MFI rant/warning

stellastar_2

Before I go on I would like to make it clear that this problem is not exclusive to me, it is actually standard practice for MFI! Well so they tell me anyway.

We ordered a couch in August, paid upfront (stupidly!) Were given an invoice and terms of conditions. The sales girl highlighted the delivery date for us and said it would arrive no later that 10th October, it might arrive before if you're lucky, but no later.
So 10th October comes and OH takes a holiday from work so he'll be home all day for the delivery, not a peep! They have an automated phone line that just tells you delivery date and it was still saying 10th October, no use calling customer services as it's a different number so called the store several tiems and left a message and got no answer or returned call.
On Saturday we went to the store and spoke with the manager, told him we were told delivery was 10th October and showed him the invoice which reads

Your order will be delivered no later than 10th October 2008. The suppliers transport company will contact you before this date to make final delivery arrangements.

The manger just smiled at us, nodded and said "mmhm"
And then we pushed a bit further so he said, it's nothing to do with me, MFI dont deliver themselves. Naturally I point out that our contract is with MFI and part of the terms, 3 times over the thing, is delivery no later than 10th October, so he takes me invoice and says "ah! But you didnt pay for delivery"
Uh, yes, that's because you personally did not charge us for delivery as part of some promotion, you still agreed to provide a delivery service to us, the fact that you gave us it for free doesn't mean you dont have to deliver!

Anyway, blah blah blah, not my fault I cant call then until monday.. took both our number and said he'd call Monday.

He didn't. SO I just called the store who say he is on holiday this week and there was no message left to call us or the delivery company.

I get told that despite the invoice saying delivery will be by 10th October, it's not actually the case, it's actually the date of estimated delivery to the delivery company! So I ask why it doesnt say that, she says it's just what it says, I ask why they dont tell people that when they sign, she says that's just policy.
So I ask if she will call delivery company or at least give me a number for them, she does and confirms once again that the date given is the date it will arrive with this other company.

Call the other company and they have no record of our order, the girl on the phones moans that MFI always do this and they always have problems with MFI customers as a result. But she does say they are expecting a delivery tomorrow so to call back lunch time and check.

I'm so !!!!ed off with them! If they had told us that the date on the invoice and T's & C's is meaningless and to wait until some one may or may not call, or told us to call on that date... but it's just a complete lie! They know the delivery date is !!!!!!!! when they print it but dont bother telling you!
And of course they have a clause saying if delivery is delayed due to something that's the customers fault we need to compensate them - so what about my OH having to use up some of his holiday allowance for nothing? Tough titties as far as their concerned!

I wouln't even be so bothered if it was down to a delay and no one telling us, its the fact that it's standard practice for them, it causes problems for MFI, customers and the delivery company yet they dont bother changing it or explaining it! :mad:

I was so excited about getting that couch and now every time I look at it I'm going to be reminded of what a shower of ********* they are!

It'd the worst customer service I've had since Argos! And why is it that it's always the store manager who's the most unhelpful?

CRANKY40

My friend once tried to have some wardrobes delivered from MFI. I read her 3 page letter of complaint to them, and it was enough to put me off for life. I've never used them.

They had parts missing, which couldn't possibly be picked up from the store, they had to be delivered. They delivered the missing parts to two different addresses (and obtained signatures, pmsl!) before finally managing to deliver a 3rd set to my friend. Her husband nearly came to blows with the store manager.....and it took something like 6 months to finally complete the wardrobes.

Even if I had a bargepole, I wouldn't touch MFI with it. I really hope you get your sofa soon!

stellastar_2

Oh my god! I'm kind of pleased that they use and external company to deliver sofa's!

