Have you been let down by Currys PC World?

I spent £549 on an LG TV from Curry’s in 2019. It failed in November ’20 and was out of warranty as it was 20 months old. Curry’s told me they couldn’t collect in November due to Lockdown 2 (fair enough), so I had to call back in December. They charged me £95 to collect on 4th Dec, saying they would refund if it was found to be a manufacturer fault, and that the TV would be due back to me, repaired, on the 15th Dec. I had to keep logging on to check the progress of the repair as Curry’s had made no attempt to contact or update me whatsoever. I then saw the £95 had appeared back in my bank account within a week or so, so I had to assume Curry’s had indeed deemed it to be a manufacturer fault. Again, no updates to confirm. I called to chase on the 12th Dec (with more recorded options to press than I’ve ever heard, along with a long wait) and was told that “the parts had arrived and the repair was almost finished, but your delivery may be a couple of days late”. I then heard nothing. I called back again on the 18th Dec as the TV hadn’t arrived and the story then completely changed. I was then told that Curry’s had “decided it was too expensive to repair” so I was being offered £232.76 as a partial refund. The person I spoke to said “I know it’s a poor offer, so you don’t have to accept it”. I obviously rejected the offer but they refused to put me through to someone to take the matter further. I had to write a formal complaint, asking them to come back to me within 14 days with a resolution but again, I heard nothing. Merry Christmas……let down by Curry’s at the huge inconvenience of having no TV over the Christmas break, but I managed to borrow a much smaller one. I called again early Jan. Firstly, they wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with the TV and secondly, that the £232.76 was a final offer and I could only have it in store credit. Now, I’ve read a bit about the Consumer Rights Act, but I’m no expert. I was told that the offer had been calculated using an “approved system, used to calculate reduced offers” and that “this was allowed under the Consumer Rights Act”. Also that “we’re allowed to offer you store credit only”. I can’t find anything online about how an offer should be calculated by a retailer, so I’ve hit a stumbling block. Curry’s have since written to me (at my request) to confirm their offer, stating I paid £517.49 for the TV (which is incorrect, it was £549) so a drop of 58% against the new cost in just 20 months. Their story then changed again as the letter then offered me the choice of store credit or a BACS payment (maybe encouraging me to accept so I go away?). I don’t believe Curry’s are following the CRA as far as I can see. The TV is not fit for purpose, and has certainly not lasted c5-6 years. Still a complete lack of customer service from Curry’s, no updates or explanations, no effort to try and reach a conclusion. I feel I’m being backed into a corner and forced to accept the offer. I believe they’ve chosen a poor £232.76 offer as it’s the cheaper option to getting the TV repaired, a TV of mine which they still have some 6 weeks later. Their story has changed numerous times. To add insult to injury, I still receive an automated weekly ‘TeamKnowHow’ text to say “we’re working flat out to fix your tech, and we’ll keep you up to date with the latest”. Clearly you’re not doing either of these things Curry’s are you!

Jim Allison says:

A guarantee is just a pretty worthless piece of paper. Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, goods bought must be of “satisfactory quality & “fit for purpose. These rights have been strengthened by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the CONSUMER RIGHTS DIRECTIVE JUNE 2014

British consumers will have more time to return an item bought online, by phone or at home under a package of tougher rights that come into force.In what is being hailed as the biggest shakeup of consumer protection laws in a generation, shoppers will be given 14 days, rather than the current seven, to return an item. They will also no longer be forced to pay premium rate phone numbers when telephoning retailers’ customer service phone lines about something they have bought. Retailers will now have to offer a number that is charged at standard call rates.

The Consumer Rights Directive will apply in all 28 EU member states from Friday. The new legislation aims to clarify information rights and cancellation rights, and to prohibit some hidden cost practices when consumers buy certain goods and services.

“The Consumer Rights Directive will give people greater protection against rogue traders and strengthen their rights when shopping online,” said Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd. “These changes, coupled with the new consumer bill of rights, will give people more power to challenge bad practice.”

