RANT: Play.com "Customer Service"?? - AVOID!!!

ko1981

Hi moneysavers,

I'm not new to the forum but have had to re-register due to changing my email address and not being able to access the old one for a password reset.

Along these lines, I contacted Play.com recently as I had tried to ammend my email address via their website. I entered my new address but a system error <not a valid e-mail address> will not allow me to add my new and perfectly valid gmail.com email address.

I initially contacted them around sept 22nd, telling them of the error message, and a few days later placed an order for a few xmas items. The reply I got to my query about changing my email address simply directed me to the relevent area of the customer account section and gave specific directions (copy and paste style reply) on how to accomplish the change.

WELL DUH!!! I managed to find that out all by myself thank you very much!!! Clearly they did not *read* the problem.

I replied with a screenshot of the error, asking them to kindly pass it to their 2nd line team for investigation (I've worked in IT support, I know the score here, they obviously don't). They did send it to 2nd line and advised me they were 'investigating'.

All bar one of my items arrived in seperate packaging over the course of a few days. One particular item (that I'd ordered two of, both identical) which was about 8cm diameter and 10cm tall, arrived in a HUGE box, into which they could have put more than the entire order!
Anyhow, I contacted them again about a week later to say 1; My email problem had not been resolved, 2; Their packaging methods and procedures were not eco-friendly, were not efficient, and were quite frankly, completely unnecessary, and 3; I was still awaiting an item.

The reply I received after a few more days ignored the e-mail problem, advised that they will only act if the last remaining item had not been received by the 20th Oct, and ignorantly stated that
"every unit orders are seperately packed and delivered so there is always a chance to not receive orders in a the same time although you ordered it in a same day" - well that clearly explains things doesn't it!

I replied, escalating the issue with my email to an official complaint and requested a reply from someone in authority. The response?
An email from customer support themselves saying sorry for the delay of your item and let us know if it hasn't arrived by the 20th!!
Seriously?? I GOT THAT MESSAGE IN YOUR LAST EMAIL!! :mad: I'm complaining about the lack of response with regards to the email problem!!

Since all items were in stock when I ordered, would it not have been easier, less wasteful and more efficient to put the whole order together??

Not only is their dispatch procedure totally inefficient but wasting resources unnecessarily really frustrates me!

Play is extremely eco-unfriendly, inefficient, and has horrendously incompetent customer service. I would avoid buying from them at all costs!! I certainly will never be using them again *once they rectify the problem of the missing item I am still awaiting*

Grrr. Feel slightly better now I've got that off my chest.

K

whatmichaelsays

Play's dispatch system has more to do with tax than anything else. Packages containing goods below a certain value makes them exempt from VAT when they are imported from Jersey to the UK. It might not be eco-friendly but it's VAT friendly, which is why they are cheaper than high-street retailers.

ko1981

The VAT-free import limit is £18.
They could very easily have an automatic system trigger which can indicate which items to package into one consignment without exceeding the limit.
My items would have at most spanned three parcels and stayed within tax-exemption limits, instead of having to process and send 10 seperate parcels. The savings in efficency would pay for the system adjustment in no time.

Still wouldn't fix their abysmal 'customer service' though...

Also in terms of price, many of the items I ordered were no cheaper than Amazon, the only reason I order from Play was because the two electronic items were on offer - they were the only part of my order that was cheaper and it was just more convenient to order all items in one place.
I'll stick with Amazon next time, I've never had any problems with them

JDC14

I have the packaging issue but slightly reversed.

Amazon send me massive packages for the littlest things. My sister had a book from Amazon and we managed to fit 12 DVDs into the packaging (4 in a square, then 3 deep) Absolutely ridiculous.

Play.Com however, I've never had a problem with packaging wise. They sent me 2 Xbox Games in a package before and the postman managed to even get it into our post box.

whatmichaelsays

ko1981 wrote: »

The VAT-free import limit is £18.
They could very easily have an automatic system trigger which can indicate which items to package into one consignment without exceeding the limit.
My items would have at most spanned three parcels and stayed within tax-exemption limits, instead of having to process and send 10 seperate parcels. The savings in efficency would pay for the system adjustment in no time.

Still wouldn't fix their abysmal 'customer service' though...

