Catalogue nightmare

Sproglet

Hi everyone,

I decided to place an order for £100+ with Littlewoods in September 2011. I have been a customer/catalogue holder of theirs for several years without any major issues.

I had recently moved house but hadn't yet updated my address with Littlewoods so decided I would have the order shipped to my mums house (which is where I get most of my orders sent due to her working hours being more flexible than my own). I tried to place the order online but for whatever reason it wouldn't work, so I rang customer services and placed it that way - when asked it I wanted it delivered to my home address or an alternative one I said I wanted it sent to my mums address. The order went through ok.

A week later my mum hadn't received my parcel so I rang customer services to ask what the delay was. I was informed that it had already been delivered which I denied and then upon them checking was told that it had been delivered to my account address (my old house), and not my mums as I had requested. I was obviously annoyed and asked what I was supposed to do now. They said I needed to go back to my old address and retrieve the parcel as the courier would not revisit the house. I was also 'told off' for not updating my address with them so I gave them my new details whilst on the phone.

Over the next fortnight I went to my old address several times to try and get my parcel but there was no answer. I decided to ring customer services again and that said that they would remove the items that I had ordered from my account and asked if I wish to place an identical order - I did and once again this went through ok.

My new order arrived at my mums house with no problems and I thought the matter was sorted but when I received my next bill it showed that I was being charged for both the original missing order and the second (replacement) order! I was furious so rang them to find out what had happened. They said that they had contacted the courier to get a refund but the courier refused to refund because they had a signature from someone at my old address, so they were re-charging me for the items because I had 'obviously' received them! Once again I stated I hadn't which was the reason for my asking for a duplicate order. The customer service advisor said that they would chase it up again with the courier and I would hear something soon.

A few weeks later I received a letter in the post asking me to provide a photocopy of my driving licence so they could check my signature against the one that courier had obtained. I duely sent this off recorded delivery within the 14 day deadline but yet again heard nothing.

I rang again a few weeks later and asked where I now stood since I had provided my signature which clearly wouldn't match the one from the courier as I had not signed for, nor received the original parcel. I was once again told that they would contact the courier company and my bill would be amended.

This last phone call was at the beginning of December and I have not heard anything from Littlewoods, nor has my bill been amended to remove the items I never received. Each month I am being charged for them and each month I am being forced the make the minimum repayments to ensure that I don't get charged a late/insufficient payment fee despite me not even having these items in my possession.

Where do I go from here? Surely they can't charge me for items I never received? I feel I have exhausted customer services as they have proven time after time that they are unable to help me

Please help!

unholyangel

Write to them formally disputing the charges and the reasons why. State that your contract is with them and it is up to them to independently take it up with the courier they used.


Tbh sounds like the courier has faked your signature and left them in a "secure" place. I imagine if the signature was a different name, they wouldnt be asking for an example of your signature.

balmk

I would suggest that you are pretty much at their mercy; whilst they made a mistake and didn't send the parcel to your mums address, they did send it to the address which they had down as your home address.

Was there any particular reason that you did not want them to have your new address details?

balmk

unholyangel wrote: »

Write to them formally disputing the charges and the reasons why. State that your contract is with them and it is up to them to independently take it up with the courier they used.


Tbh sounds like the courier has faked your signature and left them in a "secure" place. I imagine if the signature was a different name, they wouldnt be asking for an example of your signature.

There is nothing here to suggest that the courier has faked your signature; they were tasked by Littlewoods to deliver a package to an address. The fact that it was not the address that you specified is not their error.

The error lies with Littlewoods for instructing the courier to deliver to an address other than the one that you specified, but the main issue lies in the fact that whilst their system defaulted delivery to your statement address, they were not to know that you had moved because you hadn't told them.

fluffnutter

You went to extra effort to arrange delivery to your mum's address yet didn't change your own address at the time? Whilst Littlewoods have let you down (made a simple mistake most likely) it's pretty crazy that you left your old address on file.

To their mind they've delivered two packages to two legitimate addresses. Your only course of action is to keep reiterating that they didn't follow your original instructions and are therefore at fault, but they can equally counter that you didn't change your address even though you'd moved. Which is asking for trouble really.

Sproglet

Thank you for your replies.

I realise it is not the couriers fault and have not (intentionally) blamed them at any point. They got told to deliver a parcel to X address, they delivered said parcel to X address. The buck stops there as far as I'm concerned when it comes to their responsibilities.

As for why I didn't update my address... I always pay my bill via the automated phone system, when giving them your account details/payment info/card details etc it specifically says that you cannot make a payment if the card you are using is registered at a different address to the one you hold your account at. As my card was still registered at my previous address I obviously didn't want to update my details with Littlewoods knowing that it would prevent me making a payment. After my parcel had gone missing and I explained this reason the customer service advisor they told me that if you bypass the automated system and speak directly to them then it doesn't matter where you card is registered, they can still take a payment. I just didn't know this at the time until everything had gone wrong.

At the time of moving I was under a lot of stress. Our landlords had asked us to leave due to their circumstances changing and them needing the house back, and I was trying to complete my dissertation and other work for the final year of my uni course. That combined with discovering my mum had breast cancer, and finding out I owed the Council the best part of £2000 due to a mess up meant my head was very mashed and even basic tasks like updating details with everyone got put on the back-burner. Not an excuse but they're the reasons why I didn't get around to sorting it.

fluffnutter

Sproglet wrote: »

Thank you for your replies.

