Let down by Laura... (lauraashley.com)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	lauraashley.com
Date:	09/12/08 (141 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see review

Disadvantages: see review

For some time I had been looking for a ceiling light for our 1920's house. A friend suggested I look at the Laura Ashley web site and sure enough they had just the light I had been looking for. I have bought from the Laura Ashley high street store on many occasions and had always been happy with both the goods and the service, so was very happy to give their on line site a go.

The web site.
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The first thing to say is that Laura Ashley is one of the merchants signed up with Quidco. This means that if you click through via Quidco you will get a 5% rebate on whatever you buy, so a god start as far as I was concerned! The site can be found at www.lauraashley.com. The web site is bright and interesting without looking to cluttered. At the moment it has twinkling stars and looks very festive. The site is easy to navigate and the pages loaded quickly when I last shopped. There are several sections to browse including home furnishings, fashion and gifts. Clicking on the tab will open another window with more detailed sections. I found it easy to find the section selling ceiling lights and was impressed with the choice. All the items were well illustrated with the option to see an enlargement. I'm not going to give any more detail about the web site, as it is best you take a look for yourself!

Ordering.
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Like most on line shopping sites before you can order you will need to register with the site. This involves giving some personal details such as your email address, home address and phone number. I am always a bit wary of giving information like this but I haven't received any junk mail from Laura Ashley so I guess they have kept their promise to keep my details private! You will also need to create a password. Having registered you will then be able to see your account and track any orders placed in addition to having a record of past orders. Ordering is simple, place the item you wish to purchase into your basket and pay using one of the accepted credit cards. Laura Ashley is a secure site so your card details should remain safe. I received a confirmation email confirming my order and another when my goods were about to be dispatched.

Delivery.
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At the moment all deliveries are free no matter how much you spend. Laura Ashley deliver to everywhere in the U.K and aim to deliver within about a week. My parcel arrived within a week of placing the order. Laura Ashley uses a courier service and deliveries require a signiture. The goods were well packaged and as described on the web site.

Returns.
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Items can be returned to nay Laura Ashley store or alternatively they can be returned free of charge using the prepaid label that will come with your order. Larger items that need a courier will be charged at a standard £8.

My experience
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The next day I was looking on the web site again for a different lamp and spotted the light I had just purchased with a sale sign beneath it. It is always frustrating when that happens and you realise you could have saved money! I phoned Laura Ashley customer service to see if they would give me a reduction as the item had reduced in price the day after I had ordered. They told me it would take 72 hours for a decision and by that time the goods would probably be sold out. As my new light was still in its box, I decided to reorder at the much cheaper price and then return the original to my local store. I know this is a bit cheeky but I felt annoyed!
So I ordered another identical light and waited for it to arrive. A few hours after I had placed my second order I received a call from Laura Ashley saying they would refund the difference between what I had paid and what the light now cost on to my card-result! I explained I had just reordered another light as I thought they were going to take 72 hours to make a decision. I was told not to worry and that my second order would be cancelled.

The problems stared when a courier arrived with a parcel from Laura Ashley. I explained the problem to the courier who told me I should simply refuse delivery and the item would be retuned Laura Ashley. I phoned the customer service department to explain what had happened. The operator expressed surprise that I had been told my second order had been cancelled, as this apparently, can't be done! I got the feeling she didn't believe I had been told this. However she confirmed that 2 amounts had been taken from my credit card and I would only get a refund when the goods were received back.

A few weeks later my credit card statement arrived and I noticed that there was still no credit from Laura Ashley. I phoned customer service again and was told the goods hadn't been returned to them so they couldn't give me a refund! I was asked if I was sure I had returned the goods! As the goods costs well over £100 I was very concerned. I asked to speak to a manager and was told they were all in a meeting! How is that all managers are always in meetings when customer want to complain? I was told I would receive a call back within 72 hours!

I waited for 5 days and then decided I had had enough. I phoned my credit card company to explain the amount was in dispute and they agreed to take up the matter on my behalf. I again phone Laura Ashley and this time I insisted I speak to a manager. I also put my complaint in writing. A few days later a senior manager phoned and told me the goods had arrived back. She was very apologetic and said offered me £20 as a gesture of goodwill.

Overall.
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I like Laura Ashley and although they are expensive I have always found the quality of their goods to be of a high standard. The staff in my local store have always been very attentive and helpful. In contrast I found dealing with the online customer service team to be very stressful. Laura Ashley, along with other customer service teams; need to remember that they only exist because customers shop with them! If a customer asks to speak to a manager then one should be available! When I am told I will receive a call back I expect that to happen! I won't be using the Laura Ashley web site again!

Summary: Laura Ashley on line