BARBADOS CONSUMERS WATCH: PRINTER WARRANTY USELESS

Thursday, July 9, 2009

PRINTER WARRANTY USELESS

HERE IS A LETTER FROM A CONSUMER WHO HAS HAD HORRORS TRYING TO GET WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A LEGAL WARRANTY PUT INTO ACTION...

Mr. Mark HurdChairman of the Board,
CEO & President of Hewlett-Packard
Dear Sir,
On 25th April I bought a CP1515n colour laser printer from On Line Consultancies here in Barbados SN ********** FOR $*** Bds. After a short time it began to malfunction, I returned it to the retailers on 25th June, they have a 30 day guarantee, then its down to you. A case # was eventually procured & I was told to call 1 800 711 2884 so I could arrange to have the replacement printer sent by UPS within two days. Since then I have spent approximately 13 hours on the phone to HP trying to be put through to the right department, but as yet no luck, I have been put through to people in Canada, US, & Mexico, none of which can help me as they can’t ship to the Caribbean. Your staff at the Caribbean/Latin America # either have the wrong information/not trained/or what? you tell me, I’m at a total loss as to what to do next.
A case manager I was mistakenly put through to in the US, Myrna Sweet has emailed your Head Office, she hasn’t had a reply either, she also called the Caribbean ‘Solution Centre’ & was put through to the wrong people, this happened again this week with someone else from HP who tried to help, if HP staff can’t be put through to the right HP department what hope do I have?
Your agents here in Barbados DC Office People have also been emailing you on my behalf, no reply to their e mails. Meanwhile my tiny home based business is in trouble because of your total lack of care & efficiency. I now HAVE to replace this printer this week, which means I will have to purchase another one, NOT HP, that’s for sure.
If a human being could reply to this email & not an automated response telling me I have to contact HP on 1 800 711 2884 I would be grateful. Then we can discuss my refund rather than replacement of this product. Please also note that people in ‘3rd world’ & ‘developing’ countries are not stupid & are tired of International Companies such as yours sending us second rate products, everyone deserves the same service & commitment wherever they reside.
I will forward a copy of this email to relevant people here, to the media, numerous anti HP Facebook pages, Barbados Free Press & email contacts.
Looking forward to your reply

Consumer

2 comments:

ROK said...: If I am not mistaken, there is a legal duty on DC Office people to handle your complaint. They imported the printer and they must have some arrangement and easy access to the company they got the printer from. What DC Office People is putting you through is wrong.

Secondly, a guarantee is not what you are trying to invoke or should be invoking, it is the warranty, the principle of which is that when you purchase something, it is expected to last a certain time and if it does not, then a replacement or refund is in order. No amount of expired guarantees can come in the face of this.

You just have to check with Ms. Ram and she will tell you of her experience with Public Counsel. She never won any of those cases over a 2 year period.

She was hauled before the Consumer claims tribunal about 15 - 20 times and never won one. Please read a previous BCW blog: http://bdosconsumers.blogspot.com/2008/07/public-counsel-in-landmark-case-kimone.html and this also defines a refund.

DC Office must take that printer from you; give you your refund; Send it back to whomever they got it from to get their refund and similarly whoever they got it from will be able to get a refund; unless of course, that channel is not legal, then DC Office People has problems. This is a DC Office People problem. Don't let them take you for a ride or you can go to Public Counsel and you will get your satisfaction.

Ms. Ram vowed not to find herself in front of that Tribunal again and has done the sensible thing, try to satisfy the customer.; July 9, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Please read the letter again, I bought the printer from On Line Consultancies. DC have been very helpful & seem delighted with the BFP article! I am leaving all this in the hands of Public Council, (they say the 30 day warranty doesn't stand) I'm totally stressed out by this. I've bought another printer 'Lexmark' & will not touch HP again. I'm trying to see which US newspaper to send a copy of the letter to, to try & embarrass HP in their own country.; July 20, 2009 at 6:37 AM

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WELCOME TO THE CONSUMER'S FORUM - IT'S OUR FIGHT

Consumer Claims Tribunal

THE Consumer Claims Tribunal was established by section 41(1) of the Consumer Guarantees Act 2002-21 which was enacted on January 15, 2003.

At present the Tribunal is made up of a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman and three other members as follows:
Mr. Ian Bishop: Attorney-at-Law - Chairman
Mr. Jefferson Cumberbatch: Attorney-at-Law - Deputy Chairman
Mr. Edmund Hinkson: Attorney-at-Law - Member
Mr. Antoine Williams: Business Executive - Member
Ms. Fay Lucas: Accountant - Member

The function of the Tribunal is to enforce the rights conferred on consumers by the Consumer Guarantees Act. The Tribunal may determine complaints made to it where the value of the subject matter of the complaint does not exceed $10 000.00.

