Faulty sockets and our swap-out-service

How many returns do you get?

At the time of writing (mid 2009) we have sold approximately 500,000 units and had returns for approximately 100 units, which is a returns rate of only 0.02%. Compared to the industry standard returns rate, this is very low indeed (in fact, it is less than 100x times lower), thanks largely to the higher quality components we use inside our products compared to our competitors. So if you do have a problem with your system, it is unusal and please accept our apologies, especially if it has caused you any inconvenience.

What is the most common cause of failure?

The most common cause of failure is an overload, either as a one off event where people have connected equipment to the socket that is higher than the recommended loading, such as connecting a 1,500 watt device to a 1,000 watt socket. This cause the inetrnal fuse to blow (as intended) and renders the socket inoperable.

In some cases, devices with motors in them, such as PCs use larger than normal power when they first turn on. This short initial surge of power is sometime enough to blow a fuse even though the stated power on the computer is less than 1,000 watts. For that reason, if you want to run more than one computer (or an unusually large computer) from one socket, we recommend using the heavy duty sockets instead of the standard sockets.

Do the units have a fuse for safety?

Yes, as a safety measure, each unit has a thermal fuse built in that will blow in case of overload. We regret that these fuses are 'one-time' devices and once blown cannot be reset or replaced. The fuse is not like a traditional fuse where it can be lifted out and replaced. You should not open the units to attempt any repair procedure yourself as this may be dangerous.

(NB One way our competitors can reduce their costs is to ommit this fuse in the design of their product. Please rest assured that all our products include this fuse.)

Can you repair the units?

We batch up failed units for analysis and repair if possible but we do not re-release these units for sale. If you get a replacement from us or your retailer, it will be a new unit.

What should I do now?

As the first port of call, you should contact your retailer for an exchange. Depending on their terms, they may be able to exchange it for you. The retailers are obliged, in certain circumstances, to replace the units within certain time limits, but their exact terms as a matter for them to decide and not us. We offer a manufacturers warranty of 12 months on our products and if the retailer sends a faulty unit back to us within this period we will exchange it for them free of charge.

As a last resort we offer a back-to-base swap out service. Legally we are not obliged to offer this service as your contract is with the retailer you bought the units from and not us. We make no profit from this service... it is offered purely as a discretionary service by us to you to try and help you out.

To use the swap out service, please send the unit to us enclosing £5 in cash or cheque (please do not use coins) per unit you want exchanged and we send you a new replacement. We send things out on this service at the end of every month so there may be some delay involved. This reduces our costs as means we can keep the cost of the service low.

Cheques should be made payable to 'Enistic Limited' and our address is:

Returns
Bye Bye Standby
10 Wornal Park
Worminghall
Bucks
HP18 9PH

Please note that we are not responsible for the postal system in getting the unit to us and if they get lost in transit to us, which we regret happens from time to time, we regret that we will be unable to process the return. If you are concerned about this we suggest you use a recorded delivery service.

To save carbon, the swap-out-service replacement units are generally not sent out in the full retail blister-packs or decorative carboard cartons but are usually sent out in a simple padded envelope.

Do you dispose of units in accordance with the WEEE regulations?

Yes. If we are unable to repair a product we will dispose of it in an environmentally manner, although we stress that we have very few returns (see above) and avoid this problem mainly by producing good quality products in tech first place, thus lowering the lifetime carbon footprint of our operations.