Currys\Knowhow £95 TV install charge?.

[Andy111]

mums partner goes to Curry's a couple of weeks ago and buys a TV for over £1000.

The TV from looking online afterwards when my mum spoke to me about this matter

confirms the TV is either subject to in store collection and\or qualifies for free delivery.

 

Only Curry's ever keen to sell inflated priced extra services "persuaded" my mums partner

how it was in his best interest to pay extra for a delivery & setup service with the Knowhow side of Curry's.

For this they charged a whopping £95!!, yes a crazy £95 setup charge!!!.

 

Everything I've found online for TV setup charges suggest the charge is more £45, not the £95 Curry's charged in this case.

They didn't even get it all done in a single day anyway,

 

 

they delivered on 1 day yet had to come back another day to set the TV up.

And even then they never came on the original setup day anyway

leaving 3 separate days someone had to wait in for someone to turn up.

 

My point, or main question is

surely a £95 charge to setup a TV can't be right,

more so when delivery is apparently free.

Yet Curry's seem to have charged for a delivery and setup service to the tune of £95?.

 

 

have they been wrongly charged and miss sold a service that should not have cost anything like what was charged?.

 

 

As all they did was to take the TV out of the box, screw the base on, put the TV on the TV stand (not even wall mounted),

connect the aerial and tune in the Freeview channels.

Apart from that, connected the DVD player to the back.

 

Any advice as this charge can't be right?.

[unclebulgaria67]

If the service was missold, they should complain to the head office. The service was poor given it cost £95.

 

I would have thought this was intended for when TV's were to be hung on the wall with brackets and not just a stand.

[martin2006]

Pricing

TV Set up & Demo from £40 TV Set up & Demo plus Stand Installation from £45 TV Set up & Demo plus Home Cinema installation from £70 Removal & recycling £10

 

this is whats quoted on currys website, i would definitely query what you were actually charged for before telling them what they did.

[Andy111]

Thanks for the replies guys. My mum and partner are coming down tomorrow and I've asked them to bring the receipt with them and I'll have a closer look at it and chase the issue up with Curry's on their behalf as hate seeing people ripped off, conned, miss sold and fobbed off!. More so when it's someone you know etc.

 

Anyway, I called my mum a short while ago and asked her to read out exactly what the receipt says in relation to this £95 charge. And it says the following: "Knowhow STD> 26HT 1x00001027 @£95".

 

I'm guessing the" 00001027" is the actual item code number?, but not to sure what the "26HT" part is?. Is there anyway I can find out before I get the receipt and deal with Curry's what the receipt info might actually mean as far as what was charged for?.

[martin2006]

I think it merely refers to the screen size, >26"

 

There must be a different charge for greater than or less than 26"

[Andy111]

The TV is actually a 55 inch screen. Sure, I can understand a much bigger screen over say a 26 inch screen might incur a slightly higher install charge. But certainly not £55 more where there is nothing to state a from charge for bigger screens as would be reasonable to expect.

[Andy111]

Something is definitely up with this £95 charge as I looked into basic install\setup charges on bigger screens after martin2006 suggested bigger screens might incur a higher install and setup charge.

 

So, I go to order the TV itself online and go to checkout to get the delivery and install\setup options. Delivery is confirmed as free and setup and install to a TV stand is confirmed as £45 for the 55 inch TV they bought. But interestingly, the install charge is on the basis of it being done so on the same day as delivery, this was not the case as setup was done a few days after delivery and even then delivery took over a week so certainly no fastrack delivery charge either.

[martin2006]

I couldnt see a £95 charge anywhere when i looked on currys/knowhow site, just the set up and demo charge was "from £45"

Definately one to be queried but i would try going to store and go thru the motions of buying a tv of same spec with the intention of having it delivered and set up, allow them to go into great detail surrounding all the delivery and set up options.

When they think theres a sale involved they'll bend over backwards to give you the info you want, of course you can always " think about it" and walk away at the end

[Old Cogger]

Pricing:-

 

TV Set up & Demo from £40 TV Set up & Demo plus Stand Installation from £45 TV Set up & Demo plus Home Cinema installation from £70 Removal & recycling £10

[Andy111]

Speaking to them now they think something else might have been sold as part of the knowhow service, which seems likely. But all they did was over various visits was deliver and setup the TV on a TV stand and nothing more.

 

Going through all the paperwork now to see if there is anything in that to give a clue.

[Andy111]

An, I see now even if the cost is still out. The £95 knowhow charge looking at the job sheet that is in so small a print even I struggle to read it properly, seems to be for the TV install & setup connecting upto 2 devices (which we know is £45), a TV stand setup that there was no mention of at the point of sale and never done anyway as the TV stand was made prior to delivery, and an amplifier & home cinema installation which involves setting up surround sound speakers and takking wires to the skirting board and setting up sound levels on the surround speakers!.

