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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Be warned: Mamas and Papas - great products but TERRIBLE customer service

31 replies

cubed · 05/10/2010 16:00

Just wanted to warn prospective purchasers...

I set up a Gift List with M&P and am coming to regret it despite loving their range of goods.

Firstly they changed the delivery date without letting me know. I originally selected 4th Oct and then when I went back online to check something it had mysteriously changed to 18th Oct. I would never have agreed to that originally as it is too close to my due date. I rang up and after waiting 16 minutes on hold was told 'oh, they sometime change the dates if we're busy'. Was someone going to check with me first though??

Anyway, I negotiated with them for delivery today and the stuff was delivered. It appears a number of items I originally selected are not included despite the fact that these were selected and paid for by my parents (I know as they aren't very PC literate so I helped them with the online transaction).

I went on the website to check my list but unlike all usual lists you can't get access to what you originally selected and there is nothing on my account to show that I ever set up a list.

So I rang up again and after a long wait got put through to an 'overflow' service. They took my details and someone will ring me back within 48 hours. Wonder why they are so busy... could it be there are a lot of complaints and queries? I know at my yoga group that moans about M&P are a regular occurence.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know. My suggestion is buy direct from your local M&P store or if you have to have stuff delivered deal with the professionals ie. John Lewis!

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planner26 · 05/10/2010 16:14

I will totally second this cubed

Have had similar problems last week with M&P - my cot was supposed to arrive on Friday, took the day off work (don't have a lot of them left now) and they never appeared and noone answered their phone for 3 DAYS!

I was fuming! The cot was not cheap! And I just got an aggressive, unapologetic Customer Service Advisor at the other end when I finally got through.

It's now coming on Weds, I'm at work, and apparently noone can ring/ text me beforehand with an approximate time so I could make it back. I just told them if I'm not there I want the order cancelling but like cubed if I'd have known this I'd have ordered with someone else ages ago! It's cutting a bit fine date wise now!

STAY AWAY!!!

Didster · 05/10/2010 16:23

Oooh, have also had problems with M&P and was just going to put a post up. Returned £50 worth of maternity clothes over two weeks ago and no money yet in my account and have literally been on the phone and emailing every day for a week and nothing. Constantly on hold and no one has rung/emailed back. I agree, John Lewis so much better (and actually cheaper for most stuff). Grrrrrr!

JosephineClaire · 05/10/2010 16:33

I've had the same problem - returned some maternity clothes that didn't fit on 6 September and nothing - no email, no call, no refund, no replies to my emails......and most frustrating, no answer on the phone! They say refunds can take 21 days, which is longer than most companies (John Lewis for example) and tomorrow will be 6 October, and still nothing! Grr. I agree; if you are going to shop at Mamas and Papas, it's always best to do so in store. Their customer service online and on the phone is awful!

sparklyrainbow · 05/10/2010 16:36

Oooh, refunds! I returned something, they claimed they'd never received it... until OVER 4 WEEKS after I sent it back they suddenly decided to process my refund! I also spent a stupid amount of time emailing (no reply until I sent a very strongly worded email and pointed out we were considering buying a pram from them and now weren't going to bother!) and trying to get hold of them by phone. Their customer service is useless and I am not buying anything else from them!

snowmummy · 05/10/2010 19:23

I think their customer service in their shops is pretty rubbish too!

crumpetsolo · 05/10/2010 19:35

I agree - had awful customer service when they 'lost' something I had ordered online. A lovely woman called up and apologised (eventually) and promised to send me a £10 voucher by way of apology. That was about 4 months ago and nothing ever received. Just don't bother, they are rubbish.

DetectivePotato · 06/10/2010 10:16

I had one of their pushchairs.

