What’s the most effective way to complain?

If you can find any official information about the requirements or guidance to companies I would be very grateful, Kevin. I’ve been using email for over 30 years and am very happy with the way that I can look back at previous correspondence, even if the is years ago. Having to use online forms removes this convenience. One of the reasons given for using forms is that proper email can result in business receiving spam. We all have to cope with spam, and service providers filter out much of it these days.

Thanks very much, Kevin. Next time I’m confronted with an online form I will use it to request an email address and provide a link to this official information.

Thanks too to Adam. I had not seen your post but will look at these regulations. It would be helpful if Which? decided what consumers could reasonably expect and pushed for this to happen, where necessary. It’s not long since I disposed of my fax machine.

Where an email address is most important is for existing customers who may have a query or complaint.

Good to know Kevin, thank you.

Sainsbury delivery drivers tended not to wear face covering or gloves all through covid and lockdown, while at the same time Sainsburys emphasised that shop customers and staff should wear face masks. I tried to raise this with Sainsburys by email, including to Chief ex, and on facebook. Sainsburys would not answer or engage. The only response I got was that they could not instruct their delivery drivers and customers could ask driver, well that doesn’t work. Couldn’t really understand this as they instructed shop staff to wear masks and customers were not allowed access if they had no mask. Sainsbury web sight only allows complaints about delivered products, not service or rudeness.

” I have no intention of using Facebook, Twitter or WhatApp to contact companies.” Well said!!
The least these insidious, parasitic organisations are used for anything, the better.

I agree, social media is unaccountable and unethical. Its a shame so many cannot see it including Which who promote its use especially Facebook. In Sainsburys case I would write a personal letter of complaint and mail it – the old fashioned way. They would never find my profile on Facebook.

I remember when fax machines became affordable, sometime in the 90’s I think, for the home user and it was always one of my preferred ways of sending off a letter of complaint or getting the attention of a Director or Chairman of a company. Usually got the result I wanted.

There is usually an option that gets you though to a real person quickly. Depending on the service it might be, for example, ‘sales’, ‘card lost or stolen’ or even ‘report a bereavement’. It’s usually quicker for the person you reach to transfer the call internally than wait forever to get through to the ‘right’ number.

On the contact form, I take a screen shot before I send.

Excellent advice, Alfa, especially the first sentence. I always work on the premise that you want to keep the first responders on side.

I put myself in the position of the person at the other end of the phone and talk to them as I would like to be spoken to. If they can’t, or won’t, help then best to talk to speak to someone higher or use email.

Occasionally, you can sense customer service people have been having a bad day and are relieved to hear a friendly voice. They are then more likely to spend time with you sorting you out.

When our Sky boxes belonged to Sky, it was always a real challenge to stay polite to Sky first tier support when all you wanted to do was yell at them.🤬 When a box was faulty, it was replaced by another supposedly-repaired faulty box, and we frequently had several visits in a week as they kept swapping boxes. Then we bought our own HD box (now 2) and have not had to deal with them for TV viewing for a very long time now.

That dreadful experience is why we won’t switch to Sky Q. We have 2 HD boxes that record at different times so we don’t lose recordings in bad weather and we can choose which TV we want to watch them on. Sky Q boxes belong to Sky so if they have a problem will be replaced by another second-hand box that has supposedly been repaired. I can’t face that very stressful rigmarole again.

Sky keep trying to get us to switch but I always tell them – not until we can have 2 recordable boxes. They try to con you into saying you can record from 2 boxes, but there can only be one recording – on the main box.

If you are asking for help then it should be fairly obvious that it is best to be polite. I have on occasions been standing at a customer services desk waiting my turn behind a rude customer. It must be stressful dealing with the public. You are well out of it, Chirag.

I completely agree. With DIY firms like Screwfix I use click and collect, which minimises the pain. Anywhere I’m approached with a ‘Can I help you?’ I ask politely for the music to be turned off. It sometimes works, if it doesn’t I walk out.

Have you ever noticed how s’fix have a clause on their click and collect page which says your photo id “MUST be your passport or driving licence”, well some of us don’t have either document so that is discrimination. So I contacted s’fix about this and they were quite happy to still serve me when click and collecting but they haven’t changed the wording on their click and collect page, but I think it’s controlled by their parent company, a dutch multi-national who also own b&q who also have the same discriminatory wording on their site too, and when I tried complaining using their webform it let me spend the best part of an hour struggling to type a complaint only for it to be arrogantly blocked so it couldn’t be sent, how outrageous is THAT?!

I can only see this requirement for PayPal purchases:
“If using PayPal, you must bring photo ID, such as a Driving Licence or Passport (the name on the ID must match the name details in the payments section of the order).”

Many people do not have a passport or photocard driving licence. It’s worth discussing this with Screwfix. I ran into this problem when my solicitor asked for photo ID when I was buying a house but they accepted a document with my photo on.

I realised the problem of confirmation of identity recently in The Lobby after struggling to find a recent utility bill or bank statement, now that most of my life is run online.

Best of luck, Crusader. I would be interested to know what Screwfix have to say.

I was going to post the same – I don’t see the word MUST.

And it is not discrimination because it does not target and is unlikely to disadvantage any particular group who share a protected characteristic, any more than any other customer who does not drive or hold a passport, or have any alternative form of photo ID they can use.

It is also justifiable to protect PayPal account holders from fraud, especially since other forms of payment are available.

If it is a real problem not having an official photo ID, apply for a Citizen Card. Better yet, press the Government to introduce a national ID card.

You have five or six years during which you can make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product-aTTEK2g0YuEy

This is not a guarantee and you may be asked to provide an independent report about the nature of the fault. I hope you are successful.

I have Aqualisa showers and discovered that spares are expensive although nothing has failed so far.

That’s exactly what I did when I started using online chat, Ron. It’s not difficult but I see it as inconvenient and a waste of my time. Congratulations on winning £100. 🙂