John Lewis - What Do You Think of Their Customer Service?

[AnotherRandomUsernom]

My elderly father bought a Beko washing machine from them over a year ago. It leaked from the soap dispenser so he had it replaced. The new one also leaked and he has had 4 engineers calling round advising him to use specific soap, only to use about 2 programmes and to use a cleaning program once a month. Despite all this, the machine still leaks.
I’m worried he is going to slip on the floor. He uses a walker and life is difficult enough already. I’m worried about him catching covid from all these engineers calling over. He spent all day today on the phone trying to get through to JL then was told to get a code from Becko but he didn’t manage to get through to Becko today. He has to try all over again tomorrow. I don’t think he’ll have any luck getting the code as we’ve been through this process before. Becko refused to give us the number and JL refused to help. Surely it is his consumer right to have a refund. What is going on with customer care and consumer rights these days? I think it’s shocking that an elderly and vulnerable man should be treated like this by John Lewis.

Bloody awful, is the short answer!

I’ve wasted most of the last 3 days trying to get John Lewis to sort out a refund or replacement for a faulty kettle that I bought from them and is still in warranty. Emails are ignored. If you phone you’re on hold for a ridiculous time, or they put the phone down on you. They only acted when I posted something on their Twitter feed.

Oh I cancelled pet insurance with them too after they were quibbling about a very petty detail.

@AnotherRandomUsernom

I’d love the Daily Mail highlight the downfall of JL customer service.

Agree 100%. Nobody buys expensive goods from a company with a poor reputation for after care. It’s the kind of thing you learn as a teenage in Argos. In all fairness though, maybe they’ve improved since then.

Argos have not improved. Their customer service is horrendous.

I was too angry to post the latest update. Someone from technical support phoned my Dad yesterday to say that all 5 engineers from Beko have said my Dad isn’t using the washing machine properly. It has leaked randomly when we have both used it, even on the drum clean with no soap and no clothes! Anyway my Dad phoned them back again today, got himself into a bit of a state with someone (which is worrying at his age) and hit another brick wall with them.
I’ve asked if he wants to go to the press but he’s worried about that. I’ve suggested that we get a new machine in and move the Beko out of the way for now but he’s worried about moving it and being accused of damaging it.
He’s going to hand it over to a solicitor to deal with on Monday.
It’s a major learning curve though, to never shop at John Lewis. How can a big company have that on their conscience?

How can it be fit for purpose if it’s that difficult to use?

Well this is the thing, it isn’t fit for purpose. He’s only ‘allowed’ to use about 2 programmes, must do a once monthly drum clean, using pods is not ok because they’re ‘probably not dissolving properly’! Oh, and the water in his area is ‘the wrong water for the washing machine’!

Nowhere in the terms and conditions was the above situation outlined. The level of John Lewis customer service is in the gutter.

JL used to be fantastic, now they are utterly shit.