Ex-employee (and ex-customer) writes... (PC World)

Member Name: IainPurdie

Product:	PC World
Date:	31/05/02 (259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You are kidding

Disadvantages: Abysmal after-sales, Ridiculous prices, Unknowledgable sales staff

I've read a couple of the reviews from other people regarding PC World and can accept that opinions vary. Mine is exceptionally negative. Both from the employee and customer viewpoints.

I worked in the Leeds store, just off J1 of the M621. Briefly, I was hired based on my knowledge of computers. It's the only field I've any expertise in, and after 20-some years I'd like to think I know a fair bit! Needless to say, my application for a job in the technical centre was assured. So they put me in sales.

I was the last person hired on technical ability before a policy change where salesmes were hired on sales ability. Technical knowledge was a very low second and more than half of briefings were about flogging the vastly overpriced and pretty useless Coverplan.

Ah, yes. Coverplan. Do not touch this with a bargepole. It's useless and if they've not changed their ways you may find many sales people still being deliberately misinformed as to what they're selling.

If you hear this "Buy a 5-year plan with your PC and, if you don't use it, you can have the money back against your next purchase" it means they've forgotten to add "as long as you also buy a 5-year plan for your new purchase".

Essentially, once they have your money, they're keeping it. I was *never* told this in a year-long term of employment and only found out by looking at the small print on one of the documents after I left the company.

As a customer, even while employed there, I found after-sales treatment shoddy - and that's being kind. Shocking is more like it. Atrocious is also quite fitting. Ridiculous is sarting to get there. Unbelievable doesn't quite describe it.

I think you see where I'm coming from.

Without the boring details: I bought a laptop. After a few weeks, well within warranty time, it failed to boot. Motherboard or PSU problem.

It went in to
be fixed. After 2 weeks it was still on the shelf waiting to be looked at. Then it was "awaiting parts". Then it was irreperable and had to go back somwhere to be fixed (then why was it awaiting parts?)

By this time they'd had it for a month, after which I was entitled to a replacement according to their own rules. I was informed by my manager that "as an employee" who'd had a 10% discount I was "expected to give them some more leeway". In other words, in his view and the companies, I had fewer rights as a consumer as I was also working there.

I quit. I got my "repaired" laptop back. Only now the modem didn't work. After some fiddling, another 2 trips back to the shop, reloading the software (which they refused to do themselves) and finally opening it up myself I discovered the problem.

While they'd had it for the original repair, some muppet had removed it. How on earth had that not been spotted on two return trips?

At this point I demanded a brand new laptop (and kit - they managed to lose the printer and carry case I'd returned with the laptop) or a refund.

I was offered a lower-spec laptop of a different manufacture and no kit as they couldn't find any mention of the bundle on their system, despite me having a signed receipt for it.

I threatened court action. I started proceedings to take them to small claims court. By this time it was almost 16 months since I'd bought the laptop during which time it had worked for maybe 6 weeks.

2 days before the deadline, they capitulatedand offered to refund me the money I'd paid to start the court proceedings and provide me with a new laptop of an acceptable specification plus a new printer, cable and case.

16 months. Over a dozen letters, more phone calls than I can count, umpteen store visits, a reprimand from my manager for lodging a complain with head office for crying out loud.


I will, to this day, never so much as set foot in a DSG store. PC World, Dixons, Currys, The Link... avoid the lot. Experience and other tales tell me that this rot comes from the top down. I would not and will not even consider recommending this pathetic retailer for so much as a few blank floppy discs.

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Summary: