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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with John Lewis/Waitrose

31 replies

Southwest · 04/08/2012 03:04

so this is why
I buy something on sale it's broken I go back and get a replacement hassle free, then I see it is 25% cheaper elsewhere.

By now I'm feeling slightly cross with them 2 trips to get something with no car only to find it cheaper elsewhere (when I had a lift, it's big, I have small kids and my pushchair is broken you get the picture)

So after my experience a couple of years ago when they basically had something cheaper in another branch of their own shop and refused to price match, I decide to try them out.

So I go back third trip! Only to be told they will price match but take down details and then ring shop then ring me.
Sure enough i get a call yes it is cheaper go back and get refund so i make another trip, lady serving me fusses and fusses about the paperwork not being filled in correctly, snearily says 'oh dont worry we'll refund you your £10' I point out it is 12 she fusses about paperwork and then puts 10 pounds on my card.

My Mother picks up a few bits from Waitrose (and we all know how much that costs lol). Raspberries and pitta bread both mouldy within 24 hours and still in date.

All this in about 8 days, they are driving me crazy, 4 trips still not got it right and the snooty attitude of the shop assistant, out here in the real world 10 pounds really matter to some people.

Anyway the thing is thought id tell you all finally they price match, the remaining items in the shop have been reduced in price to match but it is a
B)£&(y awful experience for whoever points it out to them but the thing is she hadn't taken down enough detail of what I actually bought to know what to compare it with so it needn't have taken 4 trips anyway.

Grrrrrr rant over

So AIBU to expect them to price match 10 pounds, is that really throwaway money for everyone?

OP posts:
tartyflette · 04/08/2012 03:09

Was the difference £10 or £12? Either way, YANBU at all, and if it was £12 I would insist on exactly that, so please don't accept £10. That is what their promise is, after all.
I'd complain about the assitant's attitude too! That is just not on.

Original poster
Southwest · 04/08/2012 03:18

It was 12 they refunded 10. I can't face a 5th trip, it's quite a walk TBh by that stage I'd decided I was going to email a complaint. We only took the raspberries back since the pitta was mouldy the next morning (ok technically I guess about 36 hours but still too quick)

I'm pleased they do price match cos I was kind of shocked last time when they refused but really ythe whole shopping there was just too hard!

OP posts:
ThreeWheelsGood · 04/08/2012 07:28

YABU to let this get to you so much. Stop stressing yourself out.

quirrelquarrel · 04/08/2012 07:53

In the real world most people don't shop at John Lewis/Waitrose, you're right Hmm

ken0eddie0kennedy · 04/08/2012 07:58

One of life's setbacks - Have a complain & move on, life's too short!

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 04/08/2012 08:13

Quirrel in my real world the bus trip to my nearest Tesco is too expensive. But my Waitrose is local Hmm

Must by flour and eggs at Tesco in the future, I'd hate people to judge me.

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 04/08/2012 08:22

Sorry, that sounded more snarky than I intended. But I get shit from my SiL that I shop at Waitrose too in between online shops.

BellaOfTheBalls · 04/08/2012 08:22

Depending on where you are in the country, Waitrose have a very clever thing by deliberately seeking out areas that do not have a large supermarket in them and then building a massive one. So you are left with the bus fare, the delivery cost of doing it online or getting what you need right now but at a premium. I found it interesting moving from the north west to the south west that the nearest Waitrose was 25 miles from one of the largest cities in the country but down here every small town has one. Just sayin'

YANBU & I feel your pain, I've had the same problem with their raspberries. Bought some in the morning to serve with dinner that evening & had to pick out ones that were going a bit manky!

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 04/08/2012 08:25

Bella. Where I do praise Waitrose though is their replace and refund policy. If you reject replacement you get double refund.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/08/2012 08:30

Why do you keep going down there? Email customer services and compliance about in issue, include how inconvenient it is to keep going back to the shop. Ask what they can do to compensate you.

Last time I had an issue with JL I got a £30 refund to my card for compensation.

Had similar with food going bad before use by date (sainsburys). Emailed to complain and they refunded me the value in points to my nectar card.

Icelollycraving · 04/08/2012 08:36

I feel irritated just reading about all the schlepping about. Call them. I assume all the bus fares etc have pretty much used up the £10. If it was £12 you should have insisted on that at the time.
I have always found jl & waitrose extremely good.

BellaOfTheBalls · 04/08/2012 08:45

Didn't know about that HoneyDragon; I am rather new to this JL/Waitrose malarkey!

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 04/08/2012 08:51

Your right about them infiltrating small towns. None of the large towns down south have them. If you are used to shopping on a budget then Waitrose are quite good as it is less tempting to be seduced by all the offers like in Tesco and Asda.

And if I get their at the right times when thy are discounting same day stuff I have stocked my freezer with 10 days worth of quality meat and food for four people for less than £20 before.

worriedwretch · 04/08/2012 08:56

Your transport issues are not the fault of JL.

And they do have a customer services phone number you can call frOm the comfort of your own home you know.

YABU

Badgerina · 04/08/2012 09:00

Stop! I can't bear to read anything about Johnny Lulus being less that perfect!!!!!

YADNBU I would deffo complain.

Megalosaurus · 04/08/2012 09:02

I live in the middle of a Waitrose black spot. I'd love a Waitrose.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/08/2012 09:26

LOADS of the large towns down south have them, what are you on about?

mollymole · 04/08/2012 09:32

When I had 1 broken item in a set on a delivery from John Lewis I rang them up, they sent me a replacement set and upgraded the replacement as a gesture for the inconvenience I had. They also never asked for the broken set to be sent back, and said I could keep all of it. All done by phone and email.

Scouseandproud · 04/08/2012 09:35

Was thinking that Jareth I've lived in Brighton, Lewes, Bromley, Beckenham and Croydon and they all have waitrose. Now in Merseyside and there isn't one for bloody miles Sad and they won't deliver

BalloonSlayer · 04/08/2012 09:38

Their USP is "never knowingly undersold" so they bloody well should refund the difference without making you feel bad!

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 04/08/2012 09:47

Sorry Jarreth, I was typing in a hurry. Obviously yes they do Grin, but I had to do a search for Waitroses for a friend to return an item and we were surprised to see how few larger towns had them in comparison to little market towns.

worriedwretch · 04/08/2012 09:59

I ordered some sleepsuits for my baby, they arrived - one was the wrong size (In a pack of newborn, one was 0-3 months) I phoned, they sent me a replacement and let me keep the orriginals,
and refunded my delivery from orriginal purchase

seriously, MUCH BETTER customer service than any other company i ever deal with

Sallyingforth · 04/08/2012 10:03

You found it was 25% cheaper elsewhere. If the price was important to you why didn't you check first?

vj32 · 04/08/2012 10:16

You can also now get John Lewis stuff delivered for free to most Waitrose stores.

In my own southern town its Waitrose or Aldi. Much prefer reduced Waitrose stuff to the crap they have in Aldi and the thoroughly horrible experience of being pushed and shoved around. I don't feel exploited by the lack of other supermarkets!

Lambzig · 04/08/2012 10:27

I recently did a price check on a number of things I buy weekly from Waitrose or Ocado, when I was in my local Sainsbury's SaveaCentre (which i loathe because they blare really really loud announcements at you every two minutes), to see if it was much cheaper.

On 19 items, Waitrose was cheaper on 15, the same on 3 and only more expensive on one. In two cases, a whole £1 cheaper on £5 items. I just dont believe that Waitrose are more expensive anymore.