In brief……
I bought an item, it stopped working, I sent it back to the online retailer.

They agreed it was faulty, and offered to replace.
Then they followed up saying it was out of stock, did i want vouchers?
I said no thanks, I’ll wait.
They then said, oopps, no, its not on back order, we wont be getting anymore of that item in, here’s your vouchers.

The replacement item (new model) is 15 pounds more than the vouchers (and the price i paid for the item)
So should i be asking for enough vouchers to replace the faulty item? or are they right in refunding the price i actually paid?

you should get your money back that you paid (but no more) (and not vouchers)

Can you buy the new item somwhere else for the £15 lower price or is their ‘new price’ as good as anyone ?

Vouchers, WTF? Replace or refund. I’m guessing this is some shonky discount outfit, not John Lewis or similar!

So the original item has been replaced with a newer model. The shop carries the newer model at £15 more than I paid for the original item. I can find the original item for the same price I paid elsewhere. But they have offered me vouchers (which expire in 3 mths)
And it’s not a shonky little outfit it’s a pretty massive company….

So I can’t insist on an equivalent replacement but I can ask for a cash refund then go and buy it somewhere else?

My hunch is that you should have had cash as this was clearly their fault. Refund on the basis of goods not of merchantable quality

But can they now claim that you excepted vouchers?

PS So glad you didn’t say what it was. Leaves us wondering what it as that you bought that’s to embarrassing to mention on here

i had the same recently (sort of). bought some outdoor trainers and the tread wore down in less than 6 months. sent them back and the retailer admitted that this should not have happened and that they would send them back to the manufacturer for inspection. a few days later they could replace the shoes like for like but they suspected the tread was a design fault so i probably would have sent them back in another 6 months.

they could have been awkward and said it was wear and tear of given me a voucher but they didnt…they gave me a full refund including the cost of sending them back…thats how it should be done

it was a german retailer by the way…ze germans are good!

Its no longer the sale of goods zact and I can’t be bothered to google it for you

However itys really clear – vouchers are no good enopugh – repair / replace/ refund are the choices and in your case it should be refund

They’ve offered to replace with the newer more expensive item, so everyone’s happy

(It was chain reaction if anyone was interested)

Did you write to them and ask for the newer model or did they just offer it? I thought they had given you vouchers already

They emailed the vouchers, I questioned it and they offered to cancel the vouchers and replace with the newer model.
Always had great customer service from them, so happy with the outcome (apart from the slightly OCD problem that the old left hand one is silver and the new replacement right hand is black

I assume you didn’t use vouchers for the original purchase ? I reckon they’d be within their rights to refund in the same way