COMET Calamity *********Resolved*******

[Andrew Samuel]

Sadly I’m learning online that mine is a typical story of very poor COMET service. Could any helpful readers remind me where the online feedback sites are that COMET monitor. I saw a link to them the other day but cannot now find the thread again.

 

I purchased a gas cooker from the COMET auction site as I am currently unemployed which was delivered on the 28th November. Unfortunately the delivery people had smashed the glass grill door. Having two young children and having had my old cooker removed I was obliged to accept the delivery so at least I could cook. This is not a big deal, accidents happen of course, and I was happy to wait for a few days to get a replacement door under the warranty terms. Here’s where the fun starts though!

 

It took a 30 minute call to finally get a repair arranged for the 2nd December (8am-1pm) via Arron in the ‘engineers’ section - ticket number 6528312. As I sat in waiting on the day I thought I should check if a more precise time slot was available having not received any confirmation calls. After a 45 minute call, most of which was on hold, I was;

 

· Passed from the Auctions Dept (Becky) to the Kitchen Specialists (Lauren) to the Engineers (Gregg) and back again to the Kitchen Specialists (Ella)

· Told no engineer was in fact coming that day

· Told an engineer was booked in for 30th DECEMBER!

· Put back in the loop system twice, once by the ‘engineer’ Gregg after I asked to speak to a supervisor.

· Then told I couldn’t speak to a supervisor but could be booked to get one to call me back sometime over the next 8 hours (what!?)

· Told that I have a revised repair date of the 7th December somewhere between 8am & 6pm.

 

I emailed Bob Darke and Mike Rooney at COMET asking if either of them thought that after damaging my purchase whilst it was being delivered, that they should be making some effort to put the matter right? I also sought a reassurance that I would not be let down again on the 7th December. Rather naively I asked if either cared sufficiently to do anything about this.

 

Later that day (2nd December) I received what looks like an auto-generated response stating that they “will endeavour to respond by no later than 3 working days. If we are unable to give a complete response within this time we will contact you direct with an update on the situation.”

 

Meanwhile, on the repair front, an engineer did indeed telephone today but not to schedule the time to come and fit the part. It was to state that he would be coming out to examine the cooker to get the model/part number after which he would only then order the part which would take 5-10 working days to arrive. Then, and only after this, would a date be scheduled for fitting the part. I immediately bent down in front of the cooker and read off the necessary model/part numbers to the engineer. This is staggeringly incompetent and begs a number of questions;

 

1. Why, on 22nd Dec, did Aaron in the engineers dept not ask me to do this and get the model/part ordered?

2. Why has no one to date from COMET checked my purchase details to ascertain the model/part numbers and order the part?

3. They failed to fulfil the scheduled repair on the 2nd December, why did they not have the courtesy to call me to explain why they would not be coming?

4. Why, when I called on the 2nd December and spoke to Becky in the Auctions Dept, did they not ask me to give them the model/part numbers and then order the part?

5. Why, when I called on the 2nd December and spoke to Gregg in the Engineers Dept, did they not ask me to give them the model/part numbers and then order the part?

6. Why, when I called on the 2nd December and spoke to Ella in the Kitchen Specialists Dept, did they not ask me to give them the model/part numbers and then order the part?

7. Why, when I called on the 2nd December and spoke to Lauren in the Kitchen Specialists Dept, did they not ask me to give them the model/part numbers and then order the part?

 

In regards to my complaint, this is the 4th working day since COMET promised to give a complete response within 3 days or contact me direct with an update on the situation. I've heard nothing and am just about to pick up the phone to them yet again (deep sigh!).

 

The bottom line here is that since they smashed the glass door whilst delivering the cooker on the 28th November, they have only begun to order the new part 9 days later. This despite my repeated calls and emails involving no fewer than 10 COMET employees including the Managing Director.

[kurvaface]

Send them a letter giving them 7 days to provide the repair. Inform them that if they fail to do so, you will reject the goods as per Sale Of Goods Act (SOGA) and seek a full refund. Additionally, you will raise a formal complaint with Trading Standards. Email or send recorded delivery.

 

Companies like Comet and PCworld / Currys / Dixons have set such a poor standard when it comes to customer care and service and recognition / promotion of consumer rights. They should really work on raising the game because online providers like Amazon etc would never provide such shoddy service and as such are taking an ever larger share of the consumer electronics market!

[Andrew Samuel]

Thanks kurvaface. I'll give them the rest of today which will have been 3 full working days to respond. Then I'll do as you suggest tomorrow.

 

I'm stuffed in that I'll have to go and buy another one now and can't really afford a full-price one so can I 'demand' a replacement within 7 days and not settle for a refund? (this was auction site remember) And how do I go about reclaiming my costs to their 10p/min line about this and also the cost of the gas engineer I had out to install it?

