ELC toy not what is in catalogue

wendyphant

Valli wrote: »

Trading Standards...
'goods not as described.
You were 'invited to buy what was in the photo (called invitation to treat)

like this

they showed you a picture of goods and you though THAT looks nice I'll buy THAT - but they sent you something different (THIS)

So contact them again (but write and keep a copy) telling them what you agreed to actually buy (THAT) which wasn't what you were evenutally sent (THIS)
either you return the goods for a refund or they provide you with the missing parts.
You offered to buy what they had for sale in good faith.

gosh I hope that makes sense - I know what I mean LOL

:T:T:T thank you so much that make sense to me . I am so bad with words and that is great thank you. I was happy with the fire station but now it has become a principle.

smcaul

Hertfordshire trading standards deal with all ELC/Mothercare problems now. We had a problem a couple of months ago with two items that were very dangerous, local TS came out to look at them and take pictures but then the case got handed over to Herts for them to deal with. We also had really poor service from their customer services, it was only when I got a senior manager involved that anything started to happen and it was taken seriously!

wendyphant

Thanks for that. I was told that someone would ring me back tonight........ 2 mins to 5!!!!! not holding my breath. I am going to ring them tomorrow again and i am going to log the query with TS see what happens. It is not so much the lack of the items now it is more the principle of the fact.

ihatecaptcha

wendyphant wrote: »

Thanks for that. I was told that someone would ring me back tonight........ 2 mins to 5!!!!! not holding my breath. I am going to ring them tomorrow again and i am going to log the query with TS see what happens. It is not so much the lack of the items now it is more the principle of the fact.

Sorry they're giving you a hard time. They shouldn't do that. And they shouldn't be still giving out catalogues containing a misleading photo. You might want to mention that to Trading Standards. They might think ELC should destroy all the existing catalogues and print a new one!

That would cost ELC a pretty penny!

(But better not mention that to ELC as it might distract from getting them to send you the missing pieces and the firemen's trousers!)

Fire_Fox

Never complain by telephone always by recorded delivery letter or, if you absolutely must, via e-mail. Write a politely worded letter stating that you are a regular customer, what is says in your catalogue, what you have received and asking for the missing items to be posted out ASAP as you need them for x date. Pick your battles tho, you can't expect trousers unless the wording specifies trousers OR the picture shows trousers! And don't get confused between what it says in the catalogue and online, choose one or the other as your baseline expectation.

wendyphant

This is the reply I got from Elc today


Dear Mrs Parker,

Thank you for your recent email.


Unfortunately, the Fire Station only comes with 1 Fire Engine and no trouser. As the catalogue has been printed in bulk, we cannot reprint with the correct information.


Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused on this occasion.


Kind regards

Vincent Wong
Early Learning Centre
Internet Customer Services

What do you think?

Valli

I think then that they have deliberately set out to mislead customers.
Because in order to photograph the item they were offering they MUST have opened one box and then added additional parts from a second.Then taken a picture. Then put THAT picture in their catalogue.
Tell them you want either the additional missing items originally photographed OR a refund.
The 'misleading' cataloges are their problem, not yours, and they should be undertaking to produce an amendment slip and detailing the amendments anywhere else ie on the website.
(I'm totally with you regarding the priciple)
At this point I would be threatening to go to the press - they are being IMHO patheitc about this
An aplogetic e mail is not good enough - you should eb offered a 'remedy'
(Remedy is a legal term relating to non performance of a contract.)

They displayed an item
You offered to buy THAT item
They failed to supply THAT item but they did supply THIS item.
They have not performed as per the contract

bubblegumcola

It sounds like you are being fobbed off by ELC. If the website description for the item is wrong as well as the catalogue then I think you have grounds for complaint as you are not getting the item 'as described'.I would stick to your guns and ask for the other items you were expecting in the package. It wouldn't take much to change the description on the website, its sheer laziness on their part.

After all, they wouldn't get away with selling you a climbing frame with missing pieces and telling you to make do with the missing bits. I had missing pieces when we got our climbing frame from them several years ago, they couldn't have been more helpful.

Have you been back into the store to complain to the manager in there? Might be worth a try, they must have area managers they can forward your problem to.

I know the fire station you are talking about as we got the catalogue last week and my youngest is demanding the Fire Station. I can't afford it but he does have the wooden garage he got last year. Hope you get all the pieces.

wendyphant

I've been in work all week so not able to do anything about this til today. Can anyone tell me how i go about complaining to trading standards

Thank you x x

Valli

go to their website
Google consumer direct BUT
write a letter (as has been advised) to their head office detailing what they haven't done and asking them to do what you want them to do. Keep a copy.
TBH I would think (and this is a guess) that involving trading standards could well slow things down. I would assume you want this sorting ASAP.
No more phone calls.

If they respond as they should to your letter they will either fully refund you and ask you to return the goods OR supply you with the 'missing' parts (i.e. what you thought you would get when you looked at the picture.

Basically you want this doing ASAP

Tell them, in your letter, what you ordered (THAT) (i.e. what was in the picture), what you received (THIS) and ask them (nicely) to either send you the missing parts (detailed list here at this point) by return or offer you a full refund plus postage costs if necessary.

Then tell them that if they fail to complete their part of the contract you will have no option but to take the matter further.

Then say that you have previously been a regular customer of ELC always happy with their service, quality of products etc and you are surprised and disappointed that this purchase, which is to be your son's main Christmas gift, does not live upto the usual high standards you have come to expect from such a reputable company.

(get the idea?)

The idea, when complaining, is to allow the company to retain its dignity.

(Incidentally - I would NOT word letters so nicely in the event that goods supplied were dangerous or harmful! - that's a completely different situation!)