I realise it is not the couriers fault and have not (intentionally) blamed them at any point. They got told to deliver a parcel to X address, they delivered said parcel to X address. The buck stops there as far as I'm concerned when it comes to their responsibilities.

As for why I didn't update my address... I always pay my bill via the automated phone system, when giving them your account details/payment info/card details etc it specifically says that you cannot make a payment if the card you are using is registered at a different address to the one you hold your account at. As my card was still registered at my previous address I obviously didn't want to update my details with Littlewoods knowing that it would prevent me making a payment. After my parcel had gone missing and I explained this reason the customer service advisor they told me that if you bypass the automated system and speak directly to them then it doesn't matter where you card is registered, they can still take a payment. I just didn't know this at the time until everything had gone wrong.

At the time of moving I was under a lot of stress. Our landlords had asked us to leave due to their circumstances changing and them needing the house back, and I was trying to complete my dissertation and other work for the final year of my uni course. That combined with discovering my mum had breast cancer, and finding out I owed the Council the best part of £2000 due to a mess up meant my head was very mashed and even basic tasks like updating details with everyone got put on the back-burner. Not an excuse but they're the reasons why I didn't get around to sorting it.

You must make sure you include the poor advice re. cards and the address they're registered to when you make your (written) complaint. This has a bearing on why you didn't change your address.

I'd leave the rest out, whilst sad it's unfortunately irrelevant.

Keep your letter short and to the point. You don't even need to mention the courier and efforts made to establish whether it was signed for or not. Merely point out that, due to their advice you thought it wise to leave an old address on file. This has resulted in your being charged twice for items you received only once. Good luck and get writing.

unholyangel

balmk wrote: »

There is nothing here to suggest that the courier has faked your signature; they were tasked by Littlewoods to deliver a package to an address. The fact that it was not the address that you specified is not their error.

The error lies with Littlewoods for instructing the courier to deliver to an address other than the one that you specified, but the main issue lies in the fact that whilst their system defaulted delivery to your statement address, they were not to know that you had moved because you hadn't told them.

Are you speaking to me or the OP?

If its to me, I'll repeat what I said above, if the signature was a completely different name, why would they be asking for a copy of her signature? I've had parcels go missing and apparently "signed for", the only time i've been asked to provide a signature is when it was my name that had been signed. The only other explanation is that they are going to contract a handwriting specialist to see if the signatures were likely made by the same person - and the costs of doing this would likely outweigh the costs of writing the items off.

If you think couriers dont do this sort of thing, you seriously need to read courier threads both on here and praise/vent board. I am not in any way suggesting all couriers do this - but it is not as uncommon as you might think. Nor am I suggesting that all couriers who do this are doing so with malicious intent. The majority probably think they're doing the recipient a favour.

Littlewoods

Sproglet wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I decided to place an order for £100+ with Littlewoods in September 2011. I have been a customer/catalogue holder of theirs for several years without any major issues.

I had recently moved house but hadn't yet updated my address with Littlewoods so decided I would have the order shipped to my mums house (which is where I get most of my orders sent due to her working hours being more flexible than my own). I tried to place the order online but for whatever reason it wouldn't work, so I rang customer services and placed it that way - when asked it I wanted it delivered to my home address or an alternative one I said I wanted it sent to my mums address. The order went through ok.

A week later my mum hadn't received my parcel so I rang customer services to ask what the delay was. I was informed that it had already been delivered which I denied and then upon them checking was told that it had been delivered to my account address (my old house), and not my mums as I had requested. I was obviously annoyed and asked what I was supposed to do now. They said I needed to go back to my old address and retrieve the parcel as the courier would not revisit the house. I was also 'told off' for not updating my address with them so I gave them my new details whilst on the phone.

Over the next fortnight I went to my old address several times to try and get my parcel but there was no answer. I decided to ring customer services again and that said that they would remove the items that I had ordered from my account and asked if I wish to place an identical order - I did and once again this went through ok.

My new order arrived at my mums house with no problems and I thought the matter was sorted but when I received my next bill it showed that I was being charged for both the original missing order and the second (replacement) order! I was furious so rang them to find out what had happened. They said that they had contacted the courier to get a refund but the courier refused to refund because they had a signature from someone at my old address, so they were re-charging me for the items because I had 'obviously' received them! Once again I stated I hadn't which was the reason for my asking for a duplicate order. The customer service advisor said that they would chase it up again with the courier and I would hear something soon.

A few weeks later I received a letter in the post asking me to provide a photocopy of my driving licence so they could check my signature against the one that courier had obtained. I duely sent this off recorded delivery within the 14 day deadline but yet again heard nothing.

I rang again a few weeks later and asked where I now stood since I had provided my signature which clearly wouldn't match the one from the courier as I had not signed for, nor received the original parcel. I was once again told that they would contact the courier company and my bill would be amended.

This last phone call was at the beginning of December and I have not heard anything from Littlewoods, nor has my bill been amended to remove the items I never received. Each month I am being charged for them and each month I am being forced the make the minimum repayments to ensure that I don't get charged a late/insufficient payment fee despite me not even having these items in my possession.

Where do I go from here? Surely they can't charge me for items I never received? I feel I have exhausted customer services as they have proven time after time that they are unable to help me

Please help!

Hi,

We're sorry to hear of the problems you have been having. If you would like to email your details to [EMAIL="Help@Littlewoods.co.uk"]Help@Littlewoods.co.uk[/EMAIL] we will be happy to look in to this for you.

Many thanks,

Sara
Littlewoods Company representative.