Quick to Buy - Slow to take back (PC World)

Member Name: nsayer85

Product:	PC World
Date:	24/05/01 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good range, Good stock levels

Disadvantages: Poor returns policy

I have taken a solemn vow never to set foot in any branch of PC World again. I used them on and off for four years as I have a brnach very close to me in Slough: you can't help yourself, it seems so easy.

And, of course, there is never a problem BUYING what you want - there's plenty of choice and everything appears to be in stock. It's a huge, smily, colourful world of shiny packaging just screaming to be bought!

The fun starts when you try to TAKE anything BACK. Smiles fade, Black clouds appear and suddenly it all looks very washed out and insipid.

It's almost as if their support staff are sent on a special course in being obstructive and sometimes downright bolshy.

On every occaision that I have taken faulty goods back (at least three times) the onus has been on me proving that it is faulty before they are willing to do anything.

In the case of a duff hard disc I was left to stand for twenty minutes whilst they confirmed what I had said to them. The implication being that during that twenty minutes I was, at best, incompetent and, at worst, lieing!

The unhappiest incident occurred when I tried to take back at PDA with a cracked screen.

"It's been dropped" says the tech support bloke says, "I can't do anything about it"

"but I DIDN'T drop it..." I reply.

"Well someone has - I suggest you have a word with your friends, it's not our problem"

Nice guy, huh?

Surely, they could take things back and return money/credit notes there and then. It could then be tested later and if found to be OK, re-sold and, if faulty, sent back to the manufacturer. No skin off their nose and much happier customers.

This is not to be. A letter of complaint gained the reply that the above "standard procedure".

In summary: Whatever happened to 'the customer is always right?'


Adios PC World

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