£25 hobbs gift card with Red magazine

annie-c

Barnabylovesicecream wrote: »

They said it wasn't available to be sold to anyone using a red card but I coukd buy it if I paid the whole £29. After I complained to customer services they said if I went back they would sell it but by then I had left the town and was on my way home. I would have had to repark etc

Assuming that Hobbs has a genuine stock problem (since we can't prove otherwise), I would appreciate a response from the customer representative on the behaviour of staff at Regent Street, Guildford and others mentioned here, who have explicitly refused to serve customers with Red cards, even where stock is available?

I also propose a bit of 'mystery shopping' ladies.... we all have mobile phones with camera facilities, yes?

Perhaps we can help Hobbs to recover from its 'truly disappointed' state of mind by providing some concrete suggestions as to where customer service training might be best directed......

cheer1eader

reading the hobbs representitive's post it doesn't say anything helpful & seems likie a complete waste of time for them to post on here when they aren't even responding to queries made!

shopndrop

Another one here that would like to know where the "Top" stores are. Can't believe that Hobbs haven't come back with a further response yet.

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi all,

I have gone back to our Hobbs contact (not customer services) again and asked them to specifically address these issues, I'll let you know what I hear back.

annie-c

Thanks MSE Archna. If they don't respond specifically then it would seem that they are wasting MSE resources too, asking for a Company Rep posting ID that hasn't been put to much use.

I guess that Hobbs's prevarication thus far will probably have already succeeded in putting many many people off buying RED magazine for the last 2 weeks of the promotion, when the tops started disappearing. Now that the magazine is no longer available there is a finite number of cards in circulation so at least they ought to be able to manage the situation properly.

What a joke though, a high-end store being willing to have no tops on the shop floor at all for the sake of backing out on a PR promotion. The revenue they must be losing to competitors who do have a full complement of clothing available must be ridiculous.

Personally, I do love to be helped by SAs at the point that I am trying on suits etc and need extra colours or sizes, but at the point that I am still browsing I like to see what is available and select tops for myself, not wait for the odd one to be brought out from the stock room. I simply would not try on a 2 piece suit if there were no tops available to layer under it: standing in a changing room in a suit and bra doesn't quite give me the image I am aiming for ....

spikeage

The Aberdeen store had more tops in stock today than when I went in last Saturday. I used my card to buy a t-shirt and the staff were helpful and pleasant.

Barnabylovesicecream

An update. Hobbs called me again yesterday. They have replied to everyone who has been in contact. They were very nice on the phone and did give a very personal response. I was much happier at the end of the conversation. They have set aside a duck top for me which I was meant to get today but children and events ganged up against me!

I went into my local store today which has had no tops on display ( but has had them) for several weeks. Today they had camisoles in navy, cream and white. A white top and a black top at £19 and £25. I think a cream one as well. They also had a few £29 & £35 tops.

They seem to be on sale now. I don't know if this is due to stock redistribution.

lynne1966

Decision made. I'm off to Birmingham today to see what they have. Will report back later.....

magicbucks

Hi all The other thing you can do as well is call up the customer services they are able to check for you if the stock item is in stock in your local store that you want and not only that but as the systems are 24 hours behind they even call through for you to see if its there and they can get them to hold it for you. To give them their due you cannot ask for more than that But if anyone was thinking of going out especially to go Hobbs on a mission to get one of the particular tops I would do that and they dont ask you on the phone if you have a card ;-) I dontthink they'd be allowed/dare

Melgirl

I had one gift card left. Went to the Glades in Bromley yesterday and thought I would go in Hobbs to see if they had removed all the lower priced stock. There were a few £35 and £39 tops on display I picked up a £35 striped t-shirt. Then I came accross a £25 white long sleeve t-shirt. I put the striped one back and took the white one to the till. The sales assistant asked 'don't you want the striped one then?" I said, nope, because I won't have to pay anything towards this one!!! She took my details for the mailing list and threw the top in a bag without tissue, but she couldn't have been more pleasant. I was expecting to have to argue, but there was no need at all.