Carphone Warehouse refuse to pay automatic cashback

Pinemarten

Hi,

I'm hoping someone in the forum can help with some advice.

I have been complaining about non-payment of automatic cashback to Carphone Warehouse since late September 2022 by phone, email, internet contact us form on their website, and through the website Resolver. They refuse to respond meaningfully to any of my complaints, and ignore most of my communications. 

On 26/08/22 I ordered online through the Carphone Warehouse website a Vodafone SIM only contract which it said came with £50 automatic cashback, to be issued within a month of purchase. On 27/09/22 when cashback had not arrived, I began calling and emailing them chasing the cashback. Each time I phoned I was told that their computer systems weren't working. No-one ever responded to me sending messages through the Contact us form on their website. 

It took until mid October for the cheque to arrive. I paid it in on 31/10/22 and the next day the money was removed from my account. I phoned my bank who advised that on 01/11/22 the cheque had been returned as Carphone Warehouse had declined payment. They destroyed the cheque as is their standard process when the issuer has refused payment. I phoned Carphone Warehouse, who as usual said their systems were down and so they couldn't look into what had happened. However this time a Carphone Warehouse worker phoned me back on 07/11/22 and said that a new cheque had been issued and that I would receive it in 3-5 working days. I still haven't received any cheque. I have been emailing them at least weekly and using the contact us form on their website and the only responses I get are telling me that Carphone Warehouse have very high standards of customer service and that someone will get back to me about three problem which never happens, or telling me that the problem is resolved and they won't be taking any further action, which it isn't. I still don't have my cashback money, so how can the problem be solved?

I've gone through the Citizens Advice Bureau Consumer Service who advised me to ask Carphone Warehouse about Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme (ADR), as I've exhausted the Carphone Warehouse complaints process and got nowhere. Carphone Warehouse won't give any response to that question about ADR which I have asked repeatedly.

Carphone Warehouse have completely ignored the Resolver complaints process and not responded to any of it despite me repeatedly escalating the case. 

It seems my only remaining option is to take court action against them. But as this will cost me £35 plus all the hassle of completing forms etc, I will gain very little from the process other than also taking up some of their time and resources. This surely is a calculation Carphone Warehouse is making that withholding payments which are only just above the costs of taking them to court means most people are unlikely to do so, and so they can continue to act with impunity. Trustpilot is littered with a huge number of reviews saying that Carphone Warehouse won't pay Cashback they're owed. But I've contacted Trading Standards and they say they can't investigate individual cases. So taking them to court may be my only option. 

Can anyone think of any other options, short of standing outside my local Currys with a placard? Any help would be much appreciated.

Aylesbury_Duck

Send them a letter before action, threatening court.  It might work, and if it doesn't, you can decide whether or not to carry out the threat, or accept you won't see the money.

forum_member_00

Hi my friend Pinemarten

You are not alone, I have been duped by CPW in exact similar manner refusing to pay my cashback. Aggrieved innocent customers like us should go to media / press to defame these corrupt large corporations like Currys that are making money using fraud and wrong means, we should not flinch back, would like to support you in any manner I can to teach CPW a lesson so that they do not defraud other innocent customers. Please refer to my post dated 7th Aug 'complaint against CPW ... 

km1500

if you do decide to go to the small claims court you can add the £35 to your claim so you won't be out of pocket

flaneurs_lobster

forum_member_00 said:

Hi my friend Pinemarten

You are not alone, I have been duped by CPW in exact similar manner refusing to pay my cashback.  

No you haven't been duped, CPW refused to pay your trade-in claim because you didn't read the conditions and sent them an invalid handset.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80223407/#Comment_80223407