Edited December 7, 2011 by Andrew Samuel

[kurvaface]

Hopefully, by sending the letter, they will appreciate you mean business and will pull their finger out and not let the cancellation go ahead.

[GorgieBoy]

Unfortunately Andrew your experience here sums up everything that is BAD regarding COMET customer service when things go wrong , buying the product from the auction site should not make a difference regarding the replacement glass door .

 

It does seem you have been put in a loop with no time scale as to when this part will be ordered and fitted to your product which is totally unacceptable.

 

The answers to your questions 1 - 7 are the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing in what should be a straight forward problem to resolve by COMET .

 

Where no one takes responsibility to get your issue sorted with minimum fuss , this kind of thing is very common but they still cannot sort it out quickly due to poor communication between various departments this is now what happens mainly due to massive cutbacks in their service operation.

 

And yes they do monitor this and other forums , you might even have a reply by the time I post this , but then again you might not.

 

Good luck,

[Andrew Samuel]

Thanks GorgieBoy. I'm about to wing off to them the Sale Of Goods Act repair/replace letter and will see what reply I get.

[Guest Comet Response]

Hi Andrew,

I am very sorry for the problems that you have experienced. I have identified that this issue is being dealt with by our MD Office, who are in direct contact with yourself, and hope to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

 

Regards,

Andy at Comet

[GorgieBoy]

Hi Andrew,

I am very sorry for the problems that you have experienced. I have identified that this issue is being dealt with by our MD Office, who are in direct contact with yourself, and hope to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

 

Regards,

Andy at Comet

 

 

 

There you go Andrew , the " Consumer Action Group Forum " getting results ........ we hope !

[Andrew Samuel]

Georgieboy - "Consumer Action Group Forum getting results" - It's never over 'till the fat lady sings sir! That said, I am very impressed with this forum, its reach and its influence. Here's hoping they do the right thing!

Andy from COMET - you are wrong when you say that "this issue is being dealt with by our MD Office, who are in direct contact with yourself". The MD office made a promise in writing regarding my complaint "to give a complete response within 3 days or contact me direct with an update on the situation". They did neither. I received a call from that dept at 19.45 today which is by any stretch of boundaries well outside of the 3 working days time limited promise to take action as stipulated.

I have been given a fresh set of assurances which I will detail tomorrow (yes COMET, you have exasperated and exhausted a customer yet again today).

[Andrew Samuel]

So the call received last night at 19.45pm was from Angela Hastings who of course was apologetic about the cock-ups. As we all know, apologies do not get the matter put right so we shall see what developes. I asked why none of the 6-8 staff I had spoken to had the presence of mind to ask for the model numbers and initiate an order for the part and she conceded "because the system is broken". Clearly.

I currently now have an assurance that all relevant dept managers will be informed and asked to track the case whilst Angela is not working. The part is on order with an anticipated readiness in 3 days so should be being installed by the middle of next week at the latest. This tying in with the 7 days Sale Of Goods Act (SOGA) notice I sent yesterday.

**There is one further thing someone could advise me on if any reader is well versed in (SOGA) details. Should COMET fail again to deliver as promised I would wish to ask for a replacement cooker and not a refund. Angela has stated that this would not be possible as the cooker was bought from the auction site. I know they are still stocking the same model in the stores, my auction one was just a lower price as it was ex-display I think. Do I have the rights to get a replacement or must I accept a refund as Angela claimed? Their Terms state "The nature of the products for auction prevents replacement products being provided in the event faults or failure to conform with description." but this seems to be applicable where products are discontinued lines. As stated mine is still available from their stores.

I'm not trying to pull a fast one and get more than I paid for (I'd happily accept another ex-display model for example) I just feel that the SOGA implies I should be entitled to a replacement?

[kurvaface]

As far as I know, SOGA applies to Auction sites. It doesn't apply to private individuals, eg those selling unwanted items on ebay, but does apply to businesses.

[Andrew Samuel]

The cooker was repaired eventually on the 15th December. It was yet another delay to the date promised. But, it is done.

 

I think the summary for me is;

1. Badger them like hell or they'll keep you at the back of their VERY long queue of dissatisfied customers.

2. Great forum here, supportive and helpful.

3. NEVER, EVER, EVER buy from Comet again. Nothing, ever.

 

Thanks CAG.

[GorgieBoy]

Hi Andrew ,

 

Glad you finally got sorted out at long last , not a very good advert though was it !

 

Certainly not "Come and Play " so to speak .

 

If you had not posted here you would have probably been cooking Christmas Dinnner in someone elses Oven come Sunday !