Complaints - result!

So many of these shops outsource their deliveries to another company. I've been told that JL and Harrods insist these places use their vehicles as customers like the kudos of having a Harrods/JL van outside their door. However, where John Lewis and others insist on a high degree of service from their actual employees, this doesn't filter down to outsourced deliveries and installers. I bought a washing maching from JL, it was delivered on time and installed correctly, no problem. I asked the 2 chaps something about the partnership [I am a JL partner] and both said 'oh we aren't employees of JL we just do this for them'.
BTW the worse delivery service has to be Yodel - look at the complaints on the Amazon web site. They wanted to deliver my new laptop on a day I worked. I tried to phone them to re-schedule the delivery and couldn't speak to another human being just press buttons on my phone. Luckily I have an understanding manager who'd just 'suffered' at Yodel's hands and he let me change my hours.

I know how you feel moomin JL sell some lovely things but their fitting and setting up services leave a lot to be desired. I would push for refund of setting up charge as it was less than perfect.

We ordered a new "Smart" TV from John Lewis and paid the extra £55 to have it delivered, installed and set up. Now, "never knowingly undersold" finally arrived at 9.20p.m. (having first phoned at 8.45p.m. to say they were running late and did we still want it delivered that night, answer "yes" as we would then have had to arrange a different and possibly not as convenient date).

His first words were "I can fit this here" and proceeded to yank out the aerial cable with a degree of unnecessary force. The previous week we had had a satellite dish fitted and the reception tested with our existing TV, we knew it worked. We explained this. So he unpacked the TV, fitted the stand and proceeded to "set it up", implying it didn't have FreeSat installed, we told him it did, it was one of the main reasons for buying that model.

I could witter on for more paragraphs, but will just say he also had to ring someone at 9.45p.m. to find out how to complete the installation. Not an experience which John Lewis should be proud of. Especially as we've had excellent service from them before, including the delivery and setting up of the "old" TV a few years ago.

In view of this, we decided to let JL know that we weren't too impressed by the guy's attitude or lack of knowledge. We were told this would be passed on to the "depot" from where this man originated and we would receive a phone call later that day. That was Friday and we are still waiting

We spent the next morning fiddling and finding our own way around the various features and it all works brilliantly, but a bit disappointed with JL right now.

I ordered a birthday present to be delivered direct to DGD, as it was big and bulky, by mistake putting their previous address - they'd not long moved.
When I realised a few days later, I phoned DD to tell her. She went round to their old house and was told by a young man there that he had seem no sign of it, it had not arrived etc etc. she left with his assurances that he would contact her when it did.

I then rang the suppliers - they already had a signature for its delivery - same surname as the new buyers, which would not have known to anyone else.

DD went round again - this time was met by the buyer, who said he was just back from holiday and his teenage children had been in the house - no he had not seen it or signed for it - neither had his children - suppliers must have delivered it somewhere else. Denied all knowledge!

So supplier sent replacement (free) and lost out, and someone (we think we know who) got a free princess canopy for their bed, in sweetie pink with frills on and a crown at the top.

I have a reverse problem. Nearly two weeks ago, Mr absent, knowing that I had ordered a wide range of things on the internet, signed for a parcel delivered by courier. It turned out to be a box of books addressed to the previous owner of the house that we moved into in January 2010. We had to track down the supplier's telephone number on the internet and then I rang them to arrange collection. This involved opening the box to find the customer number on the delivery note and filling in and sticking labels on the box. It was arranged that the box would be collected the next day. It is still standing just inside the front door.

I don't see why I should spend time telephoning again, arrange to be in all day again – apparently they can't even specify morning or afternoon for collection – or spend a lot of money on postage. In any case, I have loosely taped the box back together but opening it involved tearing a strip of cardboard entirely off the centre of the box all the way around it, so if I posted it, I would have to repack the books first.

The box is full of books for young children. If nothing is done about collecting it before I leave for New Zealand in the spring, I shall take it with me and share the books with my younger grandchildren.

Btw The idiot who ordered them realised that he had not supplied his "new" address and had already telephoned the company before I rang.

janeain But if you can't be there at the delivery time but, knowing that, they are still going to try to deliver, then they might as well not have bothered with the phone call.

DH bought a Medion laptop online two weeks ago, ordrerd it at 6pm and was informed it was on it's way across Germany at 9pm. The next morning we got a text message to say it was in Gateshead and it was delivered at lunchtime. You have to hand it to the Germans, they seem to get it right.

Thanks for the warning Harri. Apparently ours is coming from Poland

Oo-er had loads of trouble with Dell computer delivery. Computer ordered by DH as birthday gift for me, didn't turn up so rang Ireland and they said "you cancelled the order" didn't, did and so it went on. Hope you get it sorted jane

Well done!

gracesmum respect!

absent mrA had ordered the new computer from Dell over t'internet.

gracesmum More power to your elbow. Well done.

janeainsworth So what exactly was UPS's reason for e-mailing?

Point out gently that it is at their expense and financial targets must be met? (Scots will know that my quote is not particularly impressively high-falutin' classical but motto of Scotland)!!

gracesmum your command of the classics is awesome and second only to your impressive perseverance in the face of what passes for customer service these days.
Perhaps you could tackle UPS on MrA's behalf.
They emailed to say our new computer will be delivered next week, when we shall be in our narrowboat on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
When he asked them to rearrange the delivery for the following week, the response was that they could only rearrange after they had made at least one unsuccessful attempt!

Good for you Gracesmum, I bet you feel really good now!