I welcomed this survey, hopefully Choice can get some tighter legislation introduced for consumers.
However, the way the survey was formatted didn’t really hit the mark to reflect my experiences. Ticking a yes/no box doesn’t cover it, only the “no” box allows for a description of the unpleasantness a consumer has been subjected to. In my case, I eventually got a refund after initially being rejected but I fought on, taking months and lots of stress. I think this type of treatment should also be covered by any new or stronger laws.
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Hi @mch, thanks for you feedback. I have changed the title of the thread so that other community members know which is the survey in question. The link to the survey is:
if anyone wishes to do the survey.
I have also included @DeanP as well as he might be interested in your feedback, particularly for future surveys Choice conducts.
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Thank you
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I agree. Although I have always received a refund for goods I have returned (including a $600 micro/convection oven (unfit for use advertised) that I was happy to take a credit for) it was only possible because I was aware of my rights. When in retail I often had to turn down people who wanted a refund because of change of mind and there are a lot of people who think it is the law because some major retailer will refund for this. Signs saying “no refunds on sale items” probably fool a lot of people but retailers can’t bypass the law relating to faulty or not fit for use laws. Sorry this is a bit of a ramble but it is time retailers were held responsible and penalised when they do the wrong thing.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Chef ( Electrolux) freestanding oven 54cm - scratched glass door
I have had a lot of trouble recently trying to buy a mobile phone. I do the research and then find that there are several versions of the same model and they don’t all have the features that the model appears to have.
There are all kinds of other problems also.
There is no excuse for using the same model number for two different phones.
There is also no excuse for selling a model that does not have a manual that matches the name of the model.
There is no excuse for selling a model that is missing a significant feature (such as cordless charging) that one would reasonably expect it to have, since previous models had it, without making that very clear in the specifications.
There is no excuse for selling technology when the manufacturer’s own company does not have staff with expertise available to troubleshoot the device if it goes wrong.
There is no excuse for selling a complex device with a manual that doesn’t make sense.
All these things waste an enormous amount of time.
Companies that do these things need to be fined at least 3 day’s income.
In addition, they should compensate the consumer for their time.
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It certainly pays to do some research.
Perhaps you have a particular brand and model?
Have you looked to the Choice guides?
In addition popular mobiles receive regular reviews on technology web sites such as CNET which include details of the key features of each model.
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Do you have an example of this? This is the first time I have heard of a phone company using the same model number across multiple models. It would be a nightmare for them to manage if it is the case.
If you mean parts (such as a battery etc), often manufacturers use the same parts in many models to create economies of scale. An example being a car where a manufacturer may use the same part in a motors they produce for many models. This part will have the same part number irrespective of the model of car it comes from.
Like fashion, technology has trends as well. The successful ones tend to continue onto new models, ones which weren’t successful are dropped to keep phones cost effective and to deliver products the average consumer wishes to purchase.
I have noticed that some retailers only have a summary of specifications on their websites. I now go to the manufacturer’s websites and review the specifications of products as they will have the complete listing of all the technical specs. If something is missing, they also usually contact details one can message and ask a question.
In the age of technology, and to reduce costs (to the consumer and environment), less and less manufacturers are producing paper manuals. The trend is to have manuals electronically, usually in PDF format. A electronic copy can have benefits, key terms can be searched…rather than trying to flip through 10s/100s of pages trying to find the information one is after. The other advantage is that a lot of smart technology is potable and manuals can be saved on the device for use anytime…saving the need for one to carry around or remember where they stored the manual they received in the box when new.
Electronic manuals can usually be downloaded from the support pages of the manufacturer’s website.
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Yes I have examples
I wouldn’t have written that if I didn’t…
Samsung S21 Samsung A32
Of course I mean pdf manuals … Can I email you?
I am talking about Samsung in this case.
Also Officeworks… when selling Samsung.
my email is: xxxxx If I spend more time on it is there any point? would you do anything?
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The Samsung S21 model number is SM-G996BZVAATS (there are other S21 optioned models with different model numbers) , and Samsung A32 is SM-A325FZKHXSA (+optioned model numbers). The S21 and A32 have unique/different model numbers.
The A32 manual can be downloaded here.,
The S21 manual can be downloaded here…
These phones run a Samsung platform (some call it bloatware) over Android 11. There are online guides for Android 11 as well.
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Hi All, It would be great if Choice could emphasise durability and ease of repair in their reviews of products following on from this survey. Often it doesn’t seem that is one of the key criteria.
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CHOICE do member surveys of how items stack up durability wise every year. This durability information helps inform what products return good “mileage” or bang for buck value for consumers.
When new items are tested it is difficult or near impossible for CHOICE to rate durability for many of them. The cost of running those kinds of tests would make the cost too prohibitive for CHOICE’s limited budget.
I conducted a search of the CHOICE main site to help you find the information on durability/reliability that members kindly provide each year. You can click the link to conduct the search and produce a largish list of results.
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