Advice request on 20% discount not being received for purchase

BarrenT

Hi Everyone
I was hoping for some advice on a reasonably complex situation if possible please. Using the suggested template:
What did you buy? Apple iPad 2017 128GB, Listed at £429
When did you buy it? November 23rd, 20:31
Where from? (internet or in store - it DOES make a difference) Internet and Call
How did you pay? (cash/cheque/debit card/credit card etc) Account with store
What went wrong?
When i attempted to purchase the iPad the store did not accept the 20% discount code online. From my perspective it appears the company had switched over their website to Black Friday deals in advance of the advertised cut off. I therefore ensured I met the criteria for the offer then contacted their Customer Services via phone, the online chat was unavailable, and discussed the issue with an adviser to see if they would still offer the discount. I was informed by the advisor that she didn't know why the code wasn't working but that she thought it would be OK as i was within time and criteria, and that she would put the request through to the relevant department (Accounts) for review the following day. She advised that if the order had an issue or was not released then I would be contacted or i should contact them to discuss if i didn't hear anything. The order was duly released the following day and the item shipped soon after. The 20% discount offer noted that it would get applied by December 26th to the store account i had to create to qualify. ON December 26th this had not happened so i gave it a few extra days then contacted the company to understand why. It also transpires that the Buy Now Pay Later that was part of the deal has also not been initiated so I have to pay monthly.

What are the vendors telling you?
Initial conversations with the customer call centre informed me i 'had been misadvised' and that i did not qualify for the offer. When they reviewed the detail they said the offer had closed at 8pm and that was why i did not qualify therefore they could do nothing to resolve. I indicated that it closed at 9pm, the advisor refused to accept this, but offered a £6 good will gesture.
I requested the complaint detail procedures and followed those accordingly. I lodged my complaint and received an email saying the complaint needed to be passed to another section but I would be contacted very soon. Some 10 days later after a couple of prompting emails I received detail from the relevant department indicating that I did not qualify for the offer as it was a Buy Now Pay Later offer and i did not do such. I responded that i tried and explained the situation for calling etc. reiterating that i had 'qualified' but the code didn't work.
They apologised in response but the indicated that the device i purchased did not qualify for the 20% discount and that was actually why the code didn't work.
Luckily I had taken a screen snip of the offer and posted it back to them indicating the 'Apple devices over £150' requirement of which this was.
They have now responded that I (actually actually) didn't qualify because i had to complete the order over the phone and they only accept the offer on web orders.
What solution or remedy are you looking for? At this stage they've made a reasonable (10% + goodwill) return offer, although not the 20% under the offer which i had hoped to achieve. I also note that if I went to their site today as a new customer I could get a 20% discount. For me I am unsure where to go from here - should i accept the offer and write this off as a bad experience and never shop with them again? Or given that the 'reason' has changed every time when i've proved the previous incorrect, and that they currently offer 20% discount (allegedly) on their site today, are they actually just misleading customers?
(I have trawled other forums since and noted a number of people have experienced very similar responses with this company but will refrain from expressing opinion)
As said the offer is OK if not what I had applied for but i wonder whether it is worth pressing further with this almost out of principle but also to help other people from suffering similar issues?
I cannot return the device as it was a Christmas present and has been used.
Aologies for the long post but any advice would be appreciated.
Many Thanks

Greta_Sharbo

BarrenT wrote: »

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They have now responded that I (actually actually) didn't qualify because i had to complete the order over the phone and they only accept the offer on web orders.
W

Did it say that?

BarrenT

Apologies my frustration kicked in so no it did not say "(actually actually)" if that is to what you are referring. It did say the rest of the line.

mije1983

So you ordered it over the phone but the terms said it had to be online orders only?

If so, then it appears you are not eligible for the discount so I'd take what they have offered.

BarrenT

I did order over the phone but only once the advisor confirmed I was still eligible otherwise I would accepted such and taken my business elsewhere. I have also trawled the entire Terms and Conditions section and can find no mention that codes are only valid for web based orders. This is not listed in the Promotional Codes T's & C's or within the actual advert as a limitation and I am therefore only going on the information provided by the Customer Service representative.(I should maybe ask for the detail of where this is recorded).
In truth I am not trying to be 'greedy' but it 'feels wrong' to have been "misadvised" and then been provided with a series of reasons that I am forced to demonstrate are incorrect.
Thanks for the advice however I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

BarrenT

That said it does reference Terms for this Website and also indicates code for use at checkout.
So while not explicitly stating it maybe suggests .. however I suppose I still question why I was just not told this while on the phone at the very beginning.

Fluffybunny80

I got little bit lost half way through and gave up but is the company Very by any chance??