poor service

[SadGeezer]

being a Trek fan, i’ve always felt i’ve had to collected the Star Trek Monthly magazine we can get here. i originally collected it from one local shop, and when that closed down, i went to the main newsagents in the village and placed a regular order which i would collect from there, along with a part-work which i’ve been collecting for the other half. now, i tend to have a lousy memory and forget how long sometimes it is since i collected the last Monthly- but generally, i’ve got a pretty good idea. from the start, i’ve had problems. the part-work wouldn’t be in the drawer where items to be collected were kept. the Monthly would be late. i religously went in every week, and asked for the same items only to be told “sorry, they don’t seem to be in yet”. after very nearly losing my temper on several occassions, things seemed to sort themselves out…until July of this year. after a break of several weeks, the now complete part-work began publishing issues again- of which i only got 2. the newsagent claimed that the stockist where they got their supplies from could no longer get the item. i gave them the benefit of the doubt on this one, as i meant when i had time to get a subscription direct from the publishers, if poss. now the fun part- the Monthly. bear in mind what i’ve already said about going into the store every week. we are now into August/September, and by my reckoning, i’ve missed out on 2 issues, which this store should have got in for me. the assistant took my details, and said that they’d ask the manager about what was happening. i said i’d be in at the same time the following week- which i was, only to be told that the manager had said that i’d cancelled my subscription! i’d had this before, with the manager himself actually standing in front of me and saying that i’d cancelled the magazine. biting my lip, i said, as i did before that i wouldn’t continually come into a store and ask for something i’d cancelled (i happen to find what they are suggesting rather insulting, and i’m certainly not stupid).i explained that for me to order back issues directly from the publisher myself would cost me more money, and i didn’t see why i should pay for someone else’s mistakes. the assistant took my details again, and said that she’d get the manager to sort them out and ring me if there were any probs. this was 6 weeks ago. admittedly, i’ve not been into the store as often as i’d like recently because of work, but i know they keep stuff for a while (here’s another thing- i’ve been in in the past and picked up 3-4 issues at once, to be told by the manager that i’d not been in the previous weeks to collect them- which i damn well had been!). i went in yesterday, and was told there was nothing there (again), and the manager turned round and said that i’d not been in, and that they could only keep issue at once.
1)they had my phone number,why wasn’t i contacted?
2)by my reckoning, they still should have had 2 issues kept for me. where were they?
3)had they even bothered looking into getting the back issues?
as i said to them, even when i went in every week, i was continuously being told that my order wasn’t there. they’ve been treating me like an idiot, and that arrogant b*****d of a manager is trying all the time to make out that i’m messing THEM about!!
this has got me sooo wound up..

[ 09-11-2002: Message edited by: snooklepie ]

[Rag]

That is an absolute joke. They really are taking the ****. Personally I would put the metaphorical boot in. If it an independent News Agents, or part of a chain? If it is part of a chain, I’d write a polite but terse letter to the head office detailing the ballsups from start to finish (the more detail and notes on the agrivation that you have suffered the better). Also, write to their suppliers directly, if you can find out who they are, to see if they will substanciate the newsagents claim. Also write to the publishing house expressing how dissatisfied you are with the whole mess, turn on the water works and ask if they can be of any assistance. You never know you may be able to wangle a free subscription or summink.

Oh, if it’s an independent newsagents… um… firebomb the place? No, that’s naughty. Just **** through their letterbox on your way back from the pub each night.

Whatever you do don’t let the b’stards get away with it!!!! And I thought the customer was always right…

[Anonymous]

ummm..not 100% sure, but i think it’s a franchise, part of a chain beginning with ‘F’ (am i allowed to say that???).how would i stand about making a complaint in those sort of circumstances? does anyone know? is Trading Standards worth a shot? i do know who supplies them- they left the sticker on the front of one of my magazines once. a place called CoMag (or something similar!). will try and do a search on that, see if i can find an address (e-mail or otherwise). i was considering STM at their letters page, see if i could get some of my woes in black & white… though if i could e-mail the publishers directly…blag a free subscription….hmmm, what do you think?

[ 11-11-2002: Message edited by: snooklepie ]

[Rag]

I say go for it. Give them as much grief as you can be bothered to dish out. Trading Standards are always good for a shot if you feel that your consumer rights have been infringed. Not sure in this case, as you have just had **** poor service (I say ‘just’…). But you could always write to them to see if they can help. Or try the Citizens Advice Bureau. They’d be able to tell you the best way to make waves. Too many time people with legitimate aggrievances get ignored cos the complaints procedures are too conveluted or indistinct. So when ever I have a complaint that I feel strongly about, I complain long and loud to anyone who will listen (and several who won’t). Twice! If you are lucky you get a result before you get bored.

[Author]

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