Consumers Association

[Cahill12]

Is anyone aware if there is an equivalent of the Consumers Association in France.  We purchased an oven 18 months ago from a local electrical retailer (part of a large chain).  For the first 12 months we were unable to use the grill as the door would lock and it was impossible to open it for at least 30 minutes (lots of well done food).  The after sales man spent so much time at the house he was fast becoming part of the family.    The retailer then decided to seek advice from the manufacturer and was advised it was a manufacturing fault and all the electronics had to be replaced.   Will not bore anyone with how long it took to get the new parts, but suffice to say the first lot didn't work and a new set had to be ordered.    We are now unable to leave the kitchen with anything in the oven as it switches itself off when it feels like it.  Also it is impossible to adjust the temperature as this has stopped working.   Registered letters have been exchanged demanding that the oven be properly repaired or replaced, but the retailer puts the problem with the manufacturer and of course the manufacturer passes it straight back.   The manufacturers head office in Paris doesn't even reply to our faxes and letters.     Husband is all for junking the oven and starting again, but it was a pretty expensive piece of equipment and I would like to exhaust all avenues first.   Any ideas. 

[Will]

The culture is rather different in France, it's more a case of 'caveat emptor' rather than 'the customer is king'. But things are gradually changing. In answer to your question, the nearest French equivalent to the British CA can be found at www.quechoisir.org.

[Lori]

Not sure if this will help, but you can take a look at this:

http://www.afas-siamois.com/textes_code_consom_l_211-4a14.htm (in French)

and maybe print off a copy for sending to the retailer AND the manufacturer.

And this:

www.consulegis.com/html/articles/Sale_consumer_goods.pdf  (in English)

[Will]

I don't know if the manufacturer in this case is French or international, but when we had a similar difficulty with a French retailer and importer, neither of which would accept responsibility for repairing or replacing a faulty item, I got on to the European HQ in Britain. They soon sorted out their French subsidiary and the item was replaced, albeit very reluctantly and not exactly with great haste. It may have helped that I mentioned I needed the thing to do my work as a journalist...