Aldi Returns Policy / Procedure

R

Ray_Con

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Hi ... I have a problem with Aldi at the moment and was wondering if anybody had any advice or could point me in the right direction.

Basically I bought one fo their Traveller 5 MP HD Camcorders , Model DV5000 for €99 , 5 months ago. Recently pictures or video I take with the camera are extremely blurry and the focus doesn't ... eh .... focus.

I took the camera (in original packing with all the bits n pieces that came with it) and of course my reciept, to my local Aldi and explained the situation , the manager said" I can't exchange it you need to ring the helpline". , I asked how a helpline would be able to verify if what I was telling them was the truth about the camera being faulty , and he replied "You need to ring the helpline - they will explain everything" , I said "but legally speaking I thought my contract was with you - Aldi - not a technical helpline" , he replied "the helpline is us , you just need to contact them first and they will tell you what do to". I reluctantly agreed to leave the shop and go ring the helpline.

I rang the helpline (which was answered in German) and explained the situation to them. They said "post the camera and reciept to us and we will have a technician look at it. He will determine if its to be repaired or replaced". I said "hang on, you're in Germany , Im in Ireland and I have to pay for postage and packaging to Germany !! ?" They said "Yes". I said "but why should I be out of pocket for postage costs when the responsibility is yours". They said "if you want , you can include a reciept from the Post Office and request a refund for the postage costs" . So I said "no thanks , I will deal with the matter locally - goodbye".

So my question is , are Aldi breaking the law ? .. surely I can't be expected to ensure the camera gets returned to Aldi's supplier for evaluation and at my expense ? Surely thats their respsonibility ? What if i was trying to return a faulty TV - would I be expected to pay for the shipping costs of that ? .. What if my camera was lost in the post ? Should I take out a Small Claims against them ?

For the record .. the camera is sold with a 3 yr warranty - it is only 5mths old.
 
hi ray con,

they are legally correct, they provide you with a help line, also there is a email address (usually) provided, you will find it is easier to deal over the email. scan in your receipt and take a picture of the item (with the box aswell if you have it)

You will find that you will get a reasonable reply, I had to in two cases, once I got the full amount and postage refunded, once I got the item replaced (low value item) without having to send it back.

Aldi or Lidl have special offers once the stock is gone it is gone and they will not be able to replace it that is why they have help lines, my experience has always been possitive. Often the items are good and no issue as the prices are good too. Good Luck, try email.
 
Hi allaboutheat ... thanks for the reply ...

Ive looked up the National Consumer Agency website and in the section entitled : Know Your Rights Get Your Rights > Shopping > Returning Goods , it states

"If the goods you bought are faulty, you have the right to return them to the shop and seek a replacement, a repair or a refund. The consumer's contract is always with the seller of the goods. You didn't pay the manufacturer - you paid the shop. So your contract is with the shop, and it's up to them - not the manufacturer - to sort out your problem. "

Based on the above , It is my belief that Aldi are neglecting their duties by getting me to return the faulty product. So they feel no "pain" and I have to deal with all the hassles ?? - That cannot be correct . I refuse to have to use my time and my money to send the faulty item back to the supplier ... my contract is with Aldi. They should legally have to take responsibilty.
 
Ray_Con said:
I refuse to have to use my time and my money to send the faulty item back to the supplier ... my contract is with Aldi. They should legally have to take responsibilty.
Click to expand...

Is the helpline the manufacturer's helpline or an ALDI helpline? Did they ask you to send it to the manufacturer or to a central ALDI office?
 
Hi ontour ... the helpline is Traveler , the manufacturer , not Aldi.


Service adress: Supra Foto Elektronik Vertriebs GmbH
Denisstrasse 28 A
67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany

and just for the record , they don't supply an email address - only postal address.
 
You should contact ALDI head office in Naas. It would seem that they should either get the store to deal with the return or just refund you. Generally I have found that they have been good with people returning things but not in your case.
 
Im going back to my local store today and see what they say ... I'll post an update ... thanks for the replies
 

Fwiw, my better half has dealt with the Aldi/Traveler helpline in Kauserslauten & found them fantastic.
 
The stores seem to have well trained staff that follow a company procedure, I think HQ might have more flexibility to instruct the local store to refund you. HQ phone number is 045 846300
 
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Hi Folks ... unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go back to my local Aldi yesterday (working late) .. however I did try to ring the number in ontours post ... it's not operational (or its a Fax number) so I have written a letter to their HQ and outlined my concerns / complaint. I'll post the outcome once I hear back (actually , IF I hear back)
 
Received a letter from Aldi's HQ this morning saying they will give me a full refund - just bring the camera , receipt and the letter to my local Aldi and they'll sort it out for me. Happy days - and all for the price of a 55c stamp.
 