In the UK the directive is being implemented through the Consumer Contracts Regulations and replaces the Distance Selling Regulations and Doorstep Selling Regulations. They are separate from the consumer rights bill – which contains further protective measures – currently going through parliament.

Further changes in the new regulations include a ban on “pre-ticked” boxes for payment of additional services, such as travel insurance, when buying a holiday, and on excessive “administrative” credit and debit card surcharges on flights and concert bookings. However, some contracts are excluded from the scope of the new regulations – notably financial services, package travel and gambling.
Consumer minister Jenny Willott said: “What we want to see are empowered, savvy shoppers who know their rights, look around for the best deals and drive competition.”

Justin Edgar of London law firm Harbottle & Lewis added: “The regulations herald the beginning of what it is expected to be biggest shake-up of consumer protection laws in a generation. They will put considerable new responsibilities on traders in relation to just about everything in the business to consumer relationship
NB. We may not be in the European Economic Community, but we are still in the EU.

John Ward says:

I believe the foregoing has all been legislated for and implemented for some years now.

I am hoping for the next big step forward in dealing with on-line sales, especially the regulation of market place platforms to make them responsible for the safety of the goods their traders expose for sale on the platforms,

Without an effective trading standards and consumer protection service these rights are difficult to enforce against big companies.

David Amey says:

Curry’s have been absolutely awful! The customer service is non-existent. I received a faulty item from them back in November. They arranged to collect it in 18 November and nobody turned up to collect it. So I then spent nearly 2 hours of my own time that evening to reorganise collection with them. Raised a complaint and I was told a manger would contact me in 24 hours. I’m still waiting for that call and its the 12 January 2021!!! Numerous phone calls have been made, waiting a millennium to get through to then speak to someone who doesn’t really want to take ownership and not help. When they do try to help they give you the wrong information. Just one example…a representative I spoke to from “customer services” visit my local store and they can provide a replacement. When I got there, the staff looked at me like I was from another planet. I resorted to sending a letter in early December to their office in Sheffield still no reply, not even any acknowledgement. Sent a follow up last week and still nothing. I’m at my wits end with them. Worst customer service experience I’ve ever experienced! I would not recommend Currys to anyone at all.

Kerry Carr says:

Our autistic adult son ordered a pc that cost over a £1000 , just after Christmas with money he saved up and money we gave him. He still hasn’t received it , Eventhough it said it was in stock and ready for delivery the first week of January. My husband rang up and was told that although it said online it was in stock , that it could of been an issue with the stock. My husband gave the lady the benefit of the doubt. It is now the following week, and the person he spoke to today wasn’t very helpful, now waiting on a phonecall from manager. Still waiting, our son doesn’t understand what is going on and is getting very stressed and frustrated. Not happy at all.

wavechange says:

I suggest that you ring the company and say that you want to cancel the order, Kerry. I did that during the previous lockdown and bought the same product at a lower price from another company.

Louise Hustler says:

Hello, I have a missed delivery by Curry’s Knowhow. The reference they gave me for tracking the fridge/freezer can’t track it, as it states “not found”and it is now 19:48 and there is no sign of it yet. Apparently, they can deliver up until 20:00! I have emailed sebastian James but the email has rebounded. Strangely, (it could be a coincidence) I have also received, for the first time ever, a fraudulent text stating my account has been used. I’ve checked my account and it hasn’t been used as it suggested but trying to call Curry’s to enquire after my product, that I have paid, leads nowhere, as the person talking leads you to the website and then it hangs up but the website comes up with no information.

wavechange says:

I suggest that you ring Currys tomorrow morning, Louise, if the fridge-freezer did not arrive. Sebastian James left Currys a couple of years ago, I believe, but a CEO is probably not the best person to contact if a delivery is delayed.

Louise W says:

We had a faulty American fridge freezer collected in December and told the refund would happen as soon as the item arrived at the Currys warehouse. A month later and after many wasted hours on calls, we are still waiting for our money to be returned.
We will never purchase anything, large or small, from Currys again.

