To think that Currys should accept their vouchers

[snorzzzzz]

Tried to pay for a back massager earlier with vouchers given to me by friends and family who know I've wanted one for a while. Finally got the right amount (£120), trotted off to Currys to pick up one that I'd ordered online to pick up in store, only to be told that the item won't be ready until 5th of April.

This was a 50 mile round trip for something I need NOW. They actually have TWELVE in stock!

I have arthritis in the spine (amongst other things), but I'm in serious agony with a back spasm right now, too.

I also apparently cocked up the order so they cancelled it there and then and told me to go waste an hour to wait for the money to go back on 5 of the vouchers. Went back to be told check your email - and there it is. The vouchers will be POSTED to me in 3-5 working days.

I'm beyond FURIOUS as they wouldn't accept either an online order or payment in the shop with all SIX of the £20 vouchers I've been given. I had to borrow £20 off my friend. They only accept FIVE vouchers per transaction! I now have to buy something else (that I don't want!) I NEVER buy in Currys as I don't have an excess of money to spend (I'm now one of those awful Benefits Scroungers). This was meant to be something to help my pain as I can no longer afford £40 a throw at the chiro.

And sorry if this sounds like a pity party, but I'm shaking with anger typing this, and crying in pain after the long journey and then sitting on an uncomfortable chair in Costa, with an overpriced coffee I can ill afford, while waiting for the vouchers to come back so I could actually bring the item they have in stock home. After paying in Currys own vouchers, that they won't wholly accept. Oh, and paying the petrol and buying an extra coffee for the friend who took me there. I hate borrowing money, but have had to email my daughter to ask her to lend me some (and I know she's not sitting pretty at the mo either). I just wanted to pay my friend back ASAP.

I have a few amazing friends and my daughter, who made my birthday clubbing together to allow me to get this (it's on sale right now!). Now I just want to forget it, but am left with £120 of vouchers that are semi-useless and will be TOTALLY useless when the price goes back up.

AIBU to be so angry? Not to mention depressed.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

That would make me cross

[RockUnit]

Would you be able to sell the vouchers on eBay? When I've seen auctions for vouchers they've often attracted nearly the value of the vouchers.

[OverScentedFanjo]

What a ridiculous rule. I would think they can't actually be in the right with that made up rule. I'm sure if you challenged it in the small claims court you'd win.

Can you tweet or email the ceo of currys.

[Minisoksmakehardwork]

Can your buy vouchers with vouchers? Eg 5x £20 voucher becomes 1x £100 voucher? So you'd be able to meet their stupid rule of 5 vouchers per transaction.

How in the heck do people manage if they ask for curry's vouchers at weddings to buy big items?

[snorzzzzz]

Thanks for the replies. I feel a lot better knowing at least a few people agree with me.

I don't use eBay (not very techie-minded, even when I'm not a bit out of it), and I asked about swapping vouchers but was told NO. Not a policy apparently.

I've been looking at where they have this stupid rule. Considering an awful lot of their stock is over £50 (assuming people like me rock up with £10), how many disappointed people are there out there (I'm particularly thinking of kids getting vouchers for games and techie stuff for Christmas/birthdays etc.). Can't find it anywhere. The same goes for the way I originally tried to "book" it for collection. The only way the website would let me do it was to pay before leaving the house.

I thought I might have been doing something wrong as I pressed Pay - it just seemed odd. I can put stuff in my basket for Argos and collect at the shop without paying first. I always do this as I live so far away, if something I need is low on stock I don't want to risk getting there and finding the last one just sold. Especially as I rely on lifts.

I can only think that this is a way of forcing people to buy more items at Currys than they need.

How would I contact someone in charge? I'm not on Twitter or Facebook. I'm pretty new to a computer and can't get my head around stuff like this.

Thanks again.

[Tiredmumno1]

I think that this is the email address for the CEO, [email protected], maybe drop him a message.

Good luck

[HoneyDragon]

Well if it helps I purchase a drone for my son for Currys with £20.00 vouchers and it was a £120. They took them all without issue.

Plus I paid in store after reserving. However recently I've had similar problems trying to reserve in store and have used Argos it John Lewis instead. Perhaps they intend to go the way of Comet?

[lostincumbria]

Terms and conditions at you can only use five vouchers online, doesn't say there's any restrictions in store.

[snorzzzzz]

Huge thanks Tiredmumno1. I will try tomorrow and let you know if I get a response.

Thanks HoneyDragon. Nice to know it's not just me. Hope they don't go the way of Comet as I'm still waiting for the vouchers to be posted.

Lostincumbria - I looked for the T&C but couldn't find anything about them. Probably me. Pain and LOTS of pain meds don't make for clear sight.