Load of cheap crap IMHO. It has put me off wanting any of their products at all.

tothesea · 06/10/2010 13:39

I agree - had lots of problems with pram bought on-line, spent hours on phone calls and emails over period of months - not what you need when you have a newborn!
I will not buy any M&P products now and neither will any of my friends

MmmNicePlace · 06/10/2010 13:45

i went to buy a bath ring, £9-12 in most places, theirs wasn't priced on the shelf and at the till was £30 Shock i said no thanks as i could buy 3 for that and the sales assistant said theirs was best quality and surely my child was worth that, umm, no she is perfectly happy in her new £9.99 one thanks very much. I was amazed at their prices and most people seemed to be viewing not buying.

planner26 · 06/10/2010 15:59

I have now been sat waiting for our cotbed to be delivered after managing to get ANOTHER day off work....the clock is ticking, noone is answering their phone at M&P and it looks like I have wasted yet another day sat in my house!!!

AARRGGHH!!

What a crappy company.

Wanderingsheep · 06/10/2010 16:06

That's ridiculous! Their stuff is really expensive too, IMO.

My sister bought a wrap Cardigan from there which shrank in the wash so she gave it to me. I wore it once then after I'd washed it, discovered a hole in it!

PixieCake · 19/10/2010 17:32

I think the customer service at mamas and papas is the worst I have experienced in a long time. You are kept on hold for AGES costing a fortune - we were given the wrong information about an item we ordered, then told a courier would be in touch to arrange delivery (they never were), then missed the item because it turned up unannounced when we were out, then the item was wrong and finally they wanted to charge us £35 to collect it on top of the £40 to deliver it WHEN IT WAS THEIR MISTAKE!!!!

Tried to get through to a manager online but they said no one was available to help.

Staff on the phone are rude and unhelpful.

Simply shocking and am warning all my friends off them.

jadalove · 13/11/2010 01:17

Mamas and Papas is an absolute joke. I ordered an Urbo pushchair back in June from within store, and paid my deposit. I was asked when I would like to collect the item from the store, so I asked for it to be available for the 1st November, as this was exactly 1 month before my due date and I wanted to be prepared. I was told the store would call me once it had arrived, and it should be available around this date.

On the 1st November I had not received call from the store, which I found strange as I had placed my order 5 months earlier. I called customer services as there is no direct line to contact the store to see it it had arrived. After waiting 30 minutes to get through, the adviser opened the call by saying "due to the fact there were having high call volumes, could I please give them my information and they would call me back in 48hrs".

After waiting 30mins to get through I explained I wanted to talk to someone now as it had already cost me money on the call, and I did not want to chance not being called back and having to call again.

I explained that I had placed my order 5months ago and had not heard from the store, and could he find out what day my purchase would be available. He was extremely unhelpful and did not know what he was doing. In the end he said he was unable to give me a date. I asked to speak to a supervisor, I waited a further 15mins before she was available. She went on to explain the the Urbo was out of stock in every store, and that the company were awaiting the arrival of the product from germany. She said that the store would get a delivery on the 18th November. I expressed that I was annoyed about this as they had, had my money since June and that my order should have been held in store for me on there last delivery.

She then offered to try and track one down from another store (despite earlier saying they were out of stock everywhere), I said I would appreciate that as my due date was fast approaching. She said she would call me back the next day.

Typical mamas and papas I did not get a call back, I went into there store (not the one I ordered from) to ask there advice. They were again very unhelpful, and said they did not know when they would have a delivery and that I would have to call customer services again. They asked if I had paid my pushchair in full, as those who pay in full would get there's first despite the fact the ordered there product later than me. I explained I had just paid the deposit as this is what was needed at the time of purchase, and that I was going to pay the rest upon collection. I found this a very unfair system, and it felt like she was trying to get me to pay for the product in full, which I was reluctant to do since there was such a delay.

I have since called them back, again I had to go through the call back system and was not called back. I had to then contact them again, I asked to speak with a supervisor again as I seem to get through to Idiots every time I call. It was the same lady as last time, I asked if she had managed to source me a pushchair as she didn't call me back. She said I was not her I spoke to last time (despite me taking her name), she said they were defiantly out of stock, and that the depot would receive a delivery on 23rd November and that my store would get one some time after that.