Any person who has a right of redress against another person under the Consumer Guarantees Act, may enforce that right by making a complaint to the Consumer Claims Tribunal.

Where a consumer believes that a right that he has under the Act has been breached he may refer the matter to the Office of Public Counsel who may, mediate on his behalf with the person whom he believes has breached those rights.

If no settlement has been reached the matter may be referred to the Consumer Claims Tribunal and Public Counsel may also represent the consumer before the Tribunal.

Before submitting a case for hearing by the Tribunal, consumers should make all reasonable efforts to obtain redress for the complaint with the supplier of the good or service. If there is no resolution through the Office of Public Counsel, then the complaint can be submitted in writing to:
Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development
Reef Road
Fontabelle
ST. MICHAEL
Telephone #: (246) 427-5270
**************************

The Role of Public Counsel

1. The Office of Public Counsel has a mandate to protect and promote the individual and collective interests of domestic consumers of utility services.
2. The post is structurally separate and distinct from the Fair Trading Commission to ensure that the Office is able to act independently and provide effective representation of consumer interests.
3. The primary role of the Office is to represent the interests of domestic telephone, electricity, water, gas and transport consumers in utility regulation matters before the Fair Trading Commission and in appeals from decisions of the Commission. Domestic consumers are a vulnerable market who need robust and impartial representation of their interests.
4. The Office will also assist individual consumers taking proceedings before the Fair Trading Tribunal on matters related to the proposed Consumer Guarantees Act. The Consumer Guarantees Act will replace the Sale of Goods Act in respect of consumer transactions and will detail the rights and remedies of consumers in consumer contract transactions.

Although the Fair Trading Commission will enforce the provisions of the proposed Consumer Protection Act, the proposed Consumer Guarantees Act will not be enforced by the Fair Trading Commission but will rely on action being taken by private consumers.

Utility Regulation
5. The work of the Office in utility regulation matters includes the following:
(a) ensuring that the interests of domestic consumers are taken into account in the price control review process, at rate hearings and in any determinations on quality of service;
(b) assisting domestic consumers in presenting arguments at price control reviews or rate hearings;
(c) representing domestic consumers at hearings before the Commission relating to complaints on billings and standards of service; and
(d) advising and educating domestic consumers on the provisions of the Utilities Regulation Bill.

6. The establishment of this department will therefore ensure that the information presented at reviews and hearings before the Commission are more effectively and critically examined and that the consumer's view is fully taken into account in any determinations made by the Commission.

7. The Office of Public Counsel will also aid in the streamlining of utility regulation hearings before the Commission, by promoting compliance with procedural rules and encouraging objectors on similar topics to combine their submissions.

8. Although it is expected that the quasi-judicial adversarial method of rate-setting will change with the introduction of incentive compatible mechanisms, such as price caps, the Office of Public Counsel will continue to play a role in representing domestic consumer interests in the consultative process.

Consumer Protection
9. The role of the Office of Public Counsel in consumer protection matters includes:
(a) advising and educating consumers generally on matters relating to the proposed Consumer Guarantees Act; and
(b) representing individual consumers bringing civil claims under the Consumer Guarantees Act before the Fair Trading Tribunal where Public Counsel deems this necessary or desirable.

10. The Office of Public Counsel will be unable to represent every individual bringing a claim before the Fair Trading Tribunal, as this would require the allocation of greater financial resources to the Office. It is expected therefore that Public Counsel will represent individual consumers in matters that are of general public interest or significance and would set a useful precedent.

11. Public Counsel will be expected to assume a high level of responsibility and public accountability. The officer is a legally qualified officer appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and must be an attorney at law of not less than 10 years standing.

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

PRINTER WARRANTY USELESS

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BARBADOS CONSUMERS WATCH

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

PRINTER WARRANTY USELESS

2 comments:

BCW TV

Subscribe

Labels In This Blog

Keep Your Supermarket Bills

The Consumer Channel

SUPPORT BCW

WELCOME TO THE CONSUMER'S FORUM - IT'S OUR FIGHT

Consumer Legislation

The Fair Trading Commission

Eye Opener

Blog Archive

Advocates

British National Consumer Council

Consumer Claims Tribunal

The Role of Public Counsel

Followers