GREAT 'WHAT SHOPS DON'T WANT US TO KNOW" HUNT

scaryfairy

I wonder if anyone has any ideas about my problem. My mother-in-law bought us a dyson DC07 for xmas 04. It came with a 2 year guarantee which she kept along with the receipt. Now the bit that keeps the bottom on the cylinder when you take it off has broken and I asked her to send us the receipt and guarantee etc which she did but it got lost in the post (you wouldn't believe this if you saw it on the tv!!) and when I contacted dyson and explained the problem to them, they said that the serial number on the machine indicates that the machine is not 18 months old but 3 1/2 years old (mil bought it in a sale) and that if i want it fixed it'll cost me #55! Now I KNOW its only just over 18 months old and within guarantee but how do I go about getting it fixed for free. We are still waiting on Royal Mail to do their investigations!! Please can anyone help?

garysletters

As Asda got mentioned on the e-mail, I thought I'd add on here my Asda experiences.
I'm a "special offer" shopper. I tend to buy lots of discounted or "rolled back" offers. (whatever happened to the "rollback isn't temporary, it's permanent" type promise??)
My usual spend at asda would be around £30 per main shop (not huge but I use Morrisons as well).
I'd say at my local store, 75% of the time, I am overcharged at the till, and I only check the "rollback" items.
I almost always notice, as I now check each time, and tell customer services. I get my money back, but have only once been given a £2 card. I've written to the head office with this and various other problems and was fobbed off with a £5 card and no answers to my questions, despite a follow up call. I wonder how much my local store makes in overcharging???
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR RECIEPT.
I dont know if the tills are programmed centrally or store by store, but my store (Adel, or Holt Park as it should be) is frequently wrong.
I try not to shop there now, but its next to the health centre where my baby goes so is convienient.

I'll be looking for Asda's promise to give £2 cards for every item mischarged that was referred to earlier in this thread.
Let me know by PM if you have the same problem at any Asda stores. (dont post on this thread, it'll block it up and I'll probably never get to read it).

Hope I help you spot if your being overcharged!!!

Weggy

scaryfairy wrote:

I wonder if anyone has any ideas about my problem. My mother-in-law bought us a dyson DC07 for xmas 04. It came with a 2 year guarantee which she kept along with the receipt. Now the bit that keeps the bottom on the cylinder when you take it off has broken and I asked her to send us the receipt and guarantee etc which she did but it got lost in the post (you wouldn't believe this if you saw it on the tv!!) and when I contacted dyson and explained the problem to them, they said that the serial number on the machine indicates that the machine is not 18 months old but 3 1/2 years old (mil bought it in a sale) and that if i want it fixed it'll cost me #55! Now I KNOW its only just over 18 months old and within guarantee but how do I go about getting it fixed for free. We are still waiting on Royal Mail to do their investigations!! Please can anyone help?

How did she pay for it? If she used a credit/debit card, or a cheque, then she could get proof of purchase from a statement.....

keith234

i have been told that in shops where signs say '...breakages must be paid for....' etc..., have no foundation and are used to intimidate and are infact illegal statements (according to the consumer association)

Nutty_Netty

On the extended warranty's - nearly all extended warranties are dealt with by Domestic and General no matter what the original item was. This means they have a monopoly and can charge exorbitant rates. When they notified me that my original waranty had run out on my tumble dryer i told them i couldn't afford to renew at their prices. After some lengthy disscussion with them they admitted that they did an alternative warranty which was for 'repair only' not 'replace or repair'. This was for a third of the original quote they supplied and for 2 years longer!!!! I could tell from the salespersons voice that they only offered these as an absolute last resort. It really pays to haggle as often there is a cheaper alternative but the supplier will do their utmost not to mention it. I now have my drier covered for 7 years in total for a fraction of what it would have originally cost. (Incidently they recently offered me a 1 yr warranty on my dvd which was only 1 yr old at double what it cost me to buy!!!!) I won't repeat what my reply was!!

sjcjd

Thanks Nutty,
You have just confirmed what I have been saying to my friends since I had to buy my own appliances from 1987 when i moved out of home! (Wernt mums great back then; they had that 6th sense of - oh bring it over here on a friday night and we can play some cards whilst it is washing!!);)
Cheers.
SJ

cheapskate101

Yes - I've been caught several times in M&S with 3 for 2 offers etc where you cannot tell what is included and what is not.... A BA (Hons) degree in English is no help at all at this point. Neither is a GCSE in maths.

