Returning a TV to Lidl

L1011

smelly sock wrote: »

Sorry your spot on.

I'll head back over tonight, come clean and return the 50 quid to them.

sarcasm is about as unappreciated as fraud here

Logo

FanadMan wrote: »

Think Lidls 3 year warranty is for their own products only - as it was for a branded tv the warranty would be different. Hopefully you'll get it sorted OP - their customer service is normally great.

Thanks! I didn't know that. Do you reckon that I'm wasting my time taking the TV back now? Esp since I've a complaint reference number created because of phone call earlier.

theteal

Logo wrote: »

Thanks! I didn't know that. Do you reckon that I'm wasting my time taking the TV back now?

Forget about this warranty lark. A warranty is a sales tool, it can make life a bit simpler but it has no standing in law. If an item is faulty you're entitled to have it repaired/replaced under the Sale of Goods act. No name brand TV (that hasn't been misused) should die in a little over 2 years. The item needs to last a "reasonable" amount of time. You need to remind the retailer of this and be prepared to start Small Claims proceedings if they fob you off - you'll get plenty of guidance here on how to do so.

Logo

theteal wrote: »

Forget about this warranty lark. A warranty is a sales tool, it can make life a bit simpler but it has no standing in law. If an item is faulty you're entitled to have it repaired/replaced under the Sale of Goods act. No name brand TV (that hasn't been misused) should die in a little over 2 years. The item needs to last a "reasonable" amount of time. You need to remind the retailer of this and be prepared to start Small Claims proceedings if they fob you off - you'll get plenty of guidance here on how to do so.

So do you recommend that I return the TV to where it was purchased and hope for the best, or pursue it by emailing customer service with reference to the complaint number raised...

my3cents

Logo wrote: »

So do you recommend that I return the TV to where it was purchased and hope for the best, or pursue it by emailing customer service with reference to the complaint number raised...

I really doubt that the shop will take it back. They have no method of processing it. Great if the shop do take it back but what are they going to do with it?

smelly sock

L1011 wrote: »

sarcasm is about as unappreciated as fraud here

Hardly fraud.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

smelly sock wrote: »

Hardly fraud.

It most certainly, in law, was fraudulent.

SteoL

smelly sock wrote: »

Hardly fraud.

Monetary gain as a result of deception, what would you call it?

theteal

Logo wrote: »

So do you recommend that I return the TV to where it was purchased and hope for the best, or pursue it by emailing customer service with reference to the complaint number raised...

Email customer service. You've already done the "back to store" step. Let them know that they're in breach of your consumer rights and you may be forced to start small claims court proceedings if not dealt with in 10 working days.

L1011

smelly sock wrote: »

Hardly fraud.

Legally it would be considered so. There's to be no further suggestions of fraudulent actions.

Rallycrazygirl

We had a power washer that a part broke off. Had it about 2 years said it to store manager can we order replacement part. Told me to ring customer services.

Rang and looked to buy replacement part, told me to email copy of receipt and that they would send out part free of charge.

Couple weeks later brand new power washer came. I rang thought there was a mistake and girl on phone said easier to send out full unit.

Definitely ring customer services I'm sure you'll get a full refund or new product.

smelly sock

Opportunistic would be more accurate.

L1011

As was said - there is be no further discussion of fraudulent activities.

Del2005

theteal wrote: »

Email customer service. You've already done the "back to store" step. Let them know that they're in breach of your consumer rights and you may be forced to start small claims court proceedings if not dealt with in 10 working days.

Include a link to the Irish laws as customer service is UK based they might need a reminder.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1980/act/16/enacted/en/html

antoinolachtnai

Lidl returns for electronics are very chaotic in my experience. Lidl in Ireland don't really understand the electronics business very well.

They will eventually do the right thing, but they are a bit mixed up. The management there do not really seem to understand their responsibilities.

You need to put everything in writing, by email. They will write back to you and try to avoid responsibility, but keep at them. Eventually, threaten the District Court.

I would suggest that you try to deal with Lidl from beginning to end. If they pass you on to the manufacturer or distributor, ask them to state in writing that they have appointed the manufacturer or distributor to act as their agent. They are entitled to appoint an agent. They are not entitled to wash their hands of the whole thing.

If they can't replace the item and want to give you a refund, you are only entitled to the depreciated value of the TV.

Lidl has some problem in their accounts department that makes it very difficult for them to issue cheques, so they might offer to send you out a slightly larger value of vouchers in lieu. You might as well take these. You have to eat and life is short.

They take a long time to do anything but they eventually do the right thing if you keep at them.

Yamanoto

I had to push Lidl very hard to have a faulty strimmer replaced & found the whole process unnecessarily convoluted. I was passed between Ireland, the UK & Kompernass in Germany for weeks, before someone in their Irish operation took ownership of the issue and got it sorted immediately.

Perhaps I was just unlucky, as you do hear of positive experiences too, but for such a large operation, they did seem oddly unaware of their statutory obligations under Irish consumer law.

my3cents

Yamanoto wrote: »

I had to push Lidl very hard to have a faulty strimmer replaced & found the whole process unnecessarily convoluted. I was passed between Ireland, the UK & Kompernass in Germany for weeks, before someone in their Irish operation took ownership of the issue and got it sorted immediately.

Perhaps I was just unlucky, as you do hear of positive experiences too, but for such a large operation, they did seem oddly unaware of their statutory obligations under Irish consumer law.

Its funny how the staff and management of Lidl and many other stores live in a perfect world where nothing they buy ever goes wrong so not having to use Irish consumer law themselves know nothing of it?

