Screwed by Dick Smith over a watch, options?

Lbtst7000 on 19/12/2015 - 09:46
Last edited 19/12/2015 - 09:47

I purchased this deal (Polar rc-3 sports watch with GPS) from dick smith when it was posted, using click and collect: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/223688

Nearest pickup location was 30 minutes from my house, so that's where I had to go. Upon getting there (yesterday), they checkout chick says that the watch is not in stock - which doesn't make sense, as I had gotten a conformation text and email letting me know that my product (that I had paid for) was available for pickup.

She checks the back several times claiming the watch is not there, but then comes out with what was supposedly my watch, and my receipt. I look at the watch, and while it was a watch from polar, it was a different (and cheaper) model to what I had paid for - so she was trying to fool me into taking a different product to what I bought.

I pointed this out and she apologized for the "mistake", blaming christmas casuals for screwing up. Upon further inspection, they didn't have any more units of the watch I paid for, so the checkout chick tried to make me get a refund.

I was furious that I had to spend half an hour driving to the shop and another half an hour waiting to get my watch, only to find out that they had taken my money but lost my stock. I left because I had other commitments.

Does anyone have any idea of what actions I should / can take? Would it be worthwhile calling corporate?

edit: I didn't take the refund as I had to leave

Electrical & Electronics

Related Stores

Dick Smith / Kogan
Dick Smith / Kogan
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Comments

  • cktftw on 19/12/2015 - 09:58
    +9

    Mistakes happen, you were offered a refund. What else do you expect? The manager drive you home and cook you dinner?
    Move on princess

    • Forfiet on 19/12/2015 - 10:34
      +6

      "The manager drive you home and cook you dinner?" That would be some excellent customer service…..

      • airzone on 19/12/2015 - 14:09
        +3

        The excellent customer service comes after dinner…

        • supnigs super skids on 19/12/2015 - 14:17

          Uhmm, yes, afterwards you get to wipe your lips on the napkin. Great..

      • Lord Fart Bucket on 20/12/2015 - 04:39
        +1

        But that dinner would be advertised as VERY expensive, but with coupon code, it'll be dirt cheap.

  • Settero on 19/12/2015 - 09:59

    why would you not take the refund.
    this is a common issue with dick smith click and collect.
    you could always wait till they have stock , if they do get more stock that is.
    and how can you blame the check out people for taking up half a hour of your time , if by your description , you refused to accept that they had no stock the first/seventh time you got them to "check".

    • btst7000 on 19/12/2015 - 10:03
      +2

      Notably I had paid for the product 10 days prior, and had been informed that the product was ready for collection. It's not like I guessed that they had it and got angry because it wasn't there. It took half an hour because I expected to collect my product and asked them to look for it, given that I had been informed that it was ready.

      • Forfiet on 19/12/2015 - 10:39
        +2

        If it's any consolation I sympathise with your experience at dickies…. Doubt much can be done except making a complaint at their head office….

      • indium on 19/12/2015 - 13:33
        +2

        Bad move not taking the refund, lucky the store is willing to give a refund as if they say the online team issues the refund it's a battle to get it, they say anything to get you off the phone.

        I don't bother with dick Smith anymore

  • Ughhh on 19/12/2015 - 10:04

    so she was trying to fool me into taking a different product to what I bought.

    so the checkout chick tried to make me get a refund.

    Wow sounds like they're out to get you and trying to make you do a lot of things. I'm guessing they also made you drive 30mins and made you leave too

    • btst7000 on 19/12/2015 - 10:06
      +1

      Drove 30 minutes under the expectation that the watch was where I was told it would be. Left because I had to drop my sister somewhere. Satisfied?

  • BigTed on 19/12/2015 - 10:09
    +3

    I am a bit worried that pretty much this same thing will happen to me this morning.
    I purchased two items for click and collect at a nearby store. Got confirmation it was available for pick-up. Need to grab them this morning because it includes a Christmas present and I am going away on holiday today.
    However, got a message on the phone last night that they only have one of the two items and will have to try and find another store with stock…
    I will not be driving all over town looking for my item when I purchased it from my local store and received email confirmation.
    It seems that Dicks is good at taking the reservation - just not so good at holding the reservation…

    • BigTed on 26/12/2015 - 14:58

      I've been on holiday for a week so here's my report.
      As suspected, I arrived at my local store where I had received confirmation that both items were available for pick-up but when I got there they only had one.
      The other item was a Christmas present and, as I was going away for a week I needed it that morning.
      They called around for me and located one at another store.
      I had to drive 30 mins each way to go pick it up - no apologies, no compensation, no nothing.
      Yet another reason to hate Dick Smith.

  • retiredfeline on 19/12/2015 - 10:11
    +3

    Bad luck but the truth is DS has a hopeless e-commerce system. In my case my order sat in Awaiting Fulfillment for 2 weeks until I complained and asked for a refund. Within an hour the money was back in Paypal. I was lucky, other people reported having to make several calls. The kicker is that the items are still showing in my account.

