PurelyGadgets - unexpected consequences of camcorder purchase

Confusing  In early August 2007, we purchased a Sony VX2100 through the internet from purelyGadgets.  The web page showed that the item was in stock.  The amount due was debited from our account but I received an email on the following day, saying that the item was out of stock and they had no idea when it would be in stock. I was advised to cancel the order.  I replied the same day to point out that their web site had shown that the item was in stock when I ordered and that it was still saying the same.  So. if it was indeed out of stock, then my account had been debited on false pretences.
 

When I checked my account on the following day, I found that the order status was now flagged as dispatching.   So, I copied this email to both the person dealing with my order and the Customer Services Manager to say that I was now confused.   I also made them aware that I logged my experience of Customer Services at:
http://rani.aeshost.net/CustomerTalk/pages/praise-complain.htm

I received an email the following day from the Customer Services Manager saying that I should receive the order in 2-3 days.   Indeed, it arrived the very next day (within 4 days of order) and I would have dismissed this confusion except for the fact that the box had been opened and items were missing.

No Sony guarantee card and 2 missing items
The box had been opened and resealed and items were missing.  I looked up the Sony website and it seemed that one way in which I could establish whether this was a) a genuine Sony product and b) was a brand new item was to try and register it.  The registration page asked for a unique 16-digit-code, located on the back of the enclosed registration leaflet.  The registration leaflet, also known as the guarantee form (according to Sony helpline) was missing from the pack.  Sony helpline said that I must ask the supplier for the guarantee form.  So, I emailed my contact at purely Gadgets pointing out that the following items were missing:

1. Sony warranty card

2. The English manual (the pack contained a manual in French and some other language)

3. I later emailed her to say that the 21-pin adaptor for the TV was also missing (and attached the picture from the French manual).

I was worried that I had been sent a used item when their web had given me no such indication.

Response from purelyGadgets
The response from purelygGadgets was that they could send me the missing items but not the Sony guarantee card since they provide their own 18 month warranty.  I was told that if I was not happy with this, I could return the camera and get a refund.  Had I returned the product, purelyGadgets would have had the benefit of my money for some time and I was unsure of how long they would take to return it given my experiences with some other firms, who have since paid compensation.  Since I was expecting a series of visitors from various parts of the world, I felt that I could not cope with the hassle if there were further unexpected glitches when it came to return and refund.  So, I decided to keep the camcorder with some reservations and decided to stick with the purchase to test purelyGadgets Customer Services.   I have registered for their product guarantee. 

The English Manual arrived 3 weeks after the product arrived.  A week later I received an AC adapter instead of the missing 21-pin adaptor.  So, I emailed my contact again with the images of the missing part and pointing out a flaw in the viewfinder (a black line part way across the viewfinder, which could have been dirt or a missing section of pixels).  I decided to wait and see whether other problems showed up before sending the product back for repair within the 18 month period. 

In mid-September, I was told that the missing part had been ordered.  In reply to my complaint that I had been sold a used item instead of a new one, I was told "The cameras that we sell are brand new but we are opening them for quality check."  I replied that If the camcorder was new and was opened for checking purposes, surely quality control should have noted the missing parts.  This makes me wonder if the camcorder was returned because of the fault.  
 

State at end of 2007

I discussed my purchase with other members of DV forums, and they suggested that I had probably got a grey import.  I had never heard of these before and looked it up on the web.  See the section on Photographic equipment at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market.  While grey imports are legal, this article also makes it clear that an extended retailer's guarantee may not necessarily be a good buy on expensive items.

I asked the purelyGadgets Customer Services Executive whether my camcorder was a grey import.  Despite posing the question in various ways, I always got the same answer - they were unable to tell me whether it was because it was bought in August.  Well, you have to draw your own conclusions.  I also emailed them to say that I had other concerns listed below.  The replies are included.

1. Will Sony repair this rather expensive prosumer camcorder without a 16-digit-code once the 18 month warranty from purelyGadgets elapses?  If so, how do I access this service without the 16-digit-code?  "After our 18 month warranty has expired there is no need to return the camera to Sony. Should your camera require any maintenance work, we will be more than willing to carry out the repairs, after this period. You will be charged accordingly, depending on the fault."

    

2. Will the camcorder have to be sent back to the target country for repair during the purelyGadgets 18-month guarantee? If so, is this likely to take a lot longer than would be reasonable given that I am still waiting for the missing part after more than 4 months?  Please be advised that it will not be necessary to send the goods back to the country of origin for repair. We provide an all round facilities and, there will only be 1 point of contact for customers, from pre sale, recommending appropriate accessories and aftercare facilities.

My verdict on purelyGadgets is still open - they did eventually honour their in stock advert, and delivered what looks like a genuine product within 4 days, and seem willing to put things right.   Until I have need of their repair service, I cannot comment how they will handle it nor whether their charges would be reasonable.  I am still missing a part and cannot get straight answers.  So, I am not entirely satisfied with the Customer Service although I am reasonably happy with the product which has a small flaw in the viewfinder, which can be fixed.

I think that in much the same way in which UK law requires proper food labeling, consumer law should require that grey imports should also be advertised as such so that consumers can ask relevant questions before purchase, e.g. with respect to warranty.   I will email ConsumerDirect to this effect.

Blog
The blog, entitled Praise or  Complain provides purelyGadgets with the opportunity to address points raised here.

Mahes Visvalingam, 22/03/07
Last updated on 31/12/07