PC World - rude and threatening

Lit_Up

This is a post warning people on these forums about PC World in Tottenham Court Road in London. I wonder if you could help me in return by giving me some advice on this.

I've had my laptop for the last 3.5 years (bought off the net, not from PC World!) and it's served me very well. However now all kinds of things are breaking and I needed to get a new one. I went browsing all around Tottenham Court Road in London checking out laptops and their specs, seeing what the finish was, pushing the keys on the keyboard to test the flex.

Anyway, during my route down this road I went into PC World at the Warren St end of TCR. They had a lot of laptops at the back. Having mooched around for 5 mins I thought I had found a couple which I might have been interested in. So I got my phone out and took some pictures of the laptops and the spec sheet next to them on the display so that I could go home and check reviews of them on the net before I parted with hundreds of pounds. My intention then would have been to go to PC World the next day and buy it, unless I found a cheaper deal on the web

Anyhow, after taking about 3 or 4 shots on my phone, some guy who I presume was the manager comes up to me and says that it's private property and I can't take photos there. I apologise, and put my phone away, and try to move on, but then he says that he's going to have to ask me to delete the photos. I immediately say no, so then he says he will have to delete the photos for me. I say no he won't, so then he tells me that he can't let me leave the store. Taken aback by this threat, I try and get him to qualify the rule; what is he afraid of? Why can't I take the photographs? He says that the reason doesn't matter. Aghast at his threatening manner I walk away to leave the shop. He then follows me and says "so you're not going to delete the photos then?". I try again to get him to tell me how I've offended him by taking photos of items he has on display to the general public, to which he replies, "it's private property, you wouldn't like it if I went into your house and started taking pictures would you?" I try to tell him that that is quite a different matter but he's not listening and continues to follow me. I just walk out and then I hear him tell the security to never let me in again.

This guy was a big strapping brute who obviously goes to the gym all the time. He was very threatening. It's quicker for me to take a photo than write down the entire spec sheet or model numbers. I can't believe that is how he treats a potential customer.

All I want to do is complain about his conduct. He should have qualified the reason for the rule when he asked me to delete the photos, that is only polite. Had he been reasonable about it I might have done so. Who do you think I can complain to, and on what grounds? Anything I pull out of the hat to really get him?

Also - why on earth was he so paranoid?

Thanks

DrScotsman

Lit_Up wrote: »

he says that he's going to have to ask me to delete the photos. I immediately say no, so then he says he will have to delete the photos for me. I say no he won't, so then he tells me that he can't let me leave the store.

Bahahaha! I'm no expert on citizen's arrest but I'm sure it requires reasonable suspicion that someone has committed, I dunno, a crime. And him comparing your house to a place that can be accessed by the public...

The replies you get to this thread will be probably be split between "Here's the (email) address for their head office" and "Here's the (email) address for their CEO". I think you should go with the latter, a lot of people on MSE will testify that complaining to the CEO gets your complaint properly looked at.

maninthestreet

They don't have any powers to force you to delete the photos, but they can ban you from entering their premises if they so wish.

happywarmgun

Sounds like he's had a promotion too far....

I would seriously write to their head office. Explain what you were doing, why you were doing it (you story is entirely reasonable) and the way you felt as a result of your treatment. I once had a ding dong with an idiot manager at PC World - sent a letter of complaint (head office address on their website) and got a written apology and a 50 quid voucher.

I imagine he would also get some 're-education' about customer service....

Best of luck

bigpound

Write to HO explaining how they've just lost a loyal customer.

Ivory_Tinkler

I don't understand why you needed to take a photo - surely writing down the model number would have been enough because you then could have seen the image on their website? Maybe the manager thought you were up to no good by taking photos. However, this doesn't give him licence to be rude and for that reason, you should get in touch with PC World and bring this to their attention.

Laz123

A letter to the managing director wouldn't go amiss. He could have explained nicely and asked politely for you to delete the photos but didn't.

Anyway, PC World isn't the only pc shop in the world so they've lost custom. Judging from his attitude he's very probably lost a few other customers too, so head office would want your feedback.

born_blonde

The Manager handled this very poorly.

However when I worked for a retail chain we used to do something called competitive shopping where we went into competitors and took photos of the displays.

Most shop do not allow this and even some shopping centres do not permit photography inside. We had to be very sneaky and imaginative.

This may be why the Manager said no - but we were always just asked politely to leave.

hr100

I always take photos, I never have a pen in my bag for starters and its just a lot easier.

I would have been fuming

hippyadam

Ivory_Tinkler wrote: »

I don't understand why you needed to take a photo - surely writing down the model number would have been enough because you then could have seen the image on their website? Maybe the manager thought you were up to no good by taking photos. However, this doesn't give him licence to be rude and for that reason, you should get in touch with PC World and bring this to their attention.

I have a very snazzy app on my phone that lets me photo bar-codes and products and goes off to search (insertbignameonlineretailerhere) for reviews prices etc.

As such i'm always randomly taking photo's of products, thankfully i've only ever had strange looks doing it so far...

If i were the OP i'd be complaining to the top guy and never using the store again (and to be fair, thats no bad thing PC World aren't that good in my experience!)

epatolles

i always take pictures of things like this because my memory is terrible and my writing when not resting on something is awful! thing is he must have been watching you - assuming you werent standing 40 foot away and framing the shot with your fingers before taking it?! a subtle getting phone out and click doesnt usually alarm people... unless your phone makes a pap noise when it takes it?!

i think you should complain... he probably thinks he's brilliant "oh look im the manager"

the one at our local one was like that... has a flashy car he tried to run down half the people leaving the shop with.... private reg which if there was any fairness in the world would've said "tw...t"

i think most people who work there ARE rude! they always act like they are super human geeks but in reality they know nothing! don't get me wrong i'm not one of these "omgz you buy computer schtuff from pc world ttm!" i do use the place and buy pcs there... but you can't go in with a "oh i want a printer" attitude because they'll get you to part ex your granny!

complain!