2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Bramble]

I checked online this morning to make sure that B&Q had hardwood chips in stock (want some more for my eglu run). According to the website, they definitely had them in stock. So I drove 25 miles to the nearest B&Q that stocks them and yes, they did have them in stock, but all the bags were on a pallett on a shelf about 6ft above the ground. I went to ask if someone could help me get some down, but was told no, sorry, they can only be brought down by forklift (they need to move the whole pallett, not just bag by bag) and they can't do that on a Saturday 'cos of "health and safety". I was told they'd get them moved down overnight and I can go and pick some up tomorrow. I explained that I'd made a 50 mile round trip to buy the chips and nothing else, having first checked they had them in stock, only to find I can't buy any, so wouldn't be doing the same again tomorrow. I went to a nearer branch on the way home and bought some soft wood chips, though don't think they will be as good. So cross, what a waste of time and petrol.

[Egluntyne]

How irritating. I'd be dashing off a letter of complaint.

[Charlottechicken]

that's really naughty of them

 

You should complain, although I wouldn't hold my breath. I emailed them about their woodburners, they now have them for sale in a brochure, but none are exempt appliances, so not suitable for smokeless areas. Nowhere in the brochure was there any information about the woodburners being unsuitable for a smokeless area. I asked them to update their info explaining to customers about smokeless areas several weeks ago, but have never had a reply.

Edited September 11, 2010 by Guest

[Bramble]

I have just emailed them asking them to amend the website to say "yes, we have got hardwood chip in stock, but no, you can't actually buy any". I suppose it's a cautionary tale, "in stock" doesn't necessarily mean "available to buy"!! OOOOOh Im SOOOOOOOO CROSSSSSSSSSSSSSss, what a waste of part of my very precious weekend .

[chicken bark]

I've just complained to B&Q. I ordered something using the collect and reserve system only to arrive and them not have it in stock.

 

In store they didn't even apologise for my 40 mile round trip. The picker had only just picked up the note to reserve the item for me (at 10am) and yet the item was supposed to be able to collect from 7am. I was furious and spoke to the manager.

 

I then emailed a complaint. The reply needless to say is a waste of space 'Thank you for bringing this to our attention...blah blah'. They even hoped I would shop with them in the future.

 

I suspect it is poorly paid, hard working, sometimes poorly educated staff that are expected to jump unrealistic hoops by management.

 

I just don't like it when a company brags about a system and then doesn't operate it properly. It is lying in my book.

 

Sorry for the rant.

[Cinnamon]

Don't phone

Don't email

Don't write to the store.............................write to head office.

 

THAT is they only way your complaint will get heard,& you will be properly compensated,as you should be.

[The Dogmother]

I agree, had a similar run in with our local B&Q myself - they are a total shower

[the bradley bunch]

I just don't like it when a company brags about a system and then doesn't operate it properly. It is lying in my book.

 

yep, i 100% agree with that. don't even get me started on there apparent 'price promise' thingy...last time we went there we ended up just walking out & leaving our shopping trolley at the checkout we were so fuming not just at the broken price promise, but at the utterly riduculous level of customer service we were dealt with

[Mercedes55]

We've had some bad experiences with B&Q too. A few months ago we went to our local one to get some packs of hardwood flooring. There was only one damaged pack on the shop floor so we sought out an assistant who checked on the system and told us that he couldn't order us any as their computer was showing they had 60 pallets of it stock, even though they weren't able to find it. A few phones to other local branches and it was the same, all had stock showing on their system, but it didn't seem to exist. The stupid thing was that even though they knew they didn't actually have any stock, because the computer said they did they weren't able to order any up, talk about a stupid system.

 

We also had an argument with them at Christmas when our 1yr old pre lit tree failed to work. We took it back to B&Q but they refused to do anything about it as we didn't have the receipt to prove it was from there, despite it being in a B&Q box and quite obviously bought from there.

 

A lot of people shop in B&Q because they assume they are cheaper than other places, which we've also found to be not the case. We recently wanted to buy one of those hosepipes that rewinds itself and it was about £30 cheaper from Amazon

[chicken bark]

Just to rub salt into my wounds they have emailed me today asking for my opinion on the product I bought. There are a few links to follow but typically not one that says 'you reserved it and we couldn't be bothered to meet our side of the deal'.

[Bramble]

I am going up to Brum on Friday night and there's a humungous B&Q on my way so will call in as Im passing to see if they have the hardwood chips. I'll buy some if they've got them (only 'cos I can't get them anywhere else) but won't go out of my way to go to B&Q again. Im still really cross, I've written to them (which I wouldn't normally do), but I'm really angry to have wasted so much of my precious weekend for absolutely nothing.

Don't suppose anyone knows of anywhere else we can get hardwood chips from, they seem so much better than the soft wood ones, but seem to be unique to B&Q?

[Mercedes55]

I know you can get them delivered from Flytes as I was going to get them from there myself. However the delivery charge is quite high. If you go to their website they are under the Optional Extras I think, but they are £9.19 for a 70ltr bag which seems quite pricey

[Bramble]

I know you can get them delivered from Flytes as I was going to get them from there myself. However the delivery charge is quite high. If you go to their website they are under the Optional Extras I think, but they are £9.19 for a 70ltr bag which seems quite pricey

 

THank you, I will definitely look into that, they do seem quite pricey when compared to the B&Q ones BUT probably not if B&Q are going to mess me around like they did at the weekend, it might be cheaper to just order a "job lot" from Flytes ...