UPDATE: having raised my official complaint I’ve found out a lot more about what they’ve done from an actually helpful complaints manager. Firstly, I was told it was the Damage Recovery team, not the branch, who had taken my money and that was the delay in returning it. Well the DR team called me today to and confirmed money was taken by the branch; my friendly, ‘helpful’ manager chap. He’d lied about who had taken the money. It was absolute bunkum.
Also, it turns or that he wasn’t actually the manager as he claimed – he was the assistant manager. The manager was the girl who had repeatedly said she’d pass on the message; all of which were ignored. Again, all bullshi* from enterprise.
The complaint was taken up to area manager level today by the Damage Recovery team who’d been royally dumped on by the branch manager. The result? I’ve just had a phone call to say all the money taken PLUS the deposit would be returned today.
I suspect they’ll still come back with a damage quote, though I think I’m within my rights to ask that they forget that as a goodwill gesture. I’ll wait and see.
Still, another positive step.