Is this taking the 'distant selling law' a bit too far?

[adamknox]

As some of you may know I am looking for (well found..) a 42inch tv and i have narrowed it down to three. The GT30 (bit too pricey yet it's supposed to have less reflections), The GT20(heard mixed reviews specially compared to the GT30) or the G30 (heard some bad things) So i decided to go and check them out in store (not that a shop is the best place for an inspection)So i spent friday, Saturday and Sunday trawling the streets of Bridgwater, Taunton, Bristol and Weston-super-mere and found....nothing. No shops had any of the tvs (well Currys in Taunton had the GT20 but very badly tuned)

So i came up with a somewhat cunning plan..

I would buy my less favoured model (G30)(also the cheapest) from The rainforest website and see what it was like, if i wasn't happy then send it back under the distant selling regulations/law (rainforest pays the P+P) and buy the GT20, once again if I wasn't happy send it back and then get my favoured (yet more expensive model) the GT30. While this would really allow me to check out the model at home. I do feel a little guilty doing this to the rainforest.. and also a little worried they will be a bit p'ed off lol

I have spent nearly a week studying many hours into the night on each of the models and I would really like to see them in action for myself rather than rely on reviews from reviewers who are either too picky (as in they mark the TV down 10% if the remote is fiddly), paid off by panasonic, or just have different expectations than I have. I normally use hdtvtest. However i have found a few reviews on tv's that i have used whic they mark pretty low when they arn't nearly as bad as they say.
This seems to be the only way to view them/try myself, but is it taking the P and unfair on the rainforests good faith with the consumer.. or am i worrying too much

 

[adamknox]

I have another 2 weeks till payday so i have another 2 weeks to research (also look for that shop in bristol that hood1971 said about) but i think i will just send them back if its not much cop. Tahnks for all your advice and opinions and like roy said..i doubt they would notice with all the returns they get lol

At the end of the day its not like im being a ..(wish i could curse on here) and just doing it for fun. I have honestly exhausted all my resources and this is pretty much my last (apart from paying £20 on trains fairs)

 

[adamknox]

AFAIK this is correct, it is only an RMA that the e-tailer has to pay the return carriage costs.

the rainforest have and do pay for the postage on items that u send back in 7 days using the DSR.

 

[adamknox]

It's taking the mick. Ultimately it'll be more expensive for you, me and the next guy to buy a product in the future because you decided to use the DSR as some sort of try before you buy scheme.

Getting a TV that you know you'll probably return is acting in bad faith. Otherwise everyone would 'buy' a new tv at the start of the Olympics, decide after it that 'it's not met expectations' and mass return them. Whilst technically within your rights it's not something I would see as fair.

HMm i think your seeing this in a diff light. My main focus is the buy a TV. When i make the order i will be hoping that i wont be returning it as like i say in O.P i have done a lot of research on these items as far as i can go without looking at them. I am worried that if i buy one and its a bit naff and send it back and get the other and that one is a bit naff..will amazong start thinking im taking the micky.

I have no plans on using it to watch films and then return it lol Also the Olympics are on for more tha 7 days The only reason i would return it is if it does not meet my expectations as £800 is a lot of money to me and i dont want to waste it. THis is why i have done nothing but research these tvs on nearly every review site out there. I have also asked questions about these tvs on this very forum and had a lot of help. However there is nothing compared to seeing them in person. Nm how much research you do, if it turns up and is... a lot of old pish with awful blacks, no grey scale etc That law is in place to help out buyers like my self.

 

[adamknox]

...I got banned for saying..*looks around..* amazon and the auction site a few months back. saying they had some great bargins for the second hand market. Also for saying a word which isnt classed as a swear word that is used in adverts in daytime tv -_- begins with F and ends in K and father ted says it.. so thaks for the heads up

adamknox, have you looked up the Panasonic solus stores and Pana dealers in your area?

8 Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road
BS8 2NN Bristol
Tel: 0117 973 0404

Unit MU01A, Willow Brook Centre
BS32 8EF Bristol
Tel: 01454 618703

Unit 13 County Walk Shopping Centre
TA1 3TZ TAUNTON
Tel: 01823 284000

While i couldnt find the one of the bristol centers i found the rest. The bristol one was shut when i found it (friday afternoon..madness) and the other didnt have the GT30 or the G30.

Richer Sounds
143 Whiteladies Road,
Bristol, BS8 2QB
TEL: 0333 900 0024

TY!! i was on that road and didnt see it for some reason.. Ill check it out next time im there

 

[adamknox]

they will only pay if its faulty, amazon made a mistake or its an elligible item of shoes or clothing.

You cannot get amazon to pay the return costs on a 42" TV because you changed your mind.

This is exactly the reason we have so much trouble returning faulty stuff when we're genuine. Because so many try to claim its faulty when its not just to get free postage and a refund because they changed their mind.

Strange I have sent back three things to amazon in the last 2 years and each time they paid the postage.. the first was a 5.1 sound system, and second was a a pair of shoes and the third was a Samsung TV (the samsung was about 3 weeks back) Maybe i was just lucky??

Also i sent my old 32 inch flatscreen (13Kg) to my friend who lives in london. It cost £5.99 using hermes.

EDIT: Just checked my refund invoice and i had nothing deducted.

You may have to click on it to get a full screen, I wanted to get as much in to show it wasnt photoshopped etc.

We had the shipping refunded early as we paid for 24 hours and it was guarenteed the next day yet it arrived 2 days later.

 

[adamknox]

No? Paid for postage to here £8.99 (which you ignore as it didnt arrive in time so i would have got a refund on it anyway) paid for tv £457. Refunded 457. So ive ended up with 457. Which means they didnt change me for sending the item back. Ive checked on my E banking and the 457 was paid in to the bank in full Nothing taked out of it for postage back.

If you look at the shipping date and the postage refund date you will see what i mean.

 

[adamknox]

Nope, they linked me to DHL, where i then arranged a time for a pick up + got a label to print off. Like i say that was the 3rd item i sent back with them using the DSR and they paided the posateg on this and the other two. Lol i dunno how else to prove that they pay (well..for me anyway :S ) return postage on DSR. If you know of a way let me know and ill happily prove it some more lol

 

[adamknox]

I'm sure they did pay, and I'm not surprised as they often do this and just absorb it as they're big enough and want happy customers.

However, I've returned stuff to them at my cost and they can turn around to you and make you do so should they wish. It'd serve you right because doing this massively takes the ****, they won't be able to sell it again so it'll be sold on at a loss to one of those businesses that sell on returns and you've made them pay for a courier twice.

Id be happy to pay the postage returns tbh.

 

[adamknox]

well seeing as its only £12 (just checked) you cant whack it.