  • Diji1 on 19/12/2015 - 10:19
    +1

    This is SOP for Dicko's in my experience.

    They're either completely hopeless which I find hard to believe or it's a deliberate behaviour which is sometimes referred to as bait and switch (which is illegal AFAIK) but it might be hard to prove it.

    I stopped botherin with ol Dicko's after getting dicked over too many times. Only exception is Ebay as they can't remove the goods I came for without penalties (eBay/payPal rating)

  • try2bhelpful on 19/12/2015 - 10:30
    +1

    That sort of behaviour sucks but it is why I prefer click and collect over getting it sent to me. At least you are in the store saying it was the wrong product if they send it to your house they could accuse you of lying. I think DSE is a bit "all over the shop" at the moment (pardon the pun).

  • DarkOz on 19/12/2015 - 10:38
    +2

    Just take the refund. Bad luck about the travel times. Dick is just being a dick.

    • btst7000 on 19/12/2015 - 10:39

      Seems like this is going to be what I do :(

  • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2015 - 10:46
    +2

    Move on drama queen. You got your money back

  • Minotaur on 19/12/2015 - 12:26
    +2

    Call the online support thingo and say you want them to post one out to you for free postage

  • Randxyz123 on 19/12/2015 - 13:02
    +2

    Does anyone have any idea of what actions I should / can take? Would it be worthwhile calling corporate?

    Just take the god damn refund

  • akyeeeahdude on 19/12/2015 - 13:17
    +1

    I agree it's a shitty circumstance but not much can be done. Maybe complain to corporate and they will track one down and post it to you?
    I understand, I drove 25min each way to buy a tab someone was selling on facebook, get it home and discover the wifi/bluetooth internal chip has failed and doesn't work at all and I have to drive all the way back to return it and get my money back. I was pretty shitty because I spent 1 hour 40 minutes of my time doing it and got nothing in return apart from wasting my fuel. That being said, I would've offered the buyer some sort of compensation if I was the seller in this situation.

  • serpserpserp on 19/12/2015 - 13:43

    TL:DR But screwed by DS? What are your options? Complaining on OZB is def the first port of call!

  • AssociatedPharos5 @ Dick Smith / Kogan on 19/12/2015 - 14:13
    +1

    The "take it to corporate" option is really for use in circumstances where the store for whatever reason refuses to refund a product (for example). I don't believe they're liable for anything beyond the original cost of the product (but admittedly I haven't read the T&Cs for a while).

    On the bright side, the store doesn't require that you be there for them to authorise a refund. If you call them with your order number + details they can issue the refund from the POS.

    I do appreciate the hassle of driving there and back and I can empathise, but the way you are framing it suggests that the staff are willfully trying to swindle you. In this case I don't see any way that the staff would profit from it and it may honestly have just been a Christmas Casual picking up the wrong stock. I can attest that our online integration with our store stock levels is far from perfect. I'm sure if there's something similar in store that you're after the staff would be happy to give you a discount on it if they have any margin.

    • pinchies on 19/12/2015 - 15:42
      +1

      Hate the corp not the staff. Retail staff are just doing their job. The managers higher up are the ones to vent at.

  • supnigs super skids on 19/12/2015 - 14:15

    Take the watch you got offered with the difference refunded or take a full refund. Don't know what else you are asking for?

  • bdl on 19/12/2015 - 18:11
    +1

    This has happened multiple times with my Dick and Collect orders. Easy solution: Get refund and not buy from dick's again. :)

  • trustnoone on 19/12/2015 - 19:49

    I'm not sure theres much you can do besides getting a refund or asking for them to reget it in stock. It sounds like your hoping to get something more out of it, but pretty sure you won't.
    If you feel pretty annoyed about it, you can post what happened on their facebook to warn others to beware of likely problems and ensure your complaint is heard. BUT I will say you are sounding a lil entitled above (no offense) so maybe check your language if you go the social media route as some people are a little ruthless on there or might not get the annoyance involved

  • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2015 - 20:45
    +2

    Get them to find the stock somewhere and send it to you with free postage.

    • bdl on 20/12/2015 - 09:15

      Their stock management system is so screwed they wouldn't be able to find stock for you!

  • chumlee on 20/12/2015 - 06:16
    +1

    Dick sucks

    Shop elsewhere

  • sreyudave on 20/12/2015 - 12:05
    +1

    In Short do not buy from Dicksmith….After hearing about so many problems I even don't go to their store neither online nor in physically.

  • alikazi on 24/12/2015 - 20:35
    -1

    Just ask them to find it at another store or call you back. Seems like you are spoilt. I want everything NOW!

  • erusko on 25/12/2015 - 15:50

    same thing happened to me. i probably shouldn't have waited several days to pick it up. anyway, i told them to refund all my click and collects there out of spite, which they said they would. it's been a week and haven't received any notification via email though about any refunds yet… i'll have to call them next week. won't ever use their click and collect again though.

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