Well, I have to say I have not been as successful as you Ray_Con....
I have had many products from ALDI that have gone wrong and I was told that I would have to contact the manufacturer, which I did and then was told I would have to pay for the postage and packaging etc, so naturally enough I never followed through as I had the same opinion as to why should I have to pay to return something thats in date. My two products were a camera (my sister had problems with hers too) and an mp3 player. I am now having problems with one of those luxury air beds that I got last October and to say ignorance of Aldi staff would be putting it lightly.

Where to start..Last sunday I went to the store on the headford road in Galway with this faulty bed to be told oh you have a month to return it otherwise you have to go the manufacturer.. 1. THIS IS AGAINST THE SALE & SUPPLY OF GOODS AND SERVICES ACT!

The manager handed me a piece of paper with the manufacturer number on it and told me they deal with it and WALKED OFF, contrary to what he told his Aeriel manager. I was so mad at this stage I contacted my sister who works in retail and asked her what the law was, and she confirmed what I already knew. My contract is with Aldi, not the Manufacturer and I am entitled to a full refund! At that stage, I was so mad and was on the other side of town I went to the other Aldi Store and told the lady that this idea of 30 days was absolute cr*p! She continued saying she couldn't do anything etc (why have a manager there if they cant do anything) and that she would call us back the next day... well it is 7 days later and guess what? We have heard nothing. Nowing that she hadnt a notion of calling back, on monday morning I called the Aldi Head office, firstly to make a complaint about the manager whom walked away. I was told I would be contacted by the end of the day...guess what? Heard NOTHING BACK!!

On tuesday I called their main office again to make another complaint about the product this time as I had heard nothing back. That evening I missed a call from the Aeriel Manager, who left a message saying she would call back the next day....(She left no number so I wasn't sure where I could contact her).. Two days passed and got annoyed and called head office who put me through. This lady argued with me for over 20 minutes. Apparently Dunnes Stores have the same policy - (They do not and when I told her that I knew for a fact they do not, she contradicted herself and told me not to split hairs) I know what the law says, Aldi seems to think they can come along and change it by the looks of it!!

I also told this manager about my dealing on previous occasions about sending back my camera/mp3 player at my own expense and she told me I should have asked to be reimbursed. Well when I asked why I should pay for it and get an answer: well its our policy,why would I think they would reimburse me?!

Anyway, I called the consumer affairs, whom told me...."The consumer's contract is always with the seller of the goods. You didn't pay the manufacturer - you paid the shop. So your contract is with the shop, and it's up to them - not the manufacturer - to sort out your problem. " And that they do not have a right to tell you otherwise.....!!!


Unfortunately, my mother was left to bring it in on friday as she has about had enough of this cr*p as I'v had. She was talking to a manager whom was nice and told her he would sort it out, and asked if she had it with her.. Then she remembered, humm husband took it out...so she went home and came back, to be told the manager was gone home... she was in Aldi for over 2 hours in total been given the run around while my sister and sick niece were stuck in the car! I will ask, what the hell where they doing for over an hour the second time she went in?? This is not acceptable and if I have to take Aldi to the smalls claims court over a 39.99 inflatable bed, I will out of principal!!
Needless to say it is still not sorted...humm I wonder what other cr*p they can come up with!!

I think the moral of this story is DO NOT BUY ANYTHING IN ALDI, CAUSE GUARANTEE AND STATUTORY RIGHTS, DON'T MEAN ANYTHING!!!

PS ontour, thanks for the number!!
 
My advice would be to write to the Head Office , detailing your problems with the products, all your dealings with each Aldi branch (and names if possible) and then your rights i.e "The consumer's contract is always with the seller of the goods. You didn't pay the manufacturer - you paid the shop. So your contract is with the shop, and it's up to them - not the manufacturer - to sort out your problem. " , and finish by saying if you don't get a satifactory answer you'll be left with no option but to make a Small Claims against Aldi. Thats what I did ....


