QUOTE(bobziekins @ Dec 23 2009, 12:38 PM)
Ohhh, I got a new phone for my birthday. It was a skype phone, from 3. I asked for an S2 phone from 3, my friends have it and say it's really good. My parents got one slightly cheaper which wasn't actually made by 3. Anyhow, it seemed to be a good phone, and I was really happy with it
Then msn and skype both wouldn't work. I phoned up the 3 helpline, and followed all of their instructions. I called up skype and followed their instructions. I checked the connection in our area- it should be really strong. Still neither worked, so they told me to take it back to the shop, where despite the fact that it was opened, they should give me a refund as it's faulty hardware.
Took it back to currys, where my parents and I had a long debate with the man at customer services. He said that "it wasn't a fault in the hardware, because all of the other internet functions work, therefore it's not a faulty product, and we can't refund it, it must be a problem with the connectivity in your area". so, all the other internet functions work, but it's a problem with connectivity?
we showed him it wouldn't work with my account, it wouldn't work with his skype or msn account, we checked the shop connection, we checked on his phone (it worked), we reinstalled it, it wouldn't work. He said that we should contact skype and 3, WHICH WE HAD
he checked our area connection. Also, hundreds and hundreds of text messages had been coming through from the same person, saying "no message", I had contacted the person they were supposedly from (my grandpa) who said that there was no evidence of the text messages being sent, the sent box didn't have them in, he hadn't sent them, they were just appearing. Overall about 70 of them. It apparently still wasn't a fault in the phone. We went round and round in circles, the law states doesn't it that if you're not happy with a product, and it doesn't work for the intention you brought it for, then you should be able to get a full refund?
His closing argument was that if it wasn't opened, he would have been able to refund it, so it's our own fault for opening it. WELL HOW ON EARTH WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF IT DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT OPENING IT?!?!?!?!
Urfff, I know it's not his fault, and it's his job to say it, but just the way he did it, really smug, and like "I'm right, you're wrong, I will NOT give in, I won't even check with any other staff, I'm just right". We said that we could bring it up with statutory rights or something, and he said "yesss, well you could do that, but you would have to hire out a professional to state the hardware indeed does not work, then you would have to bring it up with our head office, and then you would get your money back, but you would have probably spent more than the phone is worth doing that". Smug moron.
So now we have a skype phone, which skype won't work on. Pah.
Sorry for the long moan.
Ok, so following the...erm...slight...recorder palava I've had this year, I'm pretty good with the whole faulty product laws.
If you buy a product/service, you're entitled to expect it to fulfill its purpose for a 'reasonable' amount of time (which varies depending on what the thing is but, in this case, I'd have thought you're well within it!). If it does not work properly, you're NOT necessarily entitled to a full refund. You have to take it back to the shop it was bought from and they're entitled to try and repair it and if that doesn't work, you have to accept a like-for-like replacement if they can't fix it. If they can't replace it, then they have to give you a full OR PARTIAL refund, depending on how long you'd had the product/what state it's in as a result of you using it (so, in this case, you'd hope that would be a full refund, but you have to be prepared for them not to agree to that because the amount has to be 'reasonable on for both sides').
Also, you have to be able to prove that you didn't cause whatever damage/problem there is. You might find that the shop denies that there's a problem with the phone (which sounds like it mihgt case here), in which case you need to get the opinion of an 'expert' and possibly take the shop to court if they still don't agree to repair/replace/refund.
Do everything in writing and keep copies and dates of any correspondance.
Hopefully, you shouldn't have too much of a problem with them - they ought to sort themselves ought a bit when you start quoting the relevant bits of consumer laws at them.
Before doing anything though, I'd ring up local trading standards people (you can probably get the number through the your local council's website) to check exactly where you stand and what you're entitled to. If you're not completley clear about what they're saying, ask them to clarify again, because you don't want to end up where I did where they'd given me the impression I was entitled to a full refund, I spent ages tracking down an expert's opinion, then rang up to ask what to do next and was told I would have to accept a repair again or a replacement with a not-so-nice recorder or a (very) partial refund.
Also, whatever you do DO NOT USE THE PHONE AT ALL! You want to be able to say that you haven't touched it since X date, therefore they can't claim that you've made the problem worse than it was.
Fingers crossed you'll get this sorted out quickly.
Sarah
I feel fine? 
) Will persuade her that we will go via Wickes in order that I can buy all of the above.
Hope you feel a bit better now - see you on Saturday! (If you're around before ie Friday night, feel free to come over 
We can wear the dunce hats! 
Think my flute is coming to work with me tomorrow as well as my treble and clari - there'll be no-one else in and no neighbours to annoy. 
)
How is your wife now? Feeling better I hope.