Neil B says:

My biggest problem with Currys is that there’s no way to speak to anyone right now. Their phone lines are fully automated and will eventually direct you to the webchat feature and hang-up. As for the webchat – it doesn’t actually load for me. I’ve tried Chrome and Firefox, disabled adblocks, tried incognito modes – it just doesn’t load.

So absolutely no way to contact the company, and the order I made (a Pixel 5 phone) doesn’t show up in my “My Orders” page, and hasn’t arrived, despite payment being taken two weeks ago. Total shambles and I’ll never use them again.

Eddie T Curtis says:

After getting the run-a-round on virtual shopping assist and using the computer link to Currys PC World, I wrote directly head office. That was before Christmas and as of today Jan.14th.2021 have heard absolutely NOTHING from them. They make promises they have no intention of keeping just to pacify you for a time hoping you will give up.

wavechange says:

It might be worth using https://ceoemail.com, which provides the email address for Alex Baldock the Chief Exec of Currys as: alexander.baldock@dixonscarphone.com Don’t expect Alex to respond but at least you can use email and include photos and attachments and hopefully their Customer Services will respond.

Donna Teresa Pinnock says:

I bought a washing machine on the 14/12/20 it was delivered on the 18th used it 3 times it was so Loud after 2 and half hours on the phone and 3 hours on their facebook messenger service they arranged for a engineer to come out on the 6th to verify its faulty then I could exchange it under the 30 days policy. The engineer came out even though i didn’t want him to repair it he did anyway he filed the protruding teeth on the motor and replaced a shock as it was lose and gone through the rubber, he pushed in place said it should be fine then left. I went to use it on the Saturday and all though the terrible whining was quieter the banging was still there so again a hour on the phone to Currys who had agreed for a exchange but the machine was out of stock. Told as soon as it comes back in stock to give them another call and they will arrange the exchange which is what i have been trying to do nearly all day today. I have asked for a different model even paying the difference I have asked for a refund to buy another 1 I was told NO because I bought it in store, but if i went to my store which is closed by the way they would gladly help me in all of the above I was even advised by a Currys advisor that if I pop over on the car ferry to the Isle of Wight their store was open and they could deal with this for me??? Is he the only person not in Lockdown/panademic???? i again got on to Facebook messenger to be told I will have to wait until by local store is open to sort this out I’m beyond angry, I also have proof of the messages they sent me. I have complained via email and still no help and still with a faulty washing machine I dont know what more I can do

Mrs E Cudmore says:

We purchased a Kenwood American Fridge Freezer from Currys. It was delivered in September 2019. In December 2020 the heater failed and resulted in £135 repair bill and advice that another part would probably fail soon. We were advised by the engineer to put in a claim under the Fit for use law (because it had not lasted a reasonable time). We lost an entire fridge freezer of food in the run up to Christmas. We contacted Curry’s via their Virtual Advisor and an Out of Warranty Claim Complaint was raised on the 21/12/20. Unfortunately, we cannot find the original receipt but had marked the delivery date on an old calendar we still have. We contacted Curry’s via the virtual Advisor again today (16/01/21) as we had heard nothing. They are now trying to say they have no record of the complaint! We tried the Customer Service Number and were passed from pillar to post and then hung up on. Advice would be appreciated.

wavechange says:

Hi – If you have a bank or credit card statement or can obtain one, this could provide evidence of purchase. It does not have to be a receipt.

It is helpful that the engineer gave you the advice and you can find information about your rights and how to make a claim on the Which? website: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product Fridges and freezers usually last longer than other white goods so you have a good case for a claim.

If you need help you could subscribe to Which? Legal. Best of luck.

Patrick Taylor says:

Currently 39855 customer reviews on Trustpilot so may hit 40,000 over the weekend. The majority of one star reviews – or complaints are horrendous. It seems if you are a big enough firm and spend enough on advertising you can pretty much get away with breaking consumer law wholedale.

I used to work at a call centre for Comet in Clevedon at the turn of the century dealing with deliveries so I actually have been at the “coal-face” for late deliveries, damaged machines etc. However we were good at what we did in solving problems. I suspect that there are good staff at Currys but that the management has tied them up in knots and is not at all interested in good customer service. I know how horrible that is for workers with a conscience.

