John Lewis ignoring escalated complaint

Tuppency

Hi everyone,
To cut a long story short, John Lewis has left me with a wardrobe that arrived damaged on delivery for over a year. There has been a great deal of confusing back and forth, phone calls and emails with customer services in that time. I consistently asked for emails to confirm phone conversations as I’m hard of hearing but not received any. Just more phone calls and the odd ‘how did it go’ email. The final straw was the last attempt to replace two scratched trims. I was sent black instead of silver, despite sending pics etc. I understand JL are not with the ombudsman. I have escalated the complaint but all they responded with was a satisfaction survey. I’m considering writing to the CEO and citing the disabilities act. I have also been very ill after a serious operation but that cuts no ice either. Please does anyone else have any ideas who I can go to? Obviously I’ve left off a lot of details here to save time. It’s been like an e fin pantomime but without the laughs.
Thanks 

RefluentBeans

What resolution do you seek? And what has actually been offered? If the item arrived faulty (like being scratched) you had the right to reject it, but that exists for a short time only. I’m also afraid that the disability act isn’t intended for consumer rights purposes really - it stops retailers from saying they don’t want to do business with you on the basis of your disability but it doesn’t do much more than that. Any reasonable efforts to support are just that - and if you didn’t tell them at the start of the contract that you wanted special consideration, then there’s not much you can do now. It’s also worth asking, in what way do you feel you’re being discriminated against with your disability?

Emmia

I have some sympathy, as JL repeatedly delivered the wrong size and colour end piece to finish off our kitchen (this was despite many photos and detail ed descriptions), but eventually did sort it (after a visit by one of the kitchen designers).

Stop phoning, start emailing them so there are written records.

I'd say keep on at them - I'm not sure your disability and recent operation are relevant though.

Tuppency

Emmia said:

I have some sympathy, as JL repeatedly delivered the wrong size and colour end piece to finish off our kitchen (this was despite many photos and detail ed descriptions), but eventually did sort it (after a visit by one of the kitchen designers).

Stop phoning, start emailing them so there are written records.

I'd say keep on at them - I'm not sure your disability and recent operation are relevant though.

Thanks, they are dreadful aren’t they? I don’t phone them, I email. They don’t respond, or send an email that doesn’t actually mean anything or address any issues I raise. It’s as though they don’t want a written record…

Tuppency

RefluentBeans said:

What resolution do you seek? And what has actually been offered? If the item arrived faulty (like being scratched) you had the right to reject it, but that exists for a short time only. I’m also afraid that the disability act isn’t intended for consumer rights purposes really - it stops retailers from saying they don’t want to do business with you on the basis of your disability but it doesn’t do much more than that. Any reasonable efforts to support are just that - and if you didn’t tell them at the start of the contract that you wanted special consideration, then there’s not much you can do now. It’s also worth asking, in what way do you feel you’re being discriminated against with your disability?

Thanks for replying. 

 want my wardrobe fixed as a resolution. 

The fitters pointed out one of the damaged parts and said they’d be back to fix it which they did several months later. 

I didn’t notice the scratches on the trims until they’d been gone for 10 mins after initial delivery. I contacted JL immediately and they agreed to fix those two as well. It’s very long and very convoluted so I’m trying to keep it short lol.

I told JL I am partially deaf, not to phone but to email. Repeatedly. Yet they phoned, repeatedly. I asked for phone discussions to be confirmed by email because of my hearing loss but they weren’t. I have emails that say one thing but I can’t confirm the phone calls as I can’t hear properly. Sadly in the beginning I trusted JL and attempted to speak with them. Eventually, realising I was dealing with people who were not trustworthy, I told them to stop phoning and email me instead. So now I just get virtually nothing. Just waffle and customer satisfaction surveys. 

RefluentBeans

Tuppency said:

RefluentBeans said:

What resolution do you seek? And what has actually been offered? If the item arrived faulty (like being scratched) you had the right to reject it, but that exists for a short time only. I’m also afraid that the disability act isn’t intended for consumer rights purposes really - it stops retailers from saying they don’t want to do business with you on the basis of your disability but it doesn’t do much more than that. Any reasonable efforts to support are just that - and if you didn’t tell them at the start of the contract that you wanted special consideration, then there’s not much you can do now. It’s also worth asking, in what way do you feel you’re being discriminated against with your disability?

Thanks for replying. 

 want my wardrobe fixed as a resolution. 

The fitters pointed out one of the damaged parts and said they’d be back to fix it which they did several months later. 

I didn’t notice the scratches on the trims until they’d been gone for 10 mins after initial delivery. I contacted JL immediately and they agreed to fix those two as well. It’s very long and very convoluted so I’m trying to keep it short lol.

