Need Advice: Play.com

tubbygaijin

Hi all, new here so please bear with me, this is a bit of a long one..

Purchased an Olympus EP1 from play.com last week for my wifes birthday which is said to come with a free flash, link below:
w ww.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/12699221/Olympus-E-P1-PEN-12-3-Megapixel-Interchangeable-Lens-3-0-LCD-Silver-Digital-Camera-With-Silver-14-42mm-Lens/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0

My item arrived this Monday, camera looks great but no flash. I ring play.com and the customer services team assure me they'll contact the warehouse and get one sent out. Today I recieved and email from play informing me the promotion was run by Olympus directly and I needed to contact them, including this link, to a promotion that actually ended in MARCH
w ww.olympus.co.uk/consumer/208_lighten-up_E-P1.htm

I contacted Olympus, who have confirmed the offer has finished and the responsibility laid with play, which I agree with - even now the offer is still being advertised on their website. Another phone call to play customer services and they again said they'd contact the warehouse etc, I don't think they really understood my case by I can't find any way to contact head office or even an email address anymore

So now i'm stuck with an incomplete gift, and I was wondering if anyone could advise me how to pursue this and if I do indeed have a right to demand the missing item from play? The item listing doesn't mention anywhere it's a manufacturer promotion(believe me I read that page very carefully before spending that much money), and the fact they are still in July advertising a promotion that ended in March is pretty shoddy!

Thankyou all in advance, and sorry I had to unlink the links as i'm a newbie.

Mupette

I would probably return it as incomplete order, seeing as they can't fulfil the order too.

Chimpofdoom

If i'm reading it right, it's not actually play who sells it...

TIMSADAR is reported as the seller on that page...

tubbygaijin

Chimpofdoom wrote: »

If i'm reading it right, it's not actually play who sells it...

TIMSADAR is reported as the seller on that page...

No that's because all of play's stock are sold, it reverts to the best-price reseller, mine was brand new from play.

tubbygaijin

Mupette wrote: »

I would probably return it as incomplete order, seeing as they can't fulfil the order too.

I was thinking the same but then i'd have nothing to give my wife tomorrow

Mupette

tubbygaijin wrote: »

I was thinking the same but then i'd have nothing to give my wife tomorrow

Start off with breakfast in bed, explain the problem, i am sure she will understand, and perhaps a nice meal out?

adam.mt

Afraid that's the choice, if Play can't get any of the flash units in ask if they're prepared to make a partial refund for it being missing as a goodwill gesture. If they aren't then your only choice is to accept the camera minus the flash unit, or return for full refund.

Legally, if they can't honour the 'contract' then a full refund is considered an acceptable alternative.

Lube

Play are always making mistakes like this

Send it back the offer unless it made it clear had ended by Play is a integral part of the deal

tubbygaijin

Hi all, just a quick update on this one.

After contacting customer services again I received the same email as before once again. So out of luck with conventional channels I emailed the CEO who was very understanding and put me in contact with the head of customer support.

Long story short, flash arrived today and i'm very happy and am sure my wife will be thrilled too!

After getting past the outsourced call centre madness everyone I dealt with was great so i'm really happy with how play dealt with the situation after actually taking ownership of the error :j

adam.mt

Thanks for the update, it's rare people make them! Glad it worked out too.