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Getting manuals in English

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  • 14-07-2010 11:03am
    #1
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭


    I bought a camera from Pixmania and received manuals in French, Italian, Dutch and German, but not English. I emailed them to request a manual in English and they refused to send one, pointing at their T&Cs which state:

    "Please note that some products' instruction manuals do not come in English. If the instruction manual does not come in English, this information will be clearly featured in the technical information sheet of the specific product."

    On the product's tech spec sheet it says:

    "Hard copy manuals supplied --- Information available soon"

    Since the information that I wouldn't get a manual in English did not "clearly feature in the technical information sheet" I feel I'm entitled to a manual in English. I pointed this out to them and haven't had a reply after several days.

    I'm just wondering how I might go about escalating this if they refuse to budge? I don't want to sound petty, I know its just a manual, but I feel I should get what I'm entitled to.


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    #2
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    Does the camera manufacturers page not have the manual available for download in English?


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    #3
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    aidan_walsh wrote: »
    Does the camera manufacturers page not have the manual available for download in English?

    Yes, but I want a hard copy that I can slip into the camera bag. Hard copies are selling for 10-20 euros on ebay but I don't think its unreasonable to expect that an original, colour manual is included after spending over €600 on the camera.


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    #4
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    Just download it and print it out on quality paper.

    laminate it if necessary and it will be better than the original.


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    #5
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    Just download it and print it out on quality paper.

    laminate it if necessary and it will be better than the original.

    I think that taking the time + expense of printing/laminating/binding 200 pages is asking a bit much when I should be getting the real thing for free.


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    #6
    fleet
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭fleet


    You bought from a discount French electronics supplier.

    I wouldn't expect a manual in English, even my Pixmania supplied LG TV only had options for France, Hungry and Slovakia as it was designed for those markets. I knew the risks before I bought though.


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    #7
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    fleet wrote: »
    You bought from a discount French electronics supplier.

    I wouldn't expect a manual in English, even my Pixmania supplied LG TV only had options for France, Hungry and Slovakia as it was designed for those markets. I knew the risks before I bought though.

    Well call me ignorant, but I didn't realise they were based in France til I took a look at the parcel tracking website :) That aside, according to their own T&Cs, they should have pointed out that manuals in English would be unavailable, but they didn't. Therefore the goods I received were not as described. My query is about how to rectify that.


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    #8
    RangeR
    Registered Users Posts: 7,265 ✭✭✭RangeR


    cornbb wrote: »
    Well call me ignorant, but I didn't realise they were based in France til I took a look at the parcel tracking website :) That aside, according to their own T&Cs, they should have pointed out that manuals in English would be unavailable, but they didn't. Therefore the goods I received were not as described. My query is about how to rectify that.

    In all honesty, you get what you pay for. A lot of people steer clear of Pixmania for various reasons. A tiny search of CI threads will show a startling angry bunch towards PM. there aftersales is dreadful.

    If you want a decent product for a decent price [not the cheapest] buy from bricks and mortar. MUCH easier to enforce your consumer rights.


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    #9
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    cornbb wrote: »
    I think that taking the time + expense of printing/laminating/binding 200 pages is asking a bit much when I should be getting the real thing for free.

    A 200 page manual for a camera :eek:

    Ipad should be due for Irish release in August, that should fit neatly in your camera bag. :)


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    #10
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    RangeR wrote: »
    In all honesty, you get what you pay for. A lot of people steer clear of Pixmania for various reasons. A tiny search of CI threads will show a startling angry bunch towards PM. there aftersales is dreadful.

    If you want a decent product for a decent price [not the cheapest] buy from bricks and mortar. MUCH easier to enforce your consumer rights.

