Comet Confusion

[MrFahrenheit]

A few days ago I ordered a laptop from the comet website it was an reconditioned HP dv5, the machine cost £520 but I paid a little extra for a quick delivery.

It was delivered on the day as expected at around 8am and took a little less than 48 hours in total, although I did not recieve a reciept from the delivery agent (he said one would be e-mailed to me) I was impressed.

 

Then the problems started, well actually the machine itself has no problems it worked fine however one of the key selling points that made me decide on that particular model was that the advert stated it had "Mobile wireless 3G" as seen in the link below.

Buy HP RECON DV5-1010 | Reconditioned 15.4 widescreen laptop - Specification | Comet

needless to say the machine did not have this feature, it also states it has 4 usb ports, the machine I recieved has 3 and it had a different cpu than the one listed, although it has a 2.23ghz instead of the listed 2.0ghz also the remote control was missing.

 

I decided to call comet and ask for a refund as although the machine I got has the same name as the one advertised, it has some features missing.

 

My first call to comet involved me telling the customer assistant what the problem was but it simply ended with the lady on the other end telling me I would have to goto a comet store with my reciept and ask for a refund.

I explained that my reciept was stored as an e-mail on my other computer but I did not have a printer, also that I am disabled and have no regular mode of transport and the nearest store is some 10 miles away.

she simply said she could not help me any further and I would have to go to a store because she "could not fill in a refund form for a laptop that has been bought online" she bid me good day and hung up.

 

Ok so I wasnt too happy about this so I decided to look for answers elsewhere, and came upon this forum.

I read several threads and looked at several links and came across the Comet interactive chat service, I gave it a go....

Heres the transcript.. (I edited out my details)

 

Welcome to Comet’s new interactive chat service. One of our product experts will be with you in a moment. You are now connected with Zak

 

Zak: Hello and welcome to Comets FREE Chat Service. I’m Zak and I’ll be helping you today. Before we start, may I take your name please?

You: david

Zak: Thank you David. What brings you to the Chat Service today?

You: I have bought a recon hp dv5 laptop from your website and it is missing some parts

You: i was told to take the laptop o a comet store but i have no reciept as it was emailed to me, and i cannot print it because i have no printer

Zak: If you just jot down the receipt number then they can access it on the computer and also provide you with a print out copy

You: ohh ok

You: that will be on the email yes?

Zak: Yes, it should be there. If you're struggling to find it, I can probably find it for you with your surname and post code

You: (NAME) (POSTCODE)

Zak: Your order number is: xxx-xxxxxxxx

You: so i goto a store and give them that number so i can get a refund

You: the reason is tht the advert states the laptop has mobile wireless 3g but it didnt have that in this machine theres also a few other differences

Zak: The store will not be able to provide you with a refund as the sale was processed online. You need to make a call to 08705 425425 and explain you'd like a refund under the 7 day peace of mind guarantee as the product did not match specifications

You: i did that and they said to take it to a store and they would sort it out

You: i am disabled and this is the reason i purchesed online

(at this point "Zak" stopped responding for several minutes)

Zak: I can understand that, and I can confirm that you do not need to go to the store and you've bought online, so you do not need to go to a store. Simply call, select option 4 and explain the situation, they'll arrange for someone to come out and collect the item and it'll be either exchanged or refunded

You: ok thank you sir i will do that now

Zak: You're most welcome

 

(at this point I leave the chat open and call services for the second time)

 

I AGAIN explain my predicament to the customer service rep and she asks me how long ive had the laptop, i tell her less than 48 hours and I then explain that I currently have a comet interactive chat open and the rep has told me to state "explain you'd like a refund under the 7 day peace of mind guarantee as the product did not match specifications" and also that "they'll arrange for someone to come out and collect the item and it'll be either exchanged or refunded"

At this point she took my surname and postcode and said that she had filled in the refund form and that I would be refunded in the next 4-5 days and that a courier would be sent to pickup the laptop on the 24th.

 

(I turn back to the interactive chat)

 

You: ok thanks again, i have contacted the number and they will be coming to pick up the product on the 24th

Zak: Great. Glad to hear it and I apologies on behalf of Comet for the inconvenience caused

You: no problem, thank you and have a good day

 

So far this is as far as I have got, I just wanted to explain my predicament and I will update the thread as to what happens as it happens but hopefully all will go well.

