Samsung - Replacing printer

tonyg_2

Here is the reply to my letter to the Dixons Store Group Chief Exec (reply was from Group MD of PC World):

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Thank you for your letter dated xxx, addressed to John Clare, Chief Executive of the Dixons Group. As Group Managing Director of PC World, it is appropriate that I respond.
I was concerned to learn of the difficulties that you have described with your Samsung printer. Please be assured that, as a company, we endeavour to provide the best quality service and products at all times.
The procedure for printers that are faulty under the first 12 months of purchase is to contact the manufacturer for replacement or repair, as the warranty is the manufacturer's warranty. However, as the retailer, we are fully aware of our responsibility to our customers, therefore our stores can arrange an exchange' on behalf of our customers' with the manufacturer direct.
It is not PC World procedure or policy for our store to exchange a faulty printer for a brand new item if it is repairable by the manufacturer. The manufacturer insists that they are the repair agents for their own products. The manufacturer can exchange products for a reconditioned unit, it is the customers decision if they choose not to accept this resolution. In this situation, the manufacturer is acting as our repair agent.
If our customers have purchased extended warranty on a product1hat cost less-than £100.00. Coverplan have an instant replacement policy within our stores. I understand that your purchase does not come into this category and I apologise that our PC Service Call help line informed you of the incorrect procedure.
Our Basingstoke store did provide a resolution that was outside of our policy and procedure as a Customer Service gesture. I appreciate that this did take some time to resolve within the store, however this was due to the store going against procedure, in an attempt to resolve your complaint.

With the above information I regret to inform you that your request for a free of charge toner to the value of £59.99 to be delivered to your home has been declined.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Our customers are important and feedback is an integral part as we aim to continually improve the level of service we offer.

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Any views? Bear in mind that I do now have the replacement printer after hours of calls and waiting in PC World with an incredibly impolite young man in their store (and to be fair, quite helpful lady - but she was dealing with other customers most of the time).

The equivalent scenario is if I bought a new car and after 4 months it develops a fault. I have done 500 miles in the car. The manufacturer/dealer offers the following fix:

"yes sir we will replace your 4 month car with 500 miles on the clock for one of identical age. However we can not guarantee the mileage - the chances are it will have done between 5,000 and 15,000 miles but it's OK, sir. We will service and clean it before delivering it."

Despite asking neither PC World not Samsung would offer a repair or refund.

THIS SERVICE STINKS - yes, I got what I wanted in the end - but spend hours and hours achieving it and pounds and pounds of phone calls.

darbooka

Heya, my posts at the thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=59006 tells of a very similar and as of yet still ongoing experience with PC World's fellow group company Curry's. Any useful words of wisdom on that will be most appreciated.

webmasterpolo

Hi tonyg

If they are refusing the toner I would ask for something cheaper, like I said before the £10 gift voucher would be the minimum I would expect. I've gotten this from them in the past for a much more minor complaint than yours.

State that you want something to cover your call costs etc. No doubt they use 0870 numbers (check out saynoto0870.com for cheaper numbers) for customer service and stores.

Getting a reply from someone such high level is pretty rare, however it hasn't provided the results you would normally expect from someone of such a high level. Maybe write to the customer service team this time, they probably send out loads of goodwill vouchers every day.

-Web

Wig

If I was you, Tony, I'd give up realistically there was no way they were going to give you a 70 quid toner cartridge. You have your brand new printer (as was your right IMO) so just leave it and stop wasting your time trying to fish for more.

Lessons to learn, don't shop at PC World in future.

tonyg_2

Yes, I am not going to bother with this one anymore - life's too short! At the end of the day I have my printer!

This post is one of many here against the Dixons Store Group, which includes PC World. The fact is that (in my personal opinion) they treat their customers appallingly and provide terrible customer service from kids barely out of school. At the end of the day they are unlikely to get further business from me (unless they have any more of those £290 laptops!) and they will probably continue to lose business overall. Given the pretty bad state of the retail market at the moment I really do wonder what long-term future this organisation really has...