| Product: |
e-machine |
| Date: |
30/05/02 (1001 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Lost money, Unpleasant, Rip off
‘Do me a favour and move on in your life’. Graham Jones, Managing Director of e-machine.co.uk, said this to me before he slammed the phone down. I was telephoning to enquire as to where my refund was having waited the 30 days demanded by his terms and conditions.
I deeply regret the day I found the e-machine website and ordered a printer/fax from it. The machine that arrived was obviously a return or second hand (who knows where he had got it from – I guess that it wasn’t direct from the manufacturer as the website states). All the original packing had gone and so had the instructions, the cable, and the original software. This machine usually comes with two ink cartridges and this was only supplied with one making the fact that it was only £12 cheaper than Comet rather difficult to bear.
I have had numerous emails with this company as every time I telephoned I had the phone put down on me. Graham Jones, who also answers the phone, takes the orders and writes the emails has a certain way with words. Here are some examples. They are direct quotes in his own words:
- ‘I suggest that you return the machine as we are not interested in having you as a customer’
- ‘The machine is as ordered so return the machine and stop wasting everyones time’
- ‘Please do not reply to this message as we will not enter into any more communication with you.’
- ‘Somehow I get the feeling that you are a timewaster so no doubt you will continue to contact us, but I assure you that it is a waste of your time. I do not allow my time to be wasted in such a way so I have said all I am going to say to you.’
What was I asking that was so unreasonable? Either that they replaced my machine with a new one, forwarded the missing items or paid for my machine to be returned to them. I had ordered and paid for a new machine and I was not prepared to accept second hand or returne
d goods with missing parts.
Eventually, through being left with little choice, I returned the machine at my own cost. I was told that I would have to wait 30 days for a refund. The thirty days is now up and there is no sign of my money.
This company is part of the Which? Webtrader scheme and they have been very helpful in providing advice and pursuing my claim. Who knows how this outfit managed to become a member.
Ultimately I am now £160 out of pocket through dealing with this company. I managed to get a replacement machine from another supplier for less money. My experience would suggest that there is always someone better to buy from than Mr Jones and e-machine. If I do get my money back I will update this opinion.
UPDATE!!!
Well I said I'd come back on if he gave me my money back. Well he has...almost all of it. He still owes me £8.05 for postage but I've got £151 back. However he couldn't do it nicely could he...well, I'll let you judge for yourself here's his email....
You are probably the strangest customer we have ever had.
Your refund was processed on 28th May at 15:23 for £151.58 to mastercard account XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX exp. 00/00. I thought you might have bothered to check with your credit company. You seem pretty keen to continually and pointlessly bother us !
Does your bank not want to give it to you ! I hope that you now can focus all of your insulting behaviour on mister mastercard.
We remain, as always within our terms and conditions. For about the 5th time please do not continue to harass us, and by the way you must have misheard me if you think I said "move on in your life"
G Jones
So maybe I'm going deaf. I could defend the accusations he makes but I wont other than to say if he'd answered my earlier emails asking if he'd made a refund I wouldn't have kept on bothering him.
So...y
ou've seen how the man writes - you decide whether you want to buy from his company!
HAPPY ENDING
I always like a happy ending and having got my money back looked around for a replacement. I found a site called special-reserve who mainly sell games but also do refurbished produces. I found exactly the same product, refurbished for £89 plus £3 p&P and £1 to become a club member meant a saving of £50 over e-machines price. The company offered to collect the machine and refund my money immediately if I was not entirelt satisfied so I had nothing to lose. I ordered and the machine turned up in 2 days and, although refurbished, was in significantly better condition than the so called 'new' machine from e-machine. In fact, you'd never know it wasn't new.
Summary:
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