Funnily enough, on Saturday Night (10th Jan) my Aldi DVD player went belly up (wouldn't load any DVD's ... just kept hanging on the "Loading ........" screen) ... I thought , oh here we go ... so I unhooked the DVD player , tried to call the Helpline Ph Number on the back of the Product only to find that it was no longer in service , looked up the Aldi website , got another Tevion DVD player Helpline Number , rang them , they said the model number was not one of theirs (even though it was branded Tevion) - brought it back to the shop , the manager came along , looked at the receipt and said "it's over 30 days old so you'll have to ring the Manufacturer number on the back" , I said "Tried that , not in service anymore , looked up your website , got another Tevion Helpline number , they said it's not their model you'll have to bring it back to the shop" ... the manager said "hang on , I'll go see if there's another DVD player in stock and get you the number off that packaging !!!" ... Brought out the exact same model from the store room , took it out of it's packaging and said "There , ring that number" .. I said "Thats the same number - thats no longer in service , it's the same machine" ... She looked puzzled for a minute , then said "eh, to save you ringing around , just take this DVD player and give me the faulty one" .. So I did .... lets see how long the new one lasts ....
When I got home I took out the DVD Manual and warranty card etc ,... it listed the same phone number thats no longer in use , but it also listed a website for technical support ... when I looked it up, it was a canadian based company called Curtis International

http://www.curtisint.com/

The DVD that gave me the trouble is model number DVD1072

[broken link removed]

May be of use to others who experience problems with this player ...


One thing for sure , I will never buy electronic goods from Aldi in the future ... I don't care how tempting their price is ...
 
I bought a Traveler USB microscope from an Aldi store as a Christmas present for my son, but unfortunately he hasn't been able to use it due to several errors in the software. I contacted the help-line, and at first things looked good - they sympathised, and sent me a replacement CD-ROM, but that turned out to be exactly the same as the first. A second call to the help-line, and they suggested my computer was at fault (I tried 2 different computers and both gave the same problem.) The really unfortunate thing is that I've lost my reciept, (yes, that was foolish of me,) so that Aldi aren't interested, despite the fact that they are the sole vendors of Traveler brand products, and they didn't start selling this particular model until 6 months ago. So I've got no choice but to cut my losses and buy something else. But at least I can warn other prospective purchasers - DON'T BUY ELECTRONIC GOODS FROM ALDI. The price may seem like a bargain, but in reality it's a waste of money.
 



Grossly unfair statement.

1. They tried to help you (sometimes faults are difficult to diagnose)
2. You have no receipt.


I bought a fan heater last January as a back up and never used it till this cold snap we had in December but the thermostat was faulty and wouldn't cut in and out.... rang the helpline on the carton (dublin number) and english girl answered......result a new one was delivered to my door and they didn't even ask for the old one back which is still usable but you have to shut it on and off manually. Only cost €19

now thats shopping as it should be
 
+1

I never had a problem getting a replacement or a refund ..... with receipt of course.

I have a drawer full of receipts ..... just in case .. and it has saved my bacon a lot of times.

If you had your receipt you'd have been sorted straight away.
 
@Molecatcher

You don't need a receipt, only proof of purchase. Did you pay cash or did you use a laser or credit card. If you used a card and this was the only item purchased there shouldn't be any problem. If you used a card with more items included in the shop it may take some arguing but that still stands as proof of purchase. I'd be arguing for a full refund if it were me.
 
short version

Made an Aldi purchase of a MP4 player a year or so ago, stopped charging after 2/3 months, had receipt, brought back to store, manager refused to deal with it, "use the helpline", calmly gave my rights to him, same response word for word re helpline (obviously co. policy), noticed a gentleman in a suit that was attracting his attention so I asked him was he Aldi employee that I could talk to, he said no, hhhmmmmm, ignored manager and went over to whom turned out to be the area manager, amazingly he gave the same response, I calmly and politely refused to back down, he started to walk away, I asked for his name/manager name for my Small Claims Court, he then asked me into to canteen to take the matter off the floor, I refused and asked for my product complaint to be dealt with, he made a phonecall and then proceeded to issue a refund, all along I was talking to both the area and store manager, I would ask the same request word for word and they would give me the same response word for word, took 45minutes but I got my entitlement.
The bit that sticks in my head was not the above but AFTER I was given my refund the manager turns to me and said that I could have just handed the product to him and he would have had to have taken it and issued a refund because the helpline is distinct from the store, I smiled, turned on my feet and did my weekly shop in the store.
I still shop weekly in the store and will continue to do so, bottom line is they offer products at good value so I have to think of the big picture and not this isolated incident.
My biggest learning was to always remain calm and stand up for your consumer rights.
 
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