    Although the money I saved probably made it worth it, it still p*sses me off that I'd get fobbed off because they're a "discount" retailer/they're based abroad. Neither of these facts excuses them from their obligation to sell products as described.
    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    A 200 page manual for a camera :eek:

    Ipad ishould be due out by August, that sgould fit neatly in your camera bag. :)

    If only I could use that to justify an iPad :)


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    #11
    RangeR
    Registered Users Posts: 7,265 ✭✭✭RangeR


    cornbb wrote: »
    Although the money I saved probably made it worth it,
    Obviously not or you wouldn't be here.
    cornbb wrote: »
    it still p*sses me off that I'd get fobbed off because they're a "discount" retailer/they're based abroad. Neither of these facts excuses them from their obligation to sell products as described.

    If you feel that strongly about it, go through Pixmania's dispute resolution process fully [good luck with that one, by the way]. If you are still unhappy, go through Small Claims Court or demand a refund.


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    #12
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    cornbb wrote: »



    If only I could use that to justify an iPad :)

    Would also do as the perfect picture display tool. :)


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    #13
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    cornbb wrote: »
    Well call me ignorant, but I didn't realise they were based in France til I took a look at the parcel tracking website :) That aside, according to their own T&Cs, they should have pointed out that manuals in English would be unavailable, but they didn't. Therefore the goods I received were not as described. My query is about how to rectify that.

    You can go through their fault resolution process - send the camera and packaging back and get a full refund.

    Otherwise, just download the manual from the manufacturer website.


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    #14
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    fleet wrote: »
    You bought from a discount French electronics supplier.

    They are selling into the Irish market though, using a .ie website and charging Irish VAT rates. They should supply the correct documentation for any market they supply to.

    Whether there is a legal requirement for this or not, I don't know. Power plugs must be the correct type (3-pin for UK and Ireland) regardless of where the retailer is based, this is law, but I'm not aware of any similar requirement for documentation.


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    #15
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    RangeR wrote: »
    Obviously not or you wouldn't be here.

    tbh if my grievance isn't resolved it'll have been worth it anyway, having saved over a hundred quid. That doesn't mean I should attempt to have my problem resolved though.
    jor el wrote: »
    They are selling into the Irish market though, using a .ie website and charging Irish VAT rates. They should supply the correct documentation for any market they supply to.

    Whether there is a legal requirement for this or not, I don't know. Power plugs must be the correct type (3-pin for UK and Ireland) regardless of where the retailer is based, this is law, but I'm not aware of any similar requirement for documentation.

    Agreed - and while I don't expect that there's a legal requirement to supply documentation in English, my problem is that the item was not as described. (i.e. they said that they would explicitly tell me if the product didn't come with an english manual, and they did not do that, therefore I expected a manual in english).

    They did include a 2-pin to 3-pin plug adapter btw, which I'm happy to live with.


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    #16
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    jor el wrote: »
    Whether there is a legal requirement for this or not, I don't know. Power plugs must be the correct type (3-pin for UK and Ireland) regardless of where the retailer is based, this is law, but I'm not aware of any similar requirement for documentation.
    There is some legal requirements in some countries, I am not sure about here. I design machines and usually write the manuals to go with some of them, I think if you are "officially" selling in that country you have to have a manual in that native language - I am not certain what this means though, i.e. it could be if we have a proper bricks & mortar agent there. I know you need approvals for the US and we sell one or 2 things to people there, sort of test/prototype/sample machines. I know we had to get several manuals translated, but I think it was just a request from the country and may not have been a legal issue.

    You mention the plugs and I think if sold here it must have the 3 pin plug but if sold to here from abroad it doesn't -or I presume it doesn't since big boys like komplett & pixmania sell 2 pins to here, but include an adaptor, I always thought this was just goodwill and not a legal thing though.


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    #17
    irishfeller
    Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭irishfeller


    I was just delivered an IP phone I bought from Pixmania. It was the german model with german documentation booklet and german language menus. Luckily it had a cd included with English version of documentation which showed how to switch handset languages.

    They should make it clear beforehand if an item is not the English version.


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