Don’t buy from Comet
SUMMARY:
1. Comet thinks it’s cheaper to screw their customers and keep their money;
2. Consumer rights are civil rights, and can be costly to enforce;
3. Flatscreen TV’s have inherent faults the electronics and retail industry refuse to accept responsibility for.
Comet Electrical Store: abuse of consumer protections
You’d think that a big high street chain store like Comet would respect consumer rights – but, from experience they appear to have a policy that says that once a purchase has been made, they will do everything they can to keep that money, even if they may be breaking the law in doing so.
In April this year I made the big mistake of spending over £1900 on a home entertainment system from Comet, which comprised a flatscreen LG PX11 42″ plasma TV and Pioneer DVD/CD player and speaker system.
The system was very much recommended by the salesman, but:
-
1. The TV and DVD unit weren’t even compatible
2. The flatscreen TV was inherently faulty
3. The salesman used higher range models to infer the quality of the purchase
The issue of compatibility should never have arisen – after making a specific recommendation on two products, it later turned out that the DVD player was missing a component connection, which is neceassary for proper compability with plasma TV’s.
This was a basic mis-selling error on Comet’s part.
Although Comet’s managing director, Simon Fox, clearly stated in writing that it “was not their intention to sell you items that were not fully compatible†the fact of the matter is intention or not, they did.
However, as the store manager of the Stirling, Spingkerse Park branch, Martin Higgins made clear, they would not accept responsibility on this issue because it would “cost him money”.
Flatscreen TV’s: problems, errors, and faults
Additionally, the LG plasma TV had serious faults that Comet were well aware of, but will not inform customers about. This includes:
1. Poor quality picture due to solarisation
2. Sound and vision not even in sync on DVD and satellite TV playback
Apparently, these issues are common in the entire flatscreen TV market, and both plasma TV’s and LCD TV’s, and especially reported on the LG model.
In fact, the technical support at Comet refused to regard this as a problem, but the Comet engineer provided a fact sheet about the known problems inherent with many Plasma and LCD TV’s.
However, Comet’s position is that so long as the product is to manufacturer’s specifications, they can sell them without informing the customer that they are buying a second-rate and effectively faulty product. That’s a good customer care policy, isn’t it?
I certainly didn’t spend £1900 on a piece of junk that can’t even play a film picture in sync with its soundtrack, due to internal processor errors in the TV.
As for the sales process itself – the salesman made every effort to show how the plasma TV would function and perform, by using higher range models where these problems are not so much an issue. I was specifically lead to believe that the model I bought would perform as well as the other models. I was shown a range of Porches and then sold a Robin Reliant.
As Comet have their head office in Hull - my original home town - I actually know people who work there. One told me that Comet use the fact that a single TV aerial is shared across all the display TV’s, as an excuse in sales to claim that TV’s with actual picture quality problems is entirely due to the aerial, not the TV itself.
Comet’s abuse of consumer rights
Even though issues of compatability, faults, and mis-selling are against consumer rights, Comet’s position was that it would be in their interests for them to keep the money until such time as made untenable to do so.
In fact, the store manager of the Stirling, Spingkerse Park branch, Martin Higgins, told me outright that they would not issue a refund on the grounds that I would simply “spend the money elsewhere”.
This is a pretty astonishing statement to make, and was made in a generally aggressive phone call, in which it was insisted that Comet had my £1900, therefore it was up to me alone to try and get that back - Comet were happy holding on to my cash because they thought it would cost them less to do so.
It’s also worth pointing out that the only way to get it back was via a complex, protracted, and very expensive process of filing a legal claim for that size amount.
This is because consumer rights are NOT protected under criminal law but civil law – to uphold rights under civil law, a complainant has to expect to spend thousands of pounds to engage in legal proceedings that can last years.
Comet seem to feel that this process should be intimidating enough to most consumers. And it absolutely is, especially when you know it would be you alone against a million-pound corporate giant.
Comet - end of story
I approached Trading Standards, who informed me that most of the battle was even getting a company to offer any kind of concession.
Comet wouldn’t offer a refund without a fight, but finally agreed to an exchange of goods.
It was recommended that so long as Comet had been clever and offered at least a basic concession, then Trading Standards would be unlikely to take matters further.
Additionally, the specifics of this case covered entered grey areas.
For example, compatibility issues were clearly a matter of consumer rights, but specifically as part of a “package”. Would being recommended to buy the TV and DVD player constitute a “package” in legal terms? Trading Standards were uncertain.
Also, if I were to argue that the TV was faulty, I could find myself going up against LG as well - in fact, the entire flatscreen TV industry itself - in order to argue the point that the problems of flatscreen TV’s were unacceptable faults under consumer law.
