U-Buy does U-turn on faulty pool table

Cherie Taputoro is annoyed that a pool table she bought from U-Buy was not up to scratch. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 0401013WCSMPOOL TABLE1

An Auckland company has acknowledged it got it wrong and has promised to make right faulty goods bought by a Wanganui woman.

Cherie Taputoro thought she was buying a brand new pool table for her family but instead she got a lemon.

Ms Taputoro has been paying $20 a week since February 2 this year to pay off the $1600 purchase from Auckland company U-Buy.

The table, with a pool cue, was delivered to her Wanganui East home on September 2 but some parts of the table were scratched and the cue appeared to have been used.

"But worse than that we can't even get to table off the ground because there are no screws to attach the legs to the table," she said.

She bought the table because she said it would be something everyone in her family could enjoy.

A salesman from U-Buy called at her home early this year and she picked the table from a brochure he showed her.

"He wouldn't leave the brochure here. Just showed me and on that basis I signed up for a table that cost about $1600."

Ms Taputoro began making automatic payments to U-Buy of $20 a week starting on February 2. She never missed a payments and on September 2 - eight months after signing up - the table arrived.

"It was delivered by a Mainfreight truck but as soon as we unloaded it I noticed scratches on the table legs and the pool cue definitely looks as if it's been used. And there were no screws to attach the legs to the table. It's useless," she said.

She called U-Buy but said it has steadfastly refused to take the pool table back or replace it.

"First, they reckoned I damaged it and then they claimed the trucking company damaged it. I didn't damage it and the freight company didn't either," she said. Exasperated, Ms Taputoro went to Community Legal Advice Whanganui (CLAW).

"They told me to stop payments immediately and that's what I've done," she said.

But yesterday a company spokesperson called the Chronicle to say it would be making amends.

Joi Paki, customer care manager, said U-Buy had "dropped the ball on this one" after Ms Taputoro had complained.

"We acknowledge there has been a delay in responding to her but we never said we wouldn't be replacing the table. That definitely will happen and she should get the replacement table next week," Ms Paki said. "We haven't treated Ms Taputoro right." Ms Paki said U-Buy would also be "throwing in" $200 worth of Pak n Save vouchers.