Samuel T. Cogley

my3cents wrote: »

Its funny how the staff and management of Lidl and many other stores live in a perfect world where nothing they buy ever goes wrong so not having to use Irish consumer law themselves know nothing of it?

The issue is no member of the store staff or store managers make the policies, it's much easier to simply plead ignorance.

As Thereal said, write to them and then take it to small claims. after 3 years you should expect about 60% of the value of the TV, that's anecdotal. What's not is that a TV would be expected to last longer than three years.

antoinolachtnai

Yamanoto wrote: »

I had to push Lidl very hard to have a faulty strimmer replaced & found the whole process unnecessarily convoluted. I was passed between Ireland, the UK & Kompernass in Germany for weeks, before someone in their Irish operation took ownership of the issue and got it sorted immediately.

Perhaps I was just unlucky, as you do hear of positive experiences too, but for such a large operation, they did seem oddly unaware of their statutory obligations under Irish consumer law.

I had a bit of this. Don't deal with Kompernass. Lidl asked me did I agree to having the matter dealt with by Kompernass. They believed they needed my consent to do this. I told them I did not consent.

Logo

Just to give an update on this post. The TV is two years old and the picture isn't working. I have been in contact with a Lidl Customer Care member & supervisor over the last few weeks by email but they only reply by phone. In the last call they stated that the paperwork with the TV had a form which I could have completed to extend the warranty to five years - but I didn't fill out the form (not sure if it ever existed as I didn't keep the manual). I've emailed them numerous times to provide a reply in writing but they never reply to the requests. At this stage I'm tempted to go down the Small Claims route - but also wondering if it's worth the bother. Any feedback appreciated.

L1011

How much was it? Apologies if you've said this (or I've asked myself!) before but a quick scan didn't find it

SCC process is €25 and rather a lot of aggravation including possibly requiring a day off. I'd usually not bother at below ~150 likely return.

2.5 year old TV is unlikely to be discounted much if anything by a judge, though. Maybe 20% off if you're unlucky would be a stab in the dark.

XsApollo

Logo wrote: »

Just to give an update on this post. The TV is two years old and the picture isn't working. I have been in contact with a Lidl Customer Care member & supervisor over the last few weeks by email but they only reply by phone. In the last call they stated that the paperwork with the TV had a form which I could have completed to extend the warranty to five years - but I didn't fill out the form (not sure if it ever existed as I didn't keep the manual). I've emailed them numerous times to provide a reply in writing but they never reply to the requests. At this stage I'm tempted to go down the Small Claims route - but also wondering if it's worth the bother. Any feedback appreciated.

If you want your money back small claims is the only way.
Your perfectly within your rights to expect a t.v to last more than 2.5 years.

Here is a recent thread with a similar situation to yours.
http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057673036/1

Logo

L1011 wrote: »

How much was it? Apologies if you've said this (or I've asked myself!) before but a quick scan didn't find it

SCC process is €25 and rather a lot of aggravation including possibly requiring a day off. I'd usually not bother at below ~150 likely return.

2.5 year old TV is unlikely to be discounted much if anything by a judge, though. Maybe 20% off if you're unlucky would be a stab in the dark.

The TV was €250 but I did expect a branded TV to last more than two years and three months. After dealing with Lidl Customer Care and getting very little satisfaction it's more on principle than cost that I'm tempted to go the SCC route.

L1011

Logo wrote: »

The TV was €250 but I did expect a branded TV to last more than two years and three months.

Toshiba don't make their own TVs anymore; although yours is old enough it may have been an end of line model. Not commonly known and a judge isn't going to know it either!

There's very few big brands making TVs anymore - Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Samsung did last time I checked. Sharp are made in Slovakia and most other old big brands - Grundig etc - are made in Turkey. Surprisingly little made in China!

Logo

Still no reply from Lidl. At this stage I'm tempted to make a Small Court claim purely out of principle and the fact that they refuse to reply in writing. Also I reckon a Toshiba TV should have a lifespan of more than two years, regardless of who manufactures it. Does anyone have an experience of the SCC procedure and is it worth the hassle?
Thanks

antoinolachtnai

You should also write (on paper) to Lidl GmbH in Germany. It takes a week or two, but it eventually presses an alarm bell.

I would do that and also send an email to Lidl and tell them clearly that they have not responded to your previous emails in relation to the Sale of Goods Act and that the next step will be to issue proceedings in the District Court. (There is no 'small claims court' in Ireland. There is only the district court, which has a special 'small claims procedure'.)

Lidl will not want to be in the District Court in any form, for reasons more to do with alcohol licensing than anything else, and will want to avoid that.

Logo

Thanks for the reply.antoinolachtnai The only address I can find is: Corporate Information Lidl: Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG, Stiftsbergstraße 1, 74167 Neckarsulm, Germany. I will try the written paper route. At this stage I'm blue in the face from emailing Lidl (Ire) and letting them know that I would appreciate a reply in writing to show that they are failing to comply with the Sale of Goods Act and that the next step will be to issue proceedings in the SCC.

Yamanoto

Logo wrote: »

At this stage I'm blue in the face from emailing Lidl (Ire) and letting them know that I would appreciate a reply in writing to show that they are failing to comply with the Sale of Goods Act and that the next step will be to issue proceedings in the SCC.

If you've communicated that to them already by email, just send a registered letter to their Irish address, advising that you are initiating a small claims procedure.

Been dragging on long enough OP.

Logo

Thanks for the reply but Lidl don't appear to have a postal address in Ireland (that I can find). I might make a last-ditch attempt to have a chat with local store management and if the outcome is unfavourable I will probably go down the Small Claims route.

Firewalkwithme

Lidl Ireland GmbH
Main Road,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24
Telephone
01-4212000
Available Mon. - Fri. 8.00 – 18:00