Currys/PC World/Knowhow: Stay away if you value time and sanity

A question about : Currys/PC World/Knowhow: Stay away if you value time and sanity

I was sold a faulty laptop, I was lied to on 3 occasions and the data that was saved onto the store's hard drive has been erased.

1) When I first received the error message on the laptop, like many normal intelligent people I copied the code down (the specific code was given to the store manager) and did a Google search to see how I could fix it. I learned that there were many other customers around the world having similar issues. This to me says that there was a problem with the machine that was out of my control.

2) I was accused of liquid damage. The machine sat on my desk for 2 months and no liquid was ever on this. When I got the laptop back it was scratched and marked (the Manager witnessed this) yet it was in immaculate condition when I brought it in.

3) Customer Service's notes notes on the contact (or rather, lack of) are not consistent with the ones I was shown by the managers of the Stamford store. I saw notes by the engineer claiming he had spoken to me. This is a lie. There was ZERO contact made yet I could have been contacted by email instead of phone. I believe if they can lie about such a thing then it stands to reason (as it would/will in court) that their word is unreliable and makes me suspicious of the alleged liquid accusation.

4) Because of this farce, my company leased a machine and VOIP phone from Malcolm the business manager in the Oxford branch. My partner paid extra (Ј20 I think) to have next day delivery. Over the next 4 days I spent several hours at the store trying to sort this out and it took 4 days to arrive. Manager showed me the sales records from Malcolm that day and no order was made. Another liar. Still no refund on the delivery charge.

5) We have been let down repeatedly by lack of people answering the phone in Oxford store, I called 19 times one day – customer services not calling me back as promised and the fact we weren’t able to do scheduled work cost us Ј900 in daily rate fees and probably same again in down time dealing with this mess

I spoke to their Business Customer Services on 22nd – Adrian on extension 28825 @ 12.37pm (0344 561 6789) – was promised this would be escalated to regional manager and we would get a call back same day – didn’t get a call.

6) The leased laptop: after 24 hours it went to blue screen and went to system failure code (– system_thread_exception_not_handled_atikm ) which again I Googled and worked out that a full auto repair was needed which took 2 hours – this completely re-set the computer and then required us to re-upload the server applications costing us, a small business, money

7) The VOIP phone had no mains charger, I am still waiting for one.....3 months now

8) When I finally got a call from the team, the guy who called me was very disinterested and quite rude. When I told him that a simple Google search let me know that there are others with the same predicament (by typing in the System error code) he scoffed that you can't believe everything you read on Google. He obviously has no clue as to his bosses' spend on SEO nor does he know how to speak to unhappy customers. He said he would call back, of course he didn't

9) I was promised my data was safe on the stores' hard drive. I have been in several times and asked for the manager to call me. I found out today that the staff member I spoke to on Friday reckons he told me the data was erased. he did not. Another lie

If you value your time, money and sanity not just your data STAY AWAY this is a smash and grab operation they are too big to care hence the powerless front liners who apologise and can do nothing.

Best answers:

• I have had a bad experience with PCWorld, and what you say sounds familiar.
  I would never step foot in any of their stores again.
• Must say the times I have used PC/World/Currys I have been fortunate enought not to have any issues. Even when I have had to return stuff.
• My only complaint with PC world is that their sales staff have little or no technical knowledge of their products. If I'm buying something electronic I want the staff to have expertise on the item. I no longer use this store.
• Issue with PC World/Currys with product technical knowledge is the company is so focused on making money via services than anything else. When I worked there many years ago, technical knowledge was shunned over the ability to sell, even if you had to talk total !!!!. I was once told off by a manager for being " too technical" with a customer >.>
  The company doesn't care what their staff knows, only how much they can sell in services, not products.
• Hi, I'm new to this forum and sorry for hijacking the thread(if I am). Just googled 'Currys complaints' and this was one of the things that popped up....
  I went into a local Currys store today to buy a Microsoft office for Mac software. I was doing an errand for hubby so didn't really know the product well. Anyway, they sold me windows for Mac which was the wrong thing. Not a problem, not their fault. So I went back in the evening to exchange for the right product (this time I was shown picture of what it looked like so knew what to buy!). When I got there, the manager of the store, who I explained the issue to, asked the chap who served me earlier to fetch the correct product for me. While the chap was gone, the manager gave me a leaflet about mobile and broadband. Or atleast I thought it was a leaflet, didn't read it. At the till, I was asked to handover the leaflet and my card. I thought the card was just for a straightforward exchange. When I got home, hubby asked me why I had bought mobile and broadband? To say I was shocked is an understatement. Looking at the receipt, he explained what had happened and why. The Microsoft windows for Mac that I originally bought was Ј109.99. The office for Mac which I wanted was Ј89. They had sold me a Knowhow PYM Sim 3G for exactly 29.99 which meant they didn't have to refund me any money. And not once did I say I want this product nor did they ask me.
  I called their helpline to complain. The customer service advisor was most unhelpful and said I should go back to store. But thing is the manager of the store is the one who put the Knowhow card in my hand so I'm not sure how far that will get me.
  What do you guys think I should do?
  Thanks a lot.
• What was wrong with your thread in Consumer Rights?
  Posting the same thing more than once is and is against forum rules.
• I'm sorry I wasn't aware of that. It's my first time on here. And judging by a couple of comments, it will be the last. Thanks to all.
• Went to buy a monitor....staff member...do you have wall brackets...do you have leads...do you have insurance....I just wanted a monitor...oh and this was a large superstore on a friday night...it was dead....can see all closing and morphing into carphone warehouse (they are part of) as similar as argos ..reserve and collect
• Sucks, but there are some amazing stores, and then there are some downright horrid stores.
  Some people have brilliant local stores and can't understand why they get complained about. It just depends on where you live and how competent the local store is.
• I saw a member of Currys staff flat out lie to an elderly couple who were buying a TV all to flog a Ј120 Monster HDMI cable.
  He assured them that the picture would be drastically better than the Ј12.99 cable they'd picked up and it would be the only cable to do such a nice TV justice. Astonishingly deceitful.
• (Text removed by MSE Forum Team)
  Edit re. above: Aw diddums. Did someone not like being told the truth? Did you also delete the duplicate SPAM posts of that poster? Looking at this thread, obviously not!
  To be honest I'm shocked that you'd even consider that post of mine as being abusive. But then again, nothing surprises me these days with how MSE forums are managed ... MSE "roll over and have their tummy tickled" is the impression a lot of us get if anyone complains or reports something. Anything for an easy life, eh?
  Yours,
  Mr. Angry from Tunbridge Wells
  Quote:
• Edit to post #13. Looks like someone doesn't like being told the truth.
• To the people asking, yes I did step in and explain that a digital signal either works or doesn't and there would be no discernable difference in picture quality.
  I'm a right AV snob and have spent Ј1000's on my home cinema setup - however, my HDMI's are Ј2.99 jobs from Ebuyer. Not had one fail me yet!