Digimate Combo Tv/DVD (BEING RESOLVED)

[paulie]

EC1055236 (SORW227554) (for any kindly Aria folk to investigate, please?)

I bought a combo TV/DVD from Aria in November 2008 which worked flawlessly for the first 11 and a half months. It then one day without warning stopped the playback of a DVD in mid movie. Since then, nothing from the DVD at all. All other aspects of the TV work fine and all the various inputs and connected devices continue to operate without any bother. The DVD bit just says NO DISC after a few seconds of thinking about it before ejecting. I have tried several different discs and a head cleaner but nothing works.

The problem here is the warranty and Aria's seeming indifference to my plight. Although the fault occurred within the warranty period, I was not able to get around to reporting it until shortly - a couple of days after. I did try to call the customer service number but it was often engaged or unobtainable. I also tried to do an RMA but was unable to - the message that came up was that the item was out of warranty.

I managed to speak to a member of the customer services team (I'm by now a week or so past the expiry) who wasn't very interested in my situation. I asked him why nobody had responded to any of the message I'd sent (I'd sent plenty to the various departments accesible by the buttons that one clicks on!) but his recurring theme was "out of warranty - out of warranty". He did suggest I contact the manufacturer, Digimate, and they were more sympathetic but siad they couldn't authorise a return without the say-so of the vendor. They offered to collect the item for repair, but I'm certain that the cost of that would far outweigh simply buying a cheap DVD player!

I have since sent further messages to Aria but haven't received a single reply. Is there a proper email to which I can write and be certain of getting a decent response?

[DoubleTop]

Hi Paulie and welcome to the forums.

Just for your info, I do not work for Aria, so please take that on board before I comment.

Your item when you contacted Aria was out of warranty, regardless of communication issues so I can see the point of the customer service rep. The advice you were given in my view was correct and you followed the trail correctly, contacting the manufacturer. What should have happened then, once you had a form of authorisation from the manufacture is that you should have spoken back with Aria customer service, preferably the person you spoke to who advised you to call the manufacturer.

In cases such as this, you need to have kept dates, names and where applicable reference numbers.

I do hope you can resolve it, personally I would prefer the repair rather than a cheap dvd player. I like my items to work!

DT.

[wonderlust]

Remember that under UK consumer law (iirc) an item must last a suitable lenght of time. This is UPTO 6 YEARS!

Double cherck with your local CAB or trading standards...

[paulie]

Hi Paulie and welcome to the forums.

Just for your info, I do not work for Aria, so please take that on board before I comment.

Your item when you contacted Aria was out of warranty, regardless of communication issues so I can see the point of the customer service rep. The advice you were given in my view was correct and you followed the trail correctly, contacting the manufacturer. What should have happened then, once you had a form of authorisation from the manufacture is that you should have spoken back with Aria customer service, preferably the person you spoke to who advised you to call the manufacturer.

In cases such as this, you need to have kept dates, names and where applicable reference numbers.

I do hope you can resolve it, personally I would prefer the repair rather than a cheap dvd player. I like my items to work!

DT.

Thank you for being so helpful with your reply.

I do appreciate that when I finally made contact that the item was out of warranty and although I know I'm being truthful about when breakdown occurred and my genuine attempts to report it, it's a case I suppose of my word against Aria's. I would have thought a little flexibility on their part though would have been available to me. I felt also that once Digimate had said they couldn't do anything without Aria's say-so I was a bit stuck. I did go back to Aria via the usual e-methods but was (and still am to a degree) reluctant to ring as it gets expensive and I'm not the best communicator verbally. It should be my right to expect proper written responses if that is my preference.

I take also your point about dates and references etc, but I don't like the interface for e-assistance that they provide as it affords as far as I can see no user record of what was sent when. The man I spoke to just said when did you contact us and I couldn't see. I'd like someone at Aria to tell me where the messages I've sent went, and a response of some sort, if only to say no, sorry, but we aren't budging - at least I know where I stand. Some communication even if it isn't what I want to hear is better than a wall of silence!

Like you, I like things to work and while I'd probably have to write this off it it had broken down after the 12 month period, it didn't. There are principles involved here too.

Lastly, is there an email address to which I can write and from which I can be sure of an answer that allows for dialogue?

[PeterStoba]

Remember that under UK consumer law (iirc) an item must last a suitable lenght of time. This is UPTO 6 YEARS!

Double cherck with your local CAB or trading standards...

You have to prove the fault was apparent at the time of manufacter though.

