Screwed over by 'Good' Guys

Almost Banned on 23/10/2017 - 23:52

I bought a Motorola Moto G5 Plus phone using the GG 20% off deal through Ebay/Paypal with this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/334387
The phone was for my son's 14th birthday, which is on 25/10.
They took my money on 9/10, sent a confirmation (with an estimated delivery of 13/10 to 19/10) on 10/10; sent an Order being Processed email on 11/10. Great, I think, present sorted.
Today - 23 October, at 2:22pm they sent a cancellation email.
We are now two days out from my son's birthday with no present.
We have bought him a cover for this phone, a screen protector for this phone, and a memory card. While we can probably find another use for the memory card, the case and cover are for the Motorola.
I have complained on the GG Facebook page - but what the hell are we supposed to do now? They have had our money for two weeks. They took our order and confirmed it. Then, out of the blue, they cancel. We have spent money in reliance on their confirmation. My son's birthday is in two days and we have no gift.
Frankly I am furious.
Anyone got any good ideas for a comparable replacement I can get a deal on in the next two days?

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Comments

  • teacherer on 23/10/2017 - 23:55
    +3

    The same thing but pay $40 more at the last minute?
    One would assume you can return the case and screen protector if they are unopened?

    • doweyy on 24/10/2017 - 00:02
      +6

      With you on this one, best option would be is to price beat MobileCiti at Officeworks to get it for $274.55, lets hope the OP's local officeworks has stock! That's the most reasonable solution to this problem and not too much of a hit to the wallet.

      Ahh wait nevermind, just realised Officeworks have it marked as unavailable.. Looks like most stores don't have this available at all.

      Could try to price match @ JB Hifi as they seem like the best option to get it tomorrow.

  • hell0 on 24/10/2017 - 00:25
    +4

    It is frustrating but what can you do except w3ait for their contact back and then find it somewhere else…

    At 14 years of age I think your son will understand.

  • icejester on 24/10/2017 - 01:24
    +21

    Spend a bit of extra money to get him the same phone.

    Not worth the stress of writing up an ozbargain post and ruminating over it for 3 days.

    If your time is worth $40 an hr you've just taken up at least $120 worth of time thinking about something that won't change

    • Sxio on 24/10/2017 - 06:40
      +3

      Post of the year man.

    • try2bhelpful on 24/10/2017 - 08:03
      +3

      I agree with you but getting things off your chest are also cathartic. Who doesn’t love a good rant before getting down to do what needs to be done? The OP is right about Good Guys sucking in this instance.

      • boomramada on 24/10/2017 - 09:57
        -5

        sh@t happens, out of stock and they refund, what else you expect them to do?
        Next time order things in advance?
        I be more unhappy if item lost in post or delivered to wrong address, then you be out of pocket and no gift? :)

        • Quantumcat on 24/10/2017 - 09:58
          +2

          Is two weeks not far enough in advance for you?

        • try2bhelpful on 24/10/2017 - 10:01
          +1

          Quantumcat did order in advance; especially as this is an Australian company. They took a good couple of weeks to tell OP they were out of stock, with no warning. I expect them to communicate with their customers and keep them in the loop as to what is happening, particularly if they are likely to cancel the order. Why should we brush off these sort of episodes as "shit happens". The real issue is not the lack of stock it is the lack of communication that there was an issue.

        • boomramada on 24/10/2017 - 10:13

          @Quantumcat:
          well two weeks is understandable when I get items from NZ within two days (with express post).
          But still, things can go wrong. I don't see a point ranting on here will fix anything, there should always a plan B. :)

        • try2bhelpful on 25/10/2017 - 06:54

          @boomramada: why not rant here, it gives everyone else a heads up that when you deal with GG you need the plan b. Plan b would’ve been a lot easier with a timely warning.

      • MishyMoo on 24/10/2017 - 22:42

        I agree. Being supportive is part of what happens at Ozb. It's much of the appeal in hanging out here.

  • JimmyF on 24/10/2017 - 08:26

    They don't have stock, what do you want them to do then!?

    Anyhow, go buy the phone from ANOTHER place, there are many more that sell that model. Yes you'll be paying 20% more, but thats the nature of these beasts (aka sales), some you win, some you don't.

    GG got flooded with orders and can't get enough stock.

