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AIBU?

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Original poster

to push for more from this high street company that lied and humiliated me?

555 replies

redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 10:20

Sorry, name changing old timer to protect my RL identity on here (yawn, yes I know- please feel free to quiz me on MN howlers past and present)

I was shopping on a busy saturday in a chain. A lady approached me she was the manager.

She introduced herself and said she wondering if I would help her as she'd had no luck for the last hour and needed a candidate to take part in a radio phone in show- prizes/money going to charity and their staff and the chance to win an electrical appliance for myself???

I asked how long it would take and agreed as long as it would be swift as I felt a bit sorry for her Blush- I also asked what charity it would be for and whether it would be filmed? She was vague and said she wasn't fully briefed on the details. She then laughed and said that this was very much the "style" of their company. That they were very up on motivation for the staff, crazy competitions, incentives etc. I took this on trust and they are a very big company.

We went to her office and the phone rang on speaker phone- radio guy with jingles in background etc- asks me where I'm from, age, name etc.

It was then put on handset and I had to answer a few qs and agree whether or not to perform some silly tasks (think Chris Evans old style larking) some I did some I refused (every refusal got money for the charity)

Anyway- fast forward 20 mins and I cut ot off (as I wanted to go and was stretched for time. I'd won ££ for charity, 2 prizes for the staff and a prize for myself to be collected from the store on the following Tuesday and £3000 worth of stuff.

I was really pleased and as I fundraise for a local charity I asked if my prize could be donated to my chosen charity as well as thiers (I've got no need for another toaster of cake mixer Grin) I was told we will see on Tuesday.

I arrive on Tuesday (this place is a 55 mile round trip for me)

The manager looks solemn. She takes me to the office and tells me she's been stupid, it was a hoax, nobody was coming in.

She gave me a £20 voucher for my girl (it was her birthday) and asked me to leave. Sad

I've since called their customer services to demand an inquiry into her behaviour and to get some token for being humiliated, out of pocket and time.

They've not called me back.

They've said they're sorry but these things happen????

I've nobody except my close friend to asked and he advised me that he'd be going for the complete amount of things I was promised and to not compromise.

So your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
Original poster
redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 13:47

I'm not going to tell you what the tasks were Hmm

He's gone back and said it will take him a couple of days to work something out for me. I asked him in a roundabout way (without asking) for the full amount I was promised.

I have asked it go to charity (my chosen charity) I hope they buy me a bench. (joke)

Of course he could come back and tell me it's £100 for the charity. Either way, he said it had taken to long because of the admin and investigating and apologised- it was a first contact call to get my side of the story.

He was very good. I didn't need to mention press etc as he spent most of the time apologising and telling me he'd sort it.

Ok will leave it now and see if he delivers. If not I will find a way to name and shame because I'll have nothing to lose at that point I guess.

OP posts:
discophile · 30/05/2012 13:48

Operations manager from where? the shop? the radio station? your car? the phone company? the broadband supplier?

cocolepew · 30/05/2012 13:49

I have never been so baffled by a thread before Confused

discophile · 30/05/2012 13:49

Well, you haven't really told us enough to believe/disbelieve/advise.

Original poster
redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 13:50

from the store I was in.

Radio has denied any involvement.

OP posts:
crazygracieuk · 30/05/2012 13:50

I think the op deserves to know the full story like who the scammer was, why and if the phone call is on the Internet.

Did the company apologize for the wasted time etc?

Teeb · 30/05/2012 13:51

Naming them on this site here won't have any impact on them dealing with your situation, other than possibly speeding things up and making things more satisfactory for you.

What it will do though is warn other MN'ers about how dodgy a shop/customer service they are, and give us a fuller idea of the whole situation.

Original poster
redrugroffle · 30/05/2012 13:53

crazygracie- they could not be more apologetic.

OM was very good.

OP posts:
wereofftoseethewizard · 30/05/2012 13:53

I will find a way to name and shame?

Er what are you on about, why can't you just say, what difference does it make.

nancy75 · 30/05/2012 13:53

Why are they a dodgy shop Teeb? just because they have a member of staff that is easily tricked does not make them a dodgy company.

nancy75 · 30/05/2012 13:55

And if they could not be more apologetic what is the problem - you obviously want the money that you were tricked into thinking you had won - i seriously doubt any company is going to hand over £3k because you & their manager were tricked

crunchbag · 30/05/2012 13:56

:o skirt

So you want the store to donate the £3000 + value of prize + the ££ you thought you had won for charity, even though they were the victims of a hoax too, why?

more and more confused

LoonyRationalist · 30/05/2012 13:56

Good to hear that they are now on the case. As others have said I think you can expect to be compensated for your fuel/time and for a reasonable donation to your charity. I would say expecting the store to provide the full amount promised in the hoax would be unreasonable.

discophile · 30/05/2012 13:57

If this happened to me I would be way, way, way more interested in who on earth did this, why the manager was so guilible, is this something that has happened before, etc etc etc, than whether the shop in question was going to compensate me.

Why hasn't the OP spoken to the manager who supposedly invited the whole thing FGS?

Teeb · 30/05/2012 13:57

I think it does actually. If a store manager is chasing around for an hour bothering customers and making them take part in hoax/scam radio call ins that she has no background info on and no instruction from head office to take part in. As well as the delays that the op has had in getting any kind of response from the head office, despite calling numerous times. I do think they sound a bit dodgy, and I've heard bad reviews/feedback/warnings for far less about many shops.

chipsandmushypeas · 30/05/2012 13:59

OP said it was an up and coming shop so sounds like a newish company. Topshop, bhs, debenhams etc probably aren't it.

Give us a clue, OP!

limitedperiodonly · 30/05/2012 14:00

It wouldn't have happened in Waitrose

AKE2012 · 30/05/2012 14:01

I would contact the company and the radio station one more time and if they didnt get back to you i would go to the newspapers and name and shame them.
it doesnt matter who was set up (whether the manager knew or not). You wasted time and money travelling there.
Id push for what they said you would get.
Disgraceful. Id think twice about shopping in that store.

JayelleBee · 30/05/2012 14:02

New Look

RuleBritannia · 30/05/2012 14:03

Can't be Ikea, can it? We have a new one opening here in a year or two.

keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal · 30/05/2012 14:18

Have read every single post on here and I a still none the wiser about what has actually gone on!

Aboutlastnight · 30/05/2012 14:19

Hmmm

Hollister?

oopslateagain · 30/05/2012 14:22

This sounds really familiar - I'm absolutely certain a few years ago I read about something similar, where the manager of a store was hoax-called and had to get a customer to take part in a phone competition, doing daft 'forfeits'. I am racking my brains to try to remember what it was all about; I can't remember if it was recorded or not...

Gah. 'Tis very annoying! I've spent an hour on Google trying to find it. I'm sure it was reported somewhere...

thestringcheesemassacre · 30/05/2012 14:35

LOL @ it would never happen in Waitrose.

i must admit, this whole thing is baffling.

PrettyPrinceofParties · 30/05/2012 14:38

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