Store sells used fridge as new, buyer now has problems

May 28, 2011 News

The faulty refrigerator

As more and more consumers are being put on the alert about businesses which do not honour the rights of consumers, another customer has become victim to a blatant disregard of his rights.
A well-known store on Regent Street sold this item, a refrigerator, to none other than the President of the Consumer Movement of Guyana, George Seales.
Seales reportedly purchased a refrigerator from the Regent Street hardware store on February 8, last. The store delivered the item three days after it was paid for. The receipt which was issued (written with a pen) stated that there was only a “three-month warranty” for the item.
Seales produced the receipt which plainly stated that the refrigerator cost $79,460 and was paid for in cash. He said that he was instructed not to “power up” the fridge until 24 hours had passed.
He explained that he waited until the third day to set up his newly purchased item but was surprised and confused when the fridge failed to work.
Numerous calls were made to the store highlighting the issue but Seales was always told one thing or another. When he finally visited the store in May, he explained that the staff he came into contact to make his complaint was not “customer friendly”. They kept telling him, “It isn’t anything…just give it a little shake”.
He said that after more attempts were made to have this matter taken care of in an appropriate manner, a technician was called in to ascertain what the problem was. He identified the technician as Eon Beckles, who stated that the fridge was “out of gas” and that when this report was made, an employee called “Monica” said that they (the store) would contact Seales shortly.
This newspaper understands that the store never made contact with the man and he had to telephone them. He was more than surprised to learn from one of the staff that the store and himself would “have to go half and half” to re-gas the item.
Seales said that at that point he was fed up and more than frustrated therefore he thought of nothing else except visiting the Ministry of Tourism’s Consumer Affairs Division and handed the matter over to its Director, Cheryl Tinnis, who called the owner of the store, and explained to him about the situation and the repercussions.
The Ministry’s technician (Mr. Allen) investigated the matter with both parties present and came to the conclusion that the fridge was out of gas.
The owner then “faithfully” promised to visit Seales’s home to take care of the situation accompanied by his technician since he was not pleased with the other two technicians’ reports.
After a number of missed dates, the store owner never showed up, but sent a porter along with the technician who also came to the conclusion that the problem was it was out of gas.
Kaieteur News was further told that the store owner wants to say that the fault is of an electrical origin despite all the technicians saying that the item was out of gas and was not a new fridge.
Seales stated “I just want back my money and they can have their fridge back. I don’t want this thing in my house. They are taking advantage because of the situation with me and my wife”.

1 thoughts on “Store sells used fridge as new, buyer now has problems”

Majesty October 11, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Beverages and drinks are really important to most people these days…They love the taste of it particularly teenagers…So Company as well as businesses acquire one now because it is really nice especially for your employees as well…to acquire this,you better get one now and enjoy it while using…