I ordered my Garmin Forerunner 405 from work today.
Having shopped around endlessly for the last few weeks I narrowed it down to a toss up between Amazon and the possibility of cashback; or, as luck would have it, Ebuyer where I could get free staff delivery.
Then, at the last minute an alternative site cropped up where I could get the unit £5 cheaper including free delivery. Ho hum – tempting.
I very nearly just got it there and then, but then decided to check the returns policy.
The company in question is Pegasus Fitness. They look bona fide – they have what appears to be a proper postal address, standard telephone number etc so I have no qualms there. However if you put the distance selling regulations aside and look at what happens for faults during the warranty period Pegasus have theirs very locked down:
What If An Item Fails After Being Used?
Inform us by email at support@pegasusfitness.co.uk exactly what has failed and return the item to Pegasus Fitness by post. The original manufacturer will be informed and the item will be inspected by them to verify the stated fault. Only then can a refund be issued. We will offer to refund or replace your purchase.
We will only accept items that have failed up to fourteen days after delivery.
Plus:
In ALL CASES, the customers is responsible for the costs of returning items to Pegasus Fitness.
Let’s compare this to Ebuyer’s returns policy:
Items Faulty on Arrival
If your items are faulty on arrival, you have 28 calendar days in which to inform us of the fault (please note that for our business customers, this is 14 calendar days). Items should be returned in their original packaging complete with all accessories and documentation. Once we have verified the fault, we’ll issue a replacement or full refund to you via your original payment method and reimburse your reasonable return carriage costs. We test returned items, and if a returned item is found not to be faulty by our technicians we will return the item to you, in this instance you will be liable for the return carriage.
And further:
Items Faulty in Warranty Period
If any of your purchases develop a fault, and it’s more than 28 calendar days since receipt, then provided your item is within its warranty period, you are entitled to a warranty repair. In some cases, manufacturers provide a specialist full on-site service and/or telephone help facilities for your convenience which we recommend you use in order to correct the fault quickly.
Notice the very subtle but very important differences. If I order the 405 from Ebuyer then I get:
- Longer to identify a fault on arrival – an extra 14 days in fact.
- The return shipping paid for if within 28 days.
- Encouraged to return my item to the manufacturer if under warranty – but I don’t read any compunction to do so, it sounds like I can still deal with Ebuyer if I wish.
These extras make that £5 extra well spent at Ebuyer me thinks, though I’m a bit biased as they’re my boss. Pegasus are doing a fantastic job of beating Ebuyer on that price, a really impressive feat in fact when Ebuyer are already cheaper than Amazon!
Conclusion: shop around on the Internet but always make sure you read the small print before you grab yourself a bargain.
