Dissapointing retailer

So far I have loved my Pentax k-r and had already decided I would stick with the brand as I improved my photography and my bank balance to allow me to move up to a better spec. now im not so sure. My camera died on the 6th april, i took it back to Currys on the 7th and they said that it couldn't be sent for repair until the 10th as it was the easter weekend. I called customer service on the 14th for an update only to be told they had no record of the repair so i went to the store on the 16th to find it was still sitting on a shelf, I went ballistic and demanded a replacement to be told i wasnt getting one as they had to send it to Pentax first but they had no idea how to send it to them (?)it seems pentax in the UK dont have a courier service, the guy said he had sent a request to their head office and was awaiting a reply so i said i wasnt leaving the store until he had phoned them, he called and they said all he could do was use the stores petty cash to have a private courier, which he couldnt do because he needed the managers permission, i left in disgust with a promise they would get back to me within 2 days, i got a call on the 18th saying pentax were going to arrange a courier but this could still take 28 days for it to get back to me. the camera is less than 4 months old and i cannot believe that Pentax could not authorise a replacement.
I dont know if this is currys fault or Pentax's or both but I dont think its worth having a Pentax if this is the kind of treatment I will get anytime there is a fault.
if anyone has a similar story id like to hear it.

Have you looked at the sale of goods act?

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/sale-of-goods/understanding-the-sale-of-g...

If you can get your money back and buy from SRS? Tried and tested retailer.

i had the sale of goods act in my hand and they still refused to budge, they are arrogant pigs.

i forgot to mention, i called the pentax repair centre and they said they dont speak to the 'public' and referred me back to currys customer service.

Next page - How to Complain:

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/sale-of-goods/understanding-the-sale-of-g...

Write to the branch and copy to the head office a letter based on the Sample Letter shown there and request a refund. Maybe also involve the Credit Card company if you used it to purchase the camera.


Well your contract is with Curry's so that's correct.



John

Have a look through MSE forums.

You'll mostly find happy Pentax owners on here (the unhappy ones are banned or leave). Even one or five Pentax fan boys. And a couple who have Pentax all the way through like a stick of rock.

You only have to go to the Pentax home page and click on support to see who the UK repair agent is. LINK

i dont mean to dis pentax, im just really panicked about it, i adore my camera.

I have had dealings with Curry's repairs section and if at all possible I would suggest you send your camera back to JRP under warranty.

Okay let's see:


See what I did there?

It can happen with any brand. Big companies like Currys always fall prey to really bad customer service advisers. It can happen with any electronic product that's for sure (Apple, not a fan, but have to say they set the bar).

Pentax may not be as big as Canon or Nikon, but I like em because they make cameras that make me comfortable taking photographs and encourage me to increase my knowledge of photography. Things like what happen to your camera does happen.

Although I feel for you, same reason why I probably won't buy another HP machine ever again. The experience was too bad, and the community was non-existent (unlike Pentax).

im probably overreacting because im so angry with currys but i know if j had got the camera from, say argos, they would have replaced it without question, even apple gave me a brand new iphone there and then because i wasnt happy with it.

You're definitely overreacting towards Pentax. Isn't warranty with the seller?

I'm convinced that you would have had the exact same issues if you would have bought another make camera from Currys.

You'd think that retailers would bend over backwards to assist customers, especially in the current economical climate, all Currys have succeeded in doing here is permanently losing repeat custom from yourself and possible custom from anyone who reads this thread.

Hopefully JPS should be able to sort out the problem quickly and get your camera back to you asap.

Brian - I totally understand your frustration, but if you take a step back and a deep breath, your issue is not with Pentax it is with poor customer service from a high street chain

As a supplier of Pentax equipment, it is the retailers responsibility to understand the process for returns and warranty repairs and clearly they do not.

Pentax authorised repairer in the UK is Johnson's Photopia and they certainly do take inquiries from the public - I have dealt with them numerous times.

If you can not get any satisfaction from Currys (and for future reference) - go to the support section of the Pentax UK website - you can download a form to complete and send off with your camera to Johnson's (this includes repairs under warranty).

I totally accept that you should not have to do this and that Currys should have sorted this out with minimal hassle - and you should take that up with Currys. However, in fairness to Pentax, even though you are entitled to seek redress from the retailer under the sale of good act - Pentax do actually make it very easy for us to arrange warranty repairs direct with their authorised repairer.

Without wishing to add to your disappointment, again from personal experience, depending on the nature of the problem and what parts if any are required - repairs can take several weeks regardless of what make of camera you own.

I am sure it will be sorted, but you may have to be patient.

Carl

I think the problem is Curry's. I wouldn't expect good customer service from them (even though they should provide it).

When I got into my K20 repairs saga I ended up dealing directly with Johnson's Photopia from the second repair onwards (as I had little support from the Pro dealer). Johnsons were pretty good and sent couriers to pick up the camera and return it each time. Pentax were also very unhelpful, until I got the UK MD involved and he sorted it very satisfactorily.

I switched my custom to SRS and when I had K5 sensor stain problems, those were dealt with by the retailer highly efficiently and without cost to me or any need to deal with anyone else. That's how it should be.