Update on my complaint with @SharafDG regarding a faulty iA100 (iPad/iPhone docking station)

Sharaf DG were quick to respond to my online complaint and on 27^th February I received the following email:

The same day (27 February 2012) I received a call from Sharaf DG’s customer service department in Bahrain. The call was courteous and polite. Following the call I visited Sharaf DG’s customer service department and presented my defective iPad/iPhone docking station (iA100). The Sharaf DG employee handling my case was courteous, polite and helpful throughout. He explained to me that Sharf DG’s after sales care was geared to working with a receipt and searched his records in an effort to locate my receipt. Sadly, we had no success finding the receipt. Despite this the Sharaf DG employee explained that the company’s technician may be able to help but in the meantime if I could find the receipt that would help.

Today (1^st March 2012), I reviewed my bank statements and found a purchase I made at Sharaf DG on 26^th February 2011. Could this be my purchase of the defective iPad/iPhone docking station (iA100)? I provided the date to Sharaf DG’s customer service department and they subsequently informed me this was the date I had purchased the iA100. Finally the receipt (from Sharaf DG’s records) had been found! Was this the end of the story? Was I now entitled to my rights? Would I get my device fixed, replaced or perhaps a refund?

Well, the answers to these questions are still unknown. The helpful customer service employee explained to me that the warranty was for 1 year and as the anniversary of my purchased had passed a few days ago maybe I wouldn’t be covered and he would liaise with the supplier to see what could be done.  I said that I would wait for the decision of the supplier but I explained I had made a verbal complaint several weeks ago (which I didn’t pursue at the time as I was told I couldn’t make a claim without a receipt) BUT I had started this complaint within the 1 year warranty period (see Sharaf DG’s internal email above whereby they acknowledge my complaint on the 25^th February 2012).

Not long after my call with Sharaf DG’s customer service employee I received the following messages via Twitter and Facebook:

Sharaf DG Online Hello Paul Mercer, we thank you for agreeing to the paid service. As a policy, we offer after sales services to customers with reference to the sales invoice. We expect our customers to retain the invoice as proof of purchase. The policy is in line with the authorities governing consumer laws. The retailers keep the record of their customers for their internal usage.

5 hours ago · Like

You can imagine my slight surprise at these messages. I didn’t think I had agreed to the “paid service”. I was actually waiting to hear whether I was covered by the 1 year warranty now that evidence of my purchase had been located in Sharaf DG’s records. Indeed, I suspect that these messages were sent by a customer service employee who was unaware of the recent development in my case (i.e. the finding of my receipt in Sharaf DG’s records). 

I am now waiting to hear from Sharaf DG as to whether the 1 year warranty applies to me now that my receipt has been located.

I will write more later on Sharaf DG's comment "We expect our customers to retain the invoice as proof of purchase. The policy is in line with the authorities governing consumer laws. The retailers keep the record of their customers for their internal usage."

I will update this blog as and when there are developments.