Curry's and TechGuys

Jo*_2

I am very angry about Curry's and Tech Guys. Some people might remember that i posted two threads about 6 weeks ago about my advent laptop's hinge and that i didnt have the receipt as it was a christmas present last year and the buyer had lost the receipt.

Anyway on Monday 23rd November i took the laptop to Currys near me as it was to be collected the following day by courier. I went there armed with two reference numbers which i was assured was all i needed. One was for the courier and one was the Currys reference number. When i got there the service was awful, and i was concerned about the capability of the two ladies who dealt with me. I gave them the ref's but they took no notice and said they had no record. Later i found out that Currys on the phone have a different database to the one in the store. So why was i told to quote those reference numbers? Anyway i told them a courier was coming tomorrow and they just took my word for it. They never checked to find out themselves and took it out the back.

Basically it has sat there for 4 weeks as it wasnt collected.

I was told that i would get regular text updates as the laptop moved through the repair and collection process but i heard nothing, and i was told that i should only be without it for 12 to 14 days. So two weeks later i called them and was fobbed off. They had no details of how the repair was going and was told to call back in a week. I had another two conversations which went just the same.

Today i called and the lovely man worked out that it was never collected by the courier. The Currys store never bothered to find out why it had been sat there for 4 weeks and Tech Guys cancelled the job after 3 weeks as it never arrived.

Today i was told that the 12 to 14 day promise was wrong and that they go by 28 days and that if they cant fix it within that time then i can ask them to write it off and get it replaced. I was told that this would apply to me. 28 days for me is this coming Sunday and the laptop is now due to be collected on Monday.

Obviously i am going to complain but i dont want a new laptop. I want my own one back and i'm assuming that if i were too ask for a replacement for the same value, that would take months. I'm even slightly doubting if the customer service guy was correct in saying that i could write it off after 28 days of being repaired, cos the repair people havent even looked at it yet.

Also their complaints procedure is rubbish. They give you a number to phone to complain and a postal address. I dont want to write to them by post as i probably wouldnt hear from them for at least a month, if at all. So i called them and its the same customer service number that i've been calling this whole time. Called them, and they were not interested. I said that it was a complaint, but no i was fobbed off again. So then googled my local store for their phone number. This gave me another customer service number and when i got through i asked for the stores number. No, they are ex directory and they dont give out the numbers. In the end he tried to put me through but no one was there to answer even though they were still open.

I am so angry :mad:

davb

I would ask for a refund now, as they have already had it for more than their quoted 28 days - you complied with their conditions, if they kept it instore for 4 weeks, that's their problem.
Put things in writing, preferably to their head office - phone calls count for nothing

busenbust

Really sorry to hear of your woes; they really are a bunch of incompetents - I avoid them like the plague.

Jo*_2

When i first posted 6 weeks ago about the laptop i began to be concerned about these cowboys and i see i was right. But i cant help where my boyfriend bought it from.
Davb, you're absolutely right, i will write to them, experience has told me to do that but i know it'll take ages before its dealt with. Any other shop would have an email facility. What should i ask for a refund for? I havent shelled out for anything.. so far. I have always been worried that they'd accuse me of dropping it and therefore wont repair it under the warranty but there is (or was before i handed it to them) no evidence of anyone dropping or damaging it, as it never was. It was in perfect condition other than the broken hinge which came apart at the join.

Benet

As Davb says, try putting it in writing to their head office;

D S G Retail Ltd
Maylands Avenue
Hemel Hempstead
Herts
HP2 7TG

John Browett is their chief exec, perhaps you could address your letter to him personally. Might get noticed quicker!

Esqui

If the store were to contact the Tech Guys about getting the laptop exchanged after 28 days, TTG would (rightly) tell them it's up to them to exchange it since they didn't send it off.

I had a similar situation recently where a customer booked a repair to be collected from the store, brought it in, but a colleague of mine didn't leave any paperwork with it and no record of it on our system. After a couple of weeks of me wondering what the laptop was doing, he finally realised and we had to exchange (since there was no way we could get it repaired in the time remaining).

It really is up to the store to do anything - if you went via the customer services centre, they may contact the store and force them to exchange, so it's easier to go into the store direct. Even if the 28 days isn't up til Sunday, there's no way they'd get it repaired in time.

Bikertov

How did your boyfriend pay for the laptop in the first place ?

If it was by credit card, check his statements for the date, and speak to the card company to make a "Section 75" Consumer Credit Act claim - search on these forums for more details - as the card company would be jointly liable for the goods, as per your rights under the Sale of Goods act.

Jo*_2

Yes he paid by credit card. I was told by the customer services people that i may need a copy of the credit card receipt as well as the docket i was given when i handed it over. Thats no problem.
I was also told by the same guy that i should expect to walk out with a new one tomorrow. But its not a large store really so i wonder how likely this is.

I then tried to speak to the store direct but had to be put through by customer services. I wanted to let them know that i'd be coming in tomorrow to get a replacement. But i never actually spoke to anyone at the store. The customer service guy came back to me saying to go in on monday, not tomorrow as they wont be open tomorrow. The last Sunday before Christmas. Seriously??!!

I was wondering how likely it would be for me to ask and come away with a replacement laptop, AND the old one unfixed?

computershack

Jo* wrote: »

I was wondering how likely it would be for me to ask and come away with a replacement laptop, AND the old one unfixed?

No chance at all.

busenbust

Unlikely. Settle for one or the other :cool:

Jo*_2

oh :rotfl:

I thought it was quite reasonable really. Thats a shame What about if i wait a bit longer for them to fix it but ask them for a free extended warranty?