On top of all that, I would not be able to prove that the salesman mis-led me in the sales process, because it would be effectively my word against his, with no witnesses.
All things accounted for, if I wanted a refund as I felt entitled to, I would almost certainly face a very long-term and very expensive legal challenge that could pit myself as an individual agaisnt the giants of the electronics manufacturing and retail industries.
Having a relatively new and vulnerable business, and having just moved, I didn’t feel particularly attracted to that prospect. Besides, my girlfriend begged me not to.
After more than 8 weeks of the initial purchase, I finally decided to accept Comet’s offer of an exchange.
As a result, Comet have lost a customer for life.
Additionally, as promised to Simon Fox, the managing director of Comet, I am holding the company up for public scrutiny.
NOTE: It was unfortunate that I paid by debit card, not Credit Card - if I had paid with a Credit Card I would have enjoyed much better protections, provided for by the Credit Card company itself. I now pay for all major purchases by Credit Card, simply for the extra layer of consumer protections.
REFERENCES:
According to the Sales of Goods Act (1979):
- Wherever goods are bought they must “conform to contract”. This means they must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality (i.e. not inherently faulty at the time of sale).
- Goods are of satisfactory quality if they reach the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account the price and any description.
- Aspects of quality include fitness for purpose, freedom from minor defects, appearance and finish, durability and safety.
- It is the seller, not the manufacturer, who is responsible if goods do not conform to contract.
- If goods do not conform to contract at the time of sale, purchasers can request their money back “within a reasonable time”. (This is not defined and will depend on circumstances)
Trading Standards clearly identify that a breach of these circumstances should result in the offer of a full refund for the consumer.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you buy goods on a credit card, the credit card company will fight the issue for you if you pursue a refund.
2. Problems with flatscreen TV’s: lip-synch and solarisation
Flatscreen TV’s can have serious problems with serious loss of picture quality - and also with the TV picture and sound being out of sync, a process referred to as lip-synch problems.
Comet are aware of this problem - in fact, their engineer provided me with a photocopy of a short piece used to justify why customers who paid a couple of thousand for a home entertainment system should expect worse quality than from cheaper CRT TV systems.
An exact copy of the text on problems with flatscreen TV’s, as provided by the Comet engineer:
What does it all mean?
With the new digital televisions and improved video processing it is becoming more frequent to have fixed delays in video that make the audio appear to be ahead of the picture by as much as 4 frames (133.3ms).
This is not to be confused with inherent delay problems coming from the cable or satellite company’s transmissions (which can only compound the problem).
In additional to this, some digital technlogies, like direct view LCD televisions already have inherent delays of as much as 15-20 milliseconds, prior to any video processing.
Some plamas screens even need to put data into internal memory before displaying picture, which can result in 20-60 milliseconds of delay.
Compounding this problem even further is the potential for varying delay times associated with what scaling or deinterlacing function of video processing are enaged at any particular time (switching from 480p to 1080i inputs for example).
Mid-priced and higher-end displays already come with audio delay circuitry built in to match the audio and video signals and prevent lip sync.
Unfortunately, many lower-end models do not, and even the higher end units do not account for the problems that occur when you route audio through a home theatre processor or receiver.
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My sympathies Brian
I had a similar experience last year, which involved moving house and my wife decided to purchase a new dual fuel oven + splashbacks + hood…, a washing machine, dishwasher… Ok got the picture – several thousand spent with one high street vendor Comet!
We lost the receipt for telephone system and washing machine, after a phone call (waste of space) and a conversation with a very nice salesperson inside I managed to get a like-for-like exchange. However, I was unable to get anywhere with the washing machine.
A friend of mine however, has the solution, well it’s kind of a solution, in the same situation he buys the same model, waits a week and then gets them to pickup and refund the old item! Ok so it’s not perfect but he always has new appliances he’s not crooked (well) but he’s just lost it with large corps as most of us have!
Comment by richardb — September 4, 2005 @ 9:24 am
[...] Comet, of course, are famous for poor customer care, and worse still, mis-selling to customers and refusing to offer refunds on defective items - because it would “cost them money”. [...]
Pingback by Platinax News » Dixons loses name to poor Comet — April 5, 2006 @ 5:29 pm
[...] It’s simply unfortunate that too many of the bigger corporations aren’t doing this - I’d love to have representatives from companies such as British Telecom and Comet address my own severely poor customer experiences. [...]
