Boots Fajita kit with fake base!

mallymal

Got a Boots Fajita kit from sister in law for Xmas... briefly it's a cast iron griddle pan, a "tea cosy" to cover the hot handle, and a wooden board for it to sit on, so you can serve it sizzling hot at the table, just like in TGIs etc.

Imagine my amazement when I unpacked the item from its box last night.... the griddle was glued to the wooden base with a super strong sticky pad (stop it scuffing in transit I guess). The act of separating the two lifted the fake paper woodgrain off the "wooden" base :rotfl:

And I hadnt just assumed it was wood.... there are about 10 references to this on the packaging, such as "wooden base not dishwasher proof".

I've sent an email to Boots.... I'll post the rsult here.

PS. top tip.... if you're struggling to find an email to complain to, dont just go on the Boots website (for example) as that is a sales vehicle. Likewise M&S, Tesco etc. Instead Google "Boots Corporate Website" and you get to the "parent company", which for Boots is:

http://www.boots-uk.com/

Websites like these have careers, social responsibility, board members names etc, and are often a much more transparent route for your communications.

mokba43

oh no!!! I bought that gift for myself on the 3x2 offers, thought id get it out when i had friends over......
Don't know wether to try to get it out or just complaint and send it back!

Gigervamp

mokba43 wrote: »

oh no!!! I bought that gift for myself on the 3x2 offers, thought id get it out when i had friends over......
Don't know wether to try to get it out or just complaint and send it back!

I'd get it out and have a look at it. Maybe the one that the OP got was a mock up one meant just for photo shoots or something that had got in with the real ones somehow.

mallymal

Got a reply from Boots, very much a stock answer i susoect. Wont bore you with all of it, but they say:

I'm sorry I can't refund or exchange this product for you from here. Please take this to your local store and our people there will be more than happy to help you further. With our returns promise you have the opportunity to return products, with the exception of medicines, food and cosmetics unless faulty, to store at any point. If you have your receipt we can offer a refund, Giftcard or exchange. Without your receipt we'll give you an exchange.

Of course I have no receipt, so the stock reply is to offer an exchange! Oh great, exchanging one fake for another!!!

I've replied back saying I actually want them to provide a real wood base (slightly tongue in cheek) and that they should do a product recall offering unconditional refunds to all people unfortunate enough to have one!

I'll keep you posted....

luxor4t

The Christmas stock is gone after the sale, so they can't exchange it ... maybe you'd be offered a voucher for the value.

cagsd

Usually when you are offered an exchange for an item without a receipt, it doesn't mean you have to swop it for an identical item, it just means they will exchange it for goods to the same value... although beware: they are within their rights to offer you the most recent selling price / value, so say if the kit had been reduced from £20 to a fiver, they could just say you can have something for a fiver :undecided
Another reason to always keep hold of receipts! (Something I need to learn myself!)

mallymal

Thanks for that CAGSD... good point about the receipt. Normally I'm pretty good with that, but because this was a gift, I dont have one. Don't want to ask my sister if she has it, as I dont want her to think I'm complaining about/being ungrateful for the prezzie.

cagsd

mallymal wrote: »

Thanks for that CAGSD... good point about the receipt. Normally I'm pretty good with that, but because this was a gift, I dont have one. Don't want to ask my sister if she has it, as I dont want her to think I'm complaining about/being ungrateful for the prezzie.

I know what you mean, I've just had to take back a jumper my mum bought from M&S for my OH's birthday, didn't like to ask for the receipt so they would only give me a credit voucher, wouldn't even give me a gift card but hey ho what can you do! Luckily the jumper hadn't been reduced in price so we got the full value back.

mallymal

Boots have today confirmed what CAGSD said, that an exchange could be simply for something else of the same value. To be honest I'm not bothered... its a perfectly nice little cast iron pan, which I would rather keep than swapping it for something else I dont want or need.

But I think there's a wider issue that... that a major retailer, and one which many people would trust for the purchase of christmas gifts, have blatantly applied a false trade description to an item.

Just for mischief I'm pushing them on what they intend to do to put this right, but doubt if I'll get anywhere.

Someone somewhere at Boots wants their a**e kicking for approving the packaging or the item, or both!

Gigervamp

It would be helpful if RobertFewtrell and mokba43 would come back and tell us if their ones also have a fake base.

mallymal

Latest from Boots... customer services cant confirm what value it would be exchanged for, so they say to take it in store for that. Without a receipt, all I'll get is most recent discounted price I suspect... the pan itself is probably worth more than that, and worth keeping instead.

Boots customer services rang today with non even an apology really, and just said it was logged on their system, but that I was the only person who had complained.

So come on moneysavers....do you have one of these? Is it fake? If so, please tell us here & tell Boots too.