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AIBU?

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Original poster

To expect more than just a refund from John Lewis?

62 replies

mindthegap79 · 16/04/2015 20:38

Ordered a hob from John Lewis 3 weeks ago. Website said delivery within 4 working days. I got an email confirmation and a guarantee was emailed to me the next day. Dispatched on the 3rd day and they debited my account. 2 weeks later, no hob! I emailed them and today they called to say that unfortunately the hob was out of stock and would I rather have a refund or a different hob. Ffs!

The 2 other shops which had stock 3 weeks ago no longer have stock, so now I cannot have my lovely hob from anywhere. I know this is a first world problem, but I've had no kitchen or bathroom since November due to cowboy builders. I finally have new builders in, and they're now delayed due to no hob. Grrr.

I asked John Lewis for a refund (which will take a few days, grrr again) and some additional compensation. They said they were only authorised to refund me, but they're phoning back tomorrow.

Reckon they should give me some vouchers or something? I've spent a bloody fortune in that shop over the years. Feeling peeved.

OP posts:
Original poster
mindthegap79 · 16/04/2015 21:36

Yes, I've heard about the real John Lewis Grin

Thank you t3rr3gl35! You're quite right - I'm not blaming JL for the builders, but it does add to the huge frustration we've experienced since November. I almost bought the hob from Gardiner Haskins (eccentric local company) and really wish I had!

Off to rummage around for the tea bags...

OP posts:
lavenderhoney · 16/04/2015 21:37

Oh- and don't piss about venting to call centre customer services. I wouldn't bother if I was you. Use the time to compose an irate email to Andy and fire it off. Say what went wrong and say what you want to put it right.

Go to the top- explain the issue and give them your preferred solution:)

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 16/04/2015 21:40

Thanks for the tip lavendarhoney! What happened to you? Sounds awful. I shall make 2 Brew Brew (No Cake I'm afraid due to lack of kitchen!)

OP posts:
whippy33 · 16/04/2015 21:45

Why do people need compensating for minor issues like this? It can be resolved...the OP will get her money back and she will buy another one - granted not the exact same one but when all's said and done they are all much of a muchness!

Tiptops · 16/04/2015 21:49

YANBU.

They didn't deliver when advised, and sent a dispatch email when they didn't even have the item in stock?! Very poor show.

BloggersNetwork · 16/04/2015 21:49

I ordered a pair of boots from Cloggs last week. As they hadn't arrived I emailed them today asking where they were. The replied apologising saying their supplier couldn't provide the boots after all and given me £10 off my next purchase. I do think JL have inconvenienced you quite considerably actually.

DoJo · 16/04/2015 22:04

Might be worth seeing if your situation fits the criteria for 'loss of bargain' if you are paying builders who cannot work because of their mistake. legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/loss+of+bargain

MrsCookieMonster · 16/04/2015 22:24

Had a similiar experience with a dishwasher from JL except they arranged a day for delivery and installation and didn't turn up and when we called and got told it was out of stock, the guy on the phone even said to DH that if they really wanted they could get hold of one for us but that would cost too much money and clearly we weren't important enough! After a couple of weeks of calls (with them rarely getting back to us) we gave up and cancelled I was going into hospital to be induced and couldn't be bothered with it anymore. They refunded and gave us £50 voucher compensation.
Ordered from Currys for £50 less and they were brilliant and delivered and installed within a couple of days, should have gone to them first instead of insisting on using JL for their supposed superior customer service!!
Anyway OP this is my long winded way of saying yes you should get compensation and I would hope they will offer you some tomorrow.
Hope you manage to get your hob from somewhere and get the kitchen sorted.

justonemoretime2p · 16/04/2015 22:28

I think you have a genuine reason to expect a little more compensation.

isitnearlytheend · 16/04/2015 22:30

There is something seriously wrong with JL re appliances at the moment. Tried to order dishwasher at store a couple of months ago and wait time for fitting, what fitting price included, and general offering didn't compare positively to Curry's, who we usually shun in favour of JL. Needed new washer and tumble dryer a fortnight ago so straight to Curry's I'm afraid and fitted fine within a week.

BelindaAllWorkedOut · 16/04/2015 22:34

I was given £50 compensation by JL (they processed it as 2 x £25, as I think that was the max per transaction) when they didn't deliver my fridge. I had had to pay my nanny to stay back etc, while I waited in vain at our new property for the delivery, so I had incurred costs. I hope you have a smilar outcome.

PtolemysNeedle · 16/04/2015 23:01

YANBU. If it were any shop other than John Lewis, I'd say YABU. But JL is different, they trade on their branding and reputation as having old fashioned values and being reliable. So they should live up to that, and give a goodwill gesture. Not compensation.

PeppermintCrayon · 17/04/2015 09:17

Email and ask for vouchers and you'll get them.

