It Sucks (again) (dyson.co.uk)

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	dyson.co.uk
Date:	30/01/08 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable delivery and intuitive site

Disadvantages: Only UK delivery from the .co.uk platform and prices for vacuums are not discounted

And so it came to pass that my beloved Dy lost his suck...

I'd won Dy in a competition, beating off loads of other women and since that date he performed for me daily, always responding to my needs until one day he seemed to give up and just refused to suck any more. It wasn't that he wasn't trying, you could almost see him going blue in the face with the effort, he just couldn't manage it.

And then I spotted the problem: a broken hose. There, deep down in one of the wrinkles there was a split. This was going to require painful surgery...

And so it came to pass that I visited Dyson.co.uk.

Just in case you weren't with me to that point I needed to get a new internal hose for my Dyson vacuum cleaner. This wasn't my first visit to the Dyson site, that had been some three or so years previous and was how I came to have Dy in the first place. I'd won him in a colouring competition in aid of CLIC charity! At that time the website was very intuitive but nothing much to shout about. Now, however, the site has been transformed into a modern, all singing all dancing site.

Despite the site having lots and lots of sections it is incredibly easy to use and to source the parts or information that you desire. All you need to know is the model number of your product (if you want spares) or simply what type of product you desire if you want to buy a new machine.

It soon became apparent that all I'd need to spend to get Dy his suck back was £4.25 plus £2 delivery. Bargain.

Placing the order was very straight forward and intuitive and goods could be viewed in the virtual shopping basket at the touch of a button. It was comforting to see that the site uses the VeriSign scheme and so I had confidence in buying. [Aside: the VeriSign scheme is used to tell you whether or not a site is authentic and whether they use SSL encryption]

I placed the order for my part on the Friday and immediately received an email with details of my order. The email reminds me that Dyson aim to dispatch most parts within 48 hours and that most will be sent by second class post. I guess that this keeps the P&P costs down but it would be nice to have the option of a faster delivery method. The site estimates that most parts will actually be with the customer within 5 working days.

On the Monday I received a second email to say that my parts had been dispatched. And, sure enough, come Wednesday they were with me. It's worth noting that if you order more than one part each will be sent separately. I guess that, again, this is to keep packaging costs down in that the items can be pre-packed ready for dispatch.

I did like the fact that both emails stated clearly where and how I could get help if I required it, whether that be a question about my order, returns or even the care of my Dyson. They really do try and make it as easy as possible.

When my hose arrived it was securely packaged. However, there were no fitting instructions with it. I referred to my manual (which is also available online) and couldn't find the information here either. On phoning Dyson a very nice man (he must have worked for the AA previously) talked me through what I had to do and explained that, to minimise costs, they don't routinely include fitting information with their spares. I felt that this was the only area in which the site and company could have improved as it would have saved me a call (albeit to a freephone number).

Overall though, I was thoroughly impressed with the site. I'd use it again without hesitation for Dyson spares and for information on the products. I probably wouldn't use it to purchase new equipment as prices are often better elsewhere. Note also that the .co.uk site only delivers in the UK. Not a problem for me but it might be for some. There are, however, regional sites for other countries and these might just provide the solution you seek.

Recommended.

Summary: Manufacturer's site, great for accessories, not so hot for the products