Cash Converters

I've just recently purchased a Tebco E bike from Cash Converters, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia.

When I purchased it, I was informed that the bike was minus a key. For the price if that's all that was wrong with it, I could live with that and was quoted $130 to have that mechanism replaced.

Went to take the bike for a ride and found the front wheel to be punctured.

Again, for the price I paid, I could handle that. Finally, took the bike for a ride and found I had no rear brakes. Went to put it on charge. Didn't charge.

Had an electrician check the charger. It didn't work. He unwrapped the tape on the already chopped wiring and found the wiring was just hacked together. He soldered it together as it should have been done and checked it with his multimeter, and it worked ok.

Problem is, the charger supplied isn't the right one, thus using this for any considerable amount of time would stuff up the smart component of the battery. Plugged the bike back in with the now working charger and nothing. That experience cost me $50.

I took the bike in to have it inspected and quoted for the repairs. I'm looking at $150 for the charger, approx $350 for the battery, $30 for the missing rear light and $80 for the rear disk pads to be replaced (if they're not broken).

As you can see, it's no longer a bargain.

The reason I buy my stuff at Cash Converters is because I know I'm protected by the warranty. I contacted another store to discuss policy and was told they were a different store but if it were them they would refund me the money. He suggested I contact the head office, which I did and was told the same thing. I bring the bike back into the store on Weds, there I was told they wanted the opportunity to try and fix it.

They immediately asked for my receipt as proof of purchase, I initially thought. My receipt was taken and when I asked for it back they printed me up a new one. This one said no warranty. That was the first time I was told I bought that bike with no warranty.

That is totally untrue. I was never informed of that or any other fault besides the missing key.

I did as requested and left the bike there even though it was putting me out considerably and was assured somebody would call me on Thurs. I waited til 6.30pm, no call. So I go into the store again.

Now I was told that I have to wait til the following day for the manager to call me back. At this stage, I'm starting to get a little pissed.

Then on the Saturday I finally received a reply.

"Yes, you would be right if there was warranty on the item, but as you can see in the attachment, the item was sold with a zero-day warranty. Whenever we discount an item the warranty period goes down and on such a big discount like this one (27%) the warranty is down to zero days. I have asked both the manager and salesman who served you, who both have said it was made apparent at the time of sale that there is zero days warranty.

Furthermore, it has been three weeks passed since the item was purchased. We may have helped a little if it was done within 48 hours, but three weeks after an item was sold with zero days warranty, unfortunately there is nothing we can do from our end. Good news is with the saving you got of almost $300 that will cover most of the expenses, and you will come out of it with anew charger battery and a solid reliable bike from there on in. You are free to lodge a complaint but as you can see the item was clearly sold with zero days warranty, I have been told you had gone over the bike quite thoroughly and were aware of its condition.

Also knowing that it was buyer beware of that price before you purchased it. So from a legal perspective, I don't believe we have any obligation at this point. It is unfortunate that you are unhappy with the purchase and if it had warranty ID happily of helped but being sold in the fashion it was I am unable to offer any money back."

Only took me so long to get it back because I work, and it takes time to take a non-functioning bike from A to B. Not only that it cost me each time I took it somewhere and the cost to fix it is ludicrous.

I thought I was purchasing a functioning bike minus the key with 3 months warranty. I can see straight through their shonky ways. It's not how you do business.

Speaking to my lawyer, he told me in his experience with Cash Converters, he has noticed that they have the habit of engaging in long, drawn out discussions with the consumers, often multiple times a day over weeks, even months, in which they mislead the consumers about their rights. They can be quite intimidating to the average consumer.

He said, what Cash Converters staff fail to realise that their conduct towards these consumers was not just appalling customer service, but as noted by more than one judge, when being taken to court, (on more than one occasion) it was a serious breach of the law. The message to the second hand "pawn" industry is clear, consumer rights are not negotiable and must not be misrepresented to consumers.

Faulty items under warranty should be, with proof of purchase, be refunded, repaired or exchanged for another item once they have been thoroughly tested.

So due to the fact of me, not being able to tolerate liars, my lawyer suggested ceasing contact with the store and let him deal with it.

I've written them one more email, clarifying my position in the matter. Now the ball is in their court.

Hi, I bought a Louis vuitton sunglasses that was advertised online by your shop in Northgate Johannesburg SouthAfricat. The tug price was R1999.

I took the Sunglasses for resell, they told me it's a fake Louis vuitton. I decided to go to Louis vuitton shop in Sandton just to make sure, they also said it's fake, the code of the Sunglasses does not much what have been sold to me. I went to Cash Converters, spoke to the manager, he said there is nothing he can do, they can't refund. Really I am hurt and angry.

I cannot spend over thousands of Rand for a fake sunglasses that i can buy in town for R200. Manytimes, cash converters specifies on items that it is a replica. I bought it from them because I trust them, they don't sell fake stuff, they check things before they buy them. But for this I have been racked.

I really want my money back. If the matter is not resolved I am taking it to the consumer protection.

Regards

Tim

081505****

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.