Watford Electronics. Appalling treatment of warranty customers.

[Radar Man]

Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and e-mails.
After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people at
ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement was
finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of course
they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.

Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".

Seems quite fitting really.

Radar Man

[Mike]

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

[Radar Man]

Post by Mike

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

I stand corrected and well and truly put down.

Thank you

[Gary]

Post by Mike
your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

I think this was coined during their BBC days?

[Vittorio Janus]

Post by Gary

Post by Mike
your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

I think this was coined during their BBC days?

Surely not - they were pretty good in those days!
--
Regards
vj

[John Perry]

Post by Mike

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

and owned by me after a bad watford experience!!

[Mike]

Post by John Perry

Post by Mike

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

your warning is about 5 years too late, and it's spelt watfraud :)

and owned by me after a bad watford experience!!

I've never risked it. I have to say though their new website is pretty
well designed. savastore.com

[Adagio]

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

You have statutary right to the refund of return postage cost, you might
even want to claim compensation for consequential losses. It might be
helpful to contatct Trading Standards. I believe that you should complain to
the office local to the supplier. You can find out the info from:-

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/consumers/consumers.cfm

Adagio

[Radar Man]

Post by Adagio

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February 2005.
Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they did nothing.
Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer letters and
e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the ConsumerActive people
at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters to the CEO a replacement
was finally delivered. They promised to refund the return postage but of
course they haven't and neither has there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this is
situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one enterprising
person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

You have statutary right to the refund of return postage cost, you might
even want to claim compensation for consequential losses. It might be
helpful to contatct Trading Standards. I believe that you should complain
to the office local to the supplier. You can find out the info from:-
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/consumers/consumers.cfm
Adagio

Thank you Adagio

Have contacted Trading Standards and they agree.

However yesterday I had a response from Watford absolutely refusing a refund
of postage on the grounds that they cannot pay because otherwise it would
mean an increase in their prices and be unfair to customers looking for
bargains on their site. They also refused to explain why they took 3 months
to supply the replacement and why they did not return my original drive
which was repaired by Lacie under warranty and still had my valuable data
intact.

Regards

Radar Man

[Martin Milan]

Post by Radar Man

Post by Adagio

Post by Radar Man
Item (External HDD) returned for warranty replacement mid-February
2005. Promised replacement in 2 weeks. 3 weeks went by while they
did nothing. Stopped displaying returns info and declined to answer
letters and e-mails. After 8 weeks and the intervention of the
ConsumerActive people at ComputerActive Magazine and several letters
to the CEO a replacement was finally delivered. They promised to
refund the return postage but of course they haven't and neither has
there been a hint of an apology.
Judging by letters in computer magazines and newsgroup postings this
is situation normal for Watford Electronics and I believe one
enterprising person has even registered the domain name "WhatFraud
Electronics".
Seems quite fitting really.
Radar Man

You have statutary right to the refund of return postage cost, you
might even want to claim compensation for consequential losses. It
might be helpful to contatct Trading Standards. I believe that you
should complain to the office local to the supplier. You can find out
the info from:-
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/consumers/consumers.cfm
Adagio

Thank you Adagio
Have contacted Trading Standards and they agree.
However yesterday I had a response from Watford absolutely refusing a
refund of postage on the grounds that they cannot pay because
otherwise it would mean an increase in their prices and be unfair to
customers looking for bargains on their site. They also refused to
explain why they took 3 months to supply the replacement and why they
did not return my original drive which was repaired by Lacie under
warranty and still had my valuable data intact.
Regards
Radar Man

Tell me you haven't simply accepted that...

Martin