Friday 22 February 2008

Spending your money the English way!

Or at least trying to! Today we came up against the new order of 'Don't bother to use your initiative, you've already lost it!' syndrome and how very frustrating that is!

Being the organised people we are (and due to the inordinate waiting period between paying for your goods and actually getting a delivery date!), about a month ago we ordered and paid for two lovely, luxury model, brand spanking new beds from a well known furniture showroom. Oh what joy and celebration! The only problem - a very minor one the salesman assured us as he gleefully took our cash (debit card actually) - was that we couldn't give the correct delivery address since we had not yet confirmed the new rental with the estate agents. Now for those of my readers that live in the UK, I'm sure you all started nodding your heads wisely as soon as I mentioned those magic words 'correct delivery address' - be honest now, didn't you?

No problem said the salesman, just phone this number nearer the time and they will change it for you. Oh yeah right! Get real! Phoning the number was only the START of the right royal runaround we've just had these past two days! OK, for those of you who mistakenly thought that once you had bought and paid for your goods, you could pretty much expect to have use of them wherever you deemed fit - here is a valuable lesson in British Red Tape and The Circular Reasoning (or not, as the case may be!) Powers of Delivery Personnel. We are still reeling and the hubby says that "if the damn beds don't arrive at the right bloody address on Monday then he wants his damn &&**%£$""**&&%%%%£££ money back!"

Firstly - are you who you say you are? This is a VERY good question I suppose but quite hard to answer on the phone? Better, we thought, to go back to the store as suggested by the person on the other end of the phone, with receipt in hand and sort that one out there?

Next, do you have proof that you are legally the person living at the address you want the delivery changed to? A bit difficult this one since we haven't moved in yet but, yes, we do have the receipt from the estate agent for all those exorbitant 'fees' we had to pay out (per person!) for the credit check (we are paying the rent six months in advance anyway?) with the new address clearly PRINTED on it, will that do? Oh yes said the store manager with a happy smile as he faxed all this information directly from his store to the delivery department.

Oh NO, said the delivery department when they phoned again that night to inform us that this simply wasn't sufficient proof! So what more do you require said hubby with teeth firmly clamped? You need to go into the store with passport and sign an indemnity form and fax it to us said not now so chirpy delivery person! I will email you the form right now, this very minute, I promise!

Still no form this morning sighed hubby, I'd better phone them I suppose? Something like five phone calls later (and £8 in phone charges!!) the form has arrived - it has been dutifully filled in, scanned (with copy of passport) and emailed back to delivery person.

AND......as my hubby says,
IF THEY DON'T DELIVER THOSE ***%%$$**""££***%%$$ BEDS ON MONDAY, AND WITH A SMILE AND INTO THE RIGHT ROOMS AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRCASE WITHOUT COMPLAINT - I WANT HIS MONEY BACK!

British bureaucracy gone mad!

6 comments:

Keith's Ramblings said...

I'm nodding furiously! We never said living here would be easy!If all fails they sell excellent blow up beds in Blacks camping shop oposite Debenhams!

Jayne :) said...

I think it was the total lack of initiative on behalf of the company staff that drove hubby almost to distraction - we are simply not used to this obsession with 'RULES' - lol In Zambia we would simply have seen beds, paid for beds, collected beds the same day in back of pick up truck - job done!

I am learning! :)

P.S. Thanks for the tip - hopefully it won't come to that!

Anonymous said...

Twice they say they tried to deliver my new lounge suite, and said they found nobody in ... I don't believe you, I said. True, they said. Our driver waited for ten minutes outside a green door.

The only house in our street with a green door is No. 11. I live at no. 5, which has a wood-effect door with a bloody great 5 on it, and which you will find between No 3 and No. 7.

Next day, my furniture arrived ... with the Manager driving the truck!

Jayne :) said...

Thanks for that timely warning Keith! I shall sit outside and watch for the truck (so long as this drizzly weather goes away before then!), ready to pounce!

It seems stamping your feet here actually does work - hubby's had a phone call and TWO sms' assuring him that our beds will be delivered to the correct address on Monday! MY HERO! lol

Will update you all after tomorrow - I'm also supposed to be having my 'white goods' delivered tomorrow too - fingers crossed!

Anonymous said...

>>I'm also supposed to be having my 'white goods' delivered tomorrow too -<<

Haven't heard that expression for a while. Our 'white goods' are all metallic grey ... except for the very old fridge I keep my beer in!

mutters said...

Hey there, Jayney. Sorry I haven't been in with any regularity but...well, I'm a slackarse just quietly. I'll try to pick it up.

"Security" eh? What a pain in the backside. I'm convinced it's to justify the extortionate price they charge for the goods...sortof, "we'd better generate lots of paperwork and act like Fort Knox seeing they've paid so much..."

Beestards!