battlezone123

We bought a TV from Medimarkt last September 2014 and today it stopped working - sound but no picture. We took the TV back to the retailer (about 160km round trip) who told us that we were not entitled to either a refund or a replacement but that the TV had to be sent away for repair. This could take up 30 working days (45 days). If the TV was not repairable or not returned to them by 45 days - only then, would be entitled to a refund or replacement.

I am sorry about this but am I missing something here - surely a television which is only just over three months old is not fit for purpose. I know that I am not in the UK but there must be something equivalent here in Spain. I am still astonished with the treatment we received with Medimarkt that the only options were either "leave it" or "take it away". Zero customer service.

For what use it will do we did fill out complaints form. Any advice gratefully received.

Neptuno

Asking for a complaints form puts the fear of God in them, and will probably end up with a successful outcome.
There is also a Spanish equivalent to Trading Standards.
Perhaps someone could inform the forum about that.
By the way did you mean to write IS fit for purpose?

battlezone123

Sorry about mistake - just a bit tired. They were not worried about the complaint form being completed. In fact they just said we would be wasting our time and theirs - and all that would happen is that we might get a phone call.

Neptuno

Don't let that put you off.
Whenever I have made a complaint, I always received a letter back.
Don't worry about writing it in Spanish if not fluent, English is fine.
In Spain, you can only take goods back to the place of purchase in the first month, then it has to go back to the manufacturer.
Wait and see if you get yours back.
I do not think 45 days is reasonable though

Fred James

The EU warranty which is applicable in Spain is for two years. During the first 6 months, if the product develops a fault, it is assumed that it was present at the time of delivery and the vendor is obliged to either replace it, repair it, refund the cost of offer a discount on the original price.

Which option they select depends on the type of product. Clearly, it would be uneconomic to repair a €10 chinese made small appliance and in that case you would expect a replacement or refund. In the case of a new car that developed a small fault after a few months, you would expect to have it repaired - you certainly would not get a new car or a refund.

After the first 6 months it is up to the buyer to prove that the fault existed at the time of delivery - if he cannot that he has no right to the previous options.

In the case of an expensive item such as a TV, a repair would seem the obvious option but it would probably would have to be returned to the manufacturer or his service agent. This would clearly take time, but 45 days is also clearly an unreasonable delay.

Under these circumstances, you should make an official complaint on the basis that if they cannot repair it in a reasonable time, one of the other options should apply such as a refund or replacement.

dartholemew spaceinvader

Sounds very similar to my experience with MediaMarkt, except mine was a satnav instead of a TV. It took about 5 weeks before I got the call to say that it had been repaired. When I got there (80km round trip) and turned it on it was still broken. They kept it for another 4 weeks before they said they would replace it. I'm not convinced I got a new one though, but it's working and stops me getting lost so I'll live with it.
In the two months or so without the satnav I discovered Google Maps on my mobile is just as good so I tried to get my money back but they said no chance.
As you say, zero customer service but I think that's life here, we're not in the UK where customer service is so much better. Things are slowly changing here but we can't expect UK service just yet.

Fredbargate

The only shop I have ever had good service with in Spain is El Corte Ingles who replaced a 3 month old vacuum cleaner without even checking the fault I reported. Also their prices are competitive.

Elsewhere you are just another whinging customer who means nothing to them.

Maybe1day

We had a Tefal deep fryer from Worten, after 4 months it stopped working, I took it back they said it would be about a month. after 3 weeks I got a call to come and pick it up. They had changed the electrics, all Ok.
If it was a TV, I would have changed the around the TVs in the house or bought another as a reserve. We have 5 flatties now of different sizes.

hertsmas

I cant speak for Spanish Law but in the UK they are quite entitled to send it away for repair.

Regards

Mas

battlezone123

Thanks for your help. They did tell me that the television would have to be sent to Portugal for repair. This is probably why it is going to take 45 days. It just annoys me immensely that a tv that is only 3 months old needs to be sent away for repair and that I have to wait up to 45 days to see if the tv can be repaired. If you purchase a new car and it stops working after three months then fair enough it should be sent in for repair first of all. But they would probably offer a courtesy car. Mediamarkt told me just to buy another tv.

cymruambyth

Up to 45 days, but it might only take a week?

I had to send a new Asus laptop (which I had pruchased in the UK so could not take it back to the shop) to their repair facility in Portugal recently (space bar would not work), Asus arranged collection from my house by courier and I received the repaired laptop back, by secure courier, within 5 working days!

davidinspain

I bought a desk bed for my daughter several years ago from Carrefour in Gandia,after the two hour round trip to collect,I started to put it together only to find several pieces were missing.Another hours drive to take it back,on explaining they gave a full refund,but obviously nothing to cover the time or fuel (well what would you expect)As I was leaving the store,watched the assistant tape up the box and put it back on sale.

Fredbargate

I purchased an Asus fonepad from Fnac in Bilbao whilst on holiday there May 2013, early July the screen developed a fault and I had to take it to Fnac in La Canada Marbella 150 Kms and collect it 3 weeks later, 150 Kms
In October the battery failed 150 Kms 6 weeks later with much thumping of desks it was replaced with a new one 150 Kms

The paperwork says it went to Portugal but one of the parcels was marked Poland?

Luckily it is still working OK at the moment

But that was 4 X 150 = 600 Kms plus all the tolls plus all the hastle at the frontier as the " Fishing Dispute " had started whilst the unit was in for it's first repair.

Neptuno

Years ago, my neighbour bought a fridge from one of the large stores. It didn't work, they took it back and it was replaced. A week later, another neighbour unaware of this, went to the same store, bought the same fridge,vehicles should have bee taken out of sale, didn't work, so took it back........

Maybe1day

Quite a few years back I bought a Dell Inspiron 8K, It cost nigh on 2k£. I bought it direct from Dell with their guarantee. After about a week it developed a fault with the screen. I emailed Dell and a guy came to my office in Rome at 5pm the same day. He came back at 9:30 the next day with my computer repaired. It had been sent to Holland and repaired over night. That's what I call service......
I bought an Asus after that (Fool) and 1 week after the guarantee ran out it developed a fault. I took it to the Asus HongKong service centre. They said 2 weeks to repair it and about 100$US. I kept it with the fault. It finally died an abrupt death in June last year. Sold it in bits which almost covered the cost of a new ..................................Dell Inspiron. Btw I still have my original working Inspiron 8K with Win 98/Win 2k and XP. (It has a 1600x1200 pixel screen and firewire etc.)