Empire Direct - trouble with candy washing machine order

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on November 13, 2002:

From:

RE: Empire Direct - trouble with candy washing machine order 56 Strode Road

Fulham

London

SW6 6BN 13/11/2002 Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to make a complaint about the service I have received from Empire Direct. As the problems stretch over quite a long period of time I have tried to lay them out in simple point format below: 28th August - Candy washing machine ordered. Invoice postcode was SW16 6LP,

surname Bowen. Delivery postcode SW6 6BN.

On paying for the machine to be fitted a few days later I found it to be faulty. Not all of the programmes worked. I then called to return the

machine and requested a replacement. Week beginning the 23rd September - Replacement delivered to the billing address not the not the delivery address, at 6.30 in the morning.

As you might imagine, everyone in the house was asleep and not expecting to be roused at this hour. I managed to re-route the delivery for the next day to the correct address. 2nd October - On paying for the second time to have the Candy washing machine fitted, I was disappointed to find that this machine was also faulty. I phoned for a refund and to get the machine removed and was told that the couriers would call me back with a time and date. 7th October - 1 week later, still no phone call.

I understood that I could not get a refund until the machine was collected. However I was not expecting to wait over a week before even getting a date let alone a refund. I called customer services and was told I would be called later that day by either a customer services operator or a courier. 9th October - Still no phone call. Called customer services and was told my form would be put to the top of the pile and I would be called later that day. 10th October - Still no phone call. Called customer services. Here I came across a very rude operator informing me that a machine was being dispatched that day! I informed the operator that I was not expecting a delivery but a collection of a faulty product. She rudely told me that she would cancel the delivery and arrange a collection. I asked when this would take place and she informed me "the courier will call you 2 hours before collection".

Fortunately for me someone was in the house that day. As I had absolutely no notice of the collection, this could easily not have been the case. I asked to speak to a supervisor so I could complain and was told someone would call me back, which inevitably did not happen. At 4.30pm the couriers had still not called me. I phoned customer services again who told me that the last operator must have been mistaken and collection would be on the 14th of October not this day. 11th October - A courier phones me to tell me that a collection will be made on Friday the 18th of October. I took it upon myself to call customer services again. I was told that the couriers had double booked my collection by accident and collection would indeed be on Monday the 14th. 14th October - The washing machine is finally collected. 18th October - Called customer services to find out when I would receive my refund. I was told that the couriers have not reported collection of the product. Customer services tell me they will contact the couriers to find out what is happening. 22nd October - Called customer services as I have heard nothing in the last 4 days and have received no refund. I am told that they are looking into it and are waiting for an email back from the couriers. I asked if there was anyone I could call to speed the process up and am told that this would not be fair on the person who was chasing this up for me. I am told I will be contacted in the next few days. I obviously expressed my concern that the machine was collected 8 days ago and I still have had no communication from Empire Direct. 23rd October - Called customer services and was told that payment went through this morning and will take 3 days to clear. 29th October - 7 days later I have still not received payment. I call customer services who tell me they cannot see any reason for the payment not having been processed and the operator says she will raise this issue with her managers and get back to me. 31st October - Called customer services. Am told that an engineer has to look at the machine to see what the fault is. Once they have finished their work I will be given a refund. I pointed out that I was told on the 23rd that payment had already gone through. The call operator was unable to verify that this was the case. 1st November - Called customer services. Am told payment went through today and the money should be cleared by Monday. 4th November - Called customer services, am cut off mid-call by operator. Called back and am advised that the payment should be going through within 3 working days as of the 1st of November. I asked to speak to a supervisor and am told they are on the phone but will call me back. 7th November - Still no call from supervisor. No payment received. Called customer services and told the operator that I was recording the call (which was not the case). I asked once again to speak to a supervisor and was told somebody would call me back within the hour. An hour later Lynne, a supervisor, called back. Lynne informed me that no refund had ever taken place and that she would personally see it through the refunds department. 12th November - Payment finally received.

As you can see from my records, from requesting the last faulty machine to be collected to actual resolution (i.e. refund), this situation has taken about 6 weeks! From looking at the internet I see that I am not the only customer who has experienced these problems: Obviously I will not be shopping with Empire Direct again. However I feel it is important for you to know about this situation so that others can learn from my experience. Regards

Eve Gallagher

Sky Interactive

BSkyB Ltd

Brentford, Middlesex

TW8 9DE

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