PC World intimidation

Iamthesmartestmanalive

If you dont like their terms of sale dont contract

Contract law allows a party to a contract to input any term they wish as long as it doesnt breach law or is unfair

This term doesnt

They could have many reasons for it, including admin reasons, anti fraud reasons and possibly marketing - which you can opt out of.

I personally think you were OTT

If you didnt want to give your details you should have left the shop and declined their contract

tamarto

mrbadexample wrote: »

Write a generic letter, get a generic response. Personally, I don't think the reponse was unreasonable. I appreciate we all have different expectations, however.

Not everyone is great at writing letters and imo the fact that it was in the letter at all means it should have been addressed in the reply.

mrbadexample

tamarto wrote: »

Not everyone is great at writing letters and imo the fact that it was in the letter at all means it should have been addressed in the reply.

What about the fact that only one till was open? That was mentioned too - should the issue have been addressed? You have to be realistic in your expectations - after all, a company like PC World won't be short of complainants to reply to.

codger

But isn't that the problem with letter writing (or, indeed, filing any complaint?)

The "heat of the moment" inevitably leads to passion, rather than focus.

That's why if I've something to grouse about, I write a letter, save it on the PC, and then re-visit it the next day. And then discover I've raised so many points, I've actually trapped myself by failing to prioritise that which is important, and that which is incidental (or, where the latter is concerned, excluding it altogether.)

I can well understand the OP's feelings.

But the core of this issue was a slander. And yes, that's pretty darn serious.

As such, it would've been better to write something, save it, re-visit it, maybe save it again, and then re-write it for the third time.

Authors take months / years to write a book as much because of fitful inspiration as intensive rewriting -- again, and again, and again (Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather', which is a damn BIG book, was rewritten 14 times by him before it was ever submitted to a publisher.)

People with a legitimate complaint about anything ought to take a leaf out of Puzo's (and others') books -- well, perhaps not literally! -- and complain on a Monday, re-visit the text on a Tuesday, re-write on a Wednesday and despatch only if entirely happy with the finished article on a Thursday.

A focused complaint is the one which hits the recipicient at his / her most vulnerable. Unfortunately, as mrbadexample rightly states, the OP in this instance fired a salvo whose collective fire-power would've been much better concentrated in a single shot.

(And yes, I also think the response was equal to the complaint. . .)

Blacksheep1979

you don't have to give your details - but they don't have to sell to you either. They have the right to insist on almost anything as long as it isn't illegal/unlawful which this isn't. However they can't refuse waranty/ rights under sog act by you refusing to give your details.

rosysparkle

Torby wrote: »

straightforward case of data collection....I am also convinced that PC world staff OR any in the DSG group will NOT go and look for a copy of a receipt for you if you return a faulty item (and have lost or misplaced your receipt) but the fact this is what they tell you at time of purchase may come back to haunt them....lol

One of my sons works as a call centre monkey* for DSG - it fits round his uni work - and he has to look up receipts all the time for customers, apparently. However, I also think that the collection of names and addresses is primarily for data collection.

*his words. No offence meant to call centre staff.

d123

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

you don't have to give your details - but they don't have to sell to you either. They have the right to insist on almost anything....

and you have the right to call yourself John Smith of 1 High Street or even Prince Poppy Utopia :rolleyes:

There is no legal obligation to give any retailer your correct details in these circumstances.

I normally give my old address and post code of 10 years ago with whichever name comes to mind at the time (I think I was Mr Andy Capp last time I was in PC World).

scaldyflash

I fully accept the points made about my writing the letter (email) in haste, it is not something I normally do but I was rattled on that particular occasion. I cannot agree that the response from their head office was reasonable though. I made serious and detailed complaints about the 'service' I received in a sequential order and requested an explanation and apology, I received a general apology and an explanation which meant nothing to me.

I have worked in service industries of one kind or another in many roles from apprentice to Manager for many years and I have to say that if I got a complaint as serious as the one I sent to PC World I would be absolutely mortified and I would have written a personalised response with great care to address all the issues raised. What I actually got was a "ah well !!!!!! happens sometimes" letter. I am currently taking some very good advice from those of you who replied and generating a 'hard copy' snail mail recorded delivery letter to Mr. Keith Jones MD with clear concise complaints. Many thanks for the sage advice and I shall let ye know how I get on.

scaldyflash

uktim29

Iamthesmartestmanalive wrote: »

I personally think you were OTT

I completely agree with this. I read the opening post and it just read like making a mountain out of a molehill to me, more the op's reaction in the store that is.

IvanOpinion

I have never understood what the issue is with giving out your postcode (your name will already be on your creit card and will be captured when it is scanned). On one hand it could provide a check thast the card is regsitered at the correct address and provide you with some security .. on the other it could be for those people who often lose receipts and then come back a year later asking them to find it beause their item has broken and they want it repaired but no longer have the receipt ... altrnatively it may be for marketing reasons to try to ensure that the store is more customised towards the sorts of products their customers seem to be asking for ... or finally it may simply be to sell (although given the cost of much larger mailing lists I doubt if it would have much value).

I have to say that we have heard only one side of this story and I would agree with MrBadExample ... an apology was asked for and an apology was received. I would personally put a line under this.

ivan