I kind of assumed big company like that who have to deliver pretty much everything they sell might have a clue about how to do it! We ordered a bunch of stuff from Ikea and I expected that to be a right pain, but it wasn't, arrived 2 days later, really friendly helpful delivery guys, everything in perfect condition, nothing missing, no fuss whatsoever! Which was amzing considering the guy who labelled all our stuff was clearly drunk...

stellastar_2

Called the delivery company today -they still have nothing for us! So phoned back MFI who have said someone will call sometime next week to give us an idea of when it might be delivered... I asked if when they call us does that mean we can expect delivery within a week or two of that call or could the call be to say it's going to be another 3 months - he had no idea!
I said about how our sales invoice said deliver no later than 10th October, he kep saying "that doesnt mean it will be delivered on the 10th" I said, yeah I know know, it measn on or before, no later than, what it doesnt mean is some random time after that date.
He kept saying it was a "wild estimare" any way, blah blah blah, he kept denying we were given a delivery date when I have it right in front of me.

I said we want a refund and he said it'll be a 10% charge - can they do that when we have a signed agreement that they have broken with absolutely no reason??

BYALPHAINDIA

Oh Dear MFI - Made To Fall To Bits.Lol:o :rolleyes:

Stay away from these guys.

av700

stellastar wrote: »

I said we want a refund and he said it'll be a 10% charge - can they do that when we have a signed agreement that they have broken with absolutely no reason??

If they issued you with a charter then it does state on there then is a 10% charge BUT as they have failed to deliver and there is no sign of your goods I really can't see how they can. Getting your refund will be interesting. I used to work for them and they will tell you that they have THIRTY days to action your refund. Yes thats right, they will try to keep your money for thirty days.. One of the reasons I jacked it in, telling some poor sod who had just lost his job that he would have to wait 30 days for his £5000 because thats how MFI operate. No morals or compassion for customers whatsoever. :mad: :mad: :mad:

myrnahaz

Ring Trading Standards and ask what your rights are.

In the meantime you need to check whether your local store is on the 'shutdown' list. There was a notice in last week's paper (Daily Mail, maybe?) saying that lots of MFI stores were closing down and have reduced display items by 80%. The stores remaining open are part of a management buyout.
However, there is a notice on their websites stating that the new owners will honour all existing orders, but I imagine it will take more than 30-days to get your cash back.
It might also explain why the OP's store manager was being so obtuse.

sparkleworld

Just found this information posted on hotuk deals!:eek:
Credit to Yellowarmy.

Here is a list of all the stores that are closing

Aberystwyth Ashford Ashton Aylesbury Ayr
Bangor Barnstaple Barrow in furness Basingstoke Blackburn Bletchley Bootle Boston Bridgend Bury
Caerphilly Carlise Carmarthen Charlton Chester Christchurch Clydebank Coventry Cromer Culverhouse Cross
Darlington Dudley Dumfries
Falkirk Friern Barnet
Glenrothes Gloucester Grimsby
Hayes Hereford Highgate
Isle of Wight
Keighley Kettering Kidderminster Kilmarnock
Lancaster Leamington Leeds Livingston Londonderry Luton
Macclesfield Mansfield Middlesborough
Newbury Newry Nuneaton
Oldham Oxford
Perth Pollockshaws Portsmouth
Rochdale
S!!!!horpe Sollihull Southend Southport Speke St Austell St Helens Stafford Stockport Straiton Sunderland
Tamworth Taunton Telford Torquay Tunbridge Wells
Wallasey Waltham Abbey Warrington Wembley Wigan Workington Wrexham
Yeovil

Hope this is helpful
Regards
*Sparkle*

kasbabes

Hi, I had the same problem as you I ordered and paid for a sofa in August 2008 and was told the delivery would be the 10th October. The delivery date passed and I was told the sofa was going to a different depot as we lived too far away (60miles!!) After days of phoning delivery company and MFI(if they ever answered the phone) My new sofa should be getting delivered tomorrow I hope your situation has been resolved as well. I would say the delivery company were far more helpful than MFI but that would not be hard.:j

kasbabes

I received my sofa today only for it to have a big hole in it:mad: again spent hours getting through to MFI
Meant to be getting somebody to look at it I wonder how long that will take

stellastar_2

Kasbabes sorry to hear you've had a bad experience too

I haven't got anywhere with mine, I was supposed to be getting a delivery date this week, but it's nearly over and I've had nothing yet I've got my eye on a very nice alternative at Harvey's now, who tell me that they actually have a system in place that allows them to track orders at any stage during the process - I had assumed this would sort of be standard practice, but I guess MFI just couldn't be bothered.