Bensons - 9 months of failed deliveries!

Stardustjunkie

I’m hoping for some advice on how I can move this along as I’m at my wits end AND 5 months pregnant so lugging beds around is not happening anymore! Every time this has gone wrong, we’ve had to take apart the bed and prepare it for collection/take it downstairs. Here’s the timeline, any help very much appreciated!

17/09/21 - new bed arrives to a relatives address (we were moving on this day)

27/10/21 - email a complaint as bed drawers are faulty and falling apart

02/02/22 - attempted delivery of replacement bed to wrong address despite me telling them the new address in email and on the phone

18/03/22 - re delivery: no show. No text or call to tell me it was cancelled. Had to lug the broken bed back upstairs again.
Sent a complaint via email and by phone.

07/04/22 - finally got a response to my complaint (meant to be a 5 day response time). Delivery rearranged.

29/04/22 - delivery successful but WRONG bed arrives

01/08/22 - another delivery cancelled with no call or text (they are meant to do this 48 hours before the delivery date if they are cancelling - their own words!). Called to complain and a lovely lady was very helpful and has apparently made us ‘VIPs’ with priority for delivery. Apparently someone will contact me in 48 hours to arrange re delivery… again.


I have previously asked for compensation and was told they wouldn’t discuss this until the issue is resolved. One guy said they might compensate so “you can get ourselves a nice takeaway or something”, which, quite frankly if that’s the level of compensation they think is reasonable after spending £700 on a bed that isn’t fit for purpose… 

I’ve emailed the address on their complaints policy. I’ve asked to speak to senior members of the team with no success. I’m absolutely beyond peed off at this point and I want to take a different approach. Is there anything we can do? Any governing body we can report this to? Any legal wording I can use? We paid for this almost a year ago (17/08) and still don’t have what we paid for! 

Thank you. 

Aylesbury_Duck

Stardustjunkie said:

I’m hoping for some advice on how I can move this along as I’m at my wits end AND 5 months pregnant so lugging beds around is not happening anymore! Every time this has gone wrong, we’ve had to take apart the bed and prepare it for collection/take it downstairs. Here’s the timeline, any help very much appreciated!

17/09/21 - new bed arrives to a relatives address (we were moving on this day)

27/10/21 - email a complaint as bed drawers are faulty and falling apart

02/02/22 - attempted delivery of replacement bed to wrong address despite me telling them the new address in email and on the phone

18/03/22 - re delivery: no show. No text or call to tell me it was cancelled. Had to lug the broken bed back upstairs again.
Sent a complaint via email and by phone.

07/04/22 - finally got a response to my complaint (meant to be a 5 day response time). Delivery rearranged.

29/04/22 - delivery successful but WRONG bed arrives

01/08/22 - another delivery cancelled with no call or text (they are meant to do this 48 hours before the delivery date if they are cancelling - their own words!). Called to complain and a lovely lady was very helpful and has apparently made us ‘VIPs’ with priority for delivery. Apparently someone will contact me in 48 hours to arrange re delivery… again.


I have previously asked for compensation and was told they wouldn’t discuss this until the issue is resolved. One guy said they might compensate so “you can get ourselves a nice takeaway or something”, which, quite frankly if that’s the level of compensation they think is reasonable after spending £700 on a bed that isn’t fit for purpose… 

I’ve emailed the address on their complaints policy. I’ve asked to speak to senior members of the team with no success. I’m absolutely beyond peed off at this point and I want to take a different approach. Is there anything we can do? Any governing body we can report this to? Any legal wording I can use? We paid for this almost a year ago (17/08) and still don’t have what we paid for! 

Thank you. 

The obvious first question is: How much are you after?

It makes sense for the compensation to wait until the situation is resolved, but you probably need to temper your expectations.  You're not likely to get hundreds of pounds back on a purchase of just £700.  A £50 takeaway probably isn't wide of the mark.

Ultimately, your best bet is probably to cancel the whole thing and insist on a full refund if they don't come up with a sensible solution in the next 48 hours.

Alderbank

Hopefully you will get the bed you want in a couple of days. See what happens and see what Bensons offer.

Consumer law says you are entitled to get what you expect and what you paid for, and it looks like that may eventually happen. They have collected and replaced each time at their expense which is all they are required to do. Nothing in law about payment for inconvenience or annoyance so anything you get will be a goodwill payment only.
If you have incurred any quantifiable losses such as having to to take unpaid time off from work, and you have evidence, you might be able to claim for those.

