I wrote this letter to their customer service department...
Dear Customer Service Department,
I have been dealing with your store at Hoppers Crossing with buying a bedroom suite. Customer service was happy and friendly at the time of purchase but since asking for a refund on a product that turned out faulty I have been treated with disrespect and made to feel like I’m the problem. I understand you have paying customers to serve but it isn’t right to delay service, or diminish the quality of service, to a customer who has already paid. I’ve never been in a situation of this nature or lodged a complaint before. I’m very upset. I don’t know who to speak to, what I can expect or if anyone even cares.
When trying to get my refund I have mostly been dealing with Trish, who has palmed me off by saying, she will call me when she can. I deal with customers too and I know persistent callers can be frustrating, I apologise for this but the matter needs to be dealt with, not put to the side. I don’t appreciate being accused of being “threatening” as I have not made threats or even used any foul language. My suggestion to go to the store was not a threat but a means of making it easier to sort the problem. I find phones can lead to miscommunication and it is easier to disregard a person when they are not physically present. I’m really not the sort of person who makes threats or acts in an uncivil manner at any time. I'm educated, not backward.
Had the level of customer service I received not been so poor I would have happily bought an alternate product to my original purchase. I’m gobsmacked that the store hasn’t done their best, or anything at all for that matter, to ensure a happy customer (even if the original purchase was faulty). Happy customers are repeat customers and they tell their friends.
***
I am writing to seek a full refund of $ for the bedroom suite, Kingsbury 4 piece, I purchased on Thursday... My receipt number is... and is under the name of my husband, ... The attending salesman was Wayne.
When purchasing the bedroom suite, it was made very clear to Wayne that we wanted a solid wood bed frame given that we move address frequently and over large distances. Lesser quality furniture does not meet the challenges of frequent uplift. Wayne assured us that the Kingsbury is a solid wood product and shouldn’t break over the course of moving like other furniture. Happy with the suggested quality of the product and price offered, we purchased the floor model (we were told this was the last one available).
The goods were delivered to our home address in... on... I set the bedroom suite up in the late afternoon of the same day according to the verbal instructions given (no written instructions were provided). The setup was extremely straightforward given the simplicity of the design. When I placed the mattress on the bed and sat down the right side beam snapped in two in the middle and caused the supporting brackets that attach the beams to the head/foot of the bed to pull away. I will point out that I weigh a mere 50kg and wouldn’t think someone of my size could break a bed. I am lucky this fault didn’t cause me any harm. I will also mention that upon inspection of the broken beam, it was evident that the beam was constructed of a layered board and not a solid piece of wood, thus contradicting the salesman’s assurance that we were buying a solid wood piece of furniture.
I immediately called your store to lodge a fault report but the business was closed (time was 1720h). I then proceeded to fill out a request for customer service, with an explanation of the fault, using the online function of the Furniture Galore website.
I called the next day, ..., to ensure the store staff were aware of the fault and could take action in a timely manner. I spoke with Trish, who proceeded to tell me that she didn’t understand how the bed could break given it was floor stock and had no previous issues. Her comment came across as insensitive and accusatory as no one could have reasonably foreseen that the bed was faulty. She advised me to send photos of the bed, which I did at ~1830h that same night. She also mentioned that she would lodge the fault and have it seen to; the most likely response would be to provide us with a new beam. A new beam alone will not fix the bed as the brackets have come out also. This is evident by the photos I sent through.
My husband had also called on Sunday (both of us were working and so hadn’t spoken to each other yet regarding the matter) to lodge a complaint. I understand no one likes an unhappy customer and I understand he gets fired up when unhappy. However, telling him that you have “already spoken to your wife” and not offer further information is poor service. Furthermore, when he called back and his phone call was being transferred, he could hear the staff talking about him saying things like “It’s him again. I don’t want to talk to him. Tell him I’m not here.” Again, this is very poor form. It’s little wonder he was angry.
I called again Monday... to see where my complaint was up to. I also advised of my decision to opt for a full refund as the product exhibited a major fault, is under warranty and did not match my requirements as explained to the salesmen (not being solid timber throughout). According to the ACCC, these conditions deem the product not of merchantable quality and it is my right as the consumer to choose the method of remedy. I must also point out that it is an offense to enforce the conditions of “no refund” to the consumer and it is grossly inappropriate to suggest that it should cost me to choose a refund. I have obtained information about my consumer rights through a phone call to the ACCC and via the document “Warranties and refunds: a guide for consumers and businesses” as published by the ACCC.
I am upset that I have paid for a product that is unusable and is now taking up the space in my bedroom. My husband and I are sleeping in the spare bedroom which will soon be required by our guests, one of which is pregnant and she will not be sleeping on the couch! For this reason I ask that you please process my request for refund as soon as possible as organise the collection of the bedroom suite.
*Finally received advice that we will be receiving a full refund. Collection of the furniture needs to be organised and they expect me to take time off to do this - not likely! We learn two things from this -firstly, know your rights (the ACCC is fantastic) and don't be afraid to quote legislation. Secondly, don't EVER buy from Furniture Galore (the number of complaints I have read, and those recorded by the ACCC and CAV is alarming; they even received a mention of poor service in parliament!).
0 comments