When Sainsburys is not Sainsburys (money changing)

daveypoos

Back in December I had to go to Hong Kong on business.


We have a big Sainsburys across the road from our office so I went money exchange counter & got a quote for £700 of Hong Kong Dollars. I was told they would arrive the next day, I asked did I have to pay then the assistant said no.


When I arrived the next day I was told I had to pay £731, the assistant would not budge, I had to have them because I was traveling the next day I had to get them. I said I would have paid the day before, but she told me that would not have been possible.


I went to customer services to complain, I was told that the money exchange had nothing to do with Sainsburys.


I was surprised because

1. The money desk clearly said Sainsburys
2. The assistant was wearing a Sainsburys' uniform
3. I got Nectar points on the purchase
4. The money was put into a folder with Sainsburys written on it
5. The receipt said Sainsburys at the top, although half way down it did mention Travelex.

So on the 11th of December I emailed Sainsburys' on line complaints department, I got an automated reply stating they would reply in 4 days. When no reply came I did the same repeatedly up until 6th January when I got an email back stating that the money changing had nothing to do with Sainsbury.


The person on the service desk at the store said it was the same with Sainsburys Bank.


So, if you bank with Sainsburys, and find your account has been emptied, that has nothing to do with Sainsburys.


If you have any Sainsburys insurance and they fail to pay a claim this may have nothing to do with them I don't know maybe this has?


For all I know anything in Sainsburys store might have nothing to do with them, and therefore if it goes wrong they will deny any liability.


I am pursuing this because I was not aware that any company other than Sainsbury was involved in this transaction until it had been completed. I do not believe anyone else would have realized that such a transaction would have nothing to do with Sainsburys.

Glittermonkey

The travel money pods are run by Travelex and are nothing to do with Sainsburys.

I'm not 100% sure what the problem is though, is it to do with the actual charge being £31 more than what you were told the day before?

I would imagine this is to do with the denominations that the dealers supplied them with. I obviosuly have no idea of the rate you were given or in what notes but I guess her smallest notes were 100's or 50's. She should of rounded the transaction down though if you weren't happy with it.

GM

daveypoos

Glittermonkey wrote: »

The travel money pods are run by Travelex and are nothing to do with Sainsburys.
GM

I would have no issue if they were branded Travelex, I would not have changed my money with them because I have had issues with them in the past. For example this 'pod' was proclaiming the best rates, but on that day (5 minutes later) when I checked online Travelex had a better rate.

I believe ordered the currency with a reputable company I could trust. The signage confirmed it was Sainsburys, so did the assistant's uniform.

I believe that if something has the Sainsburys' branding all over it and the staff are in a Sainsburys uniform then I entered into a contract with Sainsburys.

The amount of Hong Kong dollars supplied was exactly the same as on the written quote I was given. The amount demanded was £31 more.

Perhaps Sainsburys next trick is you order your shopping online & when they deliver they charge 5% extra and tell you the delivery service has nothing to do with them.

dzug1

daveypoos wrote: »

I. For example this 'pod' was proclaiming the best rates, but on that day (5 minutes later) when I checked online Travelex had a better rate.

.

Online rates will ALWAYS be different from instore rates - usually for the better. You are comparing different products with a different cost base

Have you tried directing your complaint at travelex? That's more likely to bring a result than bashing your head against the current brick wall.

daveypoos

Update

I was getting nowhere so I sent an email to Steve Playle at the Guardian who does their Saturday money supplement consumer column. He agreed with me, so I sent him scans of the quote & receipt etc and left it with him.

I dare say he has contacts at Sainsburys, and with the weight of the paper behind him a lot more clout. Travelex phoned me to apologise, they said Sainsburys should have taken my complaint and forwarded it on my behalf (as I wanted). They have sent me a nice letter and a cheque for the extra I had to pay, they say they are also going to send me a gift, but that has not arrived yet.

Sainsburys Hedge end phoned to confirm the same, and the fact that for any Sainsburys’ branded product, even if provided by a third party, you can register your complaint with the customer services desk.

This is what I wanted in the first place, I got my money (I notice some of you would have just given away £30 odd quid), and the principle that Sainsburys have a responsibility to process any complaint for any goods or services sold by them, or sold in a way that portrays to the consumer that it is being sold by them.

This is another one of those issues that the consumer gets fobbed off by a big company until a consume champion gets involved. I really do not think I could have got anywhere without the help of the newspaper.

headpin

As indicated in some of the replies, you will normally get a better rate on line. I always order my foreign exchange from Travelex on line for collection at the airport when I travel. Have used this numerous times for both cash and Travellers Cheques. Never had a problem, F/Ex and/or TC's always ready and waiting for me. The rate from Travelex is always better than ther pay on the day rate. But what is better is their on line price promise that you will not find a better rate. Yes you can. I normally check out Thomas Exchange Global (www.thomasexchangeglobal.co.uk) who generally have a much better rate. Email Travelex with details and they always honour the better rate.

Quick easy and better all round?