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Source: Fair Go -
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No Harvey Norman no, again!
Reporter:
Gordon Harcourt
We asked you to send us complaints about electrical gadgets and
poor customer service. Blimey, we won't do that again in a hurry -
it was a deluge.
We feel the worst complaint we got was about Harvey Norman, again.
This time it's New Plymouth.
Maureen Ansell bought a laptop last year - her first computer. She
had a few problems.
There are FIVE repair jobs logged in Harvey Norman's system, and
Maureen says she's taken the damn thing back at least EIGHT times,
probably more.
No refund. No replacement. No apology.
So what happens once Fair Go is involved?
Your rights under the CGA
The Consumer Guarantees Act is clear. The supplier
(that's the shop, the retailer) must be given a chance to remedy
the fault, unless it's of a "substantial character".
The Consumer Affairs Ministry told us that retailers can't insist
you repeatedly bring something back for repair.
They can't fob you off onto the manufacturer - the law is very
clear that the supplier must remedy the fault.
They can't refuse to refund you in cash, and offer you goods to the
same value.
They may be breaching the Fair Trading Act if they do try either of
the above.
If you want your refund or replacement, you need to reject the
goods in writing.
Sample rejection letter
We've written
a sample rejection letter for you. If
you've got some faulty goods, fill in the blanks. Good
luck!
Heat pump headache
Reporter:
Hannah Wallis
Lisa and Michael Ledgerwood bought a Daewoo heat pump two years ago
from their local Mega Mitre 10 - it ran a little warm air, but
mostly cold. They couldn't get it fixed and were paying huge power
bills. Auckland-based company Energy Efficient Solutions discovered
the problem was most likely a gas leak, which if left untreated can
ruin the whole unit. Local Wanganui company Whiteout Building
installed a new heat pump which is working really well. Daewoo have
apologised, said it shouldn't have taken so long to diagnose and
fix the problem, and have offered the couple a refund of the heat
pump and money towards the power bill.
One of the main gripes not covered in our story is about heat
pumps switching off when it gets really cold. That's because the
outside unit is defrosting - so stops producing heat - and this
only happens when the air temperature is approaching freezing. If
you live in an area which has below-zero temps, this shouldn't
happen.
Consumer has just
done a major survey of heat pumps - including a very good
explanation of the reasons pumps de-frost. They say the worst you
can do is turn up the heat pump - that only adds to the icing-up of
the outside unit. Drop the temperature instead say, to 18, and
maybe turn it on early to give it a chance to get up to temp.
We suggest also checking out the
EECA Energywise website for a list of registered or accredited installers in your
area, and tips on how to claim back your insulation rebate of up to
$1300, and your heat pump rebate of $500.
Delivery kids
Reporter
: Libby Middlebrook
Olivia and Max Hansen have been delivering newspapers and pamphlets
around Waiuku for the past three years.
Their employer, PMP Distribution, announced a few weeks ago that it
was about to sharply reduce pay rates, after re-zoning the area
from rural to suburban.
There was no negotiation, no consultation.
PMP Distribution says on its website that it employs 6000
contractors around the country. Many of those are children.
But the company failed to front up and answer questions on Fair
Go.