I told JL I am partially deaf, not to phone but to email. Repeatedly. Yet they phoned, repeatedly. I asked for phone discussions to be confirmed by email because of my hearing loss but they weren’t. I have emails that say one thing but I can’t confirm the phone calls as I can’t hear properly. Sadly in the beginning I trusted JL and attempted to speak with them. Eventually, realising I was dealing with people who were not trustworthy, I told them to stop phoning and email me instead. So now I just get virtually nothing. Just waffle and customer satisfaction surveys. 

Ah I see - that makes a lot more sense. 

Do you know if JL have a text relay line (I know some retailers use this to supple those hard of hearing). 

There is a JL CEO email floating about - they won’t respond but it’ll get kicked to the more senior members of customer service who can deal with it. 

Just as a reminder - over the Xmas /Jan period is the busy time for customer services so there may well be a delay in getting back to you as there’ll be a backlog. 

Emmia

Tuppency said:

Emmia said:

I have some sympathy, as JL repeatedly delivered the wrong size and colour end piece to finish off our kitchen (this was despite many photos and detail ed descriptions), but eventually did sort it (after a visit by one of the kitchen designers).

Stop phoning, start emailing them so there are written records.

I'd say keep on at them - I'm not sure your disability and recent operation are relevant though.

Thanks, they are dreadful aren’t they? I don’t phone them, I email. They don’t respond, or send an email that doesn’t actually mean anything or address any issues I raise. It’s as though they don’t want a written record…

I'm actually a huge fan of JL, spend a fair amount of money there and in Waitrose.

Yes, the kitchen issue was annoying but it was resolved, and I'd probably buy another kitchen from them. Plus, they didn't want the misdelivered items back, so we got some free shelves out of it.

DullGreyGuy

Tuppency said:

I have escalated the complaint but all they responded with was a satisfaction survey. I’m considering writing to the CEO and citing the disabilities act. I have also been very ill after a serious operation but that cuts no ice either. Please does anyone else have any ideas who I can go to? Obviously I’ve left off a lot of details here to save time. It’s been like an e fin pantomime but without the laughs.

How do you think sending the wrong colour trim is a breach of the DDA or some other form of disability discrimination?

Having complained to the Executive Complaints Team at JL I found them much worse than their standard complaints team. With my issue, matching side by side fridge/freezer where the freezer died and they wanted to replace stainless steel freezer with a white one, I only got a sensible set of responses after I issued a county court claim. Their assigned law firm immediately agreed to settle in full and said we keep the items.

macman

What resolution do you actually want? What financial loss have your suffered? 
After a year without resolution, your obvious remedy is to send an LBA and then the small claims process if no satisfactory response witin 14 days.

user1977

DullGreyGuy said:

Tuppency said:

I have escalated the complaint but all they responded with was a satisfaction survey. I’m considering writing to the CEO and citing the disabilities act. I have also been very ill after a serious operation but that cuts no ice either. Please does anyone else have any ideas who I can go to? Obviously I’ve left off a lot of details here to save time. It’s been like an e fin pantomime but without the laughs.

How do you think sending the wrong colour trim is a breach of the DDA or some other form of disability discrimination?

Insisting on contact being by phone, when they've been made aware that isn't suitable because of the customer's disability (assuming they have been told that?), is almost certainly going to be failure to provide a reasonable adjustment (under the Equality Act 2010, which replaced the DDA for these purposes at least).

DullGreyGuy

user1977 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Tuppency said:

I have escalated the complaint but all they responded with was a satisfaction survey. I’m considering writing to the CEO and citing the disabilities act. I have also been very ill after a serious operation but that cuts no ice either. Please does anyone else have any ideas who I can go to? Obviously I’ve left off a lot of details here to save time. It’s been like an e fin pantomime but without the laughs.

How do you think sending the wrong colour trim is a breach of the DDA or some other form of disability discrimination?

Insisting on contact being by phone, when they've been made aware that isn't suitable because of the customer's disability (assuming they have been told that?), is almost certainly going to be failure to provide a reasonable adjustment (under the Equality Act 2010, which replaced the DDA for these purposes at least).

Ok, hadn't picked up that fully in first scan read but technically it seems the OP was happy to engage by phone and only afterward asked for it to be reconfirmed in writing, effectively doubling the workload of the agent. Suspect it would be better to refuse to engage by phone and then force it down a written channel or, if the OP has notable hearing issue to the point of it being a legal disability, then use one of the free relay services which would mean they automatically have everything JL said in text form anyway.