Ross

Apr 8, 2024

Poor attitude to faulty goods being returned

Whilst HB in general is very good and I have shopped there a lot, this is what happened today: I returned some outdoor fairy lights that stopped working months ago and as of today were only 8 months old. The manager said the warranty was only 3 months. I asked if that was on the website and she said yes, so after being refused a refund and leaving the shop, I had a look. She also said it wasn’t an electrical item. I don’t care if it’s a solar item, electricity still runs through it and what’s that got to do with anything anyway, it’s not underwear! She had also said that because I didn’t have the box she couldn’t reference the batch number for the return. Not my problem, I’m the one with the faulty product. I went back in with their own terms and conditions on their website which said about a 12 month warranty, and she begrudgingly agreed to refund me. I said I would hesitate to shop there if I felt I couldn’t return faulty goods. I mean would you buy a product if it was only designed to last 3 months?! The lights were only £3, but it’s the principle and the thin end of the wedge if shops get away with it. It’s also more e-waste and planned obsolescence. I was pretty annoyed she thought 3 months was acceptable to shoppers. The cost of living is bad enough as it is without having to buy a product multiple times because it breaks after a few months.