Return postage for faulty phone?

Sadb

Hi, I need help with this. I purchased a refurbished phone from a uk company in February. 6 weeks later the phone stopped working (warrantee was 3 months). I contacted them by email and they sent me an email back with a list of instructions to try. I tried them all to no avail, I contacted them again and they said to return the phone for repair. I contacted them again asking about postage and I was told it was only free postage within the uk. I argued that the phone was faulty etc so eventually they agreed to pay sent a label with an address in the Netherlands on it. I packaged up the phone, attached the label and posted. The phone was eventually returned by an post stating that the label only covered postage in the Netherlands, not from here to the Netherlands. I have contacted the company again only to be told again that they don't pay postage to return items.

I know that if I lived in the uk they would have to cover the cost of postage if the item is faulty but I am unsure of my rights when I am in Ireland and the company is in the uk. Do I really have to pay postage? Which is a third of the original price btw! Tia

Homer

Your choice to purchase a phone from another country... Goes faulty.. your problem to return it. Your warranty doesn't cover getting it back to them. Thats the problem with buying online from another country to save a few ??? I guess

CeilingFly

Homer wrote: »

Your choice to purchase a phone from another country... Goes faulty.. your problem to return it. Your warranty doesn't cover getting it back to them. Thats the problem with buying online from another country to save a few ??? I guess

Incorrect.

Under eu distance selling rules the seller is responsible for the cost of returning faulty goods. Though you need to be sure its a verifiable manufacturer fault.

They can arrange collection themselves or offer to refund reasonable cost.

For returning to Netherlands probably try a GLS parcel shop rather than an post.

Homer

However, the retailer they purchased from may wish to examine the phone to check whether it's a manufacturer fault or not. In that case, the op may have to pay to return the item and ask to be refunded the shipping costs if the retailer agrees that it is a manufacturer/genuine fault. I suppose my point still stands in relation to purchasing expensive items online when they go faulty. Can be a headache.

Sadb

Homer wrote: »

However, the retailer they purchased from may wish to examine the phone to check whether it's a manufacturer fault or not. In that case, the op may have to pay to return the item and ask to be refunded the shipping costs if the retailer agrees that it is a manufacturer/genuine fault. I suppose my point still stands in relation to purchasing expensive items online when they go faulty. Can be a headache.

I did ask would I be refunded the postage cost if it was a fault and they simply said no, they do not cover postage from Ireland.

Spocker

The European Consumer Centre should be able to help with a cross border dispute like this, heres a link to their Irish office: http://www.eccireland.ie/