B&Q up to 75% off sale on Outdoor Fun (swings, slides, etc) [CLOSED]

JasonLVC

zak1976 wrote:

Jason, all of you guys have my sympathy with what's happened, it's unprofessional at the very least, but put it in perspective, it's not really like you describe it.......... you can't call it criminal activity!! They have, shall we say, "mis-judged" stock against demand, and their systems are by no means even "good" as they only update stock once a day. But they had every intention of supplying the items, and legally they have done what they should, offer refunds. It's not what anyone wants and good luck on trying to get more from them........ but watch how you say things, becuase you can not sling accusations around about it being criminal activity......

Please don't take this post the wrong way, I understand the anger and frustration, been there myself!

Fair point but B&Q have not offered me a refund. They have offered me nothing to date and all contact attempts have ended in being fobbed off with a promise to call back later, so I've paid for a play centre and got a slide. If they actually just said what went wrong, you're right, matter is closed. But three weeks on they still have my money and with no communication, I can only conclude they intend to keep my money.

I think you will find in legal terms that this is mis-representation and could be construed as a deliberate fraud....until of course B&Q contact me and tell me what they want to do. I am not a mind-reader.

I'm not angry, I'm actually amazed that a business can behave in this manner and get away with it. People commit these type of frauds on ebay all the time (you see seller offering an x-box and there is a picture of an x-box box and all you receive is an empty box). These people go to court/prison when/if caught. The only difference here is the name.

The Sale of Goods Act is quite clear with breach of contract issues, but it also states that a deliberate false statement 'to a material degree' is a criminal offence (hence criminal activity). A slide is not what I purchased, no refund means that they have mis-represented the item. If they offer a refund or supply remaining parts then this is not criminal activity. But as of now...no calls, no emails, no letters.......

JasonLVC

zak1976 wrote:

But if you want your money back, just ask for it, I know you want the goods, but they are not with-holding your money, there is a big difference!
I'm not trying to start a flame on this, yes I agree they shouldn't have taken the money if they had no intention to supply, but, from the sounds of it they had every intention to, and B&Q were let down. (Which is not our fault I know.)My point was just you cant accuse anyone of having no intention to supply or that it's criminal activity!

And the reason it took 16 days, they were waiting to try and get hold of new stock, it wasn't witholding money.

Have just read your other post, had a feeling you worked for them/subsidiary.

Can someone here define customer services purpose. I'll start. To help the customer, to resolve matters, to maintain organisational reputation (I know this as I've managed call centres, worked for KPMG, M&S and solicitors).

Order 15/07 (in stock). Delivery date 29/07 (two weeks) partial delivery and other bits out of stock. They've already had 16 days to source my order. Now at 03/08, no refund, no communication. At the very least customer services are not doing a good job here. If they were so good, why do we have such a long thread here (and this is probably just the tip of the iceberg). How can people who ordered last week get delivery when those who ordered earlier don't?. Stock control system needs reviewing urgently.

That clears up the 16 day point you raised. Now to the refunds.

Yes, B&Q can offer a refund, but under consumer law, they are liable for much more than that and put themselves in a position of weakness from a legal perspective. A refund is not the least they can do in law - it is the least that B&Q want to do - but there is a big difference here!. Legally their obligations are wide ranging, yes, small claims court would be the route for this and if so, so be it. But just because B&Q says something doesn't mean it is the truth (or legal) - after all they haven't done a good job so far of being honest now have they?.

I understand you have to defend your employer (if you didn't then there is something wrong and I've had to bite my tongue in the past as well), but businesses exist to serve their customers. Lies and mis-information to customers is not good in any business. Delaying the inevtable is not good either. Being honest is good for business, being fair is good for business.

Ask yourself this. Would you pay £100 for something, get one part of it and then be told to wait, then wait, then lied to, then wait, then cease all communications with the person and consider the matter closed?. Because that is what B&Q have done here to me and most likely the others here.

All CS have to do is go down the list, call each customer, tell them 'tough, here's a refund and a fiver' and be done with it. Right or wrong at least something has actually happened. But no, B&Q would rather just bury it's head and leave the customer calling expensive hotlines. We should not have to chase for a refund?. We should not be kept waiting, we should not be kept in the dark. Do people at B&Q actually think like this?.

Surely a corporate decision is made (one way or the other), communications made to CS staff, CS staff sing from same song sheet. Job done. May not sleep at night, but message delivered loud and clear. Matters goes away after a few weeks. Little cost or disruption.

W1zz

Just noticed on one of the my screenshots I have of this offer, they were advertised as:

'Delivery within 14 days (exc. Sat and Sun)

So technically, they are could argue that they are within their rights in holding any payments for 14-18 days? Although it's more common practice that payments are only taken once items are despatched. But this depends on who/where you order from.

W1zz

mirandamayhem

W1zz wrote:

Just noticed on one of the my screenshots I have of this offer, they were advertised as:



So technically, they are could argue that they are within their rights in holding any payments for 14-18 days? Although it's more common practice that payments are only taken once items are despatched. But this depends on who/where you order from.

W1zz

Technically i think they actually have 60 days in which to return your money to you.
I will be corrected if that's wrong

Frogling

Sharon from B&Q rang me this morning to aplogise for there not being any more stock. She said she was refunding my money and would also send me a voucher out by way of apology. I said I was no happy with this, but I wasn't really in a fit state to argue as I'd just got back from the vets, where my little cat had to be put to sleep.

I still intend to forward everything on to Watchdog and anyone else who could potentially help our cause, at the very least B&Q should be made to change their order system.

JasonLVC

W1zz wrote:

Just noticed on one of the my screenshots I have of this offer, they were advertised as:



So technically, they are could argue that they are within their rights in holding any payments for 14-18 days? Although it's more common practice that payments are only taken once items are despatched. But this depends on who/where you order from.

W1zz

I've got the same web print, and yes, they state delivery is upto 14 days... at that point it forms part of the contract terms so if you order on 01/07/05 you should expect it 14 working days after that.

To be honest, it's all in th realm of legal opinion and interpretation and little point in quoting law and terms as each case will be individual.

I may never get my purchase, that's proably a certain, but the principle still remains to be argued and for £30 and a a few forms, I'll see B&Q in (small claims) court. It will cost them more to defend and will cost me nothing more than time. Forms went off yesterday.

The fact they are trying to fudge their way out of this demonstrates they are in the wrong, otherwise they'd have just said sorry and moved on.

JasonLVC

Sorry to hear about your cat Frogling.

bootman

I cannot do much else till my delivery date arrives and no doubt passes by. I had written confirmation of my order on Satuday following my call from Cristina on Thurday.

But as to date my c/card still has not been debited - I am checking every day.

I called the 0800 number re delivery yesterday as no call from them. They advised my 8th August.

I have already been told compensation will be offered and this was based on me getting my order. I am supposed to be called once delivered to check all is OK.

I have had no call to say not getting it from B&Q and I only deal with their resolutions department now.

If they cannot supply it I will ask for one of the Jungle gyms they have showing in stock. well was when I last looked.

mirandamayhem

that's what we did bootman, ask for the jungle gym, DH is waiting for a response, but Christine said that wasn't an option really!

mirandamayhem

so sorry to hear about your cat frogling