BecexTech, Techrific, and CatchDeal Sold Refurbished Phones, Tablets as 'New', Forced by ACCC to Offer Refunds

Aniseed Steed on 13/12/2017 - 10:54

Customers who purchased "new" mobile phones and tablets from three online retailers before September this year will be offered refunds after the consumer watchdog found the products were actually refurbished.

The ACCC today said BecexTech, Techrific, and CatchDeal had admitted to contravening Australian consumer law.

The watchdog received 96 complaints about BecexTech, 34 complaints about Techrific, and 60 about CatchDeal for advertising refurbished electronic products as "new".

"One consumer spent $608.95 on an Apple iPhone 6 from BecexTech, believing that the product was new," the ACCC said.

"After the iPhone failed within three days, the consumer took the phone to an Apple store only to be told that that same phone had previously been purchased two years prior in the United States."

A separate customer bought two iPhones from CatchDeal that were advertised as "new" and "sealed', but later found out from Apple that both had been purchased in 2015, and repaired with third-party displays, the ACCC said.

Customers reported similar issues with Samsung devices.

“When you sell a product as new but it is made of used parts, you are clearly breaching the law by making a false or misleading representation,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said in a statement.

The retailers have agreed to change their advertising to clearly mark products that are either refurbished or not Australian versions.

They will contact customers who were misled about their purchases to offer redress.

A notice will also be published by all three notifying customers about their undertaking to the ACCC, and the retailers have pledged "not [to] engage in this type of conduct any further," the watchdog said.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/aussie-online-retailers-sold-…

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Comments

  • CyberMurning on 13/12/2017 - 11:02
    +2

    BecexTech —> avoid

  • spackbace on 13/12/2017 - 11:56

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/forum/becextech.com.au

    yep, a lot of hate

  • Twodogs on 13/12/2017 - 12:14
    +1

    I'd avoid them all , and the line about them contacting people they have sold the phones to that they misled , i mean really why would the Accc believe a company thats just lied and sold you a refurb as new would acutally contact all the the people they ripped off ? Bollocks , Ozbargain should have a link on the top of the page containing a list of retailers that have been found guilty of ripping people off .

    • D C on 13/12/2017 - 14:07
      +1

      Entirely possible they were sold the phones as 'new' by the distributor.

      Plenty of fakes & refurbs in the supply chain, and plenty of ways for them to make it into there.

  • Diji1 on 13/12/2017 - 12:22
    +3

    One day they'll actually jail someone who runs a business like this. Hopefully.

  • DaTa on 14/12/2017 - 08:33

    Had similar issues years ago with a company called techoni never picked up their phones etc scam artists sold some shit version of a Samsung s3 they have changed names to something else now.

  • one5tar on 12/01/2018 - 00:52

    Don't buy from BecexTech!!!

    Horrible unethical business.

    BXT International Limited (BXT International) (Hong Kong CR number 1440086)
    http://registers.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1204…

    On 22/12/2017 I had purchased a camera, lens, mobile and accessories from BecexTech. As of today, I have only received the camera and lens. The accessories are missing and the mobile sent was used and faulty. As I desperately needed a phone I had to paid $400 to repair my existing cracked mobile, hence I have no use for another phone, nor do I want a faulty used phone.

    As of today, BecexTech have ignore my request for a refund and insisted that they have done nothing wrong. Will be reporting them to fair trading, ACCC and any other legal bodies where appropriate. Please walk away from this unethical business and tell others not to shop from them.

    As per 87B Undertaking - BXT International Limited - signed 12 December 2017,

    BXT International undertakes that for all products advertised for sale on the BecexTech website which are not new for the main headline description to start with “REFURBISHED” OR “USED”. And not "Special Price Renew Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB 4G LTE" as was the case with me.

    BecexTech Australia has admitted that it has contravened the Australia Consumer Law in the way that it described its products and responded to requests for refunds. BecexTech Australia have misled me into purchasing a 'used' product believing it to be 'new' and genuine.

    Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumers are entitled to choose to receive a full refund of the amount they paid for a product when that product failed to meet the consumer guarantees. For my purchased order of $6,371.50, which included a camera, lens, mobile and accessorises, I have only received only the camera and lens. The accessories are missing and the mobile received was 'used' and faulty.

    As per court enforceable undertaking, BXT International Limited are to provide the shipping cost for the return of faulty goods. Therefore, I expect a refund of purchased price $6,344.95 + return shipping $26.55, total $6,371.50.

    The business refused to refund me my money and insist that they have done nothing wrong. Any help?

  • SurprisedBythis on 14/03/2018 - 02:01

    I never realised Becextech had such a bad reputation.

    I've bought stuff from them in the past (like a decade ago, Nokia N8, Sony Tablet S) and I had no problems.

    I was considering buying some Google glasses from them a couple of years ago too.

    It's sad to see that they have done this to people.

    I knew their products where from China though because everything shipped with an international adaptor.

    I thought they must import their stuff.

  • SurprisedBythis on 14/03/2018 - 02:02

    Usually their parcels have a Chinese address under sender (just like a lot of stuff on Ebay).

    Only reason I know they had complaints made about them was I was just watching the Checkout TV series and there was a complaint there about them over an iPhone.

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