DownWithThisTypeOfThing · 17/04/2015 09:26

but it's John Lewis! They're normally excellent

No they're not. I will never shop at JL again. I ordered something after checking with them it was what I needed after asking very specific questions. When it arrived it was blatantly unsuitable so I'd been lied to. Plus it was damaged. Then I couldn't have a refund until they'd collected it. A week later. During which time it was blocking my hallway. Not so much as an apology received.

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 17/04/2015 09:38

Hmmm. Christopher from John Lewis just called. He said that as he sees it, yes they should have contacted me, but any knock on effects from them not contacting me are not their responsibility. Looks like a joyous weekend of trawling round every shop apart from John Lewis (won't be shopping there again) to choose a new hob. Shame I don't yet have the refund from John Lewis to pay for it.

Does anyone know the name of their CEO?

OP posts:
Original poster
mindthegap79 · 17/04/2015 09:40

Needless to say, no 'goodwill' gesture, not so much as a cup of tea voucher to encourage me back into their slow and overpriced cafe.

OP posts:
peggyundercrackers · 17/04/2015 09:44

Yea u and sound a bit greedy, you have your money back now - why would you expect anything else? No wonder this country has gone to the dogs when people have this kind of entitled attitude. You haven't lost anything so you don't deserve compensation.

DownWithThisTypeOfThing · 17/04/2015 09:50

peggyundercrackers

Yea u and sound a bit greedy, you have your money back now - why would you expect anything else?

She hadn't had her money back yet, that's the point. JL did the same to me - messed up then took ages to refund so I couldn't go elsewhere straight away causing more hassle.

SwedishEdith · 17/04/2015 09:52

Normally, I'd be all for the "compensation culture gone mad" argument. But, in this case, she has lost out - she's lost the opportunity to buy something she wanted at the price she wanted to pay. I'd expect an acknowledgement of that, at least.

londonrach · 17/04/2015 09:54

Can i just add you wouldnt want a cake voucher as tbh all the cakes are dry as are the waitrose cakes. (You realise i did alot of research for that and hope you thank me). Best cakes are marks and spencer ones..

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 17/04/2015 10:02

Very true londonrach Grin

Yes that's the point - I haven't had my money back. I'll still have to pay for the new hob before I get my refund. It's a lot of money and it's very inconvenient, as well as the fact that I don't really want to spend the one family day we'd set aside this weekend going hob shopping for a slightly less nice hob than the one we already chose.

OP posts:
DownWithThisTypeOfThing · 17/04/2015 10:06

Honestly OP, JL don't care. They trade on their "great service" reputation but don't deserve it. I''ve had better service from Argos, Tesco and b&q in the last month alone.

BubGal13 · 17/04/2015 10:07

Id be fuming, they took your money for an item that showed in stock, then it wasn't - was never delivered, sounds like communication about this near non-existent and this caused you significant delay, inconvenience time and cost. For any household item like this that wild depend on being fitted/having builders in- they should be 100% positive theory can honour all purchases being showing them as in stock, before sending update re. delivery and BEFORE taking your money from the card!! OF course they messed up- big time.
We turned up to Waitrose collect an order we got a text saying had arrived, via their click and collect JL service, waited around over half an hour in queue/for them to find it- to be told it wasn't there after all. DS was a new-born and screaming his head off- was also an item for him. I phone customer service and the manager actually got into a full argument with me, point blank refusing to give me anything else other than refund -despite the complete wasted trip -had driven round trip an hour, wasted time in store, and taking money for item not received and texting and emailing us to say our order was there in store to be collected, when not. Only when I threatened to go on social media he backed down and think got £40 out of him but he made me promise not to go on any review sites?! Wish Id recorded the call, he was really rude and bizarre. Always worth continuing to fight, if even for a £20 voucher. YANBU.

DownWithThisTypeOfThing · 17/04/2015 10:24

BubGal13

Only when I threatened to go on social media he backed down and think got £40 out of him but he made me promise not to go on any review sites?!

Yeah they took my completely factual review down from the JL site. It basically said
"this product is not compatible with xyz despite staff advising you that it is. Be careful when ordering as if you need to return it you will not get a refund until JL have collected at their convenience".

Not exactly controversial. So I take their online reviews with a pinch of salt too.

ratspeaker · 17/04/2015 10:43

I too think it's akin to fraud plus the OP could have had her hob delivered and fitted by now if she'd gone somewhere else. Because a firm which relies on its good reputation took her money and did not deliver the goods she is seriously inconvienienced.
I'm loosing faith in places like John Lewis and Waitrose.
Waitrose as they sent me a letter without a stamp, I had to get to local sorting office then fork out over £1 for a stupid advertising type leter. Complained but didn't even get so much as a sorry from them let alone my money back.
So op YANBU reasonable wanting compensation, but don't hold your breath they dont care.

Btw tried ao.com?

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