Problem with defective middle aisle Aldi item

[55palfers]

Last July I bought a Ferrex cordless 12v air compressor for £29.99. Comes with a 5 year guarantee too.

Seemed pretty good when I used it the one time a few months later.

Needed to use it this year and it wouldn't charge. Dead!

Took it back to my local store for a refund and was told I have to take it up with the manufacturer.

Wrote to Aldi customer service and they are saying the same thing.

I was under the impression my contract is with Aldi and they should refund me at the store, not me having to chase the maker?

Any ideas please?

[bimsb6]

The store is your first point of contact , if the store is being awkward contact head office , you have no contract with the manufacturer, unless the packaging says differently .

[GasEngineer]

I've had the same with an LED light fitting bought via eBay. It has a 2 year warranty.

The eBay retailer says to contact the manufacturer which I did. Manufacturer says they don't deal with end users and the retailer has to contact them. Now reached an impasse.

[Crafty_]

I had an airfryer from aldi which started going wrong, in the documentation there was contact for the warranty company - emailed them, they replied saying take it with this authorisation number to your local store for replacement or refund, no problems.

[mcpoot]

You have a contract with the seller, in this case Aldi. Never had an issue with Lidl but no experience of Aldi.

See here for your rights: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation...

[KTMsm]

Aldi and Lidl are great to deal with

If they say to contact the manufacturer they will have an agreement to do so and you will get a full refund or replacement

[milesgiles]

A year ago? Sounds far too long to me regardless of how many times you used it

[reggie747]

milesgiles said:

A year ago? Sounds far too long to me regardless of how many times you used it

I think Aldi goods come with a 3yr warranty

[Ham_and_Jam]

55palfers said:

Last July I bought a Ferrex cordless 12v air compressor for £29.99. Comes with a 5 year guarantee too.

Seemed pretty good when I used it the one time a few months later.

Needed to use it this year and it wouldn't charge. Dead!

Took it back to my local store for a refund and was told I have to take it up with the manufacturer.

Wrote to Aldi customer service and they are saying the same thing.

I was under the impression my contract is with Aldi and they should refund me at the store, not me having to chase the maker?

Any ideas please?

You are not entitled to a refund if they can repair or replace the item.
Just contact the manufacturer, usually by email. I think you will be surprised how easy the process is.
If you really dig your heals in, Aldi must do the leg work for you, but you might find its a far longer process.

[OutInTheShed]

55palfers said:

Last July I bought a Ferrex cordless 12v air compressor for £29.99. Comes with a 5 year guarantee too.

Seemed pretty good when I used it the one time a few months later.

Needed to use it this year and it wouldn't charge. Dead!

Took it back to my local store for a refund and was told I have to take it up with the manufacturer.

Wrote to Aldi customer service and they are saying the same thing.

I was under the impression my contract is with Aldi and they should refund me at the store, not me having to chase the maker?

Any ideas please?

You've abused the battery by not using it for many months.
That would be a reasonable exclusion from the warranty.

Can you buy a new battery?

[mcpoot]

milesgiles said:

A year ago? Sounds far too long to me regardless of how many times you used it

Don't be soft.

[mgtony]

Does the however many years 'Manufacturers Warranty' mean that after the 12 month retailer responsibility, you have to go direct to the manufacturer?

[Mr Tidy]

I had a similar problem with a Ring tyre inflator, but TBF Ring were great and sent me a better model as a replacement!

But since then I tend to steer clear of their own brand products.

[TheDrownedApe]

OutInTheShed said:

You've abused the battery by not using it for many months.
That would be a reasonable exclusion from the warranty.

Can you buy a new battery?

What tripe did I just read?

Not using a battery powered item is abuse?

Onus on the seller, as other sensible comments - go back to Aldi

[Ham_and_Jam]

TheDrownedApe said:

What tripe did I just read?

Not using a battery powered item is abuse?

Onus on the seller, as other sensible comments - go back to Aldi

Actually as its over 6 months old, the onus is on the buyer to prove it is a manufacturing fault.

I would contact the manufacturer. As its a middle isle special they are likely to have a simple no quibble exchange deal arranged with Aldi for faulty goods.

If you force Aldis hand, their only responsibility is to contact the manufacturer on your behalf. I bet the extended chain of communication is only likey to slow down any corrective action.

For £30 not worth dicking about trying to be clever.

[OutInTheShed]

Ham_and_Jam said:

TheDrownedApe said:

What tripe did I just read?

Not using a battery powered item is abuse?

Onus on the seller, as other sensible comments - go back to Aldi

Actually as its over 6 months old, the onus is on the buyer to prove it is a manufacturing fault.

I would contact the manufacturer. As its a middle isle special they are likely to have a simple no quibble exchange deal arranged with Aldi for faulty goods.

If you force Aldis hand, their only responsibility is to contact the manufacturer on your behalf. I bet the extended chain of communication is only likey to slow down any corrective action.

For £30 not worth dicking about trying to be clever.

Some products with rechargeable batteries are very good at surviving not being used, many are not.
If you parked your car for 10 months, the battery would fail.
That's not a design fault or a manufacturing fault, it's somewhere between 'user error' and and misalignment of use and design.

A bit of RTFM may find guidance about charging every few months or something.


FWIW, opening up the battery pack and charging each cell directly often works, DYOR on this!
I've resuscitated a couple of tools I've inherited.

The Consumer Rights Act gives you some rights, but it doesn't make a cheap tool from the Aisle of DOOM last forever.
You pay for a £30 toy, which you don't use, you're entitled to the kind of 'kwollity' expected for £30 throwaway toys, nothing more.

If you'd bought a manually powered track pump for twelve quid, it would just work whenever, but lazy gits like their battery toys.

[kestral]

Ham_and_Jam said:

Actually as its over 6 months old, the onus is on the buyer to prove it is a manufacturing fault.

I would contact the manufacturer. As its a middle isle special they are likely to have a simple no quibble exchange deal arranged with Aldi for faulty goods.

If you force Aldis hand, their only responsibility is to contact the manufacturer on your behalf. I bet the extended chain of communication is only likey to slow down any corrective action.

For £30 not worth dicking about trying to be clever.

The 6 months is the CRA. He has a seperate contract of guarantee for 5 yrs.

[Ham_and_Jam]

kestral said:

The 6 months is the CRA. He has a seperate contract of guarantee for 5 yrs.

With the manufacturer.

It also doesn’t mean you are automatically entitled to anything. It may not be a manufacturing fault and upon investigation it deemed to be a user issue.

All pointless twaddle though. It’s probably quite easily resolved.

Edited by Ham_and_Jam on Monday 21st July 01:11

[TurbosSuck]

I have one of these, but it stopped working after about six months. Because it was on a normal shopping receipt it had been thrown away, but I figured I'd be able to take it back to the store as it's their own brand. They weren't having any of it... Ended up taking it apart and re-soldering the motor wire. Still working now. Don't think I'd buy anything electrical from them again though.

[55palfers]

OP here

Called the number on the box on Saturday. Got voice mail. No call back as yet.