Also in terms of price, many of the items I ordered were no cheaper than Amazon, the only reason I order from Play was because the two electronic items were on offer - they were the only part of my order that was cheaper and it was just more convenient to order all items in one place.
I'll stick with Amazon next time, I've never had any problems with them

It might be more efficient for the end user but is it for the business? At the end of the day, Play.com has a "production line" that is based on one item per package. As with any production line, the second you deviate from it, it becomes less efficient.

At the end of the day, the "eco-efficiency" element is somewhat loss when you order something that needs to be shipped / flown from 100miles off the mainland.

ko1981

Look, the main issue of my post was inexcusably awful customer service. Yes, the inefficiency element frustrates me but had I otherwise had great service I'd be less disgruntled - I reuse and recycle their packaging anyway.

Productions lines don't 'immediately become less efficient' if you deviate from the initial processes if the new processes are more efficient. Enough said.

I drive an efficient car, I recycle, grow my own, use energy saving lightbulbs, still put my washing on the line in winter rather than using a tumbler, and I don't spend unnecessarily. So I bought items from an offshore company - shoot me.

Is it still the end of the day where you are? :lipsrseal

daveboy

Don't know about other people but I don't mess about changing email addresses.

Set one up, keep using it. No problems.

Glad I'm not a member of your family. Go shopping and everything will have to be in one carrier bag.

Can just imagine you watching other people packing their shopping, telling them off for using too many bags.

Everything I've had from Play.com has come in a cardboard box, which goes straight into the recycling.

I'm another one who is actually quite happy with Play.com - I made a recent post about when they charge a customers card but service wise no problem at all.

Kildare

I don't even touch Play.com anymore. For 2 years in a row I ordered limited edition xbox games for Christmas. They turned up in nothing but a plastic postage bag, with the boxes completley battered - and these weren't cheap items. I would rather they used more packaging (or at least a bit more than I had) - at least when amazon sends something out it arrives safely.

ko1981

"Glad I'm not a member of your family. Go shopping and everything will have to be in one carrier bag."

So you've safely assumed you know me and how I would behave in a given situation after reading three posts that I've written? Seriously??

I really can't be bothered to get into the subject of carrier bags when I'm talking about the service I received from play.com. Hardly relevant.

Anyhow, to address the e-mail situation (Do I really have to justify changing my own email address? What is the world coming to?:eek:); My email address was a domain email address from my other half's company domain. We've sold the company. Things change. Is this sufficient justification? If it helps you sleep better tonight, my new one is gmail and I'll probably keep it for the rest of my life

Some people have good experiences with a company, others bad - the idea of a forum is for people to share experiences, not judge people. Thank you Kildare for posting something relevant and informative about the subject topic

beauty1307

I had to contact play.com several times by phone and email, ordered 2 disney blu rays the day after they started there bogof offer.
They took 3 days to post but i never received confirmation emails from them waited and waited but they never arrived, had to wait 15 working days then i could put in a claim.

Play then emailed me a claim form which i had to fill in and send back to there freepost address, in the meantime i had telephoned there joke customer services probably based in India as you could not really understand what she was saying probably reading from a script this was a total waste of time.

They then only processed 1 of the blu rays, so another call to there joke customer services and they had to email me another claim form to fill in and send off and i really dont even think they have sent them, and having probably spent a lot of money over the years, would never buy from them again.

There customer services are a complete and utter waste of time

Rant over

Emma

johnnyboyrebel

beauty1307 wrote: »

I had to contact play.com several times by phone and email, ordered 2 disney blu rays the day after they started there bogof offer.
They took 3 days to post but i never received confirmation emails from them waited and waited but they never arrived, had to wait 15 working days then i could put in a claim.

Play then emailed me a claim form which i had to fill in and send back to there freepost address, in the meantime i had telephoned there joke customer services probably based in India as you could not really understand what she was saying probably reading from a script this was a total waste of time.

They then only processed 1 of the blu rays, so another call to there joke customer services and they had to email me another claim form to fill in and send off and i really dont even think they have sent them, and having probably spent a lot of money over the years, would never buy from them again.

There customer services are a complete and utter waste of time

Rant over

Emma

I'm not surprised you didnt receive any confirmation emails, hardly anyone ever does. As a playtrader, I am shocked by the number of customers that tell me this. It's a good job we send our own is all can I say.

I guess the one saving grace is now they have been bought out by rakuten things can only get better, although maybe not...