If the UK had proper whistleblowing protection we might well gain the proof that Currys has anti-consumer legislation instructions in force. It has featured for years for its poor service if things go wrong. Shambolic.

wavechange says:

It’s interesting to compare the feedback on TrustPilot for Richer Sounds. It does very well.

I was much happier with Comet than I ever have been with Currys, but in the late 80s or early 90s Comet in particular was pushing expensive extended warranties. Which? alerted readers to this and in one Comet branch (not my local one) I witnessed a salesman say to a customer that they needed a warranty because the TV tube (CRT) was the most likely part to fail. This was untrue and I reported the salesman to the store manager. As you say, some staff are better than others.

Hannah Downes has been in touch with Trading Standards and provided a link to this Conversation. I hope that Which? will produce a super-complaint about poor practices because it is not just Currys that is creating problems for consumers.

John Ward says:

Trading Standards should take serious notice of anything that Which? draws to their attention, not require the submission of a super-complaint.

wavechange says:

As I explained earlier, it is not just Currys that lets consumers down and I believe that a super-complaint would be useful to tackle customer service problems in the retail sector.

Trading Standards should deal with this and many other problems that we discuss these pages. I don’t see much chance of progress with these long standing problems until we have a government that is prepared to tackle them. Will that happen in our lifetime? My understanding is that primary authority agreements between larger companies and Trading Standards are used to help the companies comply with requirements. I don’t know what if any legal action takes place.

malcolm r says:

We have a Consumers’ Association that should represent consumers in an effective way. I think we need Which? to recruit a much larger number of members to make their voice have full impact.

Trading Standards should certainly act against a retailer when they break consumer law, and tales of CPCW illustrate where this has happened ( but no action taken. Why cannot Which? deal with that?). However I don’t see any law that controls a poor customer service. The best way is for customers to vote with their feet. Most seem not to want to do that and are prepared to tolerate poor service when it arises.

We cannot rely on any government to do everything for us. I imagine for the next few months, with Brexit, Covid, schools, the economy, ……. they might not have customer service at the top of their list of priorities. Self help rather than relying on a nanny state might be the way forward.

wavechange says:

We don’t have a single law about the quality of customer service but there certainly are relevant laws that Currys and other retailers are falling foul of.

Trading Standards can only act if they have the resources and as we have agreed before, they are underfunded. What do we do about that?

I would like to see more people becoming Which? subscribers but my impression is that most are interested mainly in product reviews. Many people, including subscribers, seem to accept that if products fail, that’s time to buy again.

malcolm r says:

I am not sure so many people are happy to accept products that fail (early). I think they either do not know their rights or feel powerless to get them dealt with fairly. This is a priority problem for a consumers’ association to address by taking action on behalf of all consumers, not just doing a few “brief cases” and otherwise just dispensing guidance.

Ian says:

Self help rather than relying on a nanny state might be the way forward.

I’m always curious when I see the phrase ‘nanny state’. It’s always deployed in a derogatory manner, and usually by those who feel people should take their own action. But when it comes to the behaviour of dealers and companies then it’s almost certainly impossible without laws and enforcement of those laws, such is the power of wealth and money. I suspect protecting its citizenry against unscrupulous merchants is one of the prime duties of a good government and certainly as far from a ‘nanny state’ as one can get.

John Ward says:

If the state intervenes properly in commercial activity and in a timely manner it will stop many of the bad practices taking hold. Protecting us from exploitation, unfair trading, fraud, scams, and deceit is a responsibility of government because the consumer – even when bonded with others through an organisation – cannot do it on their own.

malcolm r says:

My view was that in this context we should not expect the government to do everything for us. If some feel they should, then describe it in whatever terms you wish. My view is that where we can we should help ourselves. The government should ensure the law is enforced; I made that clear. But otherwise stepping in when the service some customers get is not as good as we would like is not a legal matter and not something I’d expect government to spend its time on.

