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Bensons for Beds - please DO NOT USE THEM.
CatherineMu
Posts: 1 Newbie
Everything I'm going through with them will be worth it if I can help even one person avoid the same nightmare. Do not touch Benson's for Beds with a barge pole.
I bought a mattress from them in December 2016, and they still have not refunded me the £50 they owe me. Instead I've been given the roundaround by their salesman (or [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], as he shall now be known).
I purchased my mattress right before Christmas through one their [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], in the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] branch. I explicitly, on no less than two occasions, asked him whether it wouldn't be better for me to wait just a few more days until the boxing days sales. He insisted that this particular mattress would never be discounted. When I pushed further, he relented and said that in the case of it going on sale on Boxing Day, I would get any difference in price, and all I would have to do was call up and they would refund me the money straight away, in fact, this was the 'better way' to do it, he said, as then I wouldn't prolong my mattress delivery. He said when I called up, they would just need my card details.
Lo and behold, the mattress was reduced by £100 in the Boxing Day sales from what I'd paid just a few days prior. I'd already received a £50 discount by placing the order over the phone with the store, and so I was owed £50.
I immediately called the store to reclaim my refund and went through this painful back and forth: the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] told me he had to check the refund through their HQ and he would call them. Having experienced his 'callbacks' that never materialised, I asked him to give me the HQ number so I could follow up myself. Runaround number 1 as HQ just reconnected me right back to the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], who informed me that 'proper procedure' was to only issue the refund once the mattress was delivered - this was three weeks away.
Fast forward three weeks later and the mattress is delivered (on a Tuesday) - I immediately call for my refund. My details are not taken - the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] makes an excuse and says he'll call me back. No call back is received that day or the following one. I call back on Thursday. The [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] informs me that he has to submit a refund form to HQ and this takes two days to be approved - but he'll 'submit it right away' - then he'll call back and take my card details. No call received by Saturday. I call back again. Form was apparently only submitted yesterday (I.e. Friday), HQ not open on Sunday, so won't go through till Monday. No phone call received on Monday to take details. I call on Tuesday - apparently sign off hasn't been received by HQ. At my pushing for an explanation, I'm then told that actually, sign off has been received and a cheque is in the post for me and will take five days to arrive as apparently it's being sent by carrier pigeon. I paid hundreds of pounds in cash on the spot for my mattress - why is any rebate coming to me via cheque?
It's probably no surprise to hear that the cheque did not arrive at all after a week.
On 24th Jan, 12 days since the delivery of my mattress, I called the head office and I was told that they just approved the refund the day before and that no cheque was ever sent. Apparently, their head office can approve refunds, but can't put them through themselves. I called the store, and it was back to the run-around with them telling me that in order to put the refund through they need to get a 'code' from their area manager, but that it would be sorted today. I notified them that I'd had enough and that I was going to trigger court proceedings against them if I didn't hear back that day Three guesses on whether I heard back (hint: I didn't).
I'm taking them to small claims court to get my money back. Save yourself the trouble I'm going through and don't touch them with a barge pole.
I bought a mattress from them in December 2016, and they still have not refunded me the £50 they owe me. Instead I've been given the roundaround by their salesman (or [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], as he shall now be known).
I purchased my mattress right before Christmas through one their [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], in the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] branch. I explicitly, on no less than two occasions, asked him whether it wouldn't be better for me to wait just a few more days until the boxing days sales. He insisted that this particular mattress would never be discounted. When I pushed further, he relented and said that in the case of it going on sale on Boxing Day, I would get any difference in price, and all I would have to do was call up and they would refund me the money straight away, in fact, this was the 'better way' to do it, he said, as then I wouldn't prolong my mattress delivery. He said when I called up, they would just need my card details.
Lo and behold, the mattress was reduced by £100 in the Boxing Day sales from what I'd paid just a few days prior. I'd already received a £50 discount by placing the order over the phone with the store, and so I was owed £50.
I immediately called the store to reclaim my refund and went through this painful back and forth: the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] told me he had to check the refund through their HQ and he would call them. Having experienced his 'callbacks' that never materialised, I asked him to give me the HQ number so I could follow up myself. Runaround number 1 as HQ just reconnected me right back to the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], who informed me that 'proper procedure' was to only issue the refund once the mattress was delivered - this was three weeks away.
Fast forward three weeks later and the mattress is delivered (on a Tuesday) - I immediately call for my refund. My details are not taken - the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] makes an excuse and says he'll call me back. No call back is received that day or the following one. I call back on Thursday. The [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] informs me that he has to submit a refund form to HQ and this takes two days to be approved - but he'll 'submit it right away' - then he'll call back and take my card details. No call received by Saturday. I call back again. Form was apparently only submitted yesterday (I.e. Friday), HQ not open on Sunday, so won't go through till Monday. No phone call received on Monday to take details. I call on Tuesday - apparently sign off hasn't been received by HQ. At my pushing for an explanation, I'm then told that actually, sign off has been received and a cheque is in the post for me and will take five days to arrive as apparently it's being sent by carrier pigeon. I paid hundreds of pounds in cash on the spot for my mattress - why is any rebate coming to me via cheque?
It's probably no surprise to hear that the cheque did not arrive at all after a week.
On 24th Jan, 12 days since the delivery of my mattress, I called the head office and I was told that they just approved the refund the day before and that no cheque was ever sent. Apparently, their head office can approve refunds, but can't put them through themselves. I called the store, and it was back to the run-around with them telling me that in order to put the refund through they need to get a 'code' from their area manager, but that it would be sorted today. I notified them that I'd had enough and that I was going to trigger court proceedings against them if I didn't hear back that day Three guesses on whether I heard back (hint: I didn't).
I'm taking them to small claims court to get my money back. Save yourself the trouble I'm going through and don't touch them with a barge pole.
0
Comments
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Salesman did his job- he sold to you. A warning for the future don't listen to a word they ever say (advice from me as an ex salesman). Hope you get your cheque sorted. Jim.0
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[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]?
You should be a little more circumspect when calling a named, identifiable person a [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. Somebody might beat you to it in issuing Court proceedings!0 -
I appreciate is is aggravating, but I assume your refund is processing? Why waste time and money on setting up a court case when the refund will likely arrive shortly?
I also agree with the poster above.0 -
TBH, I'm surprised that they agreed to refund you the difference if the mattress was in the sale.
But they did.
They've given you a bit of a runaround over the £50 - but I find your continued use of the word '[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]' very distasteful.
If I were the salesman who dealt with you and was reading this, I'd be very angry indeed and may well decide to do what LadyDee mentions.
I'm not going to take your advice and not use Bensons for Beds (when I'm ready to replace my mattress).0 -
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I'm very surprised at the op buying a pricey item so near Christmas when they always have a sale a few days later.I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.0
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Yes the attitude of the op leaves a lot to be desired!
It certainly does, it's not unknown for company reps to search this forum for mention of their companies, and I shouldn't think [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] would be happy to see himself described on the internet as a [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM].0 -
Ive used Bensons for beds and would use again.
You do realise OP the service you received isnt a reflection on the staff in the other stores.0 -
Wife and I are thinking of buying a " a memory foam" from them, like the one my daughter has. It was very comfortable. I only wish it was available elsewhere, as they charge a not small sum for delivery and disposal. There's no getting away from it, as it's a label of Bensons parent company.0
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Might be costing you a lot more then £50 when the salesman gets to see this0
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