 

They didn't buy an amplifier \ home cinema system with surround sound speakers!. Sure, they got a basic free soundbar as stated on the paperwork, the same sheet as the install work. But in no way is that ever classed as an amplifier or home cinema system and they have never owned a surround sound system. Sure, they bought a new TV stand at the same time but at no point was any mention of construction of this made or offered, yet sold all the same along with the other crap they miss sold.

[Andy111]

Phoned Curry's and after being kept on hold for ages I explain the situation to the woman. She tries to clarify the detail which I do so as clearly as I can and confirm at no point where they asked it they wanted the TV stand constructing as part of the install service (which it seems would have cost £5 extra) as they wanted to and built it themselves yet they were sold that service anyway. Why would they build the TV stand themselves if they were offered and bought the stand add-on construction service I point out!.

 

I also point out that they don't even own an amplifier or hown cinema service or a single surround sound speaker so why would they have asked for and bought such a service which includes fixing of surround sound speakers and fixing of speaker cable along skirting boards?.

 

The woman pretty much says they will have to take it up with staff in store where they bought from and challenge them if they have been miss sold. They can't and won't challenge the store staff themselves as being more elderly they don't like the idea of a confrontation themselves. So I'm going to have to go to there store where they bought from to deal with it on their behalf next week and challenge the sales person myself as they have 100% miss sold and took advantage of a customer who never realised what they were buying.

[Andy111]

Before I go and see Curry's tomorrow regarding the above, a couple of related side issues might be worth mentioning as I'm slightly unsure on where my mothers partner stands on this.

 

Firstly even the initial £45 charge, that at the very most is no more that should have been charged, was supposed to have been on the basis that setup and installation was done on the same day as delivery. In fact setup was not done the same day at all, they were apparently told by the delivery people its a different team that does setup and installations than those who do just deliveries!. In fact the second day someone was supposed to come out and set the TV up, they never turned up, my mums partner gets a call near the end of the time slot to say they can't make it and had to come back the next day. Meaning 3 full days spent waiting in for a service that was paid for to be done in 1 day.

 

Now, if they were charged and paid for a 1 day service that took 3 days to complete, is there a known right of either a full or partial refund of what should have only ever have been a £45 charge?. As everything I can find out suggests the knowhow people who delivered are the ones who setup and install and so my mums partner may have been told a pack of lies by the delivery people for reasons unknown?.

 

Secondly (and I should probably have thought to mention this last week) also in the paperwork for the TV is a direct debit setup for a Curry's customer support service or something costing £5 per month!. Anyone got a clue what on earth that might be as surely not needed on a TV that comes with a 5 year warranty included in the cost of the TV?.

[martin2006]

It seems they have some explaining to do andy and definately cancel that service contract with them, its not needed, you have a 5 yr warranty

[MaxxPower]

I bet the support service is on there using the favourite old trick.

Promise the 'First Month free' of the additional cover by taking the first months fee off the price of the TV, but the sales person makes no mention that it's actually a continuing direct debit and that you have to actively cancel it. They rely on people not realising, or forgetting, to cancel it, as the sales staff will receive KPI bonuses based on how many of the service plans they can sell. But it's not commission. Honest.

[Andy111]

Thought I'd update on this after my trip to Curry's today.

 

So, I explain the situation pretty much as per thread. Asking why my mums partner had been charged £95 for a TV install fee that should not have cost more than £45 for what they were supposed to have and only ever did. The knowhow person types in the £95 item number on her computer, looks confused, talks to a colleague for a couple of minutes and still confused even after glancing at the page that details the £95 charge as being more about an amplifier, home cinema system and surround sound setup. I got the impression the girls at the knowhow reception desk realised they had clearly charged for a service that was neither required or carried out.

 

They go and get the actual sales person who sold the TV and miss sold the never needed services lol, could tell he felt "difficult" just walking over to us. He points out its for a home cinema installation due to having received a soundbar with the TV (ah bless him for trying anyway I guess). I point out my mums partner doesn't have or has ever owned an amplifier and home cinema system with surround sound speakers that required speaker wire taking round his skirting boards. And by no stretch of the imagination could they ever realistically even try to claim a soundbar could be classed as an amplifier and home cinema system with a surround sound speaker setup for chargeable extra installation purposes. As the basic £45 charge includes the connecting of 2 devices, which was the DVD recorder and soundbar. So no other charge is justified at all is it I point out politely?.