[Aaron]

I'm not sure you do - it falls under your statutory rights. The item sold must be "fit for purpose". That means at the time it is sold it should be in working order, but it should also last for a reasonable amount of time. I did a bit of research into this a while ago when my phone died. Even though it only had a 12 month warranty, I was on an 18month contract, and it broke in something like the 14th month. Under normal warranty conditions, it would have just been something which I would have had to live with. However, because it was equipment supplied with a contract, the company have to supply something that is fit for purpose - in this case, something that will last for the length of the contract! So I got it repaired for free!

Thanks to the new European Regulations, UK law now offers greater protection for consumers against products which develop faults within the first 6 months. The assumption is now that if it breaks down within this time period it cannot have conformed to the contract specification when purchased and you have the right to an automatic repair or replacement. Having said this, items which should last several years can still break down after this six month period. If the retailer or manufacturer’s warranty has run out, the shop is often quick to say there is nothing they can do before attempting to sell you an extended warranty. This is misleading. If you buy something which should last 7 years but breaks down after a year and a day, you can still claim it was of poor quality in reference to the durability aspect. In this respect it will help to know how long items such as washing machines or printers should last.

Thats from the site I was directed to, either by Trading Standards or the CAB... I can't remember which..

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/what-are-my-statutory-rights/

[Iaink]

warranties are a load of ****. They're just ways in which companies try to fool people into thinking that they have no consumer rights, as above warranty means nothing, phone trading standards and they'll tell you what to do, or at least threaten to call trading standards and they might start listening

[marsey99]

nothing beats a letter from a solicitor imo, dont even need to be real just one that looks real

[paulie]

I am very grateful to all of you for such useful comments and advice. I am by my own admission often guilty of giving in meekly but the more I read the more determined I become. It does seem that I should be entitled to expect such an item to be more durable that it has proved to be. It's not even had a huge amount of use, so it's not like the thing's been worked to death - and probably not a major fault.

To be honest, if Aria would be a little more forthcoming in at least answering my emails and engaging in a dialogue....I would appeal to anyone from Aria reading this to respond to me?

Failing that, can any of you kind folk provide contact details at aria that are likely to get a response?

Thanks again to all.

[marsey99]

tbh paulie if i have phoned i always get a name, ask them for it even if they give it to you upon answering the call as it shows them you know who they are, and that way you can find out what they did if you have issues later. this is the case no matter whom i call tho as i have always had great success with aria thru this forum.

having read thru your troubles it seems to me that altho it may of happened within the allowed time you have waited too long and unless aria or digmate show some kind of compassion towards you you are with out a paddle in a very unnice river.

wether you can legally show that digimate sold you a product unable to serve the purpose is another matter but aria are well within their rights to just say "sorry pal, not our issue."

[Iaink]

they aren't read up on UK consumer rights, shops in the UK try and get away with things like this, but this is the American way of doing things, in the UK there is no 1 year cut off, it is legally required to last a reasonable time, 1 year is not long enough, would you buy a new TV every year? The item has to be 'fit for purpose' and you shouldn't have to buy a new one every year, so it's not fit for purpose.
I don't know wether it's Aria or Digimate who are accountable, but you definately have the right under UK law to a free repair or replacement.

[Aaron]

but aria are well within their rights to just say "sorry pal, not our issue."

Actually, if the product is deemed to be sold and wasnt fit for purpose, then thats not quite true either. Your contract of sale is with the vendor or even the individual that you bought it from, and it is up to them to put right anything that doesn't meet standards.

[marsey99]

i thought i fell on the manufactor if its deemed unfit for purpose not the reseller?

much like it is with things that come with 3 or 5 year warrentys and such, if thats not the case i stand corrected but that was what i was lead to believe.

[Aaron]

i thought i fell on the manufactor if its deemed unfit for purpose not the reseller?

much like it is with things that come with 3 or 5 year warrentys and such, if thats not the case i stand corrected but that was what i was lead to believe.

Having read it, it seems definite that there is a law which covers you, but at the same time, it seems a little grey who the responsibility lies with. The way I read it is that ultimate responsibility lies with the manufacturer, but its up to the seller to sort it out..?

The Sale of Goods Act makes reference to ‘the seller’, this is the shop, the retailer, or the individual you bought it from, and is who you made the contract with. It is not the manufacturer, and don’t let the shop tell you otherwise! If there is an obvious fault with the item at any time within the first 6 months and it has not been caused by wear and tear or misuse, your first port of call must be the shop you bought it from. They have the responsibility to put the matter right, and should not evade this responsibility by referring you to the manufacturer in the context of a guarantee or warranty. Even after this 6 month period, if the item breaks down prematurely , you should always go back to the shop or retailer in the first instance.
Your statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act take precedence over and above any warranty or guarantee you may have with either the retailer or manufacturer. It is misleading for a shop to tell you they can do nothing simply because their warranty or guarantee has run out, because you will still have your statutory rights.

[wonderlust]

Contract is with Aria...