Carphone Warehouse - Never again!

Quentin

You have been lucky.

Contrast your experience with that of another customer.

They lie and say we never received your claim. The customer says you did, you signed for it, and I'll have to take you to court unless you pay me.

They refuse to pay so the customer takes them to court.

Their solicitor sends in a defence to the court saying we don't owe the customer a thing.

At the same time their staff pepper the customer with e-mails trying to get a settlement (for a less amount) out of court (because they know if it goes to court they will lose).

Eventually they agree to pay up in full, providing the customer withdraws the court action. The customer agrees to this only to find they don't in fact send the cheque until the customer is forced again to progress the court action.

This is reported regularly as their way of trying not to pay up.

They cannot obviously try this on with 100% of their customers, but clearly have a policy of denying a certain percentage.

You have yet to be caught!

mobilejunkie

I'm afraid some people won't take any notice until they themselves fall victim to the "new" cpw. I've lost count of the number making similar posts now to reverse their judgement later. I still use them extensively and (of course) am prepared to sue. However, simply "sending the right bill" is made as difficult to define as it could be and there's only one reason for that. A recent claim rejection on one of mine was a complete nonsense and actually cost them a lot without going to court. I don't mind them playing games as long as I win. However, the unwary and complacent are asking for trouble. I take the people I look after to a much safer place unless they are prepred for the occassional rubbish from cpw. Shame - they USED to be the best. Trouble is, it's the present and future which matters to people still taking out deals with them.

Old_Gold

bryanb wrote: »

The store has no legal obligation to sell at the price advertised. The advert is an invitation to trade. Many stores will honour the advert however, it helps their reputation.

kw03cd wrote: »

Think you will find out that if it is a genuine mistake they can sell it at a higher price but must tell you. Problem is when they list at one price, sell it at another and don't say.

alnsv1000s wrote: »

Would be interesting if you went back there today.

.

Yes that would be very interesting as I agree in the first instance the advertised price is an invitation to offer but if the company know that they are advertising at an incorrect price then at the minimum they must be infringing trading standards. So if they are informed of the mistake and leave the notice up then what is the legal position as it is no longer a genuine mistake?

jane45

I have noticed that (some) CPW people are just pr*cks. But they are actually a very good company.

Until you decide to leave! Then they become a nightmare!!

Jane

egg1000

It saddens me to read such strong negative views from people on this forum about the company I work for.

We have a saying in cpw (one of five)
"The reputation of the company is in the hands of every individual" and boy does this thread prove that?!!!

I would love to show you what is involved in working in a cutting edge retailer such as CPW, usually 75 different handsets to sell, combined with about 2000 different tariff combinations, different returns policies for each and every one. Several different broadband companies to deal with, each with their own offers. Now several laptops to try and become familiar with, the accessories that go with them etc etc. Daily changes to all of the above, returns policies, prices, tariffs and even allowances. VM!!!! Can you imagine how many bits of paper we get sent every month? Trying to work out where they all go is a challenge in itself.

Then there are the customer care issues. Number porting not happening, repairs, water liquid damage, missing IMEI stickers, REALLY angry customers to try and deal with, Abuse, swearing, threats, physical violence in some cases.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not after sympathy, just trying to help you understand the bigger picture. I'm sure there are far far harder jobs out there than this one, but you do need to keep your wits about you to keep this one.

Being mislead about a ten pound difference on a handset is annoying, admittedly. However as someone has already pointed out legally, they do not have to sell it to you at that price. However I am sure some stores would have done, had the rep/manager appreciated the value of your customer, (perhaps they didn't, maybe you should have persuaded them? maybe you couldn't? Maybe in another CPW you could have?) There are many variables with how it could/should have been dealt with.

Obviously experience creates opinion. And from your experiences your opinion is a pretty poor one, to the extent that you try and influence others and have them share your experience and ultimately opinion too. Thats the thing that saddens me.

mobilejunkie

The do something about it as an organisation. You used to be excellent in general. Nowadyas you purposefully mislead people on cashback t&c and have deliberately done so for well over a year. THAT is about much more than a £10 price difference. You have made it both expensive and very difficult to even talk to customer services and ignore valid efforts to avoid suing you by giving you every chance to rectify your mistakes - on a grand scale. There is no excuse via the volumes of paperwork etc - the organisation itslef is set on a cours to stuff its customers in lots of ways and situations. I actually generally have a good experience in your shops and manipulate my way through the minefields your on-line outposts deliberately set, but many don't and end up on here. That includes many previously extremely loyal customers who spring to defend you - for a time. Then they too fall foul of your organisational dishonesty and end up your worst enemies. I do sympathise with staff at the front line to a large extent; however, the company is being eaten away by the cancer of dishonesty and unless/until THAT is cut out it is in danger of a succumbing to a terminal disease. I do agree with one thing in particular - it IS sad.

Troubled_Joe

bryanb wrote: »

The store has no legal obligation to sell at the price advertised. The advert is an invitation to trade. Many stores will honour the advert however, it helps their reputation.

It's an invitation to treat but other than that you're right. No contract is formed by you seeing the item on display.

rash.m2k

If we were to go by the book (or law), you simply have no case.

They don't have to sell it to you, I know it is frustrating and gets you really annoyed, but according to the law they have done nothing wrong.

So for you to come on this forum and say CPW have done something wrong, is obviously incorrect.

What they did was unethical, yes. But not against the law.