Not a "Very" Pleasant Experience with Very

mancuk29

I have for a few months been looking at the Samsung Galaxy Camera to purchase for my wife's Birthday in January.

I had looked at various companies and found Very's offer of 10% discount on a new account plus their great Buy it now Pay Later offer to much to miss out on. I was using the offer mainly for the discount and would have paid the camera off within a month or so, it did give me the breathing space to get Christmas out of the way. The camera cost £399 minus the £39 discount so just under £360 which was excellent as retail high street stores were still charging £399.

On the 21st January I ordered the camera and it duly arrived with me via click + on the 22nd.

In order to check the item was ok I opened the very bag prior to giving the camera to my wife a few days later.

TO MY HORROR the camera was not in a Samsung Galaxy Camera box but a plain brown box, and the camera was securely fastened to the box by cellophane.

This was not acceptable, so I emailed Very that very night and advised them I was not happy and asked whether the camera was brand new, a refurbished model or customer return and why it was in a brown box.

The response the next day from Very Customer Services was "I can confirm this is an original camera. If the original packaging is damaged in anyway we use our own supplies of packaging"

Not on I thought , firstly why should the original packaging be damaged from Samsung and secondly there was nothing on Very's website which stated they would re package the item.

I straight away rejected the item under the distance selling act as it was not fit for purpose.

I then made contact with Samsung UK to discuss the issue with them as I was still not happy Very had sent me a refurbished model. A quick check of the serial number Samsung confirmed that the camera was brand new HOWEVER Very should not have dispatched the camera repackaged and I should return the camera straight away for a replacement.

I made contact with Very Customer Services, the first lady I spoke with asked me if I had turned the camera on .. yes was my answer as Samsung required the serial number of the camera and the camera serial number on the bottom of the camera was too small to see . "You can not return the camera to very as you have switched it on" Your having a laugh was my response, under distance selling I have 7 days to examine the camera like I could in a shop, nothing on the website stated the camera was exempt from the home approval guarantee Very offered and I switched the camera on to provide Samsung with the serial number. The camera I explained was not fit for purpose or as described.

I was then transferred to the aftersales department and explained my issues to the lady I spoke with. "This is how Samsung provide the camera to us" was the response. I explained my conversation and also the response I received from very with a totally different tale. I was told I could return the camera for a refund or replacement. I asked if Very could provide me with a camera in a retail box "this can not be guaranteed" was the response so I chose to return the camera for a refund.

I was advised that the camera could be returned via click + or Yodel. To my own experience Yodel can not be trusted as far as I can throw them as items returned back to Amazon by myself have been opened and the content stolen so this was not an option.

Click + was not an option in my own eyes as I had used the service before and their insurance level was only £50 should the camera be lost or stolen.

I opted to return via royal mail and went to my local post office, the label was pre paid on the package however no insurance cover was provided by Royal mail so I sent the item via Special Delivery at a cost of £7.55.

Firstly I wanted the item insured and secondly I wanted a fast refund back to my credit account as I was buying a replacement in a correct retail box from John Lewis so I did not want an issues with the camera going missing or the refund taking forever.

Duly posted I waited two days expecting at least confirmation my package was received as the package was signed for the very next day after delivery.

Nothing came so I made contact with Very again asking for confirmation of receipt .. a refund takes up to 14 days back to your credit account. Ok not an issue.


I also in the same email asked for an explanation of why the Item should be sold in a brown box and not in a correctly packaged Samsung box and explained my story and the fact I was not prepared to provide my wife with a brown plain box for such an expensive gift.

I went and purchased a fully packaged camera from John Lewis with an added bonus of a free battery and charged the only downside was I had lost my 10% discount and secondly I had to pay outright however my wife was very happy so I was happy. :j

I then this weekend checked my very account as I still hadn't heard anything from them and found the item had been refunded with no confirmation of receipt. Not very good customer services I thought but at least the camera was refunded back.

I emailed Very on [EMAIL="Network@VeryHQ.co.uk"]Network@VeryHQ.co.uk [/EMAIL] firstly to ask why no acknowledgement had come to my email, secondly I wanted a valid explanation as to why the camera had arrived in a brown box and thirdly I expected a refund of my £7.55 as the return modes were not accepted as I was not given any insurance to cover the item should it be lost and I could not afford £360 extra for a lost camera and certainly did not want the hassle of fighting with Very

The response from [EMAIL="Network@VeryHQ.co.uk"]Network@VeryHQ.co.uk[/EMAIL] was
"We’re really sorry to hear of the problems you have had with your recent order for the Samsung Camera – we can confirm that this has now been credited back to your account. We apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused and for any disappointment you may feel with regards to the service you have so far received.

With regards to returning your product, unfortunately we are unable to provide you with a cheque for £7.55. We have provided you with free means of returns to which you were not satisfied with and instead returned your item using Royal Mail Special Delivery, this is a cost we are not liable to reimburse. You can return items via the Post Office, which are returned using Royal Mail – however, with our returns note this is also free.

If you wish to escalate this and raise a claim for compensation for your expenses you can do so via our Customer Excellence Department"

Very had not answered any of my questions and basically fobbed me off that the £7.55 was my problem as I had chosen to insure myself against loss or theft.

I emailed back advising I was not happy the other issues had not been answered and I would indeed be taking the issue further via Very;s "Customer Excellence Department"

The response was

We are unable to give an explanation regarding the packaging. We use reputable suppliers and we are unsure why they have used this type of packaging, however, we will be sure to pass on this feedback.

In regards to the normal post, once you take one of our items back to the post office, you are given a proof of return slip with a tracking number on, as long as you keep this receipt then you are not liable for any parcels that go missing in the post as this receipt proves that you are no longer in possession of the item and that you have used a company that we have approved therefore of. This is the same for Collect+ returns, you would be given a receipt with a tracking number on and this would also ensure that you would not be liable.


No where on the Very website does it say as soon as the package is with Royal Mail or Click + any liability would cease with myself and Very would cover this, OK I did not ask all I was interested in was returning the camera and expected a refund of £7.55 for the postage as the Distance Selling act is quite specific when an item is not as described any return should be paid for by the retailer.

My question now I have explained the whole story is "are very responsible for the £7.55" and if they refuse to pay the £7.55is there any where else I can go and if not is it worth going via the small claims court ?

I know it is only £7.55 but the way I have been treated and sold various stories as to why the item should be in a brown box really annoys me.

Thanks in advance

bod1467

Whilst it wasn't handled "very" well, the choice to pay £7.55 for special delivery was yours. I think this is one of those situations where you need to pick your battles - this is one you'd struggle to win.

adamc260

bod1467 wrote: »

Whilst it wasn't handled "very" well, the choice to pay £7.55 for special delivery was yours. I think this is one of those situations where you need to pick your battles - this is one you'd struggle to win.

My thoughts exactly, I hate yodel but I've sent stuff via collect + and it always finds its way back.. eventually!

Take the £7.55 on the chin and next time just use their methods.

Stephb1986_2

I would put it all over their facebook page it usually works with most companies.

Good Luck

Steph xx

mancuk29

I emailed Very's Customer excellence department as advised and I have been given a refund of £7.55 plus another 10% off my next order because of all the problems... spoke with a lovely lady who was shocked at the way I had been treated, agreed with my reasoning about sending the camera back special delivery and advised me that the camera had gone back to the supplier so they can investigate why it was sent in the brown box !

result and very happy - it was only £7.55 but I got it refunded