 

The sales person apoligises half heartedly and agrees that they probably shouldn't have been charged more that £45. And so I throw even the initial £45 charge at them and point out that even that charge is on the basis of everything being done in a single day and not the 3 days it eventually took them as just before the second day time slot was about to expire my mums partner gets a call to say they can't make it and will do it the next day. The sales person points out that it would have been pointed out to my mums partner that they might not be able to install the same day as delivery. Yes I tell them, but only after they took the payment for the service and not before did they?. He says the issue over installations not being done the same day as deliveries is down to their delivery people not being up to the job of doing the installation side of the job so it was decided locally that to have a second team doing installs on a different day. Not possible the same day I ask, not really he says. I say but non of that's my mums partner's fault that he was sold and paid for a 1 day service that Curry's could never have provided in the first place and so at best a reduced price of installation should have been charged if someone had to be at home for 2 days, let alone the 3 days it took.

 

Long story short, he got an apology of sorts and got a full refund of both the £50 for being miss sold the amplifier and home cinema installation that was never required and after my arguing over even the £45 installation charge that took 3 days, they fully refunded that to, the full £95 refunded in the end. So a better than expected result really I'd say.

[martin2006]

excellent and fully justified result, well done

[ashmk]

Currys love to milk customers.

 

And the cheek to charge for recycling when all they do it send it all to auction and make on it anyway!

[Andy111]

Thanks guys, it was far easier to get the result than I was expecting it to be in all honesty. But having looked into things beforehand and going fully armed certainly helped I feel. My mums partner couldn't believe how quickly I got the refund in the end and was chuffed to bits looking at the smile on his face. He never even realised that even the initial £45 install charge was a 1 day service charge (I told him that on the day before we got to the store) that's supposed to be completed the same day by the same people who deliver and not the 3 days it took to install.

 

I don't have any confidence in Curry's if they are employing knowhow people by their own staff's admittance that are simply not up to the job of installing and setting up equipment. Would not even trust them to deliver either if they can't install and setup because they are not trusted!.

[unclebulgaria67]

Lp

Thanks guys, it was far easier to get the result than I was expecting it to be in all honesty. But having looked into things beforehand and going fully armed certainly helped I feel. My mums partner couldn't believe how quickly I got the refund in the end and was chuffed to bits looking at the smile on his face. He never even realised that even the initial £45 install charge was a 1 day service charge (I told him that on the day before we got to the store) that's supposed to be completed the same day by the same people who deliver and not the 3 days it took to install.

 

I don't have any confidence in Curry's if they are employing knowhow people by their own staff's admittance that are simply not up to the job of installing and setting up equipment. Would not even trust them to deliver either if they can't install and setup because they are not trusted!.

 

I was in Currys the other day when a sales assistant was hard selling this to a customer and i was very tempted to intervene to tell the customer to have a think about it, as it might not offer the peace of mind protection being offered to them.

[Andy111]

Funny enough, they are now having issues with the TV (possibly different subject thread) that I said I'll look into next time I'm down. As seems they (knowhow) wrongly tuned\stored the TV to the wrong TV region for them and something (possably timer based) seems to keep turning the TV on during the night at intermittent times and changing channels is slightly problematic as the TV doesn't respond right away, can be a delay it seems. But going to check the TV out myself to see what the problem might be before reporting it.

[ericsbrother]

my telly goes into a sleep mode at infrequesnt times and I have never worked out how or why as the timer part isnt programmed to do anything. When you say TV tuned into wrong region you mean local transmitter not region I presume as this will make the telly receive on NTSC or such like rather than PAL B anf you will get a black and white picture with no sound!. retuning via the aerial is easy, unplug the aerial and press tune or channel search and after a while it should come up with no channels. then plug the aerial back in and press tune or channel search again and it should find all of ther available channels from your local transmitter.

The idea of tuning without areail is to wipe all of the stored channels from the memory so the telly doesnt get is knickers in a twist when looking for new ones.

[Andy111]

my telly goes into a sleep mode at infrequesnt times and I have never worked out how or why as the timer part isnt programmed to do anything. When you say TV tuned into wrong region you mean local transmitter not region I presume as this will make the telly receive on NTSC or such like rather than PAL B anf you will get a black and white picture with no sound!. retuning via the aerial is easy, unplug the aerial and press tune or channel search and after a while it should come up with no channels. then plug the aerial back in and press tune or channel search again and it should find all of ther available channels from your local transmitter.

The idea of tuning without areail is to wipe all of the stored channels from the memory so the telly doesnt get is knickers in a twist when looking for new ones.

 

Yeah thanks for that, local transmitter region. Think they have North West channels stored instead of Wales, I often have the same issue with the Freeview box in our bedroom as that has no option to pick the region after tuning so use the no aerial trick to bypass scanning the wrong region, Curry's even got the basic tuning for their region wrong for them. Ive told them to try and stick with if for now and will go and try and sort the region tuning issue next time im down.

 

Sleep mode as you describe is probably or more certainly not directly timer related but more an auto setting to go into sleep mode after X minutes of no interaction with the TV either via the remote or units side buttons. That setting always annoys me even if easy to fix via the setting. But this is something that turns the TV on, probably a factory reset of all settings via the remote might fix the issue I'm thinking.