One way of dealing with retailers that give poor service is to publicise it; maybe some consumers who are concerned would not then use them, maybe the retailers would take note of the potential damage to reputation and turnover, and better results achieved. Which? inform us of such matters as here:
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/best-and-worst-shops/article/best-and-worst-shops-aELTV0b6P86n
I do not know how we would use such information officially, however, and use government to take action.

I have, with others, proposed that Trading Standards – local and national – are the body that should be protecting consumers’ rights. I doubt, under the present circumstances, they will be properly resourced to meet their obligations properly but hope that, with whatever influence Which? has, that they will become a much more effective organisation in the future.

DerekP says:

As regards Currys, I usually vote with my feet and shop elsewhere. But, if Currys are the only local shop where I can easily obtain goods of a known assured quality, I will shop there.

For many years now, Currys seem to have entrenched themselves into a business model where training staff to lie to and cheat customers is regarded as normal business practice, together with excuses not results when it comes to after sales service. They can probably even point to the failure of their erstwhile competitor, Comet, as justification.

malcolm r says:

The only time “recently” that I used Currys – about 18 months ago – was when I needed a replacement Canon ink jet printer that they had in stock at the best price. I collected it. If it had not been an urgent need I would have not bought it at Currys, but probably online from a decent supplier.

malcolm r says:

I think someone is, once again, manipulating the thumb comments. For most of today a comment of mine had been given an up thumb. Later this afternoon it was removed. It was almost immediately replaced. And then removed again. I have a suspicious mind……

It is time this nonsense stopped. I’d like to see either thumbs up only permitted, or nothing at all. The Which? Facebook groups seem to operate quite successfully with approvals only. If you don’t like, or agree with, a comment the decent thing to do is, surely, to explain why, for everyone’s benefit.

DerekP says:

On the plus side, I guess that shows that some folk still want to login and can even actually do so consistently.

malcolm r says:

I’m not convinced, from past experience.
Logging in does seem to be problematic. I often find I have been inexplicably signed out and then find a problem signing in. Often working the back button until I get to a Convo where I am signed in is the only solution I have found; just trying to sign in normally doesn’t work.

wavechange says:

Perhaps we should discuss the inadequacy of Trading Standards in another Conversation but if Currys or any other companies is failing to comply with our laws then the government must take action to protect the citizens of this country. The last time I had a problem that merited contacting TS, they agreed that I had good evidence that a TV repairer had defrauded me (by charging me for supply and fitting of a part that they. had not replaced), but TS said it would take action only if other people reported similar problems. I wonder how many other people would have marked the circuit boards of. their TV before sending it for repair. By mentioning that I had contacted TS, the rogue trader refunded my money but I still feel let down.

Like others in this discussion I am aware that TS is underfunded and consumers can get a raw deal but surely that is the fault of a succession of governments to tackle the problem. I cannot remember which minister is currently responsible for consumer affairs and the only one who has given me some hope was Jo Swinson.

I very much agree with what Ian and John have said above about the need for enforcement. Being self-sufficient, as Malcolm advises, is a great help but it’s difficult for most people to understand their legal rights. Faced with deceptive business practices, mentioned by Derek, consumers are being denied their legal rights and my impression from reading posts in other Conversations, it’s not uncommon in retail businesses.

malcolm r says:

We should, I believe, not confuse simple poor customer service with denial of legal rights. My comment about being self sufficient related to the former. We do not have to deal with shops that give poor service if that bothers us; it is our choice who we buy from.

Legal rights do require some knowledge and, often, help in exercising them. Which? do a good job but to a limited audience. The sooner we get a proper consumers’ minister and give adequate resources to re-establish trading standards, the better.

wavechange says:

Who, here, is confusing poor customer service and the denial of legal rights? They often go hand in hand. It’s OK to suggest we avoid certain companies and I assume that many people do, but if you have no local alternative then it’s not much fun. There will always be some companies that prefer better than others but we deserve to have a proper email address, for our phone calls to be answered properly and for complaints to be dealt with in a timely fashion.

