Currys to go bankrupt this week?

Max_Headroom_3

luckyb** wrote: »

How would you ever know what the item was like before you bought it?? Rely on comments on posting boards like this, where anonymous people can say yeah this product is great! How would they know, what would they be comparing it to???
Rely on the distance selling rules to send it back?? Most ask you to pay a restocking fee or a transport fee, If more customers start sending them back because they don’t like the look of a product they will only increase the cost to cover any losses they make……….It may cost you £80 to find a set you like!!
How would you ever compare brands from different companies??
.

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

All those people saving themselves £20 by doing this are eventually going to be left with no Currys to go and fondle the goods at.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra and buy from a real shop where at least I can try things out first, and then give them my business (if they have what I need).

luckyb**

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

All those people saving themselves £20 by doing this are eventually going to be left with no Currys to go and fondle the goods at.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra and buy from a real shop where at least I can try things out first, and then give them my business (if they have what I need).

I may have done that once or twice!! :whistle:

I,_Brian

matimage wrote: »

Further to the Dixons question, if I do buy a TV from Dixons and they go out of business in the new year, what happens to TV if goes pear shaped?

So long as you pay by credit card, you're protected. Pay by debit card, you're screwed.

fc123

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

All those people saving themselves £20 by doing this are eventually going to be left with no Currys to go and fondle the goods at.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra and buy from a real shop where at least I can try things out first, and then give them my business (if they have what I need).

The knock on effects of this type of shopping behaviour are the next Big Thing to play out over the coming decade.

Enjoy for now the best of both worlds.......it won't last for ever.

JasonLVC

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

All those people saving themselves £20 by doing this are eventually going to be left with no Currys to go and fondle the goods at.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra and buy from a real shop where at least I can try things out first, and then give them my business (if they have what I need).

People certainly do go visit Currys to touch and feel and many do go back home and order of the itnernet.

The problem for Currys and their ilk is that they are not just £20 more expensive, they are hundreds of pounds more expensive. Take an LCD (Philips 42pfl9603D), Currys were selling online for £1,799 plus delivery. Another online only retailer was doing the same product for £1349.00, free delivery AND could also offer 12 months interest free credit.

Currys' would give you credit but at some stupid 29.9% apr.

Don't forget distance selling rules also means I can buy something and send it right back, whereas anyone you care to ask about returning stuff to a Curry's store and anyone would think customers were returning deadly virus the way 'customer support' staff fobb customer off.

Ripping off older customers by making them buy £200 HDMI cables for a piddly little 21" LCD also doesn;t do them any favours.:mad:

Bottom line is, Currys and Dixon and Comet never changed their business model. The customer got more savvy and price sensitive and DSG and co just thought stuff 'em, we'll knock £20 off, charge £300 for a warranty and try our hardest to let anything come back into the store. People simply voted with their feet.

tomstickland

I buy things on Amazon, read the reviews and go for it.

Lotus-eater

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

All those people saving themselves £20 by doing this are eventually going to be left with no Currys to go and fondle the goods at.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra and buy from a real shop where at least I can try things out first, and then give them my business (if they have what I need).

But its not £20 is it?

Look as these, tv picked at random from amazon searching for "TV"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-KDL-32V4000-Widescreen-Bravia-Freeview/dp/B0018PKEIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229093161&sr=1-1

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2074163098.1229092930@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdfadefllklddjcflgceggdhhmdfog.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=273896&category_oid=

Add to that, currys being full of over salesy salepeople, you can't walk in without being jumped on, their knowledge of the things they are selling is minimal.
So I have to do online research before walking in (because they will sell you anything), then instead of pressing buy and sitting back with a beer, I have to drive and walk to the shops, struggle with a salesman to not buy extra insurance, which will be overpriced anyway.

Thats the way I used to do it years ago and I for one do not look back on these days as all hot summers and short skirts.

Is it any wonder these shops are struggling?

But. I still sometimes do use independent shops that have good customer service and knowledge.

Oblivion

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Ironically, this is a big problem for the likes of Currys right now. People go into their store, enjoy the convenience of browsing different products and being able to hold, touch and see them, then go home and order them on line from big faceless Internet sites.

Oh come on. This is absolutely nothing new. I can remember as a teenager (I'm nearly 60 now) going into High Street outlets to look and listen to hi-fi components or check out cameras ... then I'd buy the appropriate magazine in Smiths and thumb through the numerous advertising pages to see who was offering the best mail-order price this month, and they got my money.

The challenge for High Street stores remains the same ... provide customer satisfaction or die. The likes of Dixons and Currys have simply failed that test.

Dave.

tomstickland

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Add to that, currys being full of over salesy salepeople, you can't walk in without being jumped on, their knowledge of the things they are selling is minimal.

My experience of Currys and PC world has been that the staff have almost no product knowledge and are only interested in flogging credit or insurance.

Max_Headroom_3

Oblivion wrote: »

Oh come on. This is absolutely nothing new. I can remember as a teenager (I'm nearly 60 now) going into High Street outlets to look and listen to hi-fi components or check out cameras ... then I'd buy the appropriate magazine in Smiths and thumb through the numerous advertising pages to see who was offering the best mail-order price this month, and they got my money.

The challenge for High Street stores remains the same ... provide customer satisfaction or die. The likes of Dixons and Currys have simply failed that test.

Dave.

But that is exactly the point!!

It's people like you who expect to take advantage of the convenience and stock of High Street stores and then save yourself a few quid by buying on line who will ultimately kill off these shops.

Then where are you going to go and fondle the goods?

You're killing the service that you yourself wish to use!