[Bluecarrot]

Hopefully when they post it out it will be a £100 voucher then ( and you still have the other £20?)
Click and collect can be really rubbish but it did probably state in the email when it would be ready. Can't you order it to be delivered to you at home? Perhaps if you call customer services and complain they may be able to offer you a rain check on the offer

[snorzzzzz]

Thanks, Bluecarrot. I hope they do that, too.

It did state in the e-mail as being ready to collect on April 5th! Not much good to me then as I could feel my back getting worse by the minute (I've had to use the emergency GP this weekend for diazepam to help free my back. I can hardly move right now). Also, as the site wouldn't accept the last £20 voucher, I actually thought going to the store would sort it out.

Well, it didn't. When did buying stuff get so complicated? You'd think retailers would be happy to sell when a customer turns up. But, there you go. You live and learn.

I am going to try Customer Services as if it goes back up to the pre-sale price, I definitely won't be able to afford it - then I'll be left with £120 of Currys vouchers that will be of no use to me whatsoever.

I'm extremely disappointed about how this has played out. I know I'm probably to blame for not understanding the website, but why-oh-why do they advertise click and collect, then ask you to pay? I went over the whole procedure several times and there's no way I could get the order to just allow me to pick up and pay (like Argos does). Add to that stock showing at the store... well, I'm confused as well as disappointed.

Sorry to bang on. I'll try to contact CS and use that email address given for the CEO and let you all know how it goes.

Thanks, All. Wish me luck.

[Tiredmumno1]

Good luck.

Let us know how you get on

[OverScentedFanjo]

Maybe contact Watchdog? This is the sort of thing they'd cover. Shocking treatment of a customer. Hope you get this sorted out.

[westcountrywoman]

I think that the problem is that you have accidentally ordered the massager from the online shop (and paid for it using the vouchers), rather than selected click and collect, where you go to the store and pick up a reserved item from the store stock and pay for it in store. The vouchers have therefore been used already, so can no longer be spent in store.

Frustrating but not Currys' fault. As far as they're concerned, the vouchers are 'empty' and only you can cancel your order and wait for the vouchers to be credited again.

[snorzzzzz]

Westcountry - I did try to order via their "collect at store" service, in order to ensure my journey wasn't wasted. The manager went through all the steps with me at the store and he had the same outcome. Neither of us could just reserve at the store and pay on collection.

All in all, a bit of a cock up and very frustrating, but I agree, not the store's fault.

Anyway... an update: I HAVE had a reply to the email I sent to the CEO's address, asking me for details. I certainly didn't expect a reply so soon, and haven't had such a rapid response from shops known for their excellent customer service such as John Lewis and M&S when I've previously needed to contact them (in the days when I was a bit of a shopaholic). I note at the bottom of the email that they're Retailer of the Year 2016 which is nice to see. It gives me confidence that they'll be able to help.

Fingers crossed I will be able to purchase the massager at the sale price. I thought by now my back spasm pain would have eased, but it's hanging on in there. I needed to use the emergency GP for more medication over the weekend, but when I spoke to a locum at my surgery today, I was told no more of that particular type. Pain killers only for me right now, and they're not really helping. The pain in my back is making me feel sick tbh, and I just can't get comfortable. I've had these before, but never as bad as this.

If the massager arrives I will be eternally grateful to Currys (and the lovely ladies supporting me here - a cup of tea and a sympathetic ear always helps, even if it does bring on the waterworks!), as I'm still in desperate need of something to help the pain. I also recently found out I have MS and am told that spasms like this are likely to be a regular part of my future. My chiro recommended the massager as helping to prevent spasms as well as helping relieve them, so again, fingers crossed.

[snorzzzzz]

Well, I contacted Customer Services and have had what I can only describe as excellent customer services.

New vouchers were sent out and the store was informed by the call centre that I (or in my case, as I'd landed myself in hospital with a bit of problem with my back spasms, my brother), could purchase the massager with a credit card if they didn't arrive in time, then return and re-purchase with the vouchers.

A bit of hassle, but I'm back home now, have used it a few times already. I've found it perfect for my back and would recommend it to anyone with back issues. I've also calmed down considerably thanks to the diazepam they gave me for my spasm (but also has the happy side effect of making me much less anxious and a lot calmer! Shame I hadn't had it before I ordered and rocked up to the store - I'd have been a lot more coherent).

So, thank you all for your help, suggestions and support. I can honestly say that what could have been an expensive nightmare for me (my friend checked in store today and tells me it's gone back up in price), has ended up being a happy ending that has gone above and beyond restoring my faith in customer services.