Cot Return

Bought a baby cot for lots of money (about €400+ ) from local baby shop about 5 weeks ago. It comes in a flat pack box and requires assembling.

About 2 weeks ago I took the cot bits from the box and started assembling.

Fairly early on I noticed there was a very specialised screw (double ended screw that is all twisty) missing.

We went back to shop to get another screw bit. He said he would have to contact the manufacturers (in Uk) to get one.

So we have been waiting for about 2 weeks now and the screw has still not arrived.

What are our rights on taking the (incomplete) cot back to the shop and getting a full refund (so that we can buy the same (complete) cot from another shop immediately).

The problem is that the box that it came in is fairly wrecked (had to rip it, to get the bits out easily).

(Usually I would be patient and wait for this to be resolved but baby is too big for the carrycot now).

First off it is the retailer and not the manufacturer who is responsible to you in this context. If the parts were not complete or intact then the item was not fit for the purpose for which it was sold and you should be entitled to a refund or replacement. Ideally you probably should have checked all the parts first (as the instructions for flat packs usually recomment) but that may not matter. the ideal solution might be if the retailer can expedite the replacement of the faulty part. You could contact the manufacturer directly (although your "contract" is not with them but the retailer). I have found manufacturers of flat pack stuff to be very helpful in providing spare parts even when this was really the retailer's responsibility. Could the retailer not take the part out of another item in stock and then replace it with the part on order from the manufacturer thus solving your problem and freeing them from you hassling/complaining to them?

Thanks for above.

Lets just say he is a very small operator. He did say that if he did have another cot he would take the bit from that. He did offer us a screw that was far too big (but suggested that we take a hacksaw to it !)

The thing is, to make sure you have all the bits, you need to rip all the packaging open anyway and there is no evidence that I started assembling the cot.

I know that when we go back asking about the screw (that he has supposedly ordered) - he will probably give out about the manufacturer and prob say he will phone them again etc... but we are starting to get desperate and can't wait another 2-3 weeks. We also contacted the manufacturer for a replacement screw (worst case, we will have a spare screw!)

Its looking increasingly likely that we will need to take it back to the shop (and try and tape up the box) for a refund. He is probably going to be annoyed by the packaging being ripped and not being able to resell but at the end of the day the cot was incomplete.

However, if we go down this route we will prob have to take our custom elsewhere (I wouldn't be comfortable going back there) - which would mean another town. Thats life.

It might be worth trying some local hardware shops to see if they have a screw that fits the cot.

OK - I thought that you had actually started assembling it. If not and it is just the packaging that is torn then I can't see that you should have any problem getting a refund especially if you had to do this to check the parts anyway. Take the lot back and insist on a refund. If there are any problems mention/contact the [broken link removed], and/or if necessary.

I have a slightly similar situation that i could use some guidance on.

I recently bought two flat pack lockers, v expensive but thats not the issue (although it contributes to my frustration.)

Brought the flat packs home and unpacked one of them. Follwed the first 3 steps whcih involded attaching some parts etc but when I came to step 4, the specified screw would not screw deep enough into the bore. This leaves me with a partially assembled unit which i cannot complete.

Does this qulaify as faulty goods? I'm going to bring the two packs back anyhow at the weekend and insist on a refund. Any opinions/pointers welcome.

Are you 100% sure that you are using the correct part? Speaking from experience it's quite easy to use the wrong part and think that things are faulty. If you are using the correct part and it is indeed faulty then check the packaging for contact details for the manufacturer - often they supply spare or replacement parts gratis if you contact them immediately. Obviously the retailer and not the manufacturer is primarily responsibly for the goods if they are indeed faulty but many flat pack manufacturers will sent parts to customers. Again - I know this from experience.

All fair points clubman. I was thinking the same thing myself, having had much experience of flat packs and all the fun that goes with them. But basically I spent a couple of hours staring at the instructions, “partsing” the various bits and there is no way I couldn't have been wrong.

To make it worse, there screws were the self tapping wood kind so now the bore is useless anyway.

Brought it back to the shop this evening (place in carrickmines.) Assistant looked at me in horror when I asked for a trolley to bring the packs in. Told me that I couldn’t bring it back to this particular store, I would have to bring it to Blanchardstown. I explained that since I had bought and paid for the goods in Carrickmines, I wasn’t bringing back to anywhere else. Manager arrives on the scene, allows me to take said goods down the back. When I got back to the main counter she tells me that she cannot help me but has put in a customer service report and I will get a call from the customer service department on Monday. Basically I was stonewalled from that point on no matter what I asked. So now I have to wait for CS to ring me. Grrrr……

Do they have the goods now? Did you get a receipt for this (separate from your purchase receipt)?

Yes, they have the goods and no I didn't get a recipept, never even thought of it! This could work out badly...