I was absolutely gobsmacked, I asked why I was previously told the 18th November, she denied telling me that. I asked if she thought it was acceptable for it to take 6 months for me to receive my pushchair, especially when I was not told at the time of purchase that they had a back log of orders.
She was extremely unapologetic, and did not offer any solutions. She said I will just have to wait for the call from store.

I couldn't believe how poor there customer service is, I have already been showing signs of labour and have no pushchair despite ordering it 5 months in advance. I am now heavily pregnant with under 3 weeks till D day, and having to go round shops looking for an alternative to the Urbo, in case my order does not arrive. Having worked in customer services in the past, everyone I have dealt with at Mamas and Papas should be sacked. I will never buy from them ever again, and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.

                  !!!!!BEWARE!!!!!!
angels1 · 13/11/2010 09:03

Yup, I returned some maternity clothes that didn't fit back in september (which , btw I had to pay for the postage for returning). Got nothing back confirming they had received it so a few weeks later I emailed them. Got a response saying it takes 21 days to refund but still no refund.

pinkyp · 13/11/2010 10:46

took over 2hrs to get through to them on the phone, 3emails and no response, wouldnt use again.

skandi1 · 13/11/2010 11:59

i had a mare with m&p with stuff for dd when pregnant.

ordered almost £2500 worth of stuff inc one of their ridiculously over priced £650 cots.

well.... they kept changing date for arrival without checking with me.

i had payed an extra £50 for all goods to be delivered in one go. everything turned up eventually in 5 seperate deliveries.

the expensive cot literally came in pieces. it was clearly second/used/poss display stock. it had a broken end panel, covered in splashes of green paint - lots of green paint, several slats on the cot were broken, on one side panel all the oak veneer was scratched back to the particle board underneath.

the cot top changer had notches at both ends snapped off.

the £200 matress was wet and mouldy. customer services said i could just dry it and wipe the mould off!!! perfect for a newborn then.

to top it all off, their customer services accused me of lying!!! just charming so before they were willing to replace or refund, i had to spend 2 hours photographing and documenting each fault.

my DH had to eventually get a solicitor to write a letter to get it sorted.

am pregnant again and for this baby, i'd rather chop my own tree down and build my own cot than go anywhere near m&p.

however can wholeheartedly recommend john lewis. the most efficient fabbiest customer service ever!!!!

taytotayto · 13/11/2010 20:19

i totally agree they are really not interested when things go wrong. firstly my pram broke 3 times with little use and they were sooooo slow to fix it, it drove me mad. second they too changed the delivery date of items of furniture and had the cheek to say a dresser i ordered and paid for over 3 months ago was now out of stock and would be unavailable to get. i went mad when they rang me cos i needed it to match my cot and wardrobe. i started crying i was sooooo mad with them. (hormones i guess) all the woman kept saying was she had tried to look for it all over the country but couldnt get it. i didnt believe her so got my husband on to it and he spent ages fighting it out with her. he said right you can get the one we paid for so give us this more expensive but similar one and she said yes but we needed to pay the difference!!!! the cheek of her. finally after several arguments they must of been sick of us cos guess what they finally found one!!!! i personally think they were going down a list phoning people who had ordered the dresser to see who would accept they had accepted orders for an item that was limited. we refused to back down so got what we wanted. the thing that made me mad was my daughter chewed the top of the cot and its not even wood its like cardboard!!!! so £400 gets you a really strong cardboard cot lol. im pregnant again and this time im going to look on ebay for a cot.

TigerseyeMum · 16/11/2010 21:36

I won't buy anything from them again, even in store - it's such a small thing but I bought a gift for a friend and the signs all over the shelves they were on said 20% off. When I took it to the till it apparently was not one of the items discounted, it was other items on the shelf Hmm

I actually think it is illegal to mark discounted products and non-discounted products together, but I could not be arsed to make a point of it.