Which? seems to avoid criticising individual companies, preferring to focus on the fact that more than one company is involved. Here we have an opportunity to raise our concerns about Currys PC World. Having read some of the recent criticism of John Lewis on TrustPilot, I was surprised and disappointed, and hopefully normal service will be resumed after coronavirus. It’s a difficult time for all businesses.

malcolm r says:

To avoid confusion, when you quoted me above, “Being self-sufficient, as Malcolm advises, is a great help but it’s difficult for most people to understand their legal rights.” I was pointing out that I was not talking about legal rights but simple poor customer service. This is what I said ” My view is that where we can we should help ourselves. The government should ensure the law is enforced; I made that clear. But otherwise stepping in when the service some customers get is not as good as we would like is not a legal matter and not something I’d expect government to spend its time on.“.
I do agree that where a company – retailer for instance – regularly gives poor service Which? should criticise them publicly, in a press release for example. It has allowed CPCW to transgress without baring its teeth. Letters to the management do not seem very effective.

wavechange says:

OK, but am I not correct in saying that poor customer service and denying legal rights tend to go hand in hand?

Perhaps the next magazine will feature problems with Currys but I hope that it will mention that they are not alone in creating problems for consumers.

malcolm r says:

Of course. Denying legal rights can also be considered as a gross form of poor customer service. But there are other forms of poor customer service that are not illegal. I have spent 2 hours in online “chats” with Amazon customer service resolving refunds, being told to pack and take goods damaged during delivery to the post office or a Hermes point and told to reorder undelivered goods from scratch. I would have thought they should have recognised their error, collected the goods and replaced them with undamaged by the quickest possible delivery. Poor customer service in my view. Nothing illegal as far as I know but a waste of my time.

D B says:

I bought a pc from Currys which was faulty. I had to make many phone calls, webchats and visits to store before it was eventually picked up by them. I was promised a refund within 14 days. This didn’t happen. It has been impossible to get any redress, I have spent hours trying to contact them. The local store is completely unhelpful. I was promised the case would be escalated but it hasn’t been. They refuse to give information regarding their complaints procedure and are not part of the ombudsman scheme. I have launched a complaint via Resolver but don’t hold out much hope. I have no product, they have my money, they are virtually impossible to contact and I feel completely powerless to resolve this.

malcolm r says:

You could join Which? Legal and ask them to give you the help you need.

DerekP says:

Did you pay by credit card? If so, you could also make a Section 75 claim, see:-https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act

Lauren Stacey says:

Hi DB

I’m sorry to read of your terrible experience with Currys/PC World and am disappointed that their customer service continues to fall below par.

As @derekp has helpfully suggested, you may be able to make a claim against your credit card provider by way of a section 75 claim, that is if you used your credit card to make payment for the item. Hopefully, you have found the information contained within the link provided to be of use and commenced this action.

Alternatively, you could request that a chargeback is carried out. Whilst this is not a formal legal remedy, it is an action that your bank or credit card provider can carry out to reverse the transaction made to Currys/PC World.

I would anticipate that one of the above suggested actions will result in a resolution of this matter. However, if you would like to discuss the matter in more detail, please call in to Which? Legal to explore your membership options.

This information is provided by Which? Legal. To join call 01174 054 854 or visit Which? Legal to find out more.

Lauren Stacey
Which? Legal – Lawyer FCILEx

John Ward says:

While your advice is right, Lauren, your contribution to this topic does not offer any practical action by Which? to stop Currys PC World behaving as it does. Please see previous comments in this Conversation calling on Which? to do more than reiterate what other commenters have said many times already . . . many, many times.

Patrick Taylor says:

From Trustpilot I see the reviews are over 40,000 now. This of course besides actual complaints includes a large number of five star reviews for transactions that had no problems but still over 60% are complaints.

I see that designing labyrthine processes that defeat the average customer is a defensible tactic for some. The action by several consumer bodies [not Which?] against Amazon Prime for unfair tactics would suggest that companies are aware that humans can be tied up in knots and put off from what they originally wanted.

This is not dissimilar to the phone companies launching multiple tariffs with changing terms all for the “benefit” of the customer.

