Freemans - serious help needed

Kangol_Rat

Pink_butterfly wrote:

Hmmmm. I had something similar happen to me. I ordered a pair of curtains from Choice catalogue. When i got them, they were the wrong size. I had them picked up by the courier.

Next months statement came through and i noticed they hadn't been taken off the bill. I phoned up Choice who asked me to quote the ref. no. on the returns receipt the courier had given me. Could i find it? Not for love nor money!

Was told that without the returns receipt they could do nothing as i couldn't prove that i had actually returned it.

Had to cut my losses and pay for the curtains. Learnt my lesson though and religiously keep any receipts/return type things safe now.

I did have the return sticker thing, but due to all the family bereavements and personal problems, its been misplaced. you woudl think with all this going on they would be abit more caring!!

Astaroth

Whilst I am not saying it is true in your case, there are many people who will lie about things like family bereavements etc to try and get out of things and make up other silly stories.

I used to work for a mail order/ catalogue company and had a call from a woman saying that her husband had left her over night and taken everything that she had ordered from us over the last 6 months whilst she was asleep so wanted us to bill him (of no known address) for all the goods instead of her. Story was a little odd but checked the order history, and according to her, whilst she was asleep he had taken 3 piece suite, gas cooker (which we had fitted), large quantity of female clothing, king size bed, dishwasher and car radio... little more checking showed she had a 1 bed property so she must be a damned deep sleeper if he could take the bed she was sleeping in without waking her.

Whilst it may be unfair, when you deal with people on the phone day in day out you do become very cynical of peoples reasons for losing things etc because of the quantity of false stories you hear every day.

The problem would be, even if they could confirm that a courier had been booked they would be unlikely to be able to confirm that the courier had indeed collected the item unless they have an advanced parcel tracking system which most catalogue companies dont have.

The main grounds you have for complaint on this occasion really is the way the original complaint has been handled. It certainly would be a good idea to send a letter to one of the senior management to get the matter resolved

Kangol_Rat

Astaroth wrote:

Whilst I am not saying it is true in your case, there are many people who will lie about things like family bereavements etc to try and get out of things and make up other silly stories.

I used to work for a mail order/ catalogue company and had a call from a woman saying that her husband had left her over night and taken everything that she had ordered from us over the last 6 months whilst she was asleep so wanted us to bill him (of no known address) for all the goods instead of her. Story was a little odd but checked the order history, and according to her, whilst she was asleep he had taken 3 piece suite, gas cooker (which we had fitted), large quantity of female clothing, king size bed, dishwasher and car radio... little more checking showed she had a 1 bed property so she must be a damned deep sleeper if he could take the bed she was sleeping in without waking her.

Whilst it may be unfair, when you deal with people on the phone day in day out you do become very cynical of peoples reasons for losing things etc because of the quantity of false stories you hear every day.

The problem would be, even if they could confirm that a courier had been booked they would be unlikely to be able to confirm that the courier had indeed collected the item unless they have an advanced parcel tracking system which most catalogue companies dont have.

The main grounds you have for complaint on this occasion really is the way the original complaint has been handled. It certainly would be a good idea to send a letter to one of the senior management to get the matter resolved

Thanks for your advice. Problem is I have written to head office twice now, sent recorded, and they have ignored both letters. This was the first thing ordered from them, so I had no other way of knowing that they sent Parcelnet to collect on behalf of them, and what you got in the form of a returns note.

Also I have given them the exact times and dates of when I/they arranged the collection, and when it was collected. I have spoken to Parcelnet as Freemans didnt bother. Parcelnet have emailed freemans twice, and they have ignored them twice too!

I just am annoyed they arranged all the collection, they dealt with it all, and they are telling me they have no reocrd of this happening, ever being requested, yet they have record of me ringing that day! I have turned my house upside down, but can not find this return sticker.

In the time this has been going on, my OH was rushed by ambulance to hospital Criticial Care unit, my grandad passed away a month after being told he had cancer, and 2 months after having his leg amputed, my dog was put down, my sister had sever depression (I wont go any further), my uncle died, OH rushed back to hospital etc etc! Freemans didnt care.

I just want this sorted as I cant take being streesed anymore!

hjb123

Will they not let you speak to anyone in the debt department? As a previous poster says check your phone bill if its itemised and highlight the numbers on there rung to arrange the collection. Does the parcel centre not have record of the pickup or any of their drivers remember picking it up?

bikerqueen

It sounds bloody annoying, and a very bad run of luck for you and your family,

However, why would freemans care? They should care that they cocked up and try to resolve it, but as another poster says, they hear this all the time and have no way of telling the genuine (you) from the chancer (someone trying it on).

Kangol_Rat

it is annoying, but they arranged the collection, and now say they have no record!! They know the day i said I rang to arrange it that I did ring, it says on the system, but the girl I spoke, didnt note about the collection, at all, all she put was that I rang to say it was faulty! She put me on hold to ring the collection throu. I only knew who collected it from looking it up. Freemans never told me. It was only by chance that I found that Parcelnet were the courier, I didnt click even when it was on the sticker.

They might hear it all the time, but from all the info I have given, why havent they even tried to check this up??? They have made no attempt to look into this, and instead try to force me to pay for something THEY collected.

You can see how upsetting this is?

hollydays

Why not contact their trade association and get them to write to them.They will make them reply.Thats what trade associations are for.

Sherry2k

Hiya.

The same thing happened to me about 2 years ago but with LXDirect or Littlewoods (can't remember but they're the same eh?). I'd ordered a Gameboy for one of my son's and then ended up getting a great deal from ToysRus. When it arrived, I wasn't in and then called up and arranged for it to be collected. When it was, my OH handed it over. No signature, no sticky label - nothing!

It never got there. Surprise!! So I called them and explained. I described the driver etc. As a goodwill gesture, they credited my account but basically told me never to try this again! The cheek!!! Anyhoo, that was that and it worked out in the end although they must have thought I was 'at it' - which I wasn't.

Good luck in getting this sorted. Hope it works out for you.

Sherry. x

Kangol_Rat

well, I have now had a solicitor letter telling me I have seven days. I have rang and explained to them in tears what has happened, that Freemans arranged the collection, contacted the courier, and now saying that they have no record of it.

The solicitor told me they contacted Freemans head office, and they said I havent given them enough information for track it, so for the Solicitors to go ahead with proceedings against me! I have given them not only the date collected and name of the person whop gave it to the courier, but the date I rang Freemans and arranged it!! Which Freemans have confirmed that i did ring that day, but the STUPID girl I spoke to, didnt put anything on the system about the collection, when that was the whole reason I rang!

Im just so very upset

Anyway, i have now rang up Stehen Rhodes, from 3CR (3 Countries Radio), as they do a consumer prog. Almost in tears I told the girl what had happened, and hopefully, they will help. Apparently they have been looking for a big case like this, and they think they have found it.

I still want to cry, I have had enough

Kangol_Rat

hjb123 wrote:

Will they not let you speak to anyone in the debt department? As a previous poster says check your phone bill if its itemised and highlight the numbers on there rung to arrange the collection. Does the parcel centre not have record of the pickup or any of their drivers remember picking it up?

I was the one who tracked it down to who done it, and rang them, not Freemans!!

Thats just what I have said to everyone I have spoken to, that as their collections are barcoded, there will be something, somewhere saying this was collected. I even told them what it looked liked!

All the collections go back to Freemans warehouse, where a section of Parcelnet are based