ICandy poor service

[adiemefc85]

I am a newcomer to posting on this board but I felt that I needed to make my first post to warn other parents based on a terrible experience with Icandy. I hope I can save other parents the same stresses we've had to endure... (with apologies in advance as having re-read it this is a bit of a long rant but it's been a bit like that for the last 3months)

For those with limited time - my message avoid ICANDY like the plague unless you are fond of terrible service!

Me and my partner spent a great deal of time, when we found out we were pregnant with our first child, researching the market for "travel systems" we went around a number of retailers and searched on line. We decided on the ICandy Peach "World edition" and found a retailer called Reyners in Bilson (nr Wolverhampton) that was one of Icandy's specially selected retail network. We placed our order what we thought was very early and then set end of November for date for collection. With our baby due in mid Jan 2013 we felt a month in advance was probably safest.

When I called in November (having had no contact from the retailer) to arrange collection date I was told that they hadn't received the item but I should call back in late Nov/Early Dec to check back. I did this and still no sight or any idea when it would arrive. Call back in a week I was told (not even a slight hint that they would call me!) I did call back in early December and again in mid December and still no date for arrival or sight of the pram i'd ordered many months ago.

By the time 18th December had come and gone and we're into Christmas and frankly into the red zone for our baby's arrival I was getting very upset with the lack of help and customer service given to me by both the retailer and when I called them ICandy themselves. The retailer just simply wouldn't/couldn't do anything to get me a date for arrival and I was forced to make all the calls and chasing - the retailer NEVER called me!

ICandy themselves were terrible, I called them direct to ask about the arrival and their laughably called "customer service" team told me that if the store called the Icandy sales team that that sales team could give the store an exact arrival date - "hooray" I thought that's all I want to know it was coming at least. I called the store and told them what has been said and they did as I asked - result no date and no further forward. So I called ICandy's CS team back and asked them again - "oh no sir we can't give exact dates, who told you we could" "you did"!!! "well I will try and get some information on what the status is - bear with me" - i was then on hold whilst they went to check "Sir I can see that the system won't be in in the next 4 weeks (mid Jan) and at the moment it's not due in until at least mid Feb from the information I can see"!!!! Mid Feb would be 9 months after I ordered the system and as I said at the time well after the arrival on my child and was simply unacceptable.

I wrote an email to the MD and got called back by Icandy later in the day and told that "they'd now found a system" and that it would be in the store I'd bought it from in early Jan - at last a result of sorts (I wonder who's missed out so that they can pacify me?)

After all those issues I thought the least I could expect when I arrived to collect the system this weekend would be an apology and that all that I ordered was there and ready for me to take .... I shouldn't have been so naive...

1. The retailer was more bothered about how I'd got action when he couldn't and didn't apologise once.
2. the connectors from the system to the supplied car seat were not in the store and the retailer (who'd included them in the package in June) had the gall to ask if we were "sure we'd ordered them!" - no you said they were part of the package along with the car seat we bought!
3. No sign of any compensation or apology from Icandy for the stress and work they've caused me and my partner over the last 3 months of our preganancy.

My overriding comment to all MUMSNET users is if you're considering Icandy v any other system and it's even remotely close run thing go with the other system even if their customer service is awful it will be a large step up from that of Icandy and their "carefully selected retail partners"

I appreciate that it's been very frustrating but I'd place quite a lot of the blame on the retailer.

It's pretty well known that iCandy have supply issues and their customer service is not good. When we were looking to order a few months ago the shops we were dealing with were upfront about that and made it clear that they were having supply problems so could not guarantee delivery on time. Because of this they wouldn't take orders.

To be honest, I agree somewhat with Brugmansia
If you have a good shop which keeps you informed, has good communication with iCandy then you should be kept fully up to date. A good shop should have know what you had ordered too.
Also, the way shops order from iCandy is key - it is the shop that places the order, and iCandy meet those orders in turn. So if the shop ordered later, then they get products later. Some only place orders occasionally to save shipping costs too.
One trick with iCandy because of these differences in dates, is to literally get the numbers for all your local shops - say within a 50 mile radius (there's a retailer finder somewhere on the iCandy website) and then phone them ALL up. None will sell you over the phone, BUT a good retailer should have a conversation with you about due dates, their stock levels, if they have free stock and when. One of the frustrations I often hear is when a popular shop has a queue a mile long for a pushchair, but the one in the next town is less known, but you can walk in 3 months before and buy the same pushchair off the shelf. Its absolutely worth the phone around before you place the order. Equally there have been, and ARE still waiting times but a good retailer should know about these and act / take your order (or not) appropriately with you.

If you have a complaint with a particular retailer, then maybe an edited version of the above should go to iCandy to tell them about the poor service???

I had a v similar problem with icandy and my local retailer.

I did exactly as Tiggy says and picked up my peach blossom 2 the me the next day from another retailer 20 mins away.

Hi all I take on board the comments and tiggy i've emailed Icandy direct and there response was basically it's the store not us and they went on to note the supply issues...

My concern is that the shop I went to has recently had a face lift and ONLY stocks Icandy so I assumed (and was told as much) that they were a "premier" supplier of Icandy and they didn't so much as mention any issues with supply...

You're all right we could have looked at alternate retailers but

1. we weren't told there was a delay until far to late in the process
2. we thought we were buying from an Icandy premier supplier

Overall I just feel massively let down by the retailer and the company themselves and given it's such a competitive market you think they'd both be better at supporting a customer - especially given that their product is at the top end of the price range!

As i've said I'm making sure all my friends are aware and suggesting that unless they are dead set on Icandy that they go elsewhere...