Tesco Direct taking orders/payment when not in stock

[caleo]

Hi

Normally, I would just shrug this off, but it has now happened to me three times in as many weeks!!

1/Ordered a mobile phone and prepayment card. To collect after 4pm on Friday. Sat am, call from Tesco, sorry phone not in stock. Email to say they have creditted my account with the phone. Had to phone them to refund the prepayment voucher as useless without phone.

2/Looking for a different phone, found the same phone was available. Phoned Tesco Direct, they said they must have had stock in, so I reordered. To collect after 4pm monday, phone call Tues to say out of stock, so I made sure they were going to refund the phone AND the prepayment voucher.

3/ Ordered 2 items, then an item for £5 to get free delivery. Due to collect on Thursday after 4pm. Friday evening, DH goes to collect---he noted that the package didn't look very big. Opened in store, and only the £5 item there. Invoiced for the whole order! Store could not say what had happened to the rest of the order.
I phoned Tesco Direct who informed me that the other items were out of stock, and I had not been charged!! I was looking at my bank statement online!!! I had to convince them that they had charged me!! They eventually refunded the money.

What concerns me is that they are stating as goods being in stock, taking payment immediately, then telling customers the goods are out of stock after a few days, before the payment is being refunded!!

I have written to Tesco who don't seem too concened that this is happening!

If this has happened to me 3 times in 3 weeks, it must be fairly common......so they must be making a fortune in interest from customers money they have taken for goods they don't have!!

[Annoying Twit]

Are their listed prices cheaper than elsewhere? If so you might want to try going after them for loss of bargain.