h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How does condensation get between the hard plastic box of the cd, between the label and the clear wrapper... when it's inside the unopened security shrink wrapper?

And, what would you do if you returned the item the following day, as you didn't want it, only to have a snotty little cow remove the security wrapper and then tell you she wasn't going to give you your money back because the item is wet!

Snotty cow to be informed that since she opened the wrapper, she now owns the item, and money to be returned immediately. Money not returned immediately = escalation to manager. Manager not present = letter to head office demanding
(a) refund
(b) reasonable expenses (i.e. postage, reimbursement for time spent composing letter)
(c) apology from named employee.

If you've time, picket the shop - they hate that.

I tried telling her that, Hoo, and she wouldn't listen.

I have been assured the Manager will be in the store until 8pm today. No doubt he will have been warned about it, as Head Office rang through to the store for the names of himself and the supervisor.

Head Office agreed that something had gone badly wrong and some formal retraining might be required. Ultimately it is for the store Manager to resolve this situation. A 'Good Will' gesture would go a long way towards that, but I would be satified with a full refund, an apology for my father and retraining of their staff.

At this point I wouldn't bother making the trip to the shop again. They had, and wasted, the opportunity to fix your problem on your first visit. The manager's absence does not place upon you the duty to return, it places on them the duty to fix the problem by phone/post. You don't work for them.

I will give them this one opportunity, as I am acting on behalf of my father, not for myself.

Head Office have been informed that I will take it further if it isn't resolved this evening

Update?

Update:

Snotty cow tells lies - She claims she 'asked' my father if she could open the security seal. Manager believe her.

Two 'independent' witnesses claim she was not aggressive or offensive. How can two other employees be deemed independent? (This also included the salesman who sold the disc to my father.) In which case my brother and sister are also independent to corroborate for my father. And my brother was with me at the weekend when I went into the store.

The manager tried an hour of polite chatter, then said he would offer an 80% refund after he's examined and tested the disc. I agreed.

However, he came back saying the water damage within the box was extensive and he could only offer 60% refund - I refused.

Also, they wouldn't even consider that there may have been a problem with storage of the disc, and that had dad even used it while wet he would have invalidate the warranties on his laptop should damage have been incurred.

The testing of the disc also confirmed that it had not been used, as the security code is still there.

I've since found out that Comet has been recently taken over. I have got the names of the top 'Management Team' from Chairman to trouble-shooter. So I might contact them today. Just getting replies from them would cost the company more than the piffling £29.99 full refund.

If I hear anything more. I will put it into a 'name and shame' journal and will personally send you the link.

Thanks for asking, Hoo


lil x

They seem very confused - *she* opened the security seal, not your father. There isn't any dispute about that is there? Regardless of whether she asked permission or not, she did it. It was sealed and unused when he tried to bring it back, having been missold it in the first place.

Write a letter, send it to head office with the names of everyone involved. Make sure you mention the pressured selling and refusal to accept it upon return unopened. CC Watchdog.

If *they* won't give you satisfaction, lil, there's a few sites over this side of the pond that call out bad businesses...over there, too, probably. Look for something like "Comet sucks" or some such, you should find them. No way will those absolute barstewards NOT have a site like that.

You can see now why I advised you not to bother returning to the shop, yes?

You've wasted an hour of your time, and worse, apparently agreed to LESS than a full refund when you are, at this point, entitled to MORE than the price of the disc back. However, you've not agreed to that in writing, so let's move on.

Right now, you should be asking for
(a) full refund
(b) expenses (travel expenses to and from the shop last night @10p/mile, plus one hour of your time @ a fair rate - I charge £30/h, significantly less than my professional rates)
(c) an apology.

If the manager is offering percentage refunds, he's tacitly admitted that the product is faulty. Any damage is very much their problem at this point, especially since THEY made the decision to open the packaging. "Permission" is an irrelevance, although I would strongly point out when your write to their head office that *IF* your permission had been sought, it would only have been granted AFTER they'd refunded your money in full, given that until that point there's no possible motivation for you to agree.

Best of. Comet's in trouble, and this kind of service isn't going to do them any favours. Shame. I prefer them to Currys, as a rule, but I've only had good experiences with them. Staff at your local branch sound like dicks.

Hi Kelli and SC,

They are all pulling up the drawbridge at the moment. The new owners are looking to 'trim' their costs a little, so everyone is probably jittery about their prospects just now.

Yes, 'she' claims to have asked Dad if she would open it - she never mentioned that to me, she said she could see there was moisture beneath the security seal and she 'wanted to see how far the damage had gone' even though she at already decided no refund would be given at that point. That is why I asked her why she continued to open it then and why she got angry and refused to talk about it further.

She wasn't in the store last night, the manager had to phone her at home, so he couldn't see her reactions to his questions.



Personally, I'm not sure if I should put on my snotty head, or if I should be extremely polite and irritating


lil x

Yes, Hoo.. I should have taken notice of what you said. Sorry.


I wouldn't have bothered going back had I known the store chain was in trouble. Hubby only made a quick mention of it on the way there, and I admit my concentration was 'elsewhere' at the time. I researched it fully when I returned home.

Now I am looking for contact emails for the new Team. Seems they are more geared up for press contact than the public.


lil x

Is your father retired? If he's the time, he can picket the shop. They hate that. Nice little banner with something pithy on it, 100 copies of a leaflet explaining how they've diddled him and messed him about. Take a video camera, be polite, pop it on Youtube. If nothing else it'll be good for a giggle, and might even make the local paper. You can leverage h2g2 into a good couple of thousand views easily...

Dad's an ex-policeman, 81 years old and rather doddery on his feet these days. That isn't the sort of thing he would do.

He is of the old 'customer is always right' brigade.

As a teenager, I took a record shop owner to court because he refused to honour a credit note that I had mislaid. There wasn't much work involved and I won the case.

You need to make your intentions perfectly clear to Comet. It is highly unlikely that they'd allow the matter to proceed that far.

Citizens Advice on Small Claims: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/legal_system_index_ew/small_claims.htm#Before_applying_to_the_court

Hi Rudie,

The small claims court cost £80 for the cheapest application. These days you can win, but not receive your costs back.

I would far rather tie them up with letters and emails, at least I would have cost them more than the full refund within a couple of replies.


lil xx

I guess it would depend on the strength of your case. In my case, there was no £80 charge - mind you, that was quite a long time ago.

By the way, I won my case with no evidence at all - just my word against his.

Of course, threatening court action doesn't mean you have to go through with it. Collection agencies threaten all the time.

Best of luck whatever course you choose.

Blimey, I'd have gone bananas in the shop at this - I've done it before for much less *and* at other customers sometimes (pushing in/hogging queues doesn't go down well).

Usually gets action - just to get rid of me if nothing else.

http://acephalous.typepad.com/acephalous/2008/01/time-to-mock-el.html

What you need lil is a konsumentombudsman (Swedish for consumer ombudsman). Most *serious companies doing business in Sweden usually follow their recommendation when it comes to compensating the customer - because they care about their reputation.

Well, except for scumbags like, say, Ryanair oh, wait - the no spitting rule is still in the house rules, is it?

I think keeping wasting Comet's time in an impeccable manner sounds like a plan - quite Miss Marplish!