I’m disabled and spend my life watching TV – but Currys won’t refund me for faulty £250 model

Q) CURRYS is refusing to refund or replace our faulty TV and we don’t know what to do.

My girlfriend is disabled and virtually housebound and spends a lot of time watching TV.

We bought a new model from Currys for £250 in June, but when we got it home it would only store 56 channels, so we took it back.

Currys didn’t have a replacement model available, so we bought a different TV for an extra £20.

But when we got this home, the picture was grainy and poor quality.

I tried to return it the next day, but Currys refused to take it back as it said there was nothing wrong with it.

Can they really refuse our money back?

Simon Cozens, Weston Super Mare

A) I was really surprised to hear about your case, as generally, retailers allow customers to bring back items within a certain time frame if they change their mind.

However, this is not a legal right. Businesses are only obliged to offer a full refund or exchange if the item is faulty.

In your first instance, you returned the LG TV and they agreed to replace it as they were aware of the issue you raised.

You then said the second TV had a grainy picture, which you argued is a fault.

But Currys said this was simply the model of the TV and would not issue a refund.

However, as you were clearly determined to buy a TV, I don’t think it would have hurt for Currys to replace it for a model you were happy with.

You explained to the company that you spend a lot of time watching TV because your girlfriend has mobility problems that mean she can’t leave the house often.

When I raised this with Currys, a spokesperson said staff had followed standard company procedure as it typically only refunds customers if the item has a manufacturing fault.

However, the firm agreed that your case was more nuanced and has now offered to let you exchange the TV again for a model you're satisfied with, alongside an extra gesture of goodwill.

A spokesperson for Currys said: “We were very sorry to hear about our customer’s experience shopping with us and understand their frustration.

“We are pleased that a resolution has been reached and accepted, with the customer receiving an exchange and a £50 voucher as a gesture of goodwill.

“This is due to take place next week when the customer visits the Currys store, and we will stay in touch with them until the case has come to a close and they are satisfied.”

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