Earphones not working

purplecow1977

It's a small issue really but annoying all the same.

I bought a set of sony earphones at a shop (Dixons I think) in the airport in April. I think they cost €15. I've discovered that the left one is no longer working.

Can I do anything? Struggle on with one side or buy a new set??

As they were bought in the airport, chances of me returning them to the store are slim!

ED E

purplecow1977 wrote: »

As they were bought in the airport, chances of me returning them to the store are slim!

Wondered that recently, does a company have to come landside to deal with your consumer issues?

ED E

purplecow1977 wrote: »

As they were bought in the airport, chances of me returning them to the store are slim!

Wondered that recently, does a company have to come landside to deal with your consumer issues?

Beefy78

I go through four or five of these a year. All sorts of makes, not just Sony. A €15 set of headphones isn't designed to last more than a few months of regular usage. I had a pair last a year until very recently. They died on the same day as I commented to a friend how they were still working a year later

Pelvis

You get what you pay for unfortunately.

thebiglad

If purchased at Dixons Travel you can still take them to Currys PC World as if purchased there - they are in the same group.

So long as you have the receipt of course and subject to usual discussions as to how they came to now work

I did so with a Fitbit...

purplecow1977

Thanks thebiglad. Because I purchased them on my way to my holidays I doubt I have the receipt but I'll have a look and see what crap is at the bottom of my bag!!!

I literally have used them about 10 times since April so 'you get what you pay for' argument is invalid - I don't believe a €15 pair of headphones should last such little time! How much would you pay for a decent pair of earphones?!!!!! At that rate I'd be better robbing the crappy ones off those Hop on Hop off bustours!!!!

L1011

How they were stored between the 10 uses can have a huge impact - the common tangled ball in a bag will destroy them in rapid time. €15 is cheap but its definitely not bottom of the market (Argos have branded ones for 6 quid and used to do own-brand for 3.99!); however I would imagine that without a receipt you aren't going to get anything.

purplecow1977

L1011 wrote: »

How they were stored between the 10 uses can have a huge impact - the common tangled ball in a bag will destroy them in rapid time. €15 is cheap but its definitely not bottom of the market (Argos have branded ones for 6 quid and used to do own-brand for 3.99!); however I would imagine that without a receipt you aren't going to get anything.

They probably were tangled (loosely!!) in a ball.

Without a receipt, they're still 'not fit for purpose' though and it has only been 2.5 months at most.......!

njs030

purplecow1977 wrote: »

They probably were tangled (loosely!!) in a ball.

Without a receipt, they're still 'not fit for purpose' though and it has only been 2.5 months at most.......!

Without a receipt you can't prove when or where you bought them so there's no hope whatsoever they will do anything.
If you paid by card that's good enough as proof of purchase.

purplecow1977

notjustsweet wrote: »

Without a receipt you can't prove when or where you bought them so there's no hope whatsoever they will do anything.
If you paid by card that's good enough as proof of purchase.

I usually do, but I know I didn't at this particular time.

I understand I can't prove when or where I bought them, but theoretically, if it was an item more expensive than a pair of earphones, does the same logic still apply? What about being fit for purpose?

L1011

purplecow1977 wrote: »

I usually do, but I know I didn't at this particular time.

I understand I can't prove when or where I bought them, but theoretically, if it was an item more expensive than a pair of earphones, does the same logic still apply? What about being fit for purpose?

You always need proof of purchase. That doesn't have to be a receipt but a receipt is the one that's realistically undeniable.

If the item is an own brand for a specific range of shops (very few things are - most clothes brands with their own shops also have other retail outlets, so we're talking Alba electronics in Argos or Diall in B&Q etc) you have some basis for arguing it was bought there; but that's really an edge case.

njs030

purplecow1977 wrote: »

I usually do, but I know I didn't at this particular time.

I understand I can't prove when or where I bought them, but theoretically, if it was an item more expensive than a pair of earphones, does the same logic still apply? What about being fit for purpose?

You have to have proof of purchase, as said above if it's an own brand product the manager might allow it at their discretion but they don't have to.

Fit for purpose is completely different it's only your word that the item has lasted 2.5 months, hypotheticallly that item could have been sold for 5 years so how would anyone know when in those 5 years you bought it?
Yes proof of purchase applies to everything no matter how much it costs, its written into consumer law.