Hello everyone, I realise it's Saturday, and not a good day to post for advice, but does anyone have any idea how to deal with this?
I was given two Habitat Gift Vouchers a while back. I went to Tottenham Court Road Habitat and purchased a Cleo bookcase.
I paid for it with one of the cards. The sales assistant placed all the remaining money on the one card. I was given a receipt. They were supposed to 'phone me to collect the book-case when it was in stock.
That was in August.
I waited ....
About two weeks ago my ds (12) announced he'd answered a call from Habitat saying the bookcase was available to collect.
"When did you get that call, sweetie?"
"Don't remember."
So, I went in to collect the bookcase.
Apparently, my order no longer exists. Apparently, it was cancelled the next day. Apparently, my receipt is worthless.
Really.
The money is not on my card. I have no bookcase. My order is ... what, exactly? It is, it would appear, a figment of my imagination.
Since then I've 'phoned the store - lots. Nobody cares. They repeat the line: "Your order was cancelled the next day." And then, nothing.
I've 'phoned Head Office. One day, maybe, the Area Manager will 'phone me back. Quite possibly to tell me that my order was cancelled the next day.
Progress, such as it is, effected by constant mithering on my part, has led to a promise from the Tottenham Court Road store, to check in the stock room, to see if there is a bookcase being held in there with my name on it.
That might be done "Some time in the next few weeks".
That is, apparently, going to be the only proof that my order is still "live".
As you can imagine, I'm biting my nails. I wonder if it's in there?
The thing is ... they have my money. So, cancelled or not, they took, and kept the money. they still have it. I have a receipt that is, apparently, not worth the paper it's printed on.
Every time I 'phone, I'm treated like a criminal, who is, clearly, trying to cozen Habitat out of a precious Cleo bookcase.
I'm not. I've paid for the damn thing. I, stupidly, thought that the receipt proved that (it doesn't, their computer system has priority, and the order was "cancelled".)
If it was cancelled, why didn't I get my money back?
Habitat don't have a customer relations department, apparently. And they appear to have a culture of really, really not caring. They also have my (Christmas present) money.
I am sad. Am I going to have to take them to court? For a sodding book-case? How do I do that????
Please, if anyone knows, please tell me. To be honest, I'd like replies, just to prove I exist. The weirdness of the whole thing is making me doubt my own reality, never mind that of the "missing order".