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Original poster

mothercare are awful

96 replies

saka · 29/08/2006 13:20

I just thought I would let you know how appalling the mothercare phone/internet service has been.

I ordered all my baby goods over the phone/internet, spending a considerable amount of money.

They were delivered on time, but in an appalling state. Some of the boxes and goods (things like a bouncer chair and the blankets) were delivered to me wet and in damaged packaging. The man dumped a heavy box in my hand to carry up the stairs. Im 33 weeks pregnant, and this was totally inapproprite. He refused to let me have the cot, and said the whole order had to be returned.

When I called up to complain the customer service manager was very rude with me, she said I was lucky they were delivered so quickly and was short, unsympathetic and totally unhelpful. she refused to put me through to a manager, or let me know when my goods would be redelivered.

I was made to feel like I was lucky there were there at all, and that my complaints were not taken seriously at all. I was spoken to very ruidely.

I would under no circumstances use mothercare again, and thought people would like to know how awful they have been.

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LaDiDaDi · 29/08/2006 16:48

if you know what you want then try the glasgowpramcentre. They are online, though they prob have a shop in Glasgow and their service was fab.

misdee · 29/08/2006 16:54

i had to call MC oday tocomplain. i have been waiting over 2months for a dropside cot catch for dd3 cot. i rodered it, they called to say it had arrived, they couldnt find it when i got therre and said they would re-order and post. i asked to be put through straigt to the manager, and refused to talk to anyone else. she was very helpful, and called back 30mins later to say the catches were being sent direct from the supplier, so i should get them in the morning. lets see hey.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 29/08/2006 16:59

We had a nightmare with a cot that was ordered. We waited weeks and weeks. They promised delivery, it wouldnt turn up. They would attempt delivery at times when I said i wasnt in. Then we finally got it, and it was damaged and had to be returned. We asked if we could collect it - they had it delivered to the wrong store.

We would have got a refund had it not been bought by someone else as a gift.

Original poster
saka · 29/08/2006 18:50

Yea! I waited for a call back, ended up calling head office, and was given a refund.

It will take a few days to go back into my account (strange, it went into theirs immediately...), but at least we can go somewhere else.

I think Ill try John Lewis. Maybe if I go in person, with a hired van I can take most of it with me...Im a single mum (marriage broke up early this pregnancy), so this is really not easy!

I ended up bursting into tears....thought i had it all sorted, was feeling all efficient..and now have to do it again.

At least we got a refund!

OP posts:
notasheep · 29/08/2006 18:55

I put Mothercare in the same group as Tescos and WILL NOT shop there,mind you if i did shop there its over an hours drive so pointless

LucyJones · 29/08/2006 18:56

We use ToysRUs now as they are much more helpful. In our local Mothercare there are never enough staff and the toilets/changing room is grim

JessaJam · 29/08/2006 18:58

babies'R'us and mothercare both make me tbh.
DH point blank refuses to set one foot inside mothercare.

tissy · 29/08/2006 18:59

John Lewis will deliver for free if you're within a certain distance of their shop, will tell you there and then which day the stuff is coming (as long as they have it in stock in the warehouse), and if you ring that morning, they'll tell you pretty much what time, as well. I've never had a problem with them

Original poster
saka · 31/08/2006 18:50

I ordered from Boots, as someone suggested, got 10 percent off on a special offer at the moment, along with another 15 percent off mamas and papas cot and bedding, and 500 extra points per 50 pounds spent...

If anyone needs to order baby things online, the points and money off deals on baby things are quite good at the moment, and the selection is much much nicer (imo) than mothercare anyway!

saka

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 31/08/2006 19:01

Mothercare always been fine for us. Really kind, decent service in fact.

sallystrawberry · 31/08/2006 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheLadyVanishes · 01/09/2006 14:20

personally never had any probs with MC, and agree that John Lewis are really good and their own brand of baby items are good too

Discomonkfish · 01/09/2006 14:32

I had a sort of 'near miss' at MC recently. About 4 weeks ago I bought a Maclaren buggy to take on holiday that sort of thing. I only used it about 5 times. I came to put dd in it to go to the shops and the frame snapped. I know that Maclaren are normally really robust which was why we chose it in the first place. I took it back to MC and the guy said 'I can see it looks like a genuine fault' as if they must get a load of people trying to bring back pushchairs or something! He kept going on about it as though I was trying it on. It was really lucky it broke when it did actually because the 28 day guarantee ran out that day so if I'd have left it I wouldn't have got a refund. John Lewis all the way I reckon.....

millysimmons · 01/09/2006 17:30

Our MC staff are rubbish. they wouldnt give me a refund as they didnt have enough cash in their tills. It was only £40 but they said it would have to go back on my card. I decided to refuse to budge as I didnt believe that the whole of mothercare didnt have £40 cash in their tills on a saturday. Manager eventually slumped over and tutting and mumbling went & got my money. If I pay by card fair enough refund the card, if I pay cash I want cash back!!!

And......they all serve you while still talking to each other. Given up shopping there.

