richardg

my inlaws bought my daughter a trike for christmas last year. it's a Born to Play Formula Fun Deluxe Trike. it lasted approx 7months of use on average once a week for something like 500m a time before one of the moulded plastic wheels had split. my daughter is very small for her age and is not therefore "overloading" the trike - she can't even reach the pedals yet!

john lewis don't sell them any more according to the stock on their web site and the gits keep cutting me off when i phone to speak to them. does anyone know what rights i have here (we have the original delivery note). all i really want is two replacement wheels and the problem will be solved - by the time they split again, she'll have grown out of it in any case

btw this isn't the first problem with this trike - the handlebar section holes didn't match up with the holes in the steering column when it was new, and as i couldn't get through to JL to speak to anyone, i ended up drilling out the holes to make it fit.

never knowlingly undersold, eh?

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

I would contact the makers direct, they always like to hear of faults like this. just drop into the conversation "should I be contacting trading standards, as I am sure they are meant to last longer". that should do it I expect.

heres the company details:


Born To Play
Marketing Department
Born to Play
Arrow Mill
Queensway
Rochdale
OL11 2QN

Tel – 01706 717 800
Customer Services – 01706 346 500
Email – \n contactus@borntoplay.com

richardg

thanks shaggy. should have though of that myself really, but was blinded by the trouble i've had callingthe supplier!

I have emailed Born To Play and hopefully they'll send some replacement wheels

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

I would give them a call if I were you, a call is not as easy to ignore dont mess about ask to speak to a manager as soon as they answer, if they say I can deal with it or a manager is not available take their name and insist on a call back. you will be surprised what difference it will make. if it dosent work pm me, I will do it for you

subaruturbo_18

surely you should have a years garentuee?

mykp

unfortunately we live in an age where the retailer now only cares about the product for 28 days, then they will refer you to the manufacturers warranty!

Deal direct with the manufacturer and see how far you get with them.

Leslie

I'd be sorely tempted to tell them I was an MP!

Les

WaynesWagon

What does the Warranty state?

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

and you carry a gun

warrenm2

sale of goods act - "not of merchantable quality"

GC8

The retailers are responsible, not the manufacturers. The manufacturer is only responsible if say: a poorly designed tumble dryer sets fire to your kitchen.

oldsplice

I'm really surprised that you're having problems. I'm not being funny, but have you thought about just taking it back to your local branch? They normally bend over backwards to help with complaints. I work at Waitrose, and if anyone brings anything back, we offer a double refund or replacement and refund.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered some new 'Peter Reed' sheets which were sent to me from the High Wycombe branch. I checked the packaging before I opened them to make sure they were the right size, took them out and stuffed them into the washing machine. When I took them off the line and folded them up, I noticed that the label on one said 'King Size' (I had ordered 2x superking). It had been wrongly packaged at the manufacturer. I had shredded the receipt, but they changed it for me without any quibbling. Try ringing them again, and say you keep getting cut off. Tell them you have a complaint and you're very disappointed with the after sales service. I hope you get it sorted.

boomer

As GC8 said - your "contract" is with John Lewis, so don't waste your time chasing the manufacturers. See BERR (what a stupid NuLab name) for details.

As oldsplice said, John Lewis are one of the best companies out there for service - you won't be disappointed.

mb

richardg

i'll see if i hear from the manufacturer later today and if not, i'll contact JL again. thanks for your comments - will let you know how i get on

richardg

i received an email today (forgot to chase it up yesterday) saying apologies for the delay and sorry to hear you're not happy with the trike. they;ve asked for my address so they can send some new wheels, but have noted that they don't import the same model trike any more, so the wheels won't match the old ones.

10/10 to "born to play" on the basis of the above (and that's assuming the wheels arrive of course)

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Ahh so you have modified said vehicle, hope it doesn't invalidate your warrenty.

richardg

well, you could say i modified it from factory spec to designer spec....ie in order to make it work. not too dissimilar from adding petrol to a car - it may not have come off the production line like that, but you're going to need it to make the dman thing work!

richardg

well, the wheels finally arrived a wek or so ago and i tried to fit them last night. i have rebuilt many a vespa engine in the past and although i'm no expert, i have changed head gaskets on cars before, so i'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty....

...bl00dy wheels won't come off and i don't want to butcher it (i think the wheel nuts, which are nylock, are sezied onto the threaded bar/axle. so, having called john lewis again and explaining my frustration with the whole saga, they have agreed to send a replacement trike.

as they don;t now stock the same trike (presumably because it falls apart shortly after purchase), we're paying an extra £10 for an "upgrade"

i'm off to hong kong/china tomorrow for a couple of weeks, and i doubt mrs g will want to put the new trike together in my absence (especially if it needs any minor modification to actually fit together like the last one!), so looks like little miss g is still without her beloved trike for another few weeks

...we will get there in the end though

David Lock

They're probably £1.50 in China

richardg

too right. no space in my suitcase though unfortunately! (there are other things on my purchase list!)

jods

Don't be so tight - It would be far "Greener" of you to buy a £1.50 trike in china and ride it home - at least it'd be run in properly

Good luck out there dude