How long is too long
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Nickyboy

Original Poster:

6,824 posts

263 months

Wednesday 1st July 2020
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I bought an OLED TV from Costco in September

In February it stopped working so contacted Costcos Concierge service who put me in touch with LG to initiate a repair.

An engineer visited at the beginning of March but was unable to repair it, the engineer said he would order more parts and arrange another visit. He returned about a month later and yet again was unable to fix it. He diagnosed a faulty screen and deemed it unrepairable. I had a call from the repair company 3 weeks later asking whether i had heard from LG with regards to whether they would replace the TV or actually warrant the expensive repair, i told them i'd not heard anything.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago when i called LG after getting fed up waiting, i was put through to the resolution team where i spoke to a very helpful lady who after a bit of digging found that the repair company had not told LG that they couldn't fix the TV hence hearing nothing since they visited last, she promised to investigate and call me back the following day, She did not call back. I rang them again last Thursday, this time nobody from the resolution team was available but a marker was put on my case for someone to call me back the following day, nobody rang back! Monday i rang again and spoke to the same person who i spoke with 2 weeks before, she apologised and said they would look at initiating a repair of the screen, this time they would take the TV away to their repair center. I was promised a call back by 6pm. No call back, and still nothing 2 days later.

My original contract is with Costco but i can't return it unless i have a letter from LG stating it is unrepairable, it's exempt from their normal returns procedure. I tried ringing Costco and spoke to a really unhelpful woman in America who i lost my rag with and told her she'd be better off working at Walmart. LG seem to be completely useless, originally they said the repair company weren't open despite having visited twice to try and fix it.

At what point do i take it further? And who do i take it further with? At the moment i've paid £2k for a TV which has been broken for almost as long as it's was working

elanfan

5,527 posts

256 months

Wednesday 1st July 2020
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Did you pay by credit card?

Nickyboy

Original Poster:

6,824 posts

263 months

Wednesday 1st July 2020
quotequote all
elanfan said:
Did you pay by credit card?
No, Costco didn’t accept credit cards then. They do now however.

Haltamer

2,671 posts

109 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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That's a bit odd, They seem to take anything back - Have you tried just taking back to the warehouse of origin, or is the box gone?

98elise

32,575 posts

190 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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Uour contract is with Costco not L&G.

From similar experience I never deal with the manufacturer as you have no comeback with them.

In my case my 2 week old screen was replaced with a "refurbished" one which was scratched visibly at a tilt when on its stand. That was replaced by a "new" one which was clearly secondhand, and was dead on arrival.

I took it back to currys and refused to leave until they dealt with the problem. They gave me a new screen.

hunton69

674 posts

166 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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I would go back to Costco we had a two year old tv that developed a line a across the screen concierge Arrange for an engineer they rang told us to send them a picture of the screen and then they told us it was to expensive to fix. Went back to Costco and bought a bigger tv for the same money all done in about a week

The_Nugget

746 posts

86 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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The retailer is responsible,
They’ve attempted to repair it twice and failed and need to either replace it or refund it.

Personally I’d take it into a Costco store and put it on the customer services desk and refuse to leave until either of those things happen.

Their own policies are irrelevant, the goods they sold you are not of sufficient quality and they have failed in their repair attempts.

KAgantua

5,166 posts

160 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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I had a fault with an LG TV - keeps switching off Wi-fi. Known problem apparently. Would not buy again.

Sheepshanks

40,990 posts

148 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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The_Nugget said:
Personally I’d take it into a Costco store and put it on the customer services desk and refuse to leave until either of those things happen.
Based on how busy and how big the customer services desk is at the Costco we use is, I doubt they'd notice.

I feel they have tightened up over the years - the delight to give you your money back has long gone. I think if you jumped up and down, did a chargeback (which can be done with debit cards, but, unlike Section 75, is voluntary), or sued them then they'd cancel your membership. On a chargeback I'd be amazed if they didn't refute it.

Supposedly the store managers have a lot of authority so, assuming it was bought in store, I'd try that route.


Nickyboy

Original Poster:

6,824 posts

263 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
quotequote all
We returned the TV to the store the weekend it stopped working only to be told the policy on consumer electronics (I had already looked it up but thought I'd chance it anyway)

https://www.costco.co.uk/cancellations-returns-ref...

Taking it back again and stamping my feet is no good if they're just going to stick by the returns policy.

eybic

9,212 posts

203 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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Nickyboy said:
We returned the TV to the store the weekend it stopped working only to be told the policy on consumer electronics (I had already looked it up but thought I'd chance it anyway)

https://www.costco.co.uk/cancellations-returns-ref...

Taking it back again and stamping my feet is no good if they're just going to stick by the returns policy.
Their returns policy doesn't over-ride your consumer rights though, they should know that.

nikaiyo2

5,953 posts

224 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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eybic said:
Their returns policy doesn't over-ride your consumer rights though, they should know that.
Surely the usual customer protections do NOT apply at Costco, as it is not a retail sale to a customer it is a B2B transaction.

chichee

29 posts

206 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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Had the same situation in few years ago, and it was an absolute hassle.

The company that Costco sourced to carry out the repair was appalling, and I think rubbish is too kind a word to use for them.

Eventually, after a lot of time being wasted, calling Costco and the repair company, I got a full refund, so I would say to keep going.

Nickyboy

Original Poster:

6,824 posts

263 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
quotequote all
In the first 6 months after purchase its up to the retailer to replace or effect a repair (which they are) if I understand it correctly. I cant remember the exact purchase date but the fault occurred just within the 6 months.

Pegscratch

1,872 posts

137 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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nikaiyo2 said:
Surely the usual customer protections do NOT apply at Costco, as it is not a retail sale to a customer it is a B2B transaction.
Costco also entertain consumers and have done for years now.

Sheepshanks

40,990 posts

148 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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nikaiyo2 said:
Surely the usual customer protections do NOT apply at Costco, as it is not a retail sale to a customer it is a B2B transaction.
I was told that some years ago by Trading Standards during a dispute with Makro. It's wrong, I think. SoGA does apply to B2B transactions.

For consumers it's been replaced by CRA. Costco make reference to the CRA in their T's & C's. Snag is the only way to enforce these things is to sue.

Cooperman

4,428 posts

279 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
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Maybe a call to your Trading Standards Office might help.

Sheepshanks

40,990 posts

148 months

Thursday 2nd July 2020
quotequote all
Cooperman said:
Maybe a call to your Trading Standards Office might help.
They generally don't exist now as far as the public is concerned - you'll be referred to Citizens Advice.

I'd try the store manager.

Or email / write here: https://customercare.costco.co.uk/app/answers/deta...

mattyprice4004

1,342 posts

203 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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elanfan said:
Did you pay by credit card?
Irrelevant side note - Costco have accepted credit card for years, but only Amex smile

Nickyboy

Original Poster:

6,824 posts

263 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Update: After being promised a call back from LG yet again on Saturday and hearing nothing i called them again on Tuesday and told them i wanted it sorted this week otherwise i would pursue legal action, it's being collected tomorrow to go to their own repair center.