The idea that Which? needs to be larger to be effective is fundamentally flawed as most active consumer groups are significantly smaller in numbers and in income. The desire to be active seems to be completely missing and is no doubt a carryover from the reign of Vicary-Smith, Clasper and Barwise who ultimately are/were businessmen.

The appointment of another businessperson, Annabel Hoult, as CEO [who had been Operations Executive at Carphones Warehouse] shows possibly the desire to perpetuate the model of a consumer charity friendly to the business community.

I repeat that the need for the charity, by using Shoddy Awards modeled on Choice’s Shonkies , to highlight where it really stands to the generality of consumers in the UK.

malcolm r says:

@dieseltaylor, Patrick, you may be right. Can you give examples of where much smaller consumers’ associations have achieved significant change that Which? has not?

I have said before that I believe Which? is too focussed on publishing information and less on taking action. How has it helped CPCW customers, 100 000s of Whirlpool washing machine and dryer owners (other than getting them told to unplug their appliance), leaseholders, plastic packaging, ……… It is not all bad, far from it, but I do think it needs to get stuck in more often. I believe weight of numbers would help that as it might then be seen by both government and business as a stronger voice that must be taken into account.

However, like you ( I think), given an income of around £100 million a year I do wonder whether it could not be better spent.

Patrick Taylor says:

https://corporate.amp.com.au/newsroom/2019/october/amp-response-choice-shonky-awards-2019

I will not restrict it to just looking at campaigns but also the bangs for the buck and governance.

Firstly Choice which has the great advantage for people comparing in that it is in English. When I last looked it had 160,000 members.
Income around £10m.
It does mostly its own testing and therefore has technical expertise. It also names those organisations it tkaes help from
There Conversations are open to all and are monitored for content ADn importantly subjects can be raised by anyone
The Shonky Awards are a very powerful weapon which I have recommende for at least six years

There is much more however how is this for cause and effect ? I am busy for a day or two.

Patrick Taylor says:

I will not restrict it to just looking at campaigns but also the bangs for the buck and governance.

There is much more however how is this for cause and effect ? I am busy for a day or two.

corporate.amp.com.au/newsroom/2019/october/amp-response-choice-shonky-awards-2019

Michael McKenna says:

Bought a games console on Nov 16th which was stolen while en route. Have now been waiting 5 weeks for my refund after I finally managed to cancel the order (now 4 calls to their customer care line). I received an e-mail saying my £329 would be credited back within 5 days some 12 days ago and still waiting. At this stage I feel they have stolen my money.
I can transfer money from my own account to another in an instant so what’s up with Currys keeping mine? Shockingly poor customer care.

J Marsh says:

I bought a new Beko cooker at the end of November. It has been faulty since the first use and having spent hours on the phone to curry’s and beko they sent an engineer before Christmas that declared it broke (I already knew this)
Now in mid January and I still have no working cooker as curry’s will only communicate through Twitter messages and have yet to send me a replacement despite numerous times saying they will.

Robert O'Neill says:

I have very occasionally used CPCW online but mainly bought direct from their store where I paid and collected on the same day- seeing what I was buying. However, due to Covid, I followed the rules (stayed at home and ordered online) and as a consequence have come off worst. I bought a new Samsung tablet for nearly £1000 and would have expected two or three days delivery and at worst 10 days. I am left in the dark still with no goods. It was easy to buy and their sales team chat window worked; luring a purchase. Now it is still easy to buy, but to complain about goods not arriving, certainly not. The sales team stick rigidly to their script and cut you off if you so much as mention customer service. Trading Standards say the law gives CPCW the benefit of the doubt and all I can do is write by snail mail to the Head Office in Sheffield to beg for my money back. -very imbalanced trading rules….

DerekP says:

Hi Robert, sorry to hear this. As noted in another recent thread, if you paid by credit card you should be able to cancel your undelivered order and request a Section 75 refund from your card. If you paid by debit card, then you may be successful in requesting your bank to give you a refund via a charge back action.

wavechange says: