Wincanton white goods delivery service - mediocre (used by Boots Appliances)

sjcat

I feel the need to vent. Please bear with me.

Indesit dishwasher packed in. 3 or 4 years old. It came with the house. Lights indicated a pump problem. I replaced the pump - £25 down and still knackered. £90 for a call out - 14 days guarantee on the replaced parts! It's barely worth £100. Time for a new dishwasher. Top of the range AEG. 5 year guarantee. That should last a while.

Delivery #1: Fine. They took away the old one. I had it up and running within the hour. Grey pipe, white pipe, plug. Bosh.

1 week later, the house electricity starts tripping. The dishwasher is causing it. I check for leaks - nothing. AEG are called.

Repair man very helpful. He really wants to fix it. Spent 90 minutes checking everything. He's on the phone to his boss, and AEG. Down to component parts and back again. He has to admit defeat. A subtle electronic part failure. Not a leak. Not my install - very tidy he said. A replacement is ordered. Incidentally - it turns out this one should have been plumbed in by the delivery company. Oh well.

Delivery #2: The dishwasher turns up, but is 'bent' along the front. I check it in the van - yes, it's bent. Driver seems rather nonchalant about it. Has this happened before? I request another.

Delivery #3: Same drivers - the Chuckle Brothers. Same story. Same attitude. I didn't bother looking at the bend this time as it arrived at 7am and I'm S.B.Naked. The dishwasher is out of stock now. I ask for *any* dishwasher to be delivered while I wait for the correct one. 2 months have passed since the first one arrived.

Today, #4: Two new drivers. They ring up from another location. They've noticed that it's bent. What should they do? Apparently it should work. This is a spare so !!!!!! it. I'll accept the bent one for a few weeks until the proper one arrives. Do they load these things onto the van out of their boxes with a forklift?

They arrive. I have confirmed with AEG they will be plumbing this in. When I see them they look like another pair of numpties but what can go wrong. It's two pipes. I've done it myself now, I know what's involved. It took me an hour with no training. 10-15 minutes tops for 2 pairs of stout labourers hands.

They're in my house. First thing he notices - the blue tap isolating my dishwasher has sheared off. I know that. It came off when I fitted the first one. It's not a problem - I have turned off the water at the mains. Apparently it is. "For insurance reasons" they can't unplug my old dishwasher. Fine. I'll do it myself. I just need a wrench. "We don't have a wrench". I didn't even ask you for one. "You don't need a wrench to install these, we're experts". I don't think you are. Tweedledum and his mute friend are looking for *ANY* reason not to install my dishwasher, and leave it to me to do myself. What if I was a frail old bird? This country.

The best they can do is leave the new bent one. They can't / won't take the old one. This makes no sense. I'll unplug it myself. Just pick the thing up, load it onto your trolley and begone. We can't do that. I'm on the phone to AEG all this time, but due to the queueing system haven't got through. I send them packing. This involves swearing. Swearing and shouting.

AEG are suitably apologetic. Another company will be used next time. Most likely in mid January. 3 months after the old one packed in.

The delivery company each and every time was WINCANTON.

I bought from Boots Appliances. They've been fine. AEG have been fine. I would buy from both again. Wincanton however, are the worst delivery company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. As a result - each and every time I order an appliance, I will have to ask what delivery company is used. This admittedly won't happen very often. But perhaps this tale will encourage others to ask the same before purchasing.

That is all. Thank you for your time.

Be_Happy

I had similar, but happier outcome, experience when buying fridge/freezer from Boots last year, but don't know who the delivery company was.

When wrapping was removed there was a scratch down the side. Van men didn't seem worried, but offered me the chance of taking it away and getting replacement (didn't know how long this would take) or they could phone Boots and arrange for a discount. I chose latter and was given discount of £50 which I accepted.

Was even more pleased when I found energy info sticker among documents with fridge/freezer to stick on side. This hid the scratch very well.

heather38

wincanton deal mainly with large deliveries. my dad used to work for their asda warehouse. maybe they haven't ironed out their small delivery problems.