Play.com - my experience

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Scarpacci wrote: »

Play.com were notoriously slow at dispatching items and probably still are

I've only really ordered DVDs on Play (which were in stock and DVDs are packed automatically by machine rather than hand) but have found dispatch time within 24 hours.

Their pages no longer say shipped within 24 hours for in stock items and I'm guessing since swapping to optional postage charges they work the way Amazon do and dispatch slower if you go for free P&P.

I would also assume for media products under £15 paying for 1st Class post is pointless if the item is coming from Jersey. Same goes for Amazon Jersey items, if you opt for 1st Class post on a DVD the ETA shown to me is always 1 day longer than free.

johnnyboyrebel

clhs wrote: »

You're entirely incorrect. Every item I order from Amazon (and if you want me to upload my order history you'll see that there are literally hundreds of items) arrives promptly, within a few days. Play.com are doing something wrong if they can't get an item out within 12 days, which it has now been. Just because they claim to have sent it out, doesn't mean they have. A blind man on a galloping horse could see that. And if you go to almost any review site and search for Play.com you will see loads of complaints similar to mine. So maybe think before you type next time

None of which discards the fact that this is a delivery issue.

You cannot really compare delivery with any company to Amazon, Amazon have a priority line with Royal Mail due to the enormous percentage of post that they use them for.

The fact remains Play state on their site the maximum period (which is not their own policy by the way, it is applied by Royal Mail and applies to any first class item) which we would all assume you agree to before placing the order.

Your kind of comments are a pet hate of mine. After working on many sites over the years, people like to blame anyone they can other than the company actually delivering the item. Mainly because they pay zero for postage but expect fast delivery. sure delivery is fast normally but as i said (and again stated on plays site) they use second class first, you can pay extra for first class.

johnnyboyrebel

clhs wrote: »

I suppose I don't accept that Play.com really have passed it to Royal Mail. If they had, it's weird that the post office have simply not bothered to deliver it, when everything else I have ordered from Amazon and other e-retailers has arrived.

From experience I can tell you this is exactly what happens from time to time, why? I dont know.

i work for a fairly large company and we sell online through various channels so are shipping out anything between 400-800 packages daily. When we are dealing with a number like this it is inevitable that some items will take 2 maybe 3 weeks to arrive. We ship out everything within 24 hours guaranteed with the majority being shipped the day it is ordered, this is why it is a reasonable assumption that a company like Play would do the same. Some items never arrive, thats just the way it is. This is Royal Mail for you. I have never understood the true reason why but it happens. In many cases packages are held at the sorting office local to the customer before the item is even attempted to be delivered. Again why? I dont know. This has happened to me personally.

What do you think Play do all day if they dont ship orders once they come in? they're not that busy !!!!!!! Clearly my point of view is from the company's side as it makes no sense and benefits noone to simply accept orders and just leave them a day or two.

Scarpacci wrote: »

You can't assume it's posted out within 24 hours just because Play.com say it would usually be posted out in 24 hours.
You have to at least wait for a dispatch message before your "blame" turns to Royal Mail. Unless you pay for express delivery, it's very unlikely Play.com will ship your item in 24 hours.

Back when free delivery was all they offered, my orders would never ship rarely ship within 60 hours - let alone 24. Play.com were notoriously slow at dispatching items and probably still are. Their 'usual' dispatch times are way off the mark. I paid for 1st class delivery and it still took them two days to post out (admittedly it did arrive on time). Express will most certainly ship quickly, but other than that the 24 hours is meaningless.

Clearly I meant if the item is in stock it will be shipped out within 24 hours, 'most' companies who advertise 24 hour dispatch will give it.

Scarpacci

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

Clearly I meant if the item is in stock it will be shipped out within 24 hours, 'most' companies who advertise 24 hour dispatch will give it.

Most companies probably will but I hardly ever found Play.com dispatching within 24 hours, in stock or not. I don't know if I was ordering the wrong products and they were having to send stock to the Channel Islands first to post back to me, but I'm not kidding when I say many of my orders took far longer than 24 hours to despatch despite apparently being in stock. I don't use them much at all now as I've got Amazon Prime, so maybe the situation has improved.

clhs

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

None of which discards the fact that this is a delivery issue.

You cannot really compare delivery with any company to Amazon, Amazon have a priority line with Royal Mail due to the enormous percentage of post that they use them for.

The fact remains Play state on their site the maximum period (which is not their own policy by the way, it is applied by Royal Mail and applies to any first class item) which we would all assume you agree to before placing the order.

