John Lewis online incompetence

andrewparkeruk

Wanting to buy Apple Mac mini M4 for Xmas
during Black Friday/Cyber Monday discounts

01-Dec-2025 JLP and Amazon both discounted the item to £499.00. Regrettably I ordered with JLP: paid with VISA credit card

15-Dec-2025 still not received item. Neither JLP nor their selected delivery partner DHL appears to know where the item is. Both notified me it was out for delivery last Saturday 13-Dec between 14:47-20:00: it never arrived 

JLP told me this morning that because DHL had failed the Service level agreement (SLA) that same day 13-Dec they have issued DHL with a ‘Return to sender’ (RTS) notification 

DHL have 14 days to do this

JLP says I should receive my refund 27-Dec-2025!

Merry Xmas

I have tried both X and phone, last Thursday (1hr 20mins) and again this morning (2hrs). I am getting nowhere with JLP. I simply want a refund so I can buy from a competent online retailer in time for Xmas 

If anyone has information about getting past customer service to a department who can actually offer to make a decision, I would appreciate it 

Thank you, Andrew 

Woodstok2000

If you're desperate and not getting anywhere,  and you have the financial headroom, buy it from amazon on the same card so the cost and the refund will appear on your next statement, and you're still only paying once.

MattMattMattUK

andrewparkeruk said:

Wanting to buy Apple Mac mini M4 for Xmas
during Black Friday/Cyber Monday discounts

01-Dec-2025 JLP and Amazon both discounted the item to £499.00. Regrettably I ordered with JLP: paid with VISA credit card

15-Dec-2025 still not received item. Neither JLP nor their selected delivery partner DHL appears to know where the item is. Both notified me it was out for delivery last Saturday 13-Dec between 14:47-20:00: it never arrived 

JLP told me this morning that because DHL had failed the Service level agreement (SLA) that same day 13-Dec they have issued DHL with a ‘Return to sender’ (RTS) notification 

DHL have 14 days to do this

JLP says I should receive my refund 27-Dec-2025!

Merry Xmas

I have tried both X and phone, last Thursday (1hr 20mins) and again this morning (2hrs). I am getting nowhere with JLP. I simply want a refund so I can buy from a competent online retailer in time for Xmas 

If anyone has information about getting past customer service to a department who can actually offer to make a decision, I would appreciate it 

Thank you, Andrew 

It does not really matter who you speak to, they will not increase the speed of the refund, be aware they may also process the refund on the 27th, your bank might take another five working days for it to show. 

However on the plus side you bought this on a credit card, so it probably has not cost you anything yet. As Woodstok says above, just buy it on the same credit card and the refund will cancel it out when it comes through. 

andrewparkeruk

I know that I will be no worse off if I do that: I had budgeted for the £499 to be on this month’s card statement

PS In fact I will be £30 worse off because the normal price at Amazon and JLP is £529.00, hence having tried to buy during the BF/CM weekend 

My top tip: John Lewis online are absolutely incompetent. They start clocks ticking not when the customer places the order, but when they get around to satisfying it. In my case order placed 01-Dec: they satisfy it 07-Dec by releasing item to courier. Their SLA starts when they release to courier

My day 12 is their day 6

Woodstok2000

Can you get to John Lewis? I had a similar problem a couple of years ago where an item i bought online was actually out of stock and they cancelled the order. In store they did a price match with their own on-line sale price and honoured it even though it wasn't available at that price any more.

flaneurs_lobster

andrewparkeruk said:

My top tip: John Lewis online are absolutely incompetent. They start clocks ticking not when the customer places the order, but when they get around to satisfying it. In my case order placed 01-Dec: they satisfy it 07-Dec by releasing item to courier. Their SLA starts when they release to courier

My day 12 is their day 6

Pretty standard across retail, you'll probably find that the payment on your card will have been "pending" until dispatch. Saves having to refund if the item turns out to be NLA.

andrewparkeruk

flaneurs_lobster said:

 

 you'll probably find that the payment on your card will have been "pending" until dispatch. Saves having to refund if the item turns out to be NLA.

My Apple Pay reports the payment has been processed on the day I placed the order.

andrewparkeruk

Woodstok2000 said:

Can you get to John Lewis? I had a similar problem a couple of years ago where an item i bought online was actually out of stock and they cancelled the order. In store they did a price match with their own on-line sale price and honoured it even though it wasn't available at that price any more.

As I described already, X and phone. This item was in stock; they failed to deliver to me within their SLA; I have to wait for it to be returned to JLP before they will refund

Woodstok2000

andrewparkeruk said:

Woodstok2000 said:

Can you get to John Lewis? I had a similar problem a couple of years ago where an item i bought online was actually out of stock and they cancelled the order. In store they did a price match with their own on-line sale price and honoured it even though it wasn't available at that price any more.

As I described already, X and phone. This item was in stock; they failed to deliver to me within their SLA; I have to wait for it to be returned to JLP before they will refund

Sorry, I was referring to you being out of pocket for the computer when you do purchase it.  If you can get to  a JL physical store and explain all the issues they may well honour the discounted price. That's what they did with me.