If Bensons don't give a goodwill payment or don't offer you what you would like, you can pursue a complaint with them. Bensons for Beds are a member of the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman. When you have exhausted Bensons's complaints procedure you can appeal to this ombudsman who will review the case and if he agrees with you he can order Bensons to make a better offer.

https://www.fhio.org/members/bensons-for-beds

Stardustjunkie

Alderbank said:

Hopefully you will get the bed you want in a couple of days. See what happens and see what Bensons offer.

Consumer law says you are entitled to get what you expect and what you paid for, and it looks like that may eventually happen. They have collected and replaced each time at their expense which is all they are required to do. Nothing in law about payment for inconvenience or annoyance so anything you get will be a goodwill payment only.
If you have incurred any quantifiable losses such as having to to take unpaid time off from work, and you have evidence, you might be able to claim for those.

If Bensons don't give a goodwill payment or don't offer you what you would like, you can pursue a complaint with them. Bensons for Beds are a member of the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman. When you have exhausted Bensons's complaints procedure you can appeal to this ombudsman who will review the case and if he agrees with you he can order Bensons to make a better offer.

https://www.fhio.org/members/bensons-for-beds

Thank you. Although they haven’t collected/replaced each time, they’ve failed every time 😅 unless you count having the wrong bed delivered on one of the delivery dates!

Luckily I work from home so no time lost. It’s more the inconvenience of taking apart the bed every few months, lugging it downstairs and then having to take it back up again when they ultimately fail to deliver on what they said they’d do. 

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Stardustjunkie said:

I’m hoping for some advice on how I can move this along as I’m at my wits end AND 5 months pregnant so lugging beds around is not happening anymore! Every time this has gone wrong, we’ve had to take apart the bed and prepare it for collection/take it downstairs. Here’s the timeline, any help very much appreciated!

17/09/21 - new bed arrives to a relatives address (we were moving on this day)

27/10/21 - email a complaint as bed drawers are faulty and falling apart

02/02/22 - attempted delivery of replacement bed to wrong address despite me telling them the new address in email and on the phone

18/03/22 - re delivery: no show. No text or call to tell me it was cancelled. Had to lug the broken bed back upstairs again.
Sent a complaint via email and by phone.

07/04/22 - finally got a response to my complaint (meant to be a 5 day response time). Delivery rearranged.

29/04/22 - delivery successful but WRONG bed arrives

01/08/22 - another delivery cancelled with no call or text (they are meant to do this 48 hours before the delivery date if they are cancelling - their own words!). Called to complain and a lovely lady was very helpful and has apparently made us ‘VIPs’ with priority for delivery. Apparently someone will contact me in 48 hours to arrange re delivery… again.


I have previously asked for compensation and was told they wouldn’t discuss this until the issue is resolved. One guy said they might compensate so “you can get ourselves a nice takeaway or something”, which, quite frankly if that’s the level of compensation they think is reasonable after spending £700 on a bed that isn’t fit for purpose… 

I’ve emailed the address on their complaints policy. I’ve asked to speak to senior members of the team with no success. I’m absolutely beyond peed off at this point and I want to take a different approach. Is there anything we can do? Any governing body we can report this to? Any legal wording I can use? We paid for this almost a year ago (17/08) and still don’t have what we paid for! 

Thank you. 

The obvious first question is: How much are you after?

It makes sense for the compensation to wait until the situation is resolved, but you probably need to temper your expectations.  You're not likely to get hundreds of pounds back on a purchase of just £700.  A £50 takeaway probably isn't wide of the mark.

Ultimately, your best bet is probably to cancel the whole thing and insist on a full refund if they don't come up with a sensible solution in the next 48 hours.

We originally (before all of this) wanted the headboard that goes with the bed base. £180 ish I believe. Now I’m not sure I have the patience to order it and it actually arrive. Least of all do I want to give them anymore money.

I don’t think I can cancel the whole order, we’re stuck in this loop of no delivery and a faulty bed at home (well, it was faulty, now it’s not faulty but not what we paid for as they delivered the wrong one). I might try to cancel it next time I speak to someone though. I honestly just want it resolved at this point and I’m getting fed up with waiting weeks to speak to someone or not getting any answer at all.

Ectophile

You haven't said how you paid for the bed.  If it was by credit card, then Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act is on your side.  You can get a refund from teh credit card company.

Stardustjunkie

Ectophile said:

You haven't said how you paid for the bed.  If it was by credit card, then Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act is on your side.  You can get a refund from teh credit card company.

We paid by debit card. Hindsight is wonderful, but we were buying a house at the time and didn’t want any further short term debt/credit until the mortgage was finalised