Am I being unreasonable?

[Arkady]

How silly.

Anyway, the retailer has offered to send it back and get it fixed,if that fix is not available,then you will get a new one.Not a perfect solution, but then life is not perfect.Such is.........


Edit...As for the American reference, perhaps that is why the rest of the civilised world thinks they are ,well, whatever.

Actually it's the same in Germany: I once saw a woman returned a whole china coffee service because one of the cups had a blemish in the glaze underneath the cup...
The salesgirl didn't even quibble - she looked at the blemish - and it was really minor - and said she'd replace the entire service as the cups couldn't be bought individually...

The rest of the world have higher expectations when it comes to service - not just in the USA, where they have raised it to an art-form (a mate of mine once worked part-time in a New York depatment-store as an IT geek, but one of his other 'jobs' was to get fired: if a customer was being ridiculously unreasonable, the department manager would call Greg down and for the benefit of the customer, rant at him for a few minutes then 'fire' him on the spot...Greg had to look suitably aghast as the implications of being unemployed sank in...then toddled off back to whatever mother-board he was geeking on...).

It's also extremely rare to tip staff in restaurants or cafes here in Germany, so much so that when I round up the bill by a couple of €€'s it's often quite embarassing the amount of gratitude it generates.

 

[Stiglet]

Pity, honest people always come last.

Anyway not much else I can do but approach them and plead my case as politely as possible.

 

[cowasaki]

the department manager would call Greg down and for the benefit of the customer, rant at him for a few minutes then 'fire' him on the spot...Greg had to look suitably aghast as the implications of being unemployed sank in...then toddled off back to whatever mother-board he was geeking on...).

I would return an entire tea service if it had a blemish on one cup but if a fault develops down the line and it is something like this my personal view is that it is not unreasonable for the screw to be put back in. I would expect that to be done very quickly but I would not expect a replacement. I think a turnaround of 10 days should be negotiated with a loan if you can get it and I think that that would be fair.

 

[ki_user]

Pity, honest people always come last.

It is, and it's only because people abuse the system. One guy wanted a refund on a bike he brought back, wasn't happy it was going to be repaired.
He took the bike out rode 1/2 a mile down the road, undid some screws and brought it back ranting that it was still broken and he wanted a refund, luckily a member of staff driving past had seen him do it.
Needless to say he walked away with his tail between his legs. But it is people like that, that spoil it for the rest of us.

 

[cowasaki]

It is, and it's only because people abuse the system. One guy wanted a refund on a bike he brought back, wasn't happy it was going to be repaired.
He took the bike out rode 1/2 a mile down the road, undid some screws and brought it back ranting that it was still broken and he wanted a refund, luckily a member of staff driving past had seen him do it.
Needless to say he walked away with his tail between his legs. But it is people like that, that spoil it for the rest of us.

I would have told him that his unauthorised repair had voided his warranty too :razz:

 

[Arkady]

I would return an entire tea service if it had a blemish on one cup but if a fault develops down the line and it is something like this my personal view is that it is not unreasonable for the screw to be put back in. I would expect that to be done very quickly but I would not expect a replacement. I think a turnaround of 10 days should be negotiated with a loan if you can get it and I think that that would be fair.

Screws fall out - it's a fact of life. yes they should all be loc-tite'd in but occasionally, there isn't enough of it to hold the screw in place.
Nikon Pro cameras (since the D1) have this problem occasionally, and it's always the same screw: bottom-left as you look at the back of the camera. If you don't replace that one sharpish, the next one to go is the one top-left under the strap eyelet. I now carry two spare screws along with the jeweller's screwdriver set that I've always carried, since I was about 15. Because screws get loose occasionally and if you don't check them once a week, they can fall out...

Nikon just sent them to me when I asked nicely.

No need for a rant, just: "can I have a couple of screws please as the Canon guys are laughing at all the bodge-tape holding my camera together"...

Humour works wonders... if you have 200 emails from irate customers demanding stuff immediately and then one email that makes you laugh, who are you going to sort out first?

Maybe it was a 10-day wait for the high-street repair because it'd take them that long to get a replacement screw from Sigma?

One of the advantages of going direct to the manufacturer - and as a Nikon Pro user, I can do this - is that you can ask for a 'loaner' to tide you over while yours is being repaired - if they have one handy: don't bother asking for anything during Wimbledon fortnight, for example...

 

[lawrenceots]

As regards items being refurbished etc then sent as new, its happened to me, though no photographic related.

I took out a new contract and got a brand new phone, as you should. It was subsequently faulty, and because it was under vodafones 28 day swap policy, they arranged to exchange for a brand new one. The one they replaced it with was scratched, in a repackaged box, no screen protectors etc. I complained and the sales didn't know why that happened, and issued a brand new one, as they should.

It happened on another contract as well, though a quick complain to the network sorted it out as well.

Just my pennys worth

 

[18-270]

Pity, honest people always come last.

Anyway not much else I can do but approach them and plead my case as politely as possible.

If you don't get anywhere please let me know I may be able to help.

 

[Stiglet]

UPDATE

Well I emailed Sigma direct, explained politely the inconvenience/cost implication to me and ask for either a replacement, a loan lens or a very quick turn around and well in less than a week from me sending it I have back a better than new. Lens all clean and fixed no quibble or fuss.

So I am a happy bunny and I would purchase from Sigma again. See a little customer care can go along way for your business.

Thanks again for everyones advice.

 

[kevshore]

Pleased it all turned out ok for you SJ. Hope you're keeping well.

Kev.

 

[Stiglet]

Thanks Kev can actually get back to some togging now. Missed it so much even for a week lol

I need to photograph my 3 week old kittens

 

[18-270]

UPDATE

Well I emailed Sigma direct, explained politely the inconvenience/cost implication to me and ask for either a replacement, a loan lens or a very quick turn around and well in less than a week from me sending it I have back a better than new. Lens all clean and fixed no quibble or fuss.

So I am a happy bunny and I would purchase from Sigma again. See a little customer care can go along way for your business.

Thanks again for everyones advice.

Big SMILES!