    • Quantumcat on 24/10/2017 - 09:06
      +8

      If they didn't have stock, they should have had a better inventory system that didn't allow an order through, or that cancelled it within a day or two, not two weeks later.

      • try2bhelpful on 24/10/2017 - 09:34
        +3

        Quantumcat - I agree with you on this one. Whilst GG dicked around you could've found another deal or got a different present. GG should've given you the heads up they were having stocking issues earlier to give you the option to wait, or not. Customer service is about keeping the customer across the situation if there is an issue, not crossing your fingers and hoping and then cancelling later on with no warning.

      • boomramada on 24/10/2017 - 10:00

        Stocks on system not always match up with physical availability, thanks to misplace inventory or shop lifters.

        • try2bhelpful on 24/10/2017 - 10:03
          +2

          It took 2 weeks for them to discover their inventory was not correct - really? Sounds like they may need new people in their warehouse if they are getting that level of inventory being misplaced or pilfered.

        • boomramada on 24/10/2017 - 10:16

          @try2bhelpful:
          maybe op should contact them via https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/contact-us not just fb , messages on fb not really official, more for ranting.

        • try2bhelpful on 24/10/2017 - 10:22
          +1

          @boomramada: Don't disagree with the idea of going to them directly, you might get lucky and get a voucher to use for your next purchase - presumably from the store to make sure there is stock. Personally I don't have a FB under my name but some places actually do use it for communicating with their customers. In any case I think the answer will be a lukewarm "sorry". Ranting is both cathartic and gives other people a heads up to keep on top of these sort of places by sending messages whilst you are waiting for the goods to, hopefully, arrive. However, I would rant under a fake name, rather than a real one :)

      • JimmyF on 24/10/2017 - 11:07

        Stock on hand levels is always a rough guide. GG sells stock to walk in, online and ebay. So while 'stock' is showing, it could be sold in all places at once, leaving no stock.

        I assume the delay was trying to get MORE stock from moto.

        • try2bhelpful on 25/10/2017 - 07:07

          Then tell people there is a risk of no stock and give them a chance to cancel and buy an alternate product. Customer coomunication only requires an email, you could even do a bulk mail out. As a project manager communication with my customer was a key component, if there were issues that could, potentially, affect delivery of my projects I had a frank discussion with the customer and worked through the issues and alternatives. In many cases the lack of communication is a bigger annoyance than a suboptimal delivery. At least they understand what they are getting and why there was an issue.

        • JimmyF on 25/10/2017 - 08:46

          @try2bhelpful: won't disagree they could have emailed earlier, but as a project manager, you should know that 'coomunication' as you put it, goes BOTH ways. The OP could have sent a follow-up message asking for the ETA etc.

          These things happen. The sales of this model would have spiked thanks to ozbargin. As a project manager, you should then understand its can be hard to manage a massive spike in demand ;)

          I'm glad you think communication is a higher priority than delivery. Sounds about right for all the project managers I've dealt with. All talk and no delivery!

        • try2bhelpful on 25/10/2017 - 17:53

          @JimmyF: I didn’t say it was more important just that delivery can take a number of forms that are acceptable to the customer if they are given options in a timely manner. No wonder project managers hate to deal with some people; fortunately I usually came across people who wanted to assist the delivery team rather than work against them. Why should a customer have to chase the provider just in case they are going to renege?

        • JimmyF on 25/10/2017 - 20:09

          @try2bhelpful: Why shouldn't a customer engage? Is it better for them to sit in the dark wondering what if!

        • try2bhelpful on 26/10/2017 - 15:37

          @JimmyF: so you think they need to send an email within a two week period on the off chance the delivery is going to be cancelled?

        • JimmyF on 26/10/2017 - 15:49

          @try2bhelpful: It goes both ways. BOTH sides should have followed it up within the 2 week period before it was cancelled.

          The OP could have sent a message asking for a ETA of delivery after it not shipping in a week, as it hasn't been sent yet. Maybe if they did, they might have gotten a response or some other stock.

