Friday 17 July 2015

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

When can I get my laptop back?

Someone suggested me to you. I have a bit of a problem.

I took my laptop for repairs on the 8th of April and they told me to check after 21 days, I got there and they told me they can't fix it because the warrant expired on the 16th but I told them I brought it before that, and now they are delaying me because they told me they'll give me a new one or give my cash back and I have been calling and calling but nothing has changed. All they say is that they'll give me feedback in a week but they never call. It's been three months now since they had it. Please help me get my cash back?


Firstly I congratulate you for sticking up for your rights when you reminded them that the date when you brought the laptop back was the date that mattered. You took it back within the warranty period and that’s all that counts.

The big issue is how long it should take to get a laptop repaired. 21 days is probably reasonable if they are sending it to another company who do the warranty repairs for them but they’ve gone way past 21 days. Asking you to wait for three months is just silly.

Section 15 (1) (a) of the Consumer Protection Regulations says that companies must offer services “with reasonable care and skill”. You can’t expect miracles but you DO have a right to expect that a company will do things like repair a computer in a reasonable time and reasonably skillfully. That’s your right. Taking three months can’t possibly be described as “reasonable”.

Update: We contacted the manager of the store in question and his reaction was a bit better. He immediately authorized a replacement. Shame it took so long.

She wants a new bedroom suite!

I hope you can help this lady who is my neighbor. Her daughter bought her a bedroom suite on credit back in 2013, the daughter is studying abroad. The bedroom furniture was delivered after sometime as they said they were out of stock, when it was delivered, the owner said she was not home therefore her grandson received it on her behalf, when she got home she discovered that the furniture was old, it had been repossessed elsewhere, she went to the store and the manager told her that she should keep it till they had stock of the furniture then they would replace it. She asked them to take it back as the furniture was not in good condition, the dressing table mirror had a crack, the headboard paint was chipped and the stool cover torn but they did not do that. Last year she went back to the manager when they would collect the furniture and bring her new furniture but they kept saying they were waiting for new stock. Late last year she went back and asked for a refund but the manager refused instead sent one of the store assistants to go and take a look at the furniture, she reported back saying the furniture was okay. She is still paying installments for the new furniture. Please sir can you intervene. Thank you.


Naughty store!

Section 13 (1) (c) of the Consumer Protection Regulations says that a store has broken the rules if “representation is made that the commodity is new when in fact it has deteriorated, or it has been altered, reconditioned, used or is second hand”. In simple terms: new means new. A store is forbidden from delivering second-hand goods when the customer is expecting new ones. It’s just not allowed. Any item that has been already used, already sold to someone else and later repossessed or that has been on display cannot be sold as new.

Here’s a tip for stores. If you have such items, sell them at a discount. Customers love a discount and it’s the best way to get rid of those second-hand or display items you can’t sell as new.

I cannot possibly understand why this store has taken this long, two years, to give your neighbour what she actually bought, a new bedroom suite, not a second-hand one.

We’ll get in touch with this store and explain this to them in very simple terms so they understand what they need to do to make this up to your neighbour.

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