Your kind of comments are a pet hate of mine. After working on many sites over the years, people like to blame anyone they can other than the company actually delivering the item. Mainly because they pay zero for postage but expect fast delivery. sure delivery is fast normally but as i said (and again stated on plays site) they use second class first, you can pay extra for first class.

There is no need for you to get "annoyed"; I was sharing my experience of Play.com; if you take offence that I dared say something against Play.com I can't help that.

To reiterate: I don't hate Play.com, nor did I ever slag them off; I just gave an unbiased, honest account of what had happened on two occasions, on one of which I waited seven weeks without getting the item I had paid for, and received zero help from Play.com during that time. What you choose to do with that information is up to you but if you don't like the facts, just ignore the post. You don't need to defend the valour of Play.com with such vigour.

clhs

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

From experience I can tell you this is exactly what happens from time to time, why? I dont know.

i work for a fairly large company and we sell online through various channels so are shipping out anything between 400-800 packages daily. When we are dealing with a number like this it is inevitable that some items will take 2 maybe 3 weeks to arrive. We ship out everything within 24 hours guaranteed with the majority being shipped the day it is ordered, this is why it is a reasonable assumption that a company like Play would do the same. Some items never arrive, thats just the way it is. This is Royal Mail for you. I have never understood the true reason why but it happens. In many cases packages are held at the sorting office local to the customer before the item is even attempted to be delivered. Again why? I dont know. This has happened to me personally.

What do you think Play do all day if they dont ship orders once they come in? they're not that busy !!!!!!! Clearly my point of view is from the company's side as it makes no sense and benefits noone to simply accept orders and just leave them a day or two.

You're very quick to exonerate Play.com and very quick to assume it's the fault of the Royal Mail. Why all the anger and overzealous defending of Play.com? I wonder where you work... Maybe it's time to just let this post go and accept that you are not going to convince the rest of the forum that a) Play.com are perfect, and b) that the Royal Mail are accountable for every delayed item of post (when there is just as much chance that it's simply the fault of the retailer, failing to send out the item in good time).

Essex_Lad1981

Never had an issue with Play and used them around 40-50 times I would guess.

I find the delay to be more with the Royal Mail getting the items to me

WatlingA5

The only problem I had with play.com was ordering a Sarah Connor Chronicles DVD and getting a documentary about old aircraft. Returned it and was sent the correct one so I don't think Royal Mail can be blamed for THAT one

As an aside, play.com was sold to a Japanese company in September for £25m after the UK moved to start closing the VAT loophole.

johnnyboyrebel

clhs wrote: »

There is no need for you to get "annoyed"; I was sharing my experience of Play.com; if you take offence that I dared say something against Play.com I can't help that.

To reiterate: I don't hate Play.com, nor did I ever slag them off; I just gave an unbiased, honest account of what had happened on two occasions, on one of which I waited seven weeks without getting the item I had paid for, and received zero help from Play.com during that time. What you choose to do with that information is up to you but if you don't like the facts, just ignore the post. You don't need to defend the valour of Play.com with such vigour.

I'm not defending Play as I have no need to. Simply pointing out a postal issue is a postal issue so something only Royal Mail can help with.

Your experience of customer service with Play is a different issue, I havent mentioned that. Although as they give a 21 day maximum period on their site and you order something hence agreeing to a maximum period as a worst case scenario I'm not sure what you expect them to say if you contact them before this period has expired. Allthey can possibly say is to allow the 21 days.

johnnyboyrebel

clhs wrote: »

You're very quick to exonerate Play.com and very quick to assume it's the fault of the Royal Mail. Why all the anger and overzealous defending of Play.com? I wonder where you work... Maybe it's time to just let this post go and accept that you are not going to convince the rest of the forum that a) Play.com are perfect, and b) that the Royal Mail are accountable for every delayed item of post (when there is just as much chance that it's simply the fault of the retailer, failing to send out the item in good time).

Are you actually reading my posts or just reading the first line and making the rest up yourself?

What anger? I am pointing out the obvious that if an item is delayed in the post then clearly that is down to the post office. If an item is not dispatched until 5 days after it is orderd then of course this has nothing to do with the post but as I said what reasion is there for any company to not dispatch an order (if in stock) for a few days??

So once an item is dispatched then of course it is down to the post office and it is down to you as a grown adult to read all the info on the site before then complaining.

If an order is not dispatched for a few days then this is down to the retailer. I'm glad this is now resolved.