News
27 April 2017
Don't deal with this electronics retailer
We’ll be filing a complaint about this company.
An online electronics retailer that advertises goods to Kiwi consumers and claims to have a local office has failed to comply with a court order to refund a customer for a faulty phone. The customer was told she had to pursue the case in Hong Kong against its parent company.
Retailer BecexTech New Zealand (becextech.co.nz) claims to offer the “best value” electronic goods specifically for the New Zealand market. It advertises an “extensive range of top brands” and promises you can “shop with confidence”. According to the company’s website, it has a friendly local support team to help.
In September 2015, Consumer member Penelope bought a $740 iPhone from BecexTech. When the phone failed 4 months later, she sent it back and was given a replacement. But when the replacement failed in October 2016, BecexTech told her its 12-month warranty had expired and wouldn’t accept her claim.
“BecexTech, like any trader operating in New Zealand, has to comply with the CGA. It must guarantee its products are of acceptable quality and provide a remedy when they’re not. If it misleads consumers about their rights, it also risks breaching the Fair Trading Act.”
Penelope was forced to go to the Disputes Tribunal seeking a refund of the iPhone’s cost plus the $80 she’d spent on a temporary replacement. The tribunal referee found the iPhone supplied by BecexTech wasn’t of acceptable quality and Penelope was entitled to a refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA).
The referee said it was “irrelevant” that BecexTech’s 12-month warranty had expired, noting “the guarantees in the act apply irrespective of any warranty the manufacturer or supplier provide”.
BecexTech was ordered to refund $820 to Penelope by 29 March 2017, but failed to do so. The company told us it was not registered in New Zealand and the customer should pursue the matter in Hong Kong. It also said it would appeal the decision in the Hong Kong courts if she did so.
But Consumer adviser Maggie Edwards says the company’s assertion customers have to take their case to the Hong Kong courts is wrong.
“Consumer law applies to all traders who advertise directly to Kiwi consumers, even if the trader is based off-shore,” she says.
“BecexTech, like any trader operating in New Zealand, has to comply with the CGA. It must guarantee its products are of acceptable quality and provide a remedy when they’re not. If it misleads consumers about their rights, it also risks breaching the Fair Trading Act.”
This isn’t the first complaint we’ve had about BecexTech. We advise consumers not to do business with this trader.
If you’ve had a problem with BecexTech, let us know. We’ll be filing a complaint with the Commerce Commission about the cases we receive.
The commission says it’s received reports about BecexTech since 2013, with numbers rising “substantially” last year. Complaints allege the trader has misled consumers about their CGA rights, sold refurbished products as new and used misleading pricing. The commission is currently assessing these reports.
When we informed BecexTech we were publishing this article, it finally changed its stance and said it would refund Penelope.
Member comments
22 Aug 2020
Absolute worst business practices, bordering on fraudulent
Re Becextech NZ:
Don't deal with this company. Their business practices are dubious and fraudulent.
This company treated me like a criminal from the get-go. I made a purchase for over $1400 for a product that was "in stock" which it wasn't and was offered a refund.
This wasn't a stock mistake, apparently, this is standard practice to show a product in stock, you pay, then they hunt it down for you to be delivered at some random future date.
I was offered a different product that I didn't want, to wait for some fictitious date when my product would arrive, or a refund.
I expressed that yes, please refund my money, then all of a sudden they miraculously had the product in stock after a week of emails and if I wanted to "cancel" I would have to pay a $55 administration fee because they said in fact it was now in stock. Sorry, refund my money, this exchange is over.
Basically they are extorting money out of me and holding my $1400+ hostage. They also made a fraudulent charge on my credit card that I was to go look up to prove who I am so they can approve the purchase that was over $1400. Even my bank representative said this is unorthodox and not standard procedure when I filed a credit card dispute over this transaction.
At every turn, this has been a nightmare, I will never use this company again. Ever. There are way better actual New Zealand electronics companies out there; spend your money elsewhere.
If you internet search, you will find many complaints about this company. I should have looked deeper.
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