The Voice - Consumer's Voice

My TV is broken!

On the 23 April 2021, I bought a 55 inch Telefunken smart TV. This television started developing some horizontal lines and eventually the situation worsened in August. I decided to take back the TV to the store on the 23 September where I bought it and expecting that I will be given a new one. I was told that It will be fixed within 21 days and if its not repaired I will be refunded.

Having used the TV for 5 months I feel I must be given a new one or refunded. If it gets fixed I am afraid the gadget will trouble me. Currently we have no TV to watch we are waiting for the store to repair.

May your office help me in this situation? 

I know it's frustrating but the store does have the right to try and repair the TV. Once. 

The starting point is that Section 15 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act says that a consumer

"has the right to receive goods which are of good quality, in good working order and free of defects".

But life isn't that simple. Sometimes things go wrong. Things we buy sometimes are faulty but we're protected when that happens. Section 16 of the Act says that if the goods fail to meet that standard, the consumer may return the goods to the supplier. It then says that the supplier is entitled to "repair or replace the defective goods" or to "refund the consumer" but it's important to understand that they can decide which they want to do. They are entitled to repair the TV before they choose to give you either a refund or a replacement. I know it's irritating to spend a lot of money on a smart TV and then wait for it to be repaired but that's what the law says they can do.

But there's something that suppliers often forget. Section 16 of the Act also says that if a supplier repairs an item and "within three months the same problem recurs in the goods" they're not allowed to repair it a second time. They can now only refund you or give you a replacement.

My advice is to allow the store to try and repair the TV but make sure you tell them that you know they get just one chance to do that.

I can't get a loan!

I need your help with my former bank. In 2016 I took a loan with them and then in 2018 I paid it off. So last month I went to my new bank to ask for a loan, After a week they called and told me that I have been listed at CRB for bad credit record. Apparently it shows that I am still owing the old bank so I went to them to enquire about the matter. The branch manager told me that they somehow forgot to close the account after I cleared their loan, that's how my name ended up at CRB. I explained to him that this CRB thing is costing me now because it's blocking me in taking loans from other banks. The manager promised to help me and assured me that my name at CRB will be cleared within 3 days.

It has been two weeks now my loan at the new bank is still suspended because the old bank didn't close that account. Is it possible for you to get hold of them for me please.

Let's talk about another section of the Consumer Protection Act. Section 14 of the Act says that when

"a supplier undertakes to perform any services for or on behalf of a consumer, the consumer has a right to (…) performance of the services in a manner and quality that consumers are reasonably entitled to expect".

I don't think that means we can expect perfection. Sometimes bad things happen but I think the law says that if mistakes are made, we have a right to expect them to be fixed. Quickly. Not next week. Not in two weeks. Not when the bank feels like it.

Never forget that banks have invested vast amounts of money (our money, in case you forgot) in technology, staff and training so they make profits as efficiently as possible. There is no reason why they can't use these systems, processes and people to fix your problem.

Maybe we should remind them that the maximum fine for breaching the Consumer Protection Act is a heavy fine or prison time. Do they really want that?