Dangerous
03-16-2006, 06:55 AM
Hi,
I think that I'm pretty much just here to rant, but I wondered if anyone with any knowledge of consumer rights could give me their opinion?
I bought a Hitachi HD from Insight's website, this was for a Dell Latitude C400. I actually ordered the incorrect drive - completely my error to be honest - I typed the product number in from the faulty drive and got a couple of matches from Insight's website, the drive I chose had almost no description (as with many things on their site) and I ended up buying it because I was desperate and couldn't get hold of my account manager.
Upon opening it, I realised immediately it was wrong and called for a returns number. Eventually I got a response after several emails and messages, here is a transcript of my phone conversation:
Insight: Hi, Frank from Insight here, I hear you are after a returns number?
Dave: Hi Frank, yes that would be great.
Insight: Did you purchase the goods incorrectly?
Dave: To be honest Frank, I think we can assume I did, I ordered it from your website.
Insight: Have you opened the product?
Dave: What, do you mean have I opened the anti-static bag?
Insight: Yes.
Dave: Yes, that's when I found out it was wrong.
Insight: Well in that case, I'm afraid we can't accept it back.
Dave: Why? It hasn't been used, it hasn't even been fully removed from the bag.
Insight: We cannot accept opened customer errors.
Dave: Can you accept opened products when sent incorrectly? Or if you incorrectly advise of which product is needed?
Insight: Yes.
Dave: How is that any different aside from the person making the error?
Insight: ...
Dave: That's a pretty appalling customer service don't you think?
Insight: To be frank, you ordered it incorrectly from our website.
Dave: To be frank Frank, your website is ****.
<I hung up>
I KNOW I made the error, and I shouldn't have been rude, it wasn't his fault... but I cannot understand how a company of their size has such a ridiculous returns policy, I'm well aware of the implications of having to deal with returns, especially in the IT sector (I used to do it). But you have to weigh it off against annoying your customers.
The company I work for offers a NO QUIBBLE 30 day returns policy, if you don't like a product, you just contact us and we refund you! It's insane, we can't use the products again but we still do it. And it works, we have amazingly loyal customers... we are nowhere near the size of Insight, but we do ship out over 1,000 orders a day, so we aren't talking tiny numbers.
Anyway, my question I suppose is this; What are my rights as a consumer (business to business) in this situation? I thought that in distance selling I had slightly better rights than over the counter purchases!?
Just interested really, don't go wasting any time looking for info, it's not about the £50 the drive cost, I am just interested.
Thanks,
David
(PS: His name wasn't really Frank, no I won't be buying from them anymore and no, I am not normally even remotely rude to people :) )
I think that I'm pretty much just here to rant, but I wondered if anyone with any knowledge of consumer rights could give me their opinion?
I bought a Hitachi HD from Insight's website, this was for a Dell Latitude C400. I actually ordered the incorrect drive - completely my error to be honest - I typed the product number in from the faulty drive and got a couple of matches from Insight's website, the drive I chose had almost no description (as with many things on their site) and I ended up buying it because I was desperate and couldn't get hold of my account manager.
Upon opening it, I realised immediately it was wrong and called for a returns number. Eventually I got a response after several emails and messages, here is a transcript of my phone conversation:
Insight: Hi, Frank from Insight here, I hear you are after a returns number?
Dave: Hi Frank, yes that would be great.
Insight: Did you purchase the goods incorrectly?
Dave: To be honest Frank, I think we can assume I did, I ordered it from your website.
Insight: Have you opened the product?
Dave: What, do you mean have I opened the anti-static bag?
Insight: Yes.
Dave: Yes, that's when I found out it was wrong.
Insight: Well in that case, I'm afraid we can't accept it back.
Dave: Why? It hasn't been used, it hasn't even been fully removed from the bag.
Insight: We cannot accept opened customer errors.
Dave: Can you accept opened products when sent incorrectly? Or if you incorrectly advise of which product is needed?
Insight: Yes.
Dave: How is that any different aside from the person making the error?
Insight: ...
Dave: That's a pretty appalling customer service don't you think?
Insight: To be frank, you ordered it incorrectly from our website.
Dave: To be frank Frank, your website is ****.
<I hung up>
I KNOW I made the error, and I shouldn't have been rude, it wasn't his fault... but I cannot understand how a company of their size has such a ridiculous returns policy, I'm well aware of the implications of having to deal with returns, especially in the IT sector (I used to do it). But you have to weigh it off against annoying your customers.
The company I work for offers a NO QUIBBLE 30 day returns policy, if you don't like a product, you just contact us and we refund you! It's insane, we can't use the products again but we still do it. And it works, we have amazingly loyal customers... we are nowhere near the size of Insight, but we do ship out over 1,000 orders a day, so we aren't talking tiny numbers.
Anyway, my question I suppose is this; What are my rights as a consumer (business to business) in this situation? I thought that in distance selling I had slightly better rights than over the counter purchases!?
Just interested really, don't go wasting any time looking for info, it's not about the £50 the drive cost, I am just interested.
Thanks,
David
(PS: His name wasn't really Frank, no I won't be buying from them anymore and no, I am not normally even remotely rude to people :) )