Customer Service... And failing to deliver

[PaniWahine]

I ordered a laptop in a store from a large chain over the weekend. At the time they weren't accepting online orders for delivery. There was no stock in store but stock in the warehouse, and I had to pay up front.

I called today to confirm it was in store so I could collect - the store hasn't ordered it, there are none left in the warehouse that supplies the stores BUT there is stock in the warehouses that fulfil online orders... Now here's the tricky bit - you can't order online for this laptop to be delivered to you, only to stores I suggested that one of those in the 'web orders' warehouse could be allocated to my order but computer says no There are plenty of the same model available throughout the UK in stores, but not close enough for me to travel to, and when I suggested they could transfer one between the stores, computer says no It's like the store manager has filed it under "Can't be arsed".

I've already paid for the laptop, they confirmed there was stock available before accepting my order, it was just that no one in the store bothered to place the order with the warehouse until I called tonight by which time the stock for store orders had evaporated.

I've looked elsewhere (online) and a similar specification laptop is another £200.

Am I being unreasonable to expect them to honour the sale?

[user1471517900]

Yes, obviously you're being unreasonable here. Clearly they should be allowed to keep your money and not fulfill your order. HTH

[MrHannahSnell]

I think a call to you local Trading Standards Office might be a very good idea. Let them get on the cade.

[MrHannahSnell]

case

[PaniWahine]

Spoke to the chains customer service team - apparently the contract to purchase is one-way eg if I agree to purchase and pay a deposit yet fail to complete the purchase I forfeit the deposit. If they fail to supply then it's a case of "That's the customers problem, not ours" and even though there are plenty of units available it's up to me to collect it, they don't have to deliver / relocate it. DH is fuming as the TV started playing up on Sunday and I said to him he could look for a new one on Saturday when we intended to collect the laptop... He'd already picked a 65" from their website and he's been told over my dead body he'll buy anything from them again.

Trading Standards have confirmed that they've entered into a contract and should supply the goods as this is a case of "Won't" - not "Can't"

[LurkingHusband]

Spoke to the chains customer service team - apparently the contract to purchase is one-way

They might think that. A court would remind them otherwise. And charge them for the privilege.

[ratspeaker]

Do they have a facebook page?
Or twitter.
Complain there.

Also you could name them here so we know which firms to avoid when buying laptops.
Also someone here may be able to come up with contact info for someone higher up in the firm who could get things sorted.

Who ever they are it sounds a terrible way to treat a customer.

[LurkingHusband]

Also you could name them here so we know which firms to avoid when buying laptops.

A better way is to invite people to guess ... keep CEOs bum cheeks alert ...

[ratspeaker]

Any futher forward OP?

Wasn't Currys was it?

[PaniWahine]

10 points to you ratspeaker

Eventually got it, but only after a few rather idiotic conversations... Including one where it was claimed Belfast was the capital of the Republic of Ireland (really?? That's news to about 4.5M on both sides of the border!) and another who tried to tell me the issue was I was trying to use euros in a sterling store (no I wasn't, it was a UK bank card). Part of me was left wondering if it was a 'bait' situation...

I suspect that the store manager has put me down as a right Royal bitch judging by the terse constrained emails. The OH is still not getting his TV from them though - don't trust them not to screw us over again...

[wasonthelist]

I will never buy a thing from Currys. Trading standards know why - incident in 2005, not been back since, no need, plenty of other places. Sorry it was such a hassle for you OP but sadly not surprised.