Comet - be warned before you buy (Comet)

Member Name: Lala2

Product:	Comet
Date:	22/04/06 (1879 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They normally have quite a good product range

Disadvantages: They repay your loyal custom by ripping you off

We bought an LCD television from Comet on the Purley Way, Croydon on Monday 17th to put in our kitchen. Because we don't have a connection to the outside aerial in the kitchen, we also bought an indoor aerial. We took the television and aerial straight home, set it all up and to our dismay the reception was awful, so bad that we simply couldn't watch it. The aerial that we chose was flat - it was ideal because it said on the box that it could be placed behind or in a cupboard. We looked at other aerials in Comet and Curry's but they were all far too chunky.

So we decided to give it up and take the TV and aerial back. We didn't have time to do it on the same day, so took it back to the same branch of Comet on the following Wednesday evening.

After taking ages to scrutinise the TV and conclude that it wasn't faulty, the sales assistant disappeared off, only to come back and say that we couldn't have a refund because the packaging had been opened. I couldn't believe my ears! How were we supposed to decide whether it was suitable or not without opening the packaging???

She offered us a refund, but only of 70% of the purchase price, the justification being that the TV would now have to be sold as second hand at a knock-down price. Despite the fact that I repeatedly explained that the TV had been out of it's box for 15 minutes, maximum. All they needed to do was sellotape the box back up.

I also pointed out that at no point during the sales process was it explained to me that I couldn't bring the TV back if it wasn't faulty. It was pointed out that the returns policy is printed on the back of the receipt, but what good is that when I've already purchased the product???

I spent an hour and a half in the store trying to explain to the staff that I can't very well decide whether the picture on the TV is good enough to watch, without taking the TV out of the box. They all seemed to agree with me, but were unwilling to refund me the full purchase price. So I left the store and took my TV with me. I then spent half an hour at home telling the same story to the customer services supervisor at their head office, with no avail.

Strangely enough, they did refund me full price for the aerial, which had also been opened. Double standards or what!

I'm now stuck with a TV which I've paid for but can't watch.

I note that Comet run a "clearance" website, where they auction off damaged or returned goods. This is obviously a lucrative business for them, as they return only 70% of the customer's money and then re-sell the item online at almost full price. Perhaps that's how they really make their money.

I've bought hundreds of pounds worth of stuff from Comet in the past (we spent another £110 on a DAB radio on the very same day we bought the TV - thank goodness that's OK) and this is how they repay me.

Summary: I will NEVER shop there again, even if they are the cheapest. An absolute scandal. :-(