        • try2bhelpful on 26/10/2017 - 15:56

          @JimmyF: or they might have been ignored or been fobbed off. The store was the one with the stock problem and they were the ones who completed the transaction indicating they would ship within a time period. In hindsight, it would appear the OP should've chased these guys up as they did not have the ability to honour their undertaking, but this is not something I would've normally expected from the Good Guys. The OP has done us a service by alerting us to this as an issue. I have chased up orders in the past from some of the overseas suppliers and there usually answer is to wait 30 days and contact them if it still doesn't arrive. This is why I prefer a bricks and mortar store as, I assumed, they would be more committed to customer service. Apparently not.

  • Baebs on 24/10/2017 - 10:13
    +1

    Same case here https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/334795

  • El Draino on 24/10/2017 - 10:24

    We dealt with the GG's in Dandenong for our kitchen appliances and they were awesome - sorry to hear about your truble with the phone - cant you just go and buy a Moto 5 somewhere else?

  • tsunamisurfer on 24/10/2017 - 12:19
    +1

    OP…

    I agree with you that GG's have provided you bad service and you have a right to be angry.

    But…do you listen to yourself?

    "My son's birthday is in two days and we have no gift."

    You make it sound like he has to have a G5+ orelse the Apocalypse.

  • dasher86 on 24/10/2017 - 12:38
    +3

    Give your son the case and memory card and tell him he has to work to get the phone.

  • Almost Banned on 24/10/2017 - 12:58
    +1

    I will never get used to how a group who is so desperately keen to get a bargain is so keen to surrender when faced with a retailer who doesn't honour their contracts.
    Price errors which are obvious and quickly corrected are one thing, but a completed contract being dishonoured two weeks late should be another thing entirely.

    • spackbace on 24/10/2017 - 17:23
      +1

      but a completed contract being dishonoured two weeks late should be another thing entirely.

      Or the flipside could be this (and again, both your side and this side are hypothetical without someone being there):

      • You put your order in
      • The order goes to the nearest GGs store (or Head Office, but it doesn't matter)
      • Someone makes mass amounts of calls/emails, contacting suppliers, stores etc to obtain the required number of phones to honour all the orders made
      • Despite their best efforts, and many attempts at obtaining the stock, they fail and have to contact the customers
      • They mark the orders as unfilled, set the system to issue refunds etc
      • They go home that day deflated, knowing they tried their best but people will be disappointed and disheartened.

      So, 2 sides to every story. Maybe putting a human face on it changes things. Either way, you don't have a phone but I'm damn sure a 14yo can understand, especially when mum & dad are buying them a phone (personally, I had to work to save for my first new phone that wasn't a hand-me-down. Made me value it better too)

      • Almost Banned on 24/10/2017 - 19:06
        +1

        Spackbace you do some good work on here, but if your hypothetical was true:
        1. They wouldn't (or shouldn't) have sent a confirmation email AND an order being processed email, and
        2. Their cancellation email would have been sent sooner - and would have included some form of apology, which it did not.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/10/2017 - 19:17
      +1

      You are right. Holding on to your money for two weeks and giving you a sob story for an excuse is not acceptable. They're not a mum and dad run business giving out free hotdogs at a stadium. These are faceless businesses when it comes to taking your money, they should be treated like a faceless business when you want you paid for.

      Unfortunately, it isn't worth the pursuit unless you have time to spare, or this excites you. I'll take the financial hit, purchase elsewhere and I'll leave an objective review. I would take my business elsewhere in future (with exception of taking advantage of their loss leaders).

      • hell0 on 24/10/2017 - 23:26

        …ease up, they are the Good Guys.

        • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2017 - 12:32
          +1

          I'll take my business to the "Better Blokes".

  • try2bhelpful on 25/10/2017 - 07:13
    +1

    This is why I prefer bricks and mortar stores with stock. I walk in the door, pick up the product and I have an Australian warranty. I know this is against Ozbargain spirit but I am willing to pay a bit of a premium for this option.

    • hell0 on 25/10/2017 - 12:25

      I also buy from bricks & mortar stores so I get the item right away… then when my eBay item comes I 'return it' to the bricks & mortar store.

      I have heard a few online retailers, that when they run out of stock that a customer has already purchased, will buy it from a B&M store and when their stock comes from the supplier they return that to the retail store. So in effect B&M stores are helping online retailers by holding stock.

      • try2bhelpful on 25/10/2017 - 17:48

        Can’t agree with this tactic, they are going to start charging a restocking fee.

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