Cheap isn't always best (chemistdirect.co.uk)

Member Name: Tracy_1127

Product:	chemistdirect.co.uk
Date:	31/10/08 (186 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap

Disadvantages: terrible customer service, slow delivery, unfair returns policy

I often use online chemists to buy various items and a while ago whilst looking for a particular item I stumbled across chemistdirect.co.uk. The site itself is very easy to navigate, they claim all products are discounted and they do seem to be cheaper than alot of other pharmacy sites and at the time they advertised free delivery on the homepage.

Chemist Direct sell all the usual beauty, baby, electrical items, medications, gifts, fragrances, supplements, bathroom items etc and they are all very cheap so I didn't hesitate to order the item I wanted from them.

The first problem was the delivery, they have since addressed this and changed the claim to "free delivery on orders over £45" but at the time this wasn't mentioned anywhere except on the payment page. Orders below £45 are charged £2.95 delivery which was about the same as the other sites I used so I still went ahead with the order.

About a week later my items arrived, this is not as fast as some other sites I use. Upon opening the parcel I found they had sent me a small size of something that I had ordered and paid for in the larger size. I rang the helpline only to be told I needed to email the problem as it couldn't be dealt with on the phone.

I emailed the details and waited. Another 2 days passed before they sent me a form to fill in and email back to them which should have prompted someone to send me a returns bag immediately. They also told me in the email I would have to return the faulty items and they would have to receive them before they could send the correct items out.

I know many companies have this policy but as the item was a medication I didn't expect them to do this. I emailed the form back and waited for my returns bag to arrive.

After a week I phoned to ask where this bag was and the operator immediately interrupted me and said I would have to email the query. I said I already had but she wouldn't even attempt to help. I emailed again to ask about the whereabouts of my returns bag.

Another week passed and I had no reply. I again phoned and as the operator was running through the "you have to email about this" drill I told her I'd emailed twice already and still no returns bag or the goods I'd paid for. She did at least say she would look into the returns bag this time. I pointed out I hadn't got the goods I'd paid for and it was not my fault so couldn't they send them with the returns bag so I'd have the item I paid for 3 weeks previously? She refused and said the bag would be with me shortly.

I was very annoyed by this point, if you pay for something you expect to have it right? And if the company makes an error on the packing you do not expect to be penalised for it right? Not according to the gospel of chemist direct.

A few days later the bag turned up. I put the wrong item in it along with a copy of the form I'd emailed a couple of weeks prior to this and immediately posted it. Another few days passed and finally the correct item arrived. So I managed to receive medication 4 weeks after I'd ordered it. Not what you want from a chemist is it?

I really can't recommend this company at all, the returns policy is dreadful and the customer service seriously lacking. It's not like they haven't got your address and card details so if you didn't return an item they could charge you for it anyway without witholding the items you need. Medication should not be delayed. I would have asked for a refund but frankly I wasn't sure they could handle it so persevered.

This is a fine example of getting what you pay for, the items are admittedly cheap but that's not much use if you can't actually get them. It's worth paying a few more pence for goods and having them delivered quickly and correctly by other pharmacy sites.

Not recommended.

Summary: Not recommended