Public relations consultant /blog

When you ordered your door online, you accepted the terms and conditions of sale, inc: the returns policy, so Im slightly confused at to why you are grieved.

Either you didnt read them before agreeing to them, which is odd and slightly juvanile, or you think you can complain, after reading them and agreeing to them, which is a clear and obvious acceptance of the conditions.

It might be advisable, to not order online in the future, as it clearly confuses you. Remain in the post internet age, and shop in store, and return faulty, unwanted, etc goods in store. This is perhaps slightly more understandable for you, with out the long worded terms and conditions you clearly struggle with.

FYI – Actual copy of agreement YOU agreed to reading, understanding and accepting, outling the collection of goods, prior to re del of correct items, of which you legally accepted, and then bizzarly decide to dispute.

” Dont make a formal contract by agreeing to the terms and conditions, if you are going to winge and cry about them after the event ”
Its rather silly

http://www.wickes.co.uk/page/terms

Returns and Refunds

If you want to return a product for any reason, we promise to give you a refund, excluding any delivery charges, within 30 days of the date it is delivered to you.

In the unlikely event that a product is faulty or it has been damaged during delivery, we will exchange the product or provide you with a full refund. Notification of any defect must be made within 30 days of the product being delivered to you. We reserve the right to inspect all returned products prior to agreeing to any part-refund, full refund or product exchange.

Products can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase. Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier, where the cost of the return will be at the customer’s expense. We require the return of the products within 30 days of the refund request being made.

Certain products offered on the website have specific, stated delivery times which supersede the standard next-day delivery proposal (please see individual product details on the website).

Referred to as ’special order’, ‘extended lead time’ or ’supplier-delivered’ products, these items are shipped directly from Wickes’ suppliers. In the unlikely event that a special order product is faulty, the item can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase, for a full refund (including delivery charge). Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier, where the cost of the return will be at our expense. Should a special order product need to be returned for any other reason, it can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase, for a full refund (ex. delivery charge). Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier. There will be a minimum charge of £22 for this service, increasing significantly dependent on customer location and product type.

You’re so right Chris, we should all pay far more attention to small print.

I note that your second comment, which contains the relevant clause, is posted an hour and a half after your first. Is that because it took you, someone using a Travis Perkins (Wickes’ parent company) PC, that long to find the returns policy?

While looking for the MD’s email in order to make my own complaint about customer service, I came across your blog.
However, I also came across a link that would suggest that Mr Bird has flown the nest and gone to Focus…no doubt to mess it up there too.
http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=10648&title=Former+Wickes+md+joins+Focus+revolution

Hi Greg
I think you have your Birds confused; Jeremy Bird succeeded Richard Bird. That DIY Week story is from last summer.
But thanks for stopping by and I hope you get satisfaction from Wickes… although I doubt you will.
Stephen

[...] this kind of thing is far from unusual. After criticising Wickes, the builders’ merchants, I received a letter form Paul Fertleman, apparently a commercial lawyer [...]

Did you manage to get the address of their corporate HQ to write a complaint to Jeremy?

Hi all.
Just reading the comments after looking for the managing directors name. Again to complain about customer service. Bought french doors which were faulty scratched glass and leaking. Passed on eventually to manufacturers who have told me to buy a sealent to seal around the glass panes and to apply more stain. My advice Dont buy on line. Only purchase in store you get much better service

As a matter of interest, who was the original supplier of the door.

I too have had a bad experience with Wickes after ordering a kitchen in February with delivery in May. A 600mm unit was delivered instead of an 800mm. I was told this is the computer’s mistake, it keeps ordering a 600mm even though 800mm is put in! There were other missing units and doors. My builders managed to obtain the doors elsewhere but I was told I would not get a refund until the doors from Wickes turned up and I should bring them in for a refund. The kitchen was finished two weeks ago and the doors have still not turned up nor have two handles which were missing from the original delivery, reordered over fourteen days ago and still not here.

I have been offered two 5% off vouchers as compensation which I consider an insult.

I bought a concealed cistern with the vanity unit that it is installed into. when my plumber came to install it he found to his surprise that a key part of the flush mechanism had to be assembled(for those who know about these things – the ‘drop valve’ ) – but no instructions. Not being familiar with this Wickes product he assumed this was normal went ahead and put it together. Took him 2 hours ( on my time) and the tiler who was standing by also another two hours (on my time). Even when he assembled it, it was clear that there was a part missing. So a trip to Wickes. A member of staff opened up another box and found that the drop valve was already assembled…… he cannabalised the missing part and then put the box back on the shelf…. Later my plumber found that another part of the cistern was not functioning correctly so another trip to Wickes and another part cannabalised from the same box WHICH WAS STILL ON THE SHELF. It now works but this cost me 2 extra hours from my plumber and two extra hours from my tiler who was standing by(on my time) waiting for the plumber to finish.. On complaining I’ve been told to write a letter of complaint to the store manager (which I am doing) asking for the 4 hours labour cost to be reimbursed to me as goods sold to me were not fit for purpose… I doubt if I’ll get anything – they’ll probably quote that getout ‘consequential loss’ to me. Or suggest that my plumber should have de-installed the entired cistern, boxed it all up and brought it back into the shop for a replacement – Hah..I think I’ll also copy Jeremy Bird

For – CHRIS / MARCH 26TH, 2008, 1:27 PM / # Oh dear ‘CHRIS’.
Very unimpressed with your very unprofessional reply. I found your comments extremely insulting and I’m not the person they were aimed at! You must be working next to the person in the ‘CUSTOMER’S ADVICE OFFICE’ – who put the phone down on me when I asked to speak to a manager. I’ll put it down to you being a close friend of Jeremy’s or a SYCOPHANT. Speaking from my own personal, horrendous experience that is still ongoing with WICKES. I can only agree with all the comments I have read on this site. I am a very STRESSED OUT, PISSED OFF customer who wishes I had NEVER heard of Wickes leave alone purchased a kitchen from them.

STEPHEN NEWTON / MARCH 26TH, 2008, 7:12 PM / # Loved your reply – tied the idiot in knots.

I have had a bad experience with Wicks when buying tiles. practically everyone was scratched, chipped or mark with air bubbles. It took me 3 days of checking through every tile and returning boxes to collect replacement boxes only to find the same thing. I did manage after a lot of hard work and numerous trips to wicks to get enough good tiles to tile my wetroom. However on writing to Jeremy Bird at head office in Harrow I never received a reply. When I get his email I will try again. I would suggest that all the unhappy customers obtain his email and flood him with our problems copying in Watchdog! The staff at Wicks however were very patient and helpful.