 

The confusing thing is that the first call I made to comet, the lady said it was impossible to refund me over the phone because the laptop was bought online and thus I would have to take it to a store, she was also insensative to my situation and had a couldnt careless attitude.

And yet the Interactive chat rep told me that I couldnt goto a store for a refund as the order was processed online.

 

The interactive chat as well as the second rep call seemed a lot easier to deal with and (hopefully) has the problem solved.

but it was a lot harder to do than it should be tbh.

Im not sure if I will buy from comet again, as they seem to have confusion within their ranks.

[Conniff]

Hello Mr F. Some might say lack of training, but I don't believe for one moment that to be the case, I think this is all part of not wanting to do anything about goods once they have been purchased.

 

The call center operator couldn't have been that stupid not to have know the same as the on line op. If the first op didn't know what he/she was on about, then they would not have put her on a phone by herself, but with a doublebanker who would be monitoring what was said.

 

I hope all goes well and then you get what you want.

[gyzmo]

OH my. What a bunch of useless idiots they seem to employ.

 

Firstly, as the item does not conform to the specs, it is SoGA which gives you your right of return (which does not have a 7 day limit). The 7 days referred to is the right of return given under the Distance Selling Regs. However, the 7 days is disapplied because you are returning it due to a breach of contract.

 

You have already given your notification of cancellation, so they have 30 days from that point to refund you.

 

If they fail to pick up the laptop, simply remind them that you still require a refund and if not picked up after 21 days, or no request or instruction is received during that time, you will leave the item in the garden or some other place to make it available for collection. Of course, anything that happens to it then is not your responsibility a your duty of care is extinguished.

 

Just btw, what was the email they sent you? It is supposed to constitute written information. If not received or if it is not compiant, then the 7 day right of cancelation (change of mind, but not for breachof contract) does not start until such information is received.

[Adam69]

Comet are a bunch of charlatans. I had a laptop off them, took the cover plan as I'd not had a laptop previously so was a bit wary, but I got a deal with the price and a wireless kit too, so I was happy with it. The thing that swung it for me was the sales man gestured to the repairs desk and said "any problems, bring it in, these guys will fix it while you wait, it's part of the extra cover".

 

Lo and behold, the laptop was a bag of crud and failed. I called Comet and they said the store do not do repairs, it has to go away. I asked when the policy changed and they said it had always been that way. I told them of the service promise and he said it wasn't right.

 

I contacted their HO and they didn't want to know really, I hassled them so much they actually refused to deal with me and said I had to go to the provider of the warranty.

 

Lesson learned: don't buy from Comet, they speak with forked tongue!

[MrFahrenheit]

Ty for the responses, I really just wanted to express my displeasure at their lack of co ordination and also to get this into black and white so if they try to work me over in the next few days I can tell you about it.

 

Gyzmo the e-mail they sent me is supposed to be a reciept, however it looks to me that it is just an order confirmation, although my online comet account/order tracking has the same info but states time of delivery ect.

 

I have seen from other posts here on this forum that comet sometimes send out a printed reciept, however I have not yet recieved one, but was told by the delivery agent that I would be e-mailed one.

 

Also by what the online chat op said about my reciept e-mail confirmation number, Im guessing that is the reciept.

 

I just hope they collect the product on tuesday as expected, although the lady on the phone (the second time I called) did say a couple of times that if there was a problem someone would call and let me know.

when I asked "what do you mean by problem?" she said "If they cannot collect on the day specified"

 

I have a horrible gut feeling they will not try to collect until later in the week, and then try to get out of refunding me by maybe stateing it was collected out of the 7day return period and so can only replace not refund, although perhaps im just being paranoid here as although the machine was only £520 that is a lot of money for someone like me, and I cannot try to order a new machine from somewhere else untill my account is refunded.

 

It just seems by some of the horror story's on this forum that comet will try to do anything to get out of having to face their responsibilities.

 

Thanks again.

 

*edit* I have recieved a transcript from the comet chat op of our convo, so at least if anything goes wrong that can be used as record that I asked for a refund well within the 7 days return period.

Edited February 22, 2009 by MrFahrenheit
small update

[gyzmo]

Their 7 day return policy means absolutely nothing. You are rejecting goods under your statutory rights and have already notified them. Even if they do not collect it, you are still entitled to your refund. Besides, as I said, even if it were a change of mind refund, the period given by the DSRs for cancellation does not expire until they have supplied the required written information.

 

Again, their policies are nothing. If you get no joy, come back and we'll sort you out (in the nicest possible way:D)