First question on this forum.
I presumed grey imports were from overseas or online stores. Is this so?
The reason I ask is because my sons LG phone bought from JB Hi Fi store, died after 12 months and 3 weeks….grrr (3 weeks after warranty). Anyway we approach JB Hi Fi and they would not agree to any repair work due to it being out of warranty. Next we try LG itself and they inform us that the mobile, going by its serial number is a grey import and wont even help at all. Well were surprised. I knew about grey imports and hence chose to pay more for a phone bought from a store locally. But now we are informed that it is a grey import. Is this the case that stores in Australia sell grey imports?
Any enlightenment would be appreciated.
Grey Imports from Australian Store
LJBbargainhunter on 28/07/2017 - 16:54
Comments
my sons LG phone bought from JB Hi Fi store
Right here.. ^ ^
I would advise you to familiarise yourself with Australia's new consumer laws, introduced in the last 2 years or so.
I am sorry, I am really short on time at the moment, but you may find you are in a position where the consumer laws may allow you to still claim warranty from the retailer.I am sure some one else will chime in with further information.
Law was introduced in 2010 and came into effect on 1 January 2011.
Source: https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Consumer%20Guarantees%2…How time flies!
Just because the phone is 3 weeks out of warranty does not mean you are not entitled to a repair. Read, https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees… . Push JB Hi-Fi hard for a repair, stand your ground.
No, if they did not state that it was a grey import, then it should be genuine Australian Stock. I would believe that JB Hi-Fi would be an authorised seller. I would get to the bottom of this real fast. Maybe start with calling LG again and verify the serial number again.
Yep. Will reverify the serial number with LG. Thanks
I think the magic words here are "statutory warranty" — try to tell JB Hi-Fi about that consumers should reasonably expect their phones to work for 24 months. See also Consumer Warranties at ACCC.
https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/consumer-guarantees-rep…
There is no time limit specified in legislation, it states the goods should be lasting ie. last a reasonable time.
For those that think they can say.. oh.. I think 1000 years is reasonable. You could if it was a pyramid, maybe, but not a smartphone. Well.. unless they implied it would last 1000 years.
Reasonableness is a concept in Aussie Law.
I believe 2 years has become the unwritten expectation, thanks to the fact phones can be purchased on a 2 year contract, and should be expected to last the life of the contract.
And the battery starts to crap out not too long after. YMMV.
You are correct that a phone must last the length of the contract.
However let me show you a counter example to the 2 years. (Not an Apple fangirl, I hate their walled garden)https://images.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPh…
Lets say you bought an iPhone 7 and in 2.5 years it breaks. OzBargain would say tough tomatos.
Here's something cool: https://images.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPh…
Search for the word "year"
• Customer use: Apple conservatively assumes a three-year period for power use by first owners.
I'd say given Apple assumes a three-year period for it's own environmental report it would be reasonable the phone should last that long. I've had a 2 and a bit year iPad with no AppleCare replaced by using this.
Isn't reasonableness defined by sound reasoning?
Can confirm - I worked for a few short, gruelling weeks on the Apple helpline… the words we were told to NEVER utter were Statutory Warranty … and if we heard a customer say them, they were to be shown through the hidden curtain into RepairLand
And failing all those suggestions then try Bikies
Maybe not….. But thanks for the suggestion
Thanks for all the responses. Very helpful and feel more confident to push our point.
We have now gone back to JB Hi Fi and applied the ACCC pressure. They have accepted the phone and at this stage are paying for the phone to be sent off to a repairers. Not sure what happens from then though, but hopefully a positive response.
What I find most galling though is that we were sold an instore from JB Hi Fi grey import but JB Hi Fi had not disclosed this fact. Are they even allowed to do this?If you did get it from JB and you have the reciept, I would definitely be checking with LG about if it is genuine Australian stock and if its not, get JB to swap it for a genuine one. Because I'm sure LG would be very interested to know if a large business is parallel importing.
Ignore all this out of warranty bs.
Go read this: https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/consumer-guarantees-rep…
Nvm I see you already did that, good work! Screw businesses that try to scam you.
bookmarking this post so I can link it in response for the next time someone says "i'm buying my device in a B&M store so I don't get a grey import…."
Grey imports from b&m stores here is nothing new. MSY have been doing it for years. Gigabyte wouldn't honour warranty repair/replacement if the item came from MSY because of it. Of course, MSY are such a pleasure to deal with for warranty, why would you shop anywhere else?
My little brother bought a phone from Dick Smith Austraia for $300 more than a grey import because he wanted to have a warrant if anything went wrong. Turns out it was a grey import and we had to fight really hard just to be able to return the phone the day it arrived- in the end reversing the credit card transaction made them come around. It's such bullshit! It should be clearly advertised as a grey import. If I were you I would go hard at JB like other commenters have said. Contact the ACCC, see if your credit card can do anything… good luck!
You may as well name and shame.