Duty-Free Purchases

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31177, 29 September 1966, Page 12

Duty-Free Purchases

Sir, —I would like to give a word of warning to anyone considering buying a typewriter from overseas dutyfree shops. A guarantee (not filled in) will be given to the purchaser, but this guarantee is worthless in New Zealand unless one happens to live in Wellington. I am sure this “guarantee” is given in all good faith by the retailer. My daughter recently bought a portable typewriter at an overseas duty-free shop, and within two months it would not type correctly. I wrote to the United Kingdom concerning the machine and was advised that the faults were indicative of transit damage. A very poor excuse for a “portable” typewriter. I also wrote to the Wellington agency, which has informed me that it cannot be repaired under guarantee anywhere except in Wellington, even though the company has agencies throughout New Zealand. As I said in my letter to the United Kingdom directors, this leaves itself open to a racket of getting rid of substandard machines through duty-free shops to overseas purchasers.—Yours, etc., L. G. HARRISON.

Nelson, September 19, 1966. [Mr R. F. Ballantyne, manager of J. Ballantyne and Company, Ltd., replies: “In operating the duty-free shop at Christchurch airport we have experienced very few similar difficulties. Before deciding to stock any merchandise we examine it thoroughly from every angle, quality, price, service arrangements, arid- so on, in order to minimise such problems. In cases where difficulty has arisen after purchase and suitable servicing has not been available to the

satisfaction of our customer and ourselves we have replaced the merchandise or refunded the purchase money. We believe every retailer has an obligation to look after the interests of the customer. A retailer selling duty-free merchandise to persons leaving the country cannot shrug off this obligation.”]