John Lewis.com sucks big time.

iadom · 08-05-2007, 19:44

Until the past few days I always had positive vibes about John Lewis compared to Comet/Currys et al, not anymore.

I ordered a new 42" Panasonic plasma TV & stand online on the 23 April, they sent a confirmation e-mail on the 24th which stated, ' the card number given will not be charged until the goods leave the warehouse'. They also promised to contact me to arrange delivery.

The following day I was contacted by mobile phone at 9.30am by a gentleman and a delivery date of Saturday 5th April between 7.00am

and 3.30 pm was agreed. When I checked my e-mails at lunchtime I had another one from a woman saying that she had tried to ring me to book a delivery time but was unable to do so, but if it was OK by me they would deliver on the 5th April between 7.00am & 3.30pm, this e-mail was timed at 10.45am.

I suppose that should have set the alarm bells ringing but I replied to that message explaining that I had already agreed to that date & time, I received another e-mail to confirm that date was OK.

As I am self employed and do a fair bit of work on Saturdays as well as all week, I rebooked my Saturday calls for the Bank Holiday Monday. I rose early on Saturday morning and spent a couple of hours lugging out the old ( very heavy ) TV & stand and wiring up a complete new surround sound system. When the hour of 3.30pm arrived and the delivery from John Lewis hadn't I phoned their CS department. The lady I spoke to confirmed that all me delivery details were correct and she put me on hold to check on the progress of same. I listened to three full Beatles songs playing in the background and then she returned to tell me that the dispatch warehouse had no record of my order.

I am a very placid man by nature and it was not her fault so it was agreed that someone would phone me ASAP this morning. I waited until 10.00 am and rang them myself.
I got lots of apologies and was told that they would ring me later with a new delivery date as they had a backlog due to the bank holiday. When the did ring back the earliest date they could offer me was next Monday between 7.00am & 4.30pm.

I somewhat reluctantly accepted this, wondering how I was going to manage to take another full day off work when the post arrived. I opened my Barclaycard statement to find that they had charged my account on the 25th April, a full ten days before they 'forgot' to send me the damned goods.

That was the last straw, I phoned and cancelled the order, did a quick ring round and found that although my local Curry's had no stock the one in Rochdale had 2. Popped down later this afternoon, bought TV & stand for just over Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£100 more than the John Lewis price, I took the stand home so that I could assemble it and get my new hifi system off the floor and they are delivering the TV tomorrow between 12.00 & 2.00pm.

I will just have to monitor my card closely to make sure they don't cock that up, I have already had an e-mail confirming the cancellation which also states,
'I'd also like to assure you that no charge has been passed to your account in relation to this order'.

A bit bloody late for that methinks.

Jim.

Paul K · 08-05-2007, 19:57

Contact the card provider and tell them payment has been taken in error from your card since they state on the email that payment is not taken prior to dispatch. I take it JL are saying the money will be paid back in X days time.

Osem · 08-05-2007, 20:06

Sounds like an almighty cock-up but I'd put my money on John Lewis as opposed to Currys every time. In fact I'd wager that if you write to the company setting out the problems you've experienced and inconvenience you've suffered you could well receive some compensation.

Had a minor problem with a TV I bought from Currys a while back. After several attempts I got through to their 'customer services' and explained the problem only to be told I'd be given a reference number and would need to contact another department to arrange service. Tried this number umpteen times over several days but never managed to get through and gave up in the end. They were totally and utterly useless!

http://www.ciao.co.uk/currys_co_uk__5154936
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/05..._buy_anything/
http://www.clik2complaints.co.uk/DPs/currys6.html
http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/ctl/do/maxiM...iews~100410713
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...currys-dixons/

**Chris** · 08-05-2007, 20:10

Email somebody senior at John Lewis and link to this thread. They are an employee-owned co-operative so they ought to give a damn about this.

iadom · 08-05-2007, 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

I take it JL are saying the money will be paid back in X days time.

Yep, within seven days, account not due to be paid until the 29th so hopefully they will have sorted it before then. I was a bit miffed when I found the web price had gone down by Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£100 a few days after I placed the order and at my suggestion they did agree to refund this after the broken appointment, that was before I was told I would have to wait another week for delivery and also before I found out they had already charged my card.

Jim.

---------- Post added at 20:13 ---------- Previous post was at 20:12 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

Email somebody senior at John Lewis and link to this thread. They are an employee-owned co-operative so they ought to give a damn about this.

Know anyone Chris ?

Jim.

Osem · 08-05-2007, 20:29

How about starting here:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Help/Help.aspx?HelpId=4

I'd be astonished if you don't get a very satisfactory result.

SMHarman · 08-05-2007, 20:40

I would too, they were very good to me when they turned the delivery and installation of a 32in WS CRT into a case of bringing a huge cardboard box with the TV in and dumping it on the hall floor.

Very frustrating, could not move the thing or get round it grr.

iadom · 08-05-2007, 23:07

Thanks for the links, I have had several e-mails from customer services, all very polite, apologetic and generally sound, it does not negate the fact that after admitting they had made a mistake they could not promise a delivery date sooner than eight days after the broken appointment. They have stock, they have the transport, it would have been delivered from the Trafford Park store in all likelihood, a 45 minute drive from my house at the most. It should have been a number one priority to rectify this mistake and deliver the items today, not next Monday.

I will post a message following the links above, however there is nothing I have posted here that I have not already put in my e-mails to them. As long as the funds are returned to my account I will be happy, I don't want concessions or compensation, goods in lieu or anything like that. I just want good old fashioned service of the type that I strive to give my customers.

Jim.

Mr Angry · 08-05-2007, 23:22

Lesson 1: Never, ever do business with a firm that makes you listen to Beatles tracks!!

SMHarman · 08-05-2007, 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

Lesson 1: Never, ever do business with a firm that makes you listen to Beatles tracks!!

What was it? 8 days a week? Perhaps that was what was messing their scheduling up!

iadom · 09-05-2007, 00:11

You are talking to a long time Beatles( old, I was there at the time) fan here, I have a full set of original Mono LP's, EP's & singles (45's) that are slowly but surely increasing in value, its a long time since I was on hold and not over bothered if they came back to me.

---------- Post added at 00:11 ---------- Previous post was at 00:09 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMHarman

What was it? 8 days a week? Perhaps that was what was messing their scheduling up!

Very good, a track from the Beatles for Sale LP, also released as a single in the USA.

Jim.

**Damien** · 09-05-2007, 00:15

Beatles are awesome, no knocking of the beatles is allowed.

Osem · 09-05-2007, 07:48

Anyone - company or individual - can make a mistake. The mark of a good company is how quickly they a) accept they've done it and b) resolve an issue. Beatles tracks aside, John Lewis have always been up there with the best of the bunch when it comes to both.

Mr Angry · 09-05-2007, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by iadom

You are talking to a long time Beatles( old, I was there at the time) fan here, I have a full set of original Mono LP's, EP's & singles (45's) that are slowly but surely increasing in value, its a long time since I was on hold and not over bothered if they came back to me.

---------- Post added at 00:11 ---------- Previous post was at 00:09 ----------

Very good, a track from the Beatles for Sale LP, also released as a single in the USA.

Jim.

Each to their own I suppose.

I've an original Polygram first pressing matrix number copy of Sgt Peppers, complete with cut out card, that I don't think has ever soiled my system.

It's one of my collection which the angryites will benefit from when I eventually pass on.

Osem · 09-05-2007, 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

Each to their own I suppose.

It's one of my collection which the angryites will benefit from when I eventually pass on.

That's of course providing HMRC doesn't grab them in respect of IHT