Test 2 and 8 COVID Test from Boots - They failed to provide the service but refusing to refund.

msan37

Hi all, 

We bought Covid tests (day 2 and day 8) from Boots after travelling back from abroad. We had the Test 2 done. The instructions on the kit said that “the test needed to be activated/registered” on the Boots Recova website before sending it. I tried to do so, but there was no registration link or activation link on their website. I contacted the Boots Covid19 Helpline immediately and explained my issue. A manager rang me back that day and told me that they were aware of the issue that had been caused by an update on the system the night before and that they hoped it would be resolved soon. She advised that I took a note of the barcode on our Test 2 tests and that I post them both off. Then I should continue to try to activate/register throughout the day when they expected their Boots website IT issue to be resolved. I asked if this would cause me any problems, and she said that it would not. I asked again for confirmation and she strongly assured me that I would not have any problems because of this and not to worry. I did as the Boots manager advised, and continued checking the website for 2 days until the link appeared. When it did, I tried to register our 2 tests I received an error message on screen saying “The sample has already been tested. Please contact your health provider to complete this section for you. I have called Boots 5 times since then and I have been told the same every time: the advisor said she could not do it herself and needed a manager to do it. I asked them to ask a manager to do it but she said that there were none available so she could only email them. I asked to speak to a manager and was told every time that they were unavailable. I explained her that we had booked a Test-to-Release for the day after (to be able to end the quarantine early), with Boots too, so it was very extremely important that this was sorted ASAP. We ended up having to cancel them after rebooking twice as without a day 2 test result you can't do the test to release. When the day 8 arrived, and we had to take those tests, and the issue with the day 2 test was still unresolved, I called the Boots helpline again, twice. I explained I had to take the day 8 tests as it was a legal requirement, but their website wouldn't let me activate them without the results for day 2. The advisor in the morning told me the same again, it's with the managers blah blah blah. The one in the evening told me to take them and send them off and she wrote the bar codes. She explained the first results were at the lab and the managers needed to chase this up but without them doing so the advisors could do nothing. At the moment we're on day 12, should have finished our quarantine 2 days ago but have been unable to without the tests results (we have had none).  In this case this is not because the lab hasn't done their job, but because of Boots IT issues and personnel issues our tests have not been linked to our accounts and Boots staff is doing nothing to resolve this…. 

I have called Boots COVID 19 helpline 7 times about this, spent over 3 hours on the phone with Boots and an hour writing them an email, and still nobody has yet got back to me even if the matter was urgent and it meant we missed our Test-2-Release bookings.

When I have asked them for a refund they told me they won't refund us as their terms and conditions say that the tests are not refundable. This shouldn't be right, should it? I mean, we have paid for a service that has not been provided; they have misadvised us and they have failed to do their jobs... could you please advise?

 

Thanks

 

sheramber

Did you pay by credit/debit card so could do a  S75 claim or chargeback through your bank?

Call NHS on 119 for advice about ending your quarantine. they may send out tests.

msan37

Thanks a lot. I'll try that. I've contacted them about this before and they only advised me to email them the feedback, but I'll do it again. No, I paid with a prepaid visa card it gives you cashback when buying something from Boots, that's why I did it, however I didn't get the cashback either as it looks like you pay Boots-Recova instead....