 60% win without a solicitor. If you loose then what ? more costs to appeal.

Even if that statistic was accurate - and I suspect it will include utterly vexatious cases as well as cases where the claimant has not prepared properly - it would still mean the claimant had a better than evens chance as a litigant in person.

[Moni]

Re: Faulty golf trolley, help!

You are correct. There is so much free advice for consumers and their rights, however if you are not legally minded and have never been to court you would no know if your claim was not properley prepared.