Surprised that M&S stoop this low but you can always get your own back by watching the ring-up prices and then complaining at the point of sale, which holds up the entire queue and flusters the till person, but who has been secretly hoping for a break. To-do ensues as the offending object is replaced etc.

If enough people do this then hopefully stores will forget their evil ways.

cheapskate101

As a former shareholder in Thomsons and a long-time customer, I would say just don't book throught them at all.

Their prices are about £3-400 more than you can book over the internet and if you know your hotel and the place you are going to (see Holidays Uncovered etc for info) it's just a trawl (needs patience) to find out which company will give you the cheapest price. Leave it late if your nerves are good.
Look for smaller companies -ATOL and ABTA logos if you have any worries about the company - and you can check membership by phoning ATOL and ABTA (internet sites have phone numbers).

The only difference is the transport from the airport and back. Instead of that hot coach with the hung-over rep giving you a pre-emptive sales pitch after your flight and having sat 25 minutes on the coach without air-conditioning waiting for that missing family and waiting for the coach driver to stop talking to his mates... take an airport taxi. Yes, they are there, even at 3o'clock in the morning.

You can book a taxi over the internet if nervous about the whole business. The taxis on the net are more expensive but it gives you a rough guide as to how much to pay. And it will usually be cheaper at the airport taxi rank. At least you can barter and you can also defer if you don't like the look of the driver.

At the reception desk at the hotel, you will jump the queue as the coach of will still be backing out of some obscure hotel 25 miles away. This gives you a chance to talk through your room requirements, and, hopefully, get what you want.

What's missing? Well, the Thomson rep welcome party with wine(?)..sorry, whine - no that's what I do to avoid the going to one. The Thomson children's holiday club, so pick a hotel that has its own if you have children that might need one. You could of course take an old Thomson's holiday club t-shirt and try to sign-in your children but I couldn't possibly advise you to do this.

Your finest moment will be by-passing the coach on the way back to the airport (get a taxi from hotel reception, they usually come within 10mins) and nipping in front of the queue at the airport, secure in the knowledge that you've saved £££'s on the price those poor souls paid in the coach.

NB: Don't discuss with other holidaymakers what you paid until you are safely on the plane back home, it only causes upset and bitterness. The year before last, our three-person family saved around £560 with half-board thrown in, to a family that had paid up early with Thomson's. I can still see that poor woman's tight lipped smile.

magsyuk

Hi,

Has anyone else tried this? and does it work? I Love McDonalds but not cold burgers so I think I will give it a try next time I pop in

jackrabbitslim wrote:

Did you know that if your food takes more than 3 minutes to arrive @ McDonalds you can ask for your money back and keep the food? I do it nearly every time I order. Someone told me who worked there ages ago, I've been doing it for years and they always cough up.

Simply place your order and if it takes more that 3 mins take your food and then ask for your money. Veggie option WILL ALWAYS take more than 3 mins cause they have to cook them fresh. As a "Fast Food" restaurant the food must be delivered in 3 mins to be considered "fast".

Happy Eating:T :rotfl: :T

jollysaver

jackrabbitslim wrote:

Did you know that if your food takes more than 3 minutes to arrive @ McDonalds you can ask for your money back and keep the food? I do it nearly every time I order. Someone told me who worked there ages ago, I've been doing it for years and they always cough up.

Simply place your order and if it takes more that 3 mins take your food and then ask for your money. Veggie option WILL ALWAYS take more than 3 mins cause they have to cook them fresh. As a "Fast Food" restaurant the food must be delivered in 3 mins to be considered "fast".

Happy Eating:T :rotfl: :T


Does this apply to Burger King too?