MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Curious experience recently that I thought might make for an interesting discussion and I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on this.
Added some quiet expensive items to a virtual basket, think several hundred pounds. The system automatically added a couple of items as free gifts totally around £35.
I then go to the checkout and add the promotional code that the retailer has offered out, pay the bill and wait for the goods to arrive.
Turns out, I've been charged for the free items. Company says they can't offer both the free gifts and the discount in the same basket. Okay, not unreasonable.
However, why not remove the no longer free items from the basket? I didn't choose for them to be there in the first place. As soon as I add items to the basket, these gifts are added automatically but, adding the discount code is the last thing you do before hitting pay.
Feels a bit "bait and switch" but if like to think it's poor site admin rather than a devious sales tactic.
What are your thoughts?
Company says they can't offer both the free gifts and the discount in the same basket
This bit is fair enough if there was a warning before you clicked “buy “. Otherwise very underhand and misleading. I’d be sending the whole lot back on that basis and making them pay for shipping.
There was no warning. Tempted to send it all back, but this bits I put in the basket, I've used. The "free" gifts have not.
If you were charged for the 'free' gifts then just send those back for a refund. Especially if within 14 days.
It has taken me a couple of months to spot this. It was only when I was filing some invoices over Christmas.
I've approached the company and will suggest returning those two items for a refund.
Are you ever likely to use the free gifts? If you are, and haven't noticed the 35 quid loss in a couple of months I'd probably just leave it at a 'well I'm very disappointed e-mail' personally.
Can understand sending them back on principle, just not sure I could be bothered if the things are actually useful.
After a little to-ing and fro-ing, they've come good and said that they'll refund the £35. I've thanked them and reminded them that the discount was applied to that £35 so it should be a bit less. More importantly, they've said they'll sort out the software so it doesn't happen to anyone else.
Sounds like the kind of kind of customer service that should be rewarded by naming the company just in case anyone else wants to buy stuff from them.
After a little to-ing and fro-ing, they've come good and said that they'll refund the £35. I've thanked them and reminded them that the discount was applied to that £35 so it should be a bit less. More importantly, they've said they'll sort out the software so it doesn't happen to anyone else.
That’s a very positive response, and it’s clearly an issue that hadn’t been noticed and now you’ve flagged it, they’re going to amend the situation and software.
Which should be applauded, many companies just can’t be arsed to do anything about it.