Currys Customer DIS-Service

[ohoh4312]

Hi all from a very angry Jo

 

This may take a while, so please bear with me!

 

I ordered online from Currys on 17/10/07. My order was as follows:

 

2 x laptops (Xmas pressies for my sons)

2 x whateverhappens cover plans

1 x delivery charge for a specified delivery date - 27/10/07

 

The laptops turned up, intact, on the date specified.

 

I also received, via seperate post, a Sales receipt and a Coverplan receipt, both detailing 2 x laptops and 2 x cover plans.

 

Then, I received a letter from whateverhappens on 07/11/07 with my agreement number and details of the plan etc. However, as it was all in the singular, I called them to check that this covered both lappys.

 

"No, it is just for one."

 

So where is the other one? "Don't know, no record of it."

 

In a nutshell, they couldn't then set it up over the phone unless the item was 15 months old!

 

So, I called Currys Customer Services, to be told that if I took all my paperwork into a local branch, they could do it for me.

 

I bought the products online because I don't have a car and the nearest local branch is only accessible via a 10 minute walk to the tram stop, a tram ride and then another 10-15 minute walk! Why should I have to go to a store to rectify their mistake?

 

After another call to whateverhappens, and then 2 more calls to Customer Services, I was assured that a message had been sent to Head Office to contact me, as it was clear that I had paid for this service, and that they would resolve the problem.

 

No-one got in touch, and I let it slip to be honest due to other commitments, so yesterday I called Customer Services and pressed 5 for complaints. Spoke to a jumped-up snotty prat who told me to go the store and sort it (again!) I got a bit heated and said I didn't see why I should have to. I said I wanted a definative answer, and that a month ago I had been assured that it would be sorted, when it obviously hadn't. "What do you expect me to do?" he says. "Put me through to Head Office." "I can't," he says, "they are not customer-facing." I'M NOT (bleeping) SURPRISED!! He then asked if the laptops were working, and I said no, they are wrapped up under my bed ready for Christmas. "Well, they are still under warranty, so I don't know what you are worried about."

 

GRRRRRRRRR!!!! I paid for an effing service that I haven't got, THAT'S what I am worried about.

 

So, he promises me that Head Office will contact me within the hour...

 

3 hours later I called Customer Services again as no-one had been in touch, to be told that Head Office ALWAYS take 48 hours to respond, and there was no way I should have been told 1 hour!!!!!! But that he had sent them an email, and it was read at 1.30 (I called at 12.00), so someone was investigating and would be in touch.

 

27 hours later.....nothing. I suppose they still have till 1.30 tomorrow, but I would have thought they could at least acknowledge my complaint.

 

Sorry,, told you it was going to be long-winded!!!

 

Do I have any course of action I can take against them - failure to honour a contract, for example? They took the bloody money straight away, but I have no coverplan in place.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

 

Jo xx

[patdavies]

The first piece of advice is to stop phoning them. Anything said in a phone call can be denied or 'forgotten'.

 

Secondly, write a polite but firm letter to Head Office - preferably the CEO - explain the circumstances and what you require Currys to do to resolve the situation. Inform them that they have 14 days to do this or you will being going legal to reclaim the cost of non-provision and any out-of-pocket expenses incurred (like all these phone calls!).

 

If they fail to respond within the 14 days, send a further letter before action (LBA) detailing your costs and telling them that if these are not refunded within 14 days, you will issue a County Court summons and have the matter dealt with by a judge.

[fred_2009]

again advising action without knowing all the facts

 

the whatever happens agreement is a monthly payment. have you asked the OP if they have been debited the amount of two laptops. or is it just on the delivery/order form that it is what they requested.

 

also you could ask the call operator to put the OP through to the store to see if the store can process a whatever happens agreement over the phone

 

alternativly you could also inform the OP of the website saynoto0870.com

SAYNOTO0870.COM - Non-Geographical Alternative Telephone Numbers

 

type in currys and it gives alot of numbers of local stores. it does not have to be a local store to the OP to set up a wateverhappens but it helps to get to know a person you can go see if problems arrise.

 

i only know about pcworld stuff because of my close relationship with store staff at the local branch to me. but in the pcworld store they process their aftercare agreements over the phone. plus with their new incentives and staff targets being asked to set up a agreement for a laptop from another store is a bonus for them because to them its classed as a standalone strikerate. meaning they get 200% on the target because they did not sell a laptop with it.

 

i beleive currys would be the same instore, very willing to set up a agreement

[theEnemy]

The first piece of advice is to stop phoning them. Anything said in a phone call can be denied or 'forgotten'.

 

Secondly, write a polite but firm letter to Head Office - preferably the CEO - explain the circumstances and what you require Currys to do to resolve the situation. Inform them that they have 14 days to do this or you will being going legal to reclaim the cost of non-provision and any out-of-pocket expenses incurred (like all these phone calls!).

 

If they fail to respond within the 14 days, send a further letter before action (LBA) detailing your costs and telling them that if these are not refunded within 14 days, you will issue a County Court summons and have the matter dealt with by a judge.

 

Or just go in to the store, like you were told twice.

 

The service you are receiving is bad, they aren't any better to staff. But you have to recognise that there are procedures in place - just grit your teeth and head into town and save you and customers services hours of arguments.

[gyzmo]

Or just go in to the store, like you were told twice.

 

The service you are receiving is bad, they aren't any better to staff. But you have to recognise that there are procedures in place - just grit your teeth and head into town and save you and customers services hours of arguments.

 

Firstly, the same problem exists going in-store - which is why pat has said the OP should write in. Secondly, there shouldn't be hours of arguments - the seller should act properly and ivestigate the matter instead of offering such a crap service. Accepting this is just bowing down and letting organsiations get away with cr*p service and breaches of contract. It is they who are in the wrong, not the customer, and it is they who should be doing all they can to sort this out.

 

On another point, why are you going round resurrecting old threads that have either been settled one way or another?

[ohoh4312]

Or just go in to the store, like you were told twice.

I found that a really patronising statement, and like I said earlier, I shouldn't have had to make a trip to a store to resolve Currys error; I bought the goods on-line, paid immediately in good faith, and was not provided with the service I paid for, so hardly my fault, is it?

Actually, I have since been informed that as the whateverhappens agreement was "somewhere" in the system, had I done as I was told I would have ended up with TWO agreements for the same lappy.

 

So, sometimes refusing to do as you are told is the right thing.

I did, finally, get a resolution after writing a stinking email and more phone-calls, and yes, the problem may lay with Head Office, but as they are a faceless mute entity, what choice does the consumer have but to talk to Customer Services??

Oh, and not a whisper of an apology. Poor show all round.

The End

Jo xx