Are Halfords still operating outside the law?

fleng

Last year I had a problem with Halfords interpretation of consumer legislation. I bought a Navman which was DOA. Their policy was that it goes back to the manufacturer for assessment and if faulty they would change it. They did not refund. Ever. After a lot of hassle I got an exchange which had the same problem. After a lot more hassle I got a refund. The manager of that store admitted that Halfords' policy was a breach of consumer legislation.

Lo and behold, Halfords now have a poster near the GPSs which sets out the same policy as last year. No refunds. Never ever. The faulty unit (even if faulty when you buy it) goes back to the manufacturer for assessment. If faulty it will be changed. I asked the manager about this and he stated simply that this was Halfords' policy.

I know where I'm not going to buy a GPS!

maca2 · Frequent Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2005 Posts: 303

Halfords are not the only ones to do this.

I had the same problems with Global Positioning Systems, my mio developed a fault after a week they refused to exchange it for a new one & insisted that it was sent to Comuserve who fixed it but broke the joystick when putting it back together. Two faulty mios later & a lot of messing about I demanded a refund but it was only after talking to the manager (Catherine) I managed to get a refund.

I purchased a Mio locally got it a lot cheaper & it has worked OK since. I know you all will defend Global Postioning Systems & I am sure most of the time they are great but all these companys make mistakes & I think its sad that many of you have to post here with your complaints before the companys do something about it & I know that if I had known about this website when I had my problems with Global Postioning Systems it would have been sorted a llot quicker & saved me a lot of needlesss stress.

MikeyF · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:59 pm Post subject: Halfords policy

I'm no legal begal. but halfords policy comes somewhere much lower in the legal standings than the Consumer Protection Act.

Just 'cos some jumped-up sales-person states thats their policy. The rules of the land dictate. (However, you might have to go to court to prove this, or report them to the trading standards officer of you local council.

Mikey

peterc10 · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:21 pm Post subject:

Well done Halfords - youve managed a hat trick

This policy contravenes
Sales of Goods Act 1979
Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations (1999)
Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations (2002)

I suggest you should report them to local trading standards. They have the power to apply for an injunction to prevent them doing this sort of thing.

In the meantime if you are caught by this policu persist and then sue the bar stewards

bootruss · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 17, 2005 Posts: 60

..what halfords point of sale says that if the unit is faulty within 28 days then you can have the unit replaced or repaired, it also states that this does not affect your statutory rights, so if you request a refund then you are entitled to do so, providing that the unit is complete. Retailers can insist that a repair is an option if it is not cost effective for them to replace the unit, which means that after a couple of months if a well used navigation unit developes a fault then they only have to give you an equivalent unit, in this case a well used two month old unit. Because it is not cost effective for retailers to be sitting on lots of used units then they can insist that a repair be tried first. And god knows at the minute there is so little profit to be earned in selling navigation due to the current price wars. Great for us, not so good for them!

neil01 · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:48 am Post subject:

I would take the 'not fit for purpose' route and demand a full refund wherever possible.

Unless the package were no longer available at the price, I wouldn't take the repair/replacement route for the following reasons:

As mentioned by a previous poster, and contrary to popular misconception, the replacement unit does not have to be new.

Any guarentee on the replacement unit only has to run to the end of the guarentee for the original unit.

So if you like the unit, get your money back and buy again, or take the oportunity to change.

Sometimes extended warranties can cause problems, but I never use them. I simply find out how much it is, put the money in a bank account and leave it there 'just in case'. After several years, it has built up to a tidy sum which will more than cover even a bad run of luck.

StevenGourlay · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:07 pm Post subject:

in most cases 28 days is classed as DOA and the unit should be tested and if fault found replaced.
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Delt1c · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 26, 2005 Posts: 16

In September I had an Alpine SAt nav fitted by Halfords which gave up the ghost in mid december, initialy the response was that it would have to be returned to the manufacturer, however when I quoted the sale sale of goods act and the current legislation they agreed to exchange it, fora different unit as the Alpine was no longer available. As the new unit was considerably more expensive I had to pay the difference, which I didnt mind.

