PC World forcing extras

Gavin83

Yeah it was pretty degrading if you'd had a bad day. Still, I did enjoy the challenge of selling, enjoyed speaking to the customers and for someone who was working part time while studying, it paid a tonne of money.

I was good at it as well and my product knowledge was excellent. This was more due to personal interests and my studies though as the training provided was nonexistent.

While I did enjoy working there I've certainly no loyalty to the place and wouldn't choose to work there again unless I had no choice.

bod1467

CKhalvashi wrote: »

taking something like £30/month of extras, then lovingly cancelled the DD's with HSBC about 2 weeks later

I hope you also formally cancelled the extras with Currys/finance/warranty company, and not just cancelled the DD.

vuvuzela

Had a very similar experience to the one the OP had. Went with the in-laws to get a laptop for them last year, as PCW had a decent deal on. They had 2 prices for the laptop, one on its own, and one with the extra antivirus etc of around 80 quid more expensive. As there are several free alternatives that work just as well as the paid one, we declined the offer and they refused to sell one to us without the bundle, even though the software was not actually packaged in the box with the laptop.
So we went next door to Currys (part of the same chain, obviously) and bought the same laptop for the same price and weren't hassled about expensive unnecessary add-ons.

And to those who say they would never use PCW because they are 'IT experts', get a life. They sell the same components/stuff as other places so if they are cheapest for it, why not use them ? Ridiculous attitude to pay more for the benefit of getting the same thing.

fred7777

boxer16 wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips on getting the laptop without having all these extras forced on me?

Make it very very clear from the start. Walk up to the nearest sales man and say "I'd like to buy ***** laptop only. I don't want to buy anything else and if you try to sell me any extras I will go somewhere else". I've had to say something similar about extended warranties in the past.

Also you could try a weekend and look for the youngest most inexperienced sales "assistant" who hopefully is a kid with a Saturday job and will be less likely to have the confidence to pressure you into buying extras.

CurrysPCWorld_company_representative

Hi Boxer,

Thank you for taking the time to get in contact with us.

I am sorry to read that you have experienced this type of service in your local store. This is not the sort of reputation that we want to get and is certainly not the sort of impression we wish to leave our customers with.

Can you please advise which store this was, and if you can remember the names of the colleagues in which you spoke to. If you could email me the details to [EMAIL="letusknow@knowhow.com"]letusknow@knowhow.com[/EMAIL] and I will be able to speak to you directly there. Please include your full address details in your email and I will be able to look into this further and see if we can sort a suitable resolution out for you.

Kind Regards,

Paul
The KNOWHOW Team

boxer16

Hi. I haven't had a response to my complaint as yet...? I sent it via email a few days ago

transient

Think They work certain days boxer. Normally pretty good on here

boxer16

Last I heard from them was Tuesday. They said they'd ring me for further info..

barbiedoll

At least the PC World rep seems to get the gist of your complaint which is more than everyone else on here did.

The fact that you were "asked if you had a boyfriend" is completely unprofessional to say the least. Were they asking because they thought they were in with a chance or because they thought that you were too stupid to buy a computer on your own and needed a man to help you to decide whether or not to have the "optional" extras? Either way, I'd be complaining too!

OP, you need to be a little more firm when dealing with idiot shop assistants (which is what they are, they're not "experts" or "technicians") and when they start ringing up unwanted add-ons, simply say that you're buying the laptop and nothing else. Or else take a grumpy old woman like me with you when you go shopping. I don't stand for any nonsense from young men who think that a name badge is a babe-magnet!

CoolHotCold

Barbiedoll it works both ways, I've been hit on while working, and also was told "You're hot, do you have a Girlfriend", and in a true man fashion I replied I apologised and said I was unavailable (lie) and hid round the back. But it is different when you're the one employed and it's the customer hitting on you.

I happen to know some right characters in several stores who have the banter down very well when building a almost flirting rapor with the customers. They always gauge the situation, mood etc before they build up but they have it down to a tee and it's always clearly in joking manner.


Also Barbiedoll, I wouldn't class all shop assistants as idiots, you'll find most of them the younger variety doing it as a part time gig to put themselves through university in undergrad and postgrad. You're milage may vary depending where you shop, but usually ask in the technical department (ala KnowHow) for the smartest cookies.


Anyway Boxer, if you have yet to hear back from them write a letter of complaint and try and put everything in a concise detailed letter (including shop location) and include your address, a email address and two contact numbers (if possible) and take it into any store and ask them to follow the complaints procedure, They'll fax or email it off to the SaveOurCustomers team who will aim to get back usually within 24/48 hours.