Thursday, November 26, 2009

Good old Acer 2

No sign of the laptop. Another call to the payment centre that being the only one who provided me with any information and the line is answered by Mr. Surly. He tells me that the unit hasn't been shipped and it's nothing to do with him call this number.

That would be the number I tried originally the one that didn't help. Nothing to do with him call that number.

So that customer care line number this time.
'where's our laptop?'
'It was shipped on the 18th.'
'If it was we haven't had it'
'No it was shipped on the 18th'
'So why did payments tell me it wasn't and that it'd be shipped on the 24th?'
'Oh you're right it was ready to ship on the 18th it hasn't shipped yet'
'I was told it was shipping on the 24th for the 25th'
'Yes it was shipped'
'... so do you have a tracking number for it?'
'No we don't have that information here, but I can find someone who does'
'Okay can you put me through to them?'
'I can get them to call you back'
'No I've been through that before, put me through to them'
'It'll take a couple of minutes'
'Fine'
... back to the same guy
'Have you paid?'
'Yes, despite you not asking for payment'
'Okay it has shipped'
'So do you have the tracking number seeing as we're paying £10 in charges?'
'No I don't have that information here I could put you through to someone who would'
'Well that's what you were going to do before'
... this time through to a Floor Manager
'Where's our laptop?'
'It hasn't shipped yet, but I can bump up this query and it'll be shipped today or tomorrow.'
[Notice how the status has changed]
'But if it's shipped tomorrow we won't see it until Monday as it's a weekend'
'Yes'
'So it needs to be shipped today. Look it's been at "Ready to ship" status since the 18th, it's the morning so there's no reason why it can't go out today to get here tomorrow'
'Well I cannot guarantee that'
'Yes you can look this is your fault, your problem. You're the provider I'm the customer and this isn't on. We should have had this last Monday and we want it tomorrow'
'Yes well I cannot guarantee that'
'We want it tomorrow'
'You're not listening to me'
'Yes I am, and I'm saying it's not my problem it's yours we want it tomorrow. Phone up the repair centre and tell them to send it'
'I'll see what I can do'
'Tomorrow!'

End of conversation

Damn it how poor a setup can you imagine. It's not as if it was awaiting repair it's "Ready to ship" as it turned out to be waiting for our payment that they hasn't requested. Payment was given and conformed - so ship the damn thing.

1 comments:

Orphi said...

I can only imagine there's not no incentive for them to actually ship it. I mean, they have your money, after all.

It could be a lot worse. My mum ordered some stuff from a catelogue that got shoved through the door. The goods arrived late. But for about 6 months afterwards, the company insisted that she hadn't paid for them. They sent repeated threatening letters promising court action and make numerous phone calls. My mum actually paid for the goods in full, twice. And still the phone calls came.

I still remember the last conversation she had with them. “I do not owe you any money! I have over-paid you. If anything, you owe me money. I have paid you in full, twice over. Stop calling me!!” In the end, she screamed something about “well then take me to court, and I'll have you pay me back my money plus court fees and compensation”.

Oddly, the court summons never appeared. Several threatening letters, but no court summons.

Trouble is, according to my mother (who knows everything), if a company claims you didn't pay them, nobody will ever give you credit for the rest of your life. Regardless of the fact that the company is lying out of their arse. Which seems wildly unfair to me…