ST4S · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 03, 2005 Posts: 29

Must depend on the store manager? A while ago I bought a Garmin Quest from my local Halfords for £320 when they had it marked at £399, the manager price matched a local competitor (who had no stock) just on my word.

After about 3 weeks the USB connector came loose. Took it back and was asked what I wanted to do. I asked for a replacement, but they had no stock. They immediately rang the next nearest store and reserved one there. I went in there and they changed it in 5 minutes flat (without even looking in the box I took back).

I couldn't really call that bad service.

maca2 · Frequent Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2005 Posts: 303

I have never had any problems with Halfords & in fact they often bend over backwards to help & have in the past given me parts for free when I have lost bits to a car roof box/bike bits etc.

I guess we only post here if we feel ripped off & for some reason it's the big chain stores that get it first.

Confused

StevenGourlay · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:01 pm Post subject:

Yup most of the feedback is negative and in most cases people don’t post good feedback as they expect goods service as standard from the companies they buy from.
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BMS_Ian · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 12, 2005 Posts: 3

As with all business it falls to the people that you deal with. I have had a problem with Handtec, to be fair I got a full refund but that was after pursueing their procedures for three months and then having to get Trading Standards and my Credit Card company involved. The law is very clear on this with the sale of goods act and all that other lovely legislation that we consumers, and most retailers it seems, know nothing about. My tip is pay on your credit card, you protected for 120 days (to get them on your side) if there is a problem. The credit card company won't mess about, they will refund you then go straight to the retailers bank. The retailer can do nothing to stop this.

nasty_MF · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Posts: 7

Hi all
I bought an MDPNA 175 from Halfords and it did'nt work right from the off. It locked up all the time, had very out of date software and took ages to lock onto sattelites for navigation. I took it back to halford a couple of days later and was told "no refunds, it goes back to manufaturer"
When it was returned to me a month later Halfords said that there was a software fault and Medion only fix hardware faults. I thouht he was joking. He wasn't.

OK, so I bought it with a credit card, so a phone call to the bank and they offered to help. 3 months later they said I had to take them to court myself if I wanted to persue the case. Obviously I had a well written letter sent to Halfords and the Credit card company outlining all the laws they were both ignoring, they went unanswered.

The fight aint over just yet.

Avoid this store if you don't want hassle.

peterc10 · Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject:

If you wantr to take them on its dead easy - you can issue a summons on line (to them both). Look here https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco/index.jsp

damonsk · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 28, 2005 Posts: 4

i work for a company who’s name i wont mention. we operate almost the same policy.

a lot of people forget that they have a years guarantee with the supplier in this case being halfords. and also a manufacturing guarantee which protects you for manufacturing defects (hardware problems)

halfors are well in a way operating within the law. they do have a right to refer you to the manufacturer if the item is over 28days old. if the manufacturer find a manufacturing defect they can either. repair or replace however they can not issue you with a refund as you have purchased the item from halfords. people tend to misread the sales of goods act yes it states you are entitled to a repair refund or a replacement but people forget to read you must accept the method the supplier chooses, most cases a repair or replacement of a equivalent or same specification (they are allowed to give you a refurbished item - as do sony with their playstations)

if you develop a fault within 6months it is up to the supplier (halfords) to prove it is a manufacturing fault this is why they will refer you to the manufacturer as they made the item and are most likely the only people who can determine if it has a fault or is physical damage (broken screens) you dont have to do this. its their responsibility they have to prove it not you.

if its over 6months then it is up to yourself to prove it has a manufacturing fault, they usually tell you to get a report to state the fault at your cost however if its proven to be a fault caused by the manufacturing process you are entitled to a refund for the cost of the report.

trading standards, i deal with these people a lot, I’ll tell you something they know as much as everyone else on this subject only armed with a copy of the sales of goods act. they may help you on your way to get your issue resolved however they cannot get you what you want (in most cases)

now if your item does become faulty, take it to the place u purchased it from (halfords) don’t be fooled when they tell you to go to the manufacturer, get a copy of the sales of goods act explain it to the kid behind the counter who will in most cases get a manager who wont have a clue either. you will win in the end when you explain to them its their responsibility.

p.s you can within 28days refuse a repair for a full refund or a new replacement.

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