Wonderful Bargains

There isn't much that gets me riled, but being treated with such dissent in what responses I can obtain from Watford Electronics is raising my blood pressure to what have to be considered dangerous levels!!

In April I read with great interest 'Computer Shopper' magazines 'hotlist' best budget laptop, which was given as the WE Aries precision 1001. I had never heard of WE (not being in the techy circle) so I concluded that if the likes of Computer Shopper would probably not list suppliers or retailers who have questionable customer service departments... NOT SO!!

On the 12th April I went on line and ordered my new laptop... I was then told (inspite the order screen showing a 2 week delivery) that they were out of stock and the likely delivery time would be 4-6 weeks. On the 21st May I received an e-mail to let me know dispatch was imminent. On 23rd May the laptop arrived. At first I was impressed with the build quality and all appeared well. A couple of days later I tried to spin a dvd or cd and found that the sound quality to be poor. I concluded that this was the drawback of a budget machine and I decided that I would need to return it and get a higher spec laptop. I rang WE (approximately 5 or 6 days after the delivery) and after (what I have now found to be normal) half an hour on hold I got through to Customer Services who advised me that I needed to go on line and register a 'request for return'. I looked on the website and could not find where they were talking about. Eventually I managed to find the section but could not find any where that allowed me to opt for a refund, I could only find repair or replace as options. I rang customer services again and they told me to use either the repair or return options and put a note in comments, which I did. I then e-mailed customer services and asked them to confirm the position regarding their discretionary option to refund less 25% re-stocking
fee.

Bushra Saleem from customer services replied by e-mail telling me that they wouldn't answer that until they had received the goods back (even though I assured her that the laptop was in the same condition as received, including the packaging in complete and un-marked order).

The next thing I find is that Watford Electronics are returning the item to me and charging another £50 as they could not find a fault with the item. I then e-mailed customer services to explain that they had misunderstood my request and I subsequently received an e-mail to tell me that I would not be eligible for a refund as I had returned the goods after 7 days! I have received e-mails from Kathleen Innes saying that there is nothing I can do and they are set on the position that no refund will be considered..

I was invited to refer to both Jenny McMelon and Peter Hills, which I havedone and no response has been received todate. I have also spoken to Zuzi Vesela and Amreen Kauser, neither who have come back to me with an update on the position.

I so wish I had done my homework on identifying whether there were areas of concern about Watford Electronics. It is only in searching on-line that I have found sites like yours who are a forum for Watfords unsatisfied customers.. CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

I have copied this note to Peter Hills in the vain hope that I might receive some positive news. Watford Electronics or Amtrak are in possession of the said laptop and I really feel that Watford could redeem themselves in this instance by taking a leaf out of the good customer services book when dealing with me in resolving this matter, which from my part is a needless catalogue of catastrophes and nightmare-causing experiences! A needless waste of lots of peoples time including that of the WE customer services department..

Just a quick note just bought an Aries Permorma 7250. It came with wrong mouse and keyboard and the pc was faulty, but my biggest problem was the customer and tech service, on hold 25 min, resulting in a telephone bill which is usually 15 pounds going up to 50 pounds - all to the 0871 number at Watford Electronics. I even sent an email pleading with somebody to answer the phone or ring me bac. Nothing - no one - replied to the email.

Totally disgusting. I only wish Computer Shopper had put in the test that there aftercare is sh*t - in fact they shouldn't be even allowed in the test with the service they are giving!

I own a Computer Retail business and am not immune to Watford/ Savastore misery.

I purchased a hard drive which has failed and cannot get an RMA so cannot return goods.

Although the time and effort are worth a lot more than the hard drive, I want to give the company a kicking.

A way to do this is to bundle a lot of complaints together and send them to the office of fair trading .

Savastore hold a consumer credit licence (no 498049) in order to sell finance.

If enough complaints are given to the Office of fair trading this can be revoked. No Finance facility. Loss of income.

This is a way of scaring them and hitting where it hurts as Trading Standards are toothless.

If you have a list of complainants or get lots of contacts ref. same let me know.

Regards

John Murphy (Computer Solutionz)

I Purchased a Laptop

from <EXPMaintSup@maersk-contractors.com>

Purchased a lap top mainly for work purposes and keeping in touch whilst away in exotic locations like Turkmenistan.

Lap top arrived after almost 7 weeks although it was supposed to be only 5 - 7 days.

Card reader did not work and after a short period of time the touch pad stopped working.

Screen was very dark all the time even on maximum brightness.

Eventually managed to get repair order agreed sent off lap top and it was supposedly repaired and return to me, at this point it started to go horribly wrong.

The lap top whilst would power up and I could hear music in back ground I could not see anything.

After hours of effort got in touch with somebody at this terrible company only to be told I had called wrong number and was dis-connected!!

After more efforts tried another number, got through agreed a work order number, told lap top to be picked up on Monday, this was Friday. I explained I needed this it back by 22nd August, basically a week after pick up, but they never picked it up!! Contacted them again, hours and told to drop it off at Amtrak depot 12 miles away. I did so but they would not accept it as they had no consignment number!! More phones calls eventually it was accepted and dispatched to WE.

Now almost 4 weeks later I have only been told it has been received and needs repair!! Nothing else, no reply to email nothing.

I have demanded money be returned and I will pursue this further when I return home again from this lovely place!!

Would never ever tell anyone to purchase anything form these people.

David Thompson
Maintenance Supervisor
Maersk Explorer
Telephone : +994 12 4978470
FAX : +994 12 4978469

Brilliantly and Outstandingly Abysmal

from <mtproc@yahoo.co.uk>

Hi,

I ordered a desktop for my parents from this truly
abysmal company. I was promised that the machine would
be ready for a specified date, so that I could pick it
up from their depot en-route to my parents meaning I
would save delivery and be able to set it up and show
them how to use it.

I had asked them to contact me if it want going to be
ready. I even called the morning I was to set off to
ensure it was ready. After nearly 40 minutes I got a
response, Yes its ready. So on my journey from London
up to Sheffield I stopped off to pick up the machine.
Not ready. Deep sigh and arrange for delivery at my
expense.

Two weeks later machine has still not arrived. This
after my mother taking time off work to wait for
promised delivery. After many frustrating attempts to
get through I was eventually told that they had tried
to deliver twice but nobody had been home. Yet no card
had been left to say they had called. They had been
trying to deliver to a completely made up address. My
parents had to pick the machine up from a distribution
centre 12 miles away.

Obviously as we had to fetch the machine ourselves I
wasn't prepared to pay delivery. After several emails,
calls, being called a liar they eventually fell over
when they stated they had tried to deliver to a house
with a white door. My parents door is green and has
been for 20 years. I was told that it could be easy
for you to paint the door a different colour to avoid
delivery charges. Unbelievable but true!!!!

I would NEVER use or recommend WE again. A mind
blowingly incompetent company.

Yours Miggins, London

I was About to Buy Some Laptops

Thanks for this site I was about to buy some laptops (30) because they had a good price. I need a corporate account apparently to have them delivered to several sites that were not a cc billing address. Sales said they would send me a form. 5 salesmen later & 2 email, NO FORM.

If their salesforce is like this what is support like…. Anyway I am voting with my feet

THANX, Simon