Poor service from Aria.

[blueball]

I used Aria to buy 4Gb of OCZ memory (2 sets of matched 1Gb sticks). After 2 months one of the memory sticks started playing up and refused to allow the PC to boot if it was fitted. I tried to RMA it to Aria but their website told me that it had to be returned to OCZ directly. This cost me a further £20 as I had to send it to the netherlands.

I then found out that legally Aria should have dealt with the RMA as the purchase contract was between me and Aria and not me and OCZ, consequently I asked Aria to refund my £20 but they refused.

just wanted to warn others who might fall into the same trap.

[Saracen]

For reference, when you, as a consumer, buy goods from a retailer in the UK, you have a contract with the SELLER, and consumer laws mean they can't just walk away from that and dump you on the manufacturer.

BUT .... it may well be the case that you have a warranty from the manufacturer that gives you better rights than the seller is obliged to give, and it may be that the best course of action is to rely on that maker's warranty, not the legal protection consumer legislation gives you against the seller.

They can ADVISE you that you may be best off going direct to the maker, if for no reason other than that it may be what they'll do if you return the goods to them (the seller, I mean), and that going direct is therefore faster. But if they refuse to deal with you and insist you go to the manufacturer, then I'd suggest a phone call to Trading Standards, as they have a special place in their hearts for retailers that try that stunt. ,

[blueball]

Here is the text from the RMA page at Aria that you reach by inserting your Order Number:

Manufacturer Warranty
This Item has a Direct manufacturer's warranty. If it is faulty it must be
returned DIRECTLY to them. Contact information can be found clicking
on the link below.
Manufacturer's Website:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/product...er_hpc_edition
Manufacturer's Phone: 0208 892 5454
[Click Here for Support Information]

It is of interest that the telephone number given is incorrect as well and by the sound of the guys voice who answered it has been incorrect for a while!

[JPreston]

I RMA'd something to Aria once, and they never refunded me. It was only ~£20 so I didn't chase and chase it, but then I shouldn't have to chase at all.

They certainly seem a cowboy outfit and I'd never buy from them again. As said above, yes they definitely are obliged to accept returns so have a word with trading standards....go on.....see if you can get my £20 as well

[Agent]

Please please drop TS an email about it, stop others getting caught out.
It'll take 10 mins to do, they'll love you for it, and it will make the world a better place

[Saracen]

Here is the text from the RMA page at Aria that you reach by inserting your Order Number:

Manufacturer Warranty
This Item has a Direct manufacturer's warranty. If it is faulty it must be
returned DIRECTLY to them. Contact information can be found clicking
on the link below.
Manufacturer's Website:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/product...er_hpc_edition
Manufacturer's Phone: 0208 892 5454
[Click Here for Support Information]

It is of interest that the telephone number given is incorrect as well and by the sound of the guys voice who answered it has been incorrect for a while!

Yes, but that refers to the manufacturer's warranty. The odds are you'll find something in their Terms and Conditions that says something like "nothing in these conditions affects your statutory rights".

They CAN'T limit the rights granted to you by statute, and if I remember correctly, will be committing an offence if they even try.


You can read what you quoted above more than one way. Because it comes under the manufacturer's warranty section, when it says "returned DIRECTLY to them", it is (IMHO) referring to taking advantage of the manufacturer's warranty. Any warranty offered b the manufacturer is in addition to your statutory rights, and you can still revert to standing on your rights. It might, as I said before, not be the best course of action, but you can do so. But if you do rely on the warranty, then you have to comply with the terms of it, even if that is returning directly to the manufacturer.

It's certainly not very clear, I grant you, but it can be read that way.

[Agent]

...
It's certainly not very clear, I grant you, but it can be read that way.

I was going on the

If it is faulty it must be returned DIRECTLY to them

That seems pretty clear at what they are getting at though?
No doubt it does have something in their T&C about their statutory rights, but I wouldn't have thought TS would be impressed about using language like that?

[uchiha_itachi]

Please please drop TS an email about it, stop others getting caught out.
It'll take 10 mins to do, they'll love you for it, and it will make the world a better place

Me thinks Agent is slowly turning into Terry Tibbs

[Agent]

Me thinks Agent is slowly turning into Terry Tibbs

LOL. Good spot

Not driving on the wrong side of the road yet

[da_ging]

this has just reminded me that i have still have something that wants returning to them only got a week before it's a year old aswell, now to see if they try and fob me off to the manufacturer or just ignore me like they did the first time i tried to rma it

[Saracen]

....

That seems pretty clear at what they are getting at though?
No doubt it does have something in their T&C about their statutory rights, but I wouldn't have thought TS would be impressed about using language like that?

But that bit about returning directly was in a section headed "Manufacturer's warranty", so I'd read that as referring to the warranty, not to all returns. But it's hard to be sure when looking at the one part out of context, and we don't have the context.