How to complain about consumer electronics?

 

There’s nothing worse than unwrapping your new electronic product, excitedly plugging into the socket to start using it, and then nothing happens. Or, more likely, that a product not works like how it should work.

Despite the fact that on average less than 1% of consumer electronics are faulty, you should know what to do when you receive a product or customer service you’re not happy with.

So whether your brand new hair straighteners don’t even turn on, or your new fridge has stopped working within 6 months, here’s how you should approach resolving the situation to your satisfaction.

What to Do If You’ve Received a Faulty Product?

Whilst it’s incredibly frustrating that your electronics products have let you down, you shouldn’t resort to launching an official compliant initially. You need to let the company you bought your product from put it right in the first instance.

If you purchased your goods from a retailer and they’re faulty upon arrival, then it’s them you should contact rather than the manufacturers, since you’ll be covered under their returns policies.

However, if your product breaks down or has a fault within later on within the period of the warranty (generally at least 6 months to 1 year depending on the type of product), then it’s the manufacturer you should approach to seek a resolution.

electronics complaint

Get in contact with their customer services (via email is best as you create a paper trail), explain the nature of the fault, include pictures of the item along with its fault (if known), before including a copy of your paperwork proving your date of purchase and the product’s serial number within your correspondence.

Most reputable companies will take swift action at this point to rectify the situation, usually providing a replacement product or offering to repair it for no cost.

When Do You Have Grounds to Complain?

So if you shouldn’t necessarily complain in the first instance, when do you have the right to?

Firstly, you can complain immediately if the faulty product caused you serious physical and/or emotional harm (or could have). Depending on the nature of the issue you may have grounds for legal proceedings, but you would have to speak to a lawyer to understand your rights in these specific scenarios.

consumer electronic complaint

Next, the majority of complaints surrounding consumer electronics arise from their lack of customer service when a product let’s a purchaser down. If a manufacturer tries to get out of their warranty or guarantee obligations, then you have a right to complain, as you do if they are taking an excessive amount of time to resolve your situation.

How Should You Complain?

Most large-scale manufacturers have an official complaints procedure which you can initiate from their own website. Whilst some companies take official complaints launched in this way very seriously, other’s try and ignore them.

So what other options are there?

Social media is increasingly becoming a great tool to try and get your complaint resolved quickly. Manufacturers don’t want unhappy customers airing their grievances publicly and therefore will usually react much faster to investigate your specific case.

It also makes sense to file a complaint on our website to make your situation as public as possible, increasing exposure and the likelihood to get your complaint resolved 😃

What Are the Possible Results of a Successful Complaint?

In the first instance, a successful complaint will result in you either having your product replaced or repaired free of charge.

Depending on the seriousness of the fault, you may receive compensation from the manufacturer. If legal proceedings are launched off the back of your complaint, you could also receive a payment in the form of damages.

Don’t Stand for Faulty Electronic Goods and Poor Customer Service

Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to see your situation resolved is to launch a complaint.

When you do so on our website, not only do you receive a level of publicity your complaint deserves, but we also broadcast your grievance across social media to create a buzz so that companies take swift action.

Therefore, if a consumer electronics company has let you down, select a brand or company below, or click here to go to directly to our complaint form.

Current complaint sentiment: Positive

Our sentiment meter has detected a -26% decline in Consumer Electronics complaints over the past 28 days compared to the average rate.

Updated on March 29, 2024

Consumer Electronics complaints chart

In the graph below you will find a monthly breakdown of the complaints we have received in the category Consumer Electronics over the last 12 months.

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Listed companies in this category: