Online customer service - who to avoid?

[MrsCampbellBlack]

So I do a fair bit of online shopping [understatement] and more and more who I will order from depends on how quick they are to refund and how easy the refund process is.

I hate retailers where you have to print out returns forms - am sure this is just an extra step to try and discourage people from getting refunds.

Companies like netaporter/boden are fab at their customer service. But I've had really rubbish experiences with both matches and libertys where it took up to 4 weeks to get refunds processed.

So who should I avoid in the run up to Christmas when I'll undoubtedly be doing even more online shopping?

Next very very quick - they've really got their courier service sorted.

Wrap were hideous when I returned something to them once - never shopped with them again.

Next. Very bad with delivery and even worse when you have a problem.

I ordered some clothes from them which didn't arrive - I phoned up and was told the delivery was left "in the porch". I pointed out we don't have a porch and could prove this via pictures Google Street View. They insisted that there must be a porch which the clothes were left in and charged me for a delivery I had not received.

When I pointed out I was not paying for something I had not received, they insisted I must pay whilst they investigated the matter. Only after several weeks of complaining to them and my pointing out it was not up to me to prove I had not received the items, it was up to them to prove I had received them that they backed down. I cancelled my account and have never ordered from them since.

John Lewis on the other hand are marvellous.

I think what this is really proving is how different experiences can be with the same company: I've recently had shocking experiences with John Lewis for example (paid extra for named day delivery then had multiple parcels seemingly delivered on entirely random days. Badly packed, lots damaged. Complained and got a 'meh' response. Pants.)

What we do all seem to agree on is that DPD is our favourite courier - which must mean they are super-consistent.

DPD are brilliant. Mind you my Hermes courier is always great too, which is definitely not the case with a lot of people's experience on here! Tbh I haven't had a bad experience for a long time with any of the companies I have ordered from.

Dexter yes, if I see that the courier is Hermes I don't order.

h and m
so shit

collect plus is MILES from me. cheaper to post, often.

I've returned items I've bought online to H&M stores and never had an issue.
Next have great service and returns. Mango don't.

they dont let you - or make you have credit , or CON you into that pay monthly thing that you click in error and you have to pay in a BANK or bank transfer wtaf

I've had poor service from John Lewis. Each item wrapped seperatly and only a plastic bag, no box or packing stuff. So each toy I'd got for gifts had bashed boxes. Seeing as it was a big order I thought it would arrive in a big cardboard box, not individual plastic mail bags without protection.

Bells shoes are brilliant and often have discounts/good cashback.

Boden too, but having said that, over the summer I sent back 3 consecutive pairs of faulty shoes - not even a hint of a voucher or anything for having to return them all.

The Hermes driver who delivers to our house is really good so cant complain at all.

I'd avoid H & M and have had multiple problems with John Lewis too.

Next great service.

Sainsburys TU refused to refund the clothes I bought and needed to return as I'd gone over their 14 day refund policy. Wouldn't issue a credit note or anything. Only came to £7. Shocking.

It is funny how the courier makes such a difference. I love UPS/DPD and DHL as their couriers are so good.

Agree that NAP is pretty much the gold standard and that DPD are my couriers of choice due to 1-hr deliver window and being able to track the van on a road-by-road basis as it approaches! Also agree that Matches lags behind NAP - last time I ordered from there I thought the delivery time (admittedly for the cheapest bog-standard delivery time) was slow - about 4 days, I think. I have returned to Harvey Nichols recently (summer sales buy) and they were fine. Have also had v good experiences with Mint Velvet, Zara (v quick delivery) and Uniqlo. Also brilliant returns with FarFetch - returned a pair of shoes to a boutique in Greece and was refunded the very next day, I couldn't believe how fast it was. Have had to chase up refunds on returns to Mango, House of Fraser and Asos, who seem to be much slower at refunds of late. I agree H&M are horrifically slow but am sure I have returned in store with them before...has this changed?

Much as I love J Lewis, I have had some poor service with them - returned something that I'd ordered as a back-up Christmas present by post and had no notification, no refund, nothing. Chased after 3 weeks and got an email saying they hadn't received the return...I had to scan and email them my proof of postage and then they replied saying that 'upon checking their systems they could see that a refund had been made to me' but no explanation whatsoever as to how the returned item had miraculously appeared so I think it must have got lost in the system. I haven't dared return by post since. Also had problems with something bought and returned via click and collect in Waitrose when they had no record of the return. I even had to phone up and moan speak to a human about it.

Worst service lately has been from Adidas - I would not recommend buying from their website. I placed an order with them at the very end of September, which never arrived. After emailing them twice I eventually received an email 9 days after my first email saying 'we kindly invite you to contact parcel force' in order to 'receive more details on your parcel' i.e. sort it out yourself luv! I was/am fuming!

House of Fraser I won't use because if you use a voucher for any part of your order they will only refund with a voucher regardless of how much you paid on your card. And their customer service is trained by "computer says no" woman.

ASOS always comsiently good ditto Boden.

JOhn Lewis have really gone off the boil recently. The last two next day deliveries have not been next day and the promised texts to say when I could get my order didn't arrive and no compensation offered.

Feel Unique have been brilliant at delivery but Cult Beauty has only just despatched a 5 day old order.

All Beauty also great and Clarins 25% cheaper than everywhere else.

H&M are so shite at online orders.

Oh I also hate stores that run loyalty schemes but only in store so online purchases don't count - Russell & Bromley being a prime example.

I like uniqlo, gap deliver really quickly and feel unique
I don't like John Lewis, customer service a nightmare
H&M are awful!

I hate it when you can only return via collect plus - new look, office. The nearest drop off point is miles away so I have to make a special journey. Hermes are fab here - always leave parcels in safe place if I'm not in so I don't have to arrange redelivery.

John Lewis are annoying because they don't tell you when a refund is being made so I have to keep checking my credit card. M&s also very erratic in how quickly they process refunds and hate that both stores don't do sticky returns labels and bags don't have re-seal tape strips so you have to spend ages with scissors and tape parcelling it all up.

the sticky strip is the KEY thing for me. Topshop v good in that regard.
MIL was astonished that i repackage and sellotape up - i don't know how she does it.. maybe totally repackage?

This is interesting and I think the inconsistency is one of the biggest frustrations.

The ones I rate highest are -
Next - speed, range of brands - lovely Hermes courier, free returns in store.
Boden - fab on phone when you do have a problem, Hermes courier again, returns acknowledged quickly. Did have a glitch with my online account that took ages to fix but they are better to deal with than many others.
Baukjen though I resent paying for returns.
Whistles don't use much but not had problems.

Ones that need to improve -

John Lewis drive me mad and I am constantly moaning to DH about how I never get any of their famed good service! Have had a click and collect not arrive with no explanation, a return never refunded , earrings sent out with no warning they weren't refundable , returns are a total pain and v slow... Rant rant rant
Joules - slow and inconsistent. Sent me an offer code that wouldn't work online even though it said it would.
White stuff very slow

Amazon has also become pretty bad of late.

I had three deliveries from them put into my next door neighbour's recycling bin. It's a good job she saw them (and it wasn't bin collection day) because there was no card through my door.

I've never used them since.

Someone mentioned Adidas. Will never order online from them again. It all comes from Germany and has to be returned there too. Takes months!