What really annoyed me though was the manageress at the till was really sniffy and scowled at me like I was trying it on Angry and was really snooty in the way she spoke to me. Err, it's your mistake, love Angry

Nice things, but overpriced, and terrible service. No thanks!!!

Meglet · 16/11/2010 21:40

I'm not even sure about the 'great products' bit TBH. Who wants a load of over-priced cream stuff that baby will cover in mustardy poo Grin.

We are a M&P free house!

PrivetDancer · 16/11/2010 22:28

Oh I am furious with them right now too!
Spent £300 there a couple of weeks ago (hormonal panic about room not being ready combined with cute hedgehog stuff) but they didn't have the monitor I'd gone for (which was actually cheaper there than anywhere else I can find online), so I ordered online with store pickup to avoid the delivery charge and went to pick up a week later only to find the entire range I'd bought from before is now 20% off!! Aagh.
Not much I can do about this, but bloody annoying all the same.

Then putting the border up, we get to the final roll and it has a smear running through the whole roll so is unusable but you couldn't see it til it was opened. I don't want to drive back again (20 miles away, baby due on Saturday) so tried ringing customer services, on hold for 40 mins before I get the 'take a message and we'll call you back' fob off. They have until tomorrow to call me back but I'm not holding my breath.
Grrrrrrr.

Goodluckbear · 17/11/2010 10:19

I just saw this thread - I started a similar one a few weeks ago. M&P customer service is terrible!! We paid £40 for furniture to be delivered to a room of our choice - the rude delivery driver refused to take it past the front door, and a box was missing. After being on hold for 20mins, was told that they would track down the missing box and call me back.

Next day - no call back still - called again, on hold again, told that the delivery driver had not been asked to take the boxes upstairs (so I must be lying that he said "not my job mate"?) I said I expect my £40 back as that was terrible service. No guarantees, still no missing box.

Again, the following day no call back about missing box, so on hold again for another 20mins. Eventually get missing box delivered a couple of weeks later, delivery driver refuses to take it upstairs again....surely a service for pregnant women would be better than this?

I got my £40 delivery charge refunded (should hope so too) and they gave me a gift voucher, which I can't use, as we're nowhere near a store and I can't bear to go through the hassle of ordering anything from them online again.

If you want M&P stuff - get it in store. Otherwise, avoid!!

blanchedevereaux · 07/12/2010 15:51

Anyone managed to get through on the phone in the past week or so?

They have taken money for an order from me and only partially delivered to store.

I eventually got through last Monday only to be told they were operating a call back service and I would be called in 24 hours. Guess what? No call.

I have been on hold for over an hour for the last few days and no one is answering. Xmas Sad

giraffeshatewinter · 07/12/2010 16:54

They sound rubbish and will steer clear. Can heartily recommend John Lewis for customer service, and free (and friendly) delivery. May not always be the cheapest, but the products are good, and the staff do their job with a smile.

MRSLKP · 15/03/2011 16:57

I am so shocked to read all of this! Have had lots of things delivered on time and to the room of my choice over the past few weeks and have also returned things without a problem.

I agree you can't beat John Lewis for customer service, they are kind of in a league of their own against any shop. JL has old school values and clearly train staff very well. Shame more shops weren't like them. wouldnt say it was just M&P's.

LikeAnAdventCandleButNotQuite · 05/12/2011 09:52

Just found this thread as am fuming to have gotten a text this morning to say my one item will be delivered today. Erm....roughly when? I rang to ask if they gave time slots (even a 4 hour window I could handle) and told no.

If im not in, it goes back to the depot, and I have to ring to re-arrange (another day of waiting in 8 hours)

After reading the above, I got off lightly! Wouldn't have ordered from them mysef, but SIL has ordered a gift for me and asked them to deliver it straight to me.