MoreSpamThanGlam · 01/09/2006 19:15

Saka
I find it incredible that we are happy with just a refund. The stress and anxiety and timethat MC has put you through, they should be at least sending you vouchers of goodwill to apologise. This is a really special time for all of us, and a company that should know that more than most.
I would spend (another) 5 minutes writing to them about the service they provide and the anxiety and frustration caused. Grrrrr

WideWebWitch · 01/09/2006 19:24

Mothecare, imo, are resting on their laurels. They had the market sown up at one point, they didn't (don't? Is there another store that is JUST for baby/mother stuff?) have any competition so they have never made any effort imo. I shopped there with ds, didn't with dd. Mind you, we didn't buy anything for dd really, hand me downs and freebie all the way except for the McLaren buggy which I got from John Lewis. The difference with John Lewis is caused I reckon by the fact that they are a partnership, the staff are all on profit share therefore if the store do well then so do they so none of this 'can't be arsed to serve you' nonsense, they know it's what they're there for and they do it well. As it bloody well should be. I reckon JL prob provide great customer service training too.

Poor you Saka, I agree, write a letter of complaint, their head office need to know and it's not good enough.

I wish Mothercare would appoint me as Chief Exec, I'd sort it out, I can tell you!

jamieboo · 02/09/2006 00:48

am just in shock really about the service described, would really be very angry if that happened to me! agree with everything everyones advised.
I've not had a problem with the service at MC however I didn't shop there for my ds2 and dd1. mainly because of my sister. She worked for mothercare and hated every second of it, told me such horror stories about training and the 'younger' staff members like herself. even the older staff were quite rude with her. she walked out after three weeks and applied for the babies r us section at our toys r us and she loves it, she said it was the complete opposite. few things she disagrees with but generally staff and training all been so fantastic.
Then again, I visited a babies r us while visiting mil and that was horrendous. I guess it's where you are. Except if its john lewis, that is lovely

Original poster
saka · 02/09/2006 09:01

Hi,

I did call twice, after recieving no call back from mothercare's customer service manager. They refused to apologise, were totally disinterested, and said they would look into why it happened.

Of course I think vouchers and an apology is in order, but you cant force people...At least I cant..Right now I just tend to burst into tears.

Im too stressed to argue anymore, and considering their attitude, feel lucky to have the refund.

Rude, appalling customer service...

Lets just hope the new stuff arrives before baby..

saka x

OP posts:
kittywits · 02/09/2006 09:11

I 've never bought any equipment from them but I don't like them anyway. The store near me is big but the entire ground floor smells of baby changing room bins! It always has done. I think the clothes are over priced, both baby and maternity and they are not very interesting either.

donnie · 02/09/2006 09:40

kiddiecare is excelllent IMO.

Fayness · 04/09/2006 21:24

I think it's a real shame that so many people have had such bad service from differing mothercare branches. I have worked for the company for 7 years (including part time whilst i studied for my law degree, so oliveoil's overheard conversation most certainly did not come from me) and in that time have worked for one very good store, and one bad. In my experience, Mothercare head office are fairly good at responding to written complaints swiftly, and generally compensate with vouchers, so if you recieve bad service, or have any general complaints, my advice would be to take this route, lol!
I have a 2 year old son myself, and i know that whilst pregnant (or whilst with a screaming toddler for that matter) the last thing anyone needs is bad service, rude or unhelpful staff coupled with faulty products. However, to briefly give the other side of the coin, in 7 years i have been SPAT on by a customer, been called 'thick' and 'retarded' and have had products hurled at me. Retail is not an easy job, but speaking for myself, i can honestl say i do the best i can with the situation presented to me!
SAKA - i would advise you write to customer services, the address can be found on the website. If i can help i will, i know how horrible it is to feel poorly treated, and at your wits end!
This has turned into a bit of a rant, so i apologise - M/C are not paying me on the side, lol, i'm just in a position to see both sides of the situation.....phew!!!, all this typing i deserve another mini battenburg methinks

Original poster
saka · 05/09/2006 07:49

Hi,

I already have spoken to head office. They were totally disinterested, let alone offering vouchers!

Im sure there are good people working for the company, just my experience has been bad, and stressful. I ordered all my stuff online/over the phone, and was certainly never anything but polite, more than I can say for the people I came across.

The whole thing was really stressful for me, and upset me a lot. I have to wait another 5 days for my things to arrive from Boots, I just hope no more mistakes!

OP posts:
N1SEXYTING · 05/09/2006 09:35

I find calls don't really get response but a 2-3 page letter does! Sorry you had to go through this in the first place

Original poster
saka · 05/09/2006 17:00

OK...Im going to laugh now...my order arrived, missing half the stuff, and boots say that it was delivered!!!! They are calling up parcelforce to find out what happened. Never ever again will I use the internet to buy expensive things....What a hassle! I should have gone to John Lewis!

I really dont know whether to laugh or cry!

saka

OP posts:
camgirl · 05/09/2006 18:43

We didn't buy anything at Mothercare but I wanted to mention we had excellent service at John Lewis's Oxford St branch. We were taken round everything with a nursery advisor who knew the ins and outs of all their different prams, cots etc. The order arrived when they said it would - all very painless (except the bill!)

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