Pingback by Brian’s Business Blog » When companies listen to the internet — October 18, 2006 @ 9:40 pm
[...] Re: Money and Misleading Advetising Also worth bearing in mind consumer rights - I got burned by Comet a while back, and had to really look into this: Brian’s Business Blog » Don’t buy from Comet I don’t plan to get burned like this again. [...]
Pingback by Money and Misleading Advetising - Finance Market messageboards — November 8, 2006 @ 3:37 pm
With regards to your specific problem, i guess the argument is that you should have researched your product before you buy. I have to say though, you’re spot on about customer service. it’s beyond a joke. it’s a case of we’ve got your money, and we’re keeping it. I’ve got a 3 year old cinema kit that just started to play up in June. No worries i thought, i’ve bought a 5 year warranty. Been 5 months and 3 attempts at repair. no joy. Finally made a bit of a scene in store, and the manager jumped and acted. As soon as it was out of his hands, the same slow, and resistant methods have been used, includeing failure to return calls, call when promised, and fulfil the verbal agreement we made. Totally p*****d off. Still waiting.
Comment by Justin Allsop — November 10, 2006 @ 6:36 pm
Genuinely sorry to hear about your experiences, Justin - I can only hope that you get the issues sorted out.
Did you buy with Credit Card by any chance? May be some protections built into that.
Comment by Brian Turner — November 10, 2006 @ 6:46 pm
I used to work for Comet for a couple of years. I agree the company are not great at customer service. Neither are they good at the way they treat their staff. Their policy is that staff get to work 20 minutes before their shift and leave 20 minutes after (without extra pay - that’s 40 minutes each day extra). How they became the second largest electrical retail chain around is anyone’s guess. Their policy on selling insurance on their products also beggars belief. They want you to force sale of insurance on the customer. If you don’t get enough sales of insurance, then you loose your job. This includes selling a fifty quid insurance policy on a 8 quid toaster or kettle. Insane. I would never insure a 8 quid item with a 50 quid policy. How could I expect my customers to do the same? Seriously, you are better off shopping for these items at Argos, Tescos or Currys. And like this article states always use your credit card (not debit card or cash) when buying for ANY retailer.
Comment by Robert — December 22, 2006 @ 9:09 pm
Sorry to hear about your experiences, Robert - I noticed on Wikipedia there were actually a number of complaints from staff (or ex-staff) which were subsequently removed from the entry.
I can certainly say I’ll never buy from Comet again, and only hope that anyone who does so, takes great care in how they do so - paying by credit card, as you mentioned.
Comment by Brian Turner — December 22, 2006 @ 9:17 pm
I am an employee of comet and I am quite surprised about the number of complaints from people. A component connection is NOT required for full compatability with a flatscreen television. Secondly, the fact a CRT gives a ‘better’ picture than an LCD or Plasma does not make flatscreens faulty. It’s like saying that a 1ltr Skoda is ‘faulty’ because it won’t do 200mph like an Aston Martin. Thirdly, it’s true that a single aerial split into sixty-plus co-axs results in picture loss. Sorry, but it is true. Fourth, I cannot understand why Mr Higgins (the manager you mentioned) would say or act on such a thing, but if this is indeed true, I hoped you acted on it in an appropiate way. It is in NO WAY reflective of Comet’s high standards.
Thank you for your time in reading such a long response (if you have got this far.) I hope this makes you realise that Comet have not acted inappropiately (apart from the alleged comments made by Mr Higgins.)
Yours,
Jim
Comment by Jim — December 28, 2006 @ 11:29 pm
Hi Jim -
Thanks for the response:
1. I can’t remember the exact socket type used on the Plasma TV, but it was recommended by LG that for proper picture quality this was required.
However, the Comet salesman had recommended a DVD/music centre to go with it that had no output to connect with this.
Therefore both products were not properly compatible. But these had been implicitly recommended by the salesperson.
2. Comparison with CRT is simply that flatscreen TV’s have known issues with lypsync and solarisation issues. Both significantly reduce the viewing experience with the Plasma TV model in question.
The Comet branch manager, Martin Higgins, denied any such issues existed. The customer support line and Comet’s repairman both were very aware of the issues and had documentation on it.
Calling lypsync and solarisation acceptable I don’t believe is at all acceptable. Manufacturer specifications or not, they give all the consumer experience of faults.
4. On point 4, this is indeed how the Comet store manager behaved, even after I had contacted the head office in writing. Therefore I have little option but to perceive this as both a typical and low standard of customer care from Comet.
Overall, I think I’ve made in plain in all of the above that my perception is that Comet certainly did act inappropriately.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I had just moved house and needed to focus on maintaining a young internet business, I should certainly have considered taking the matter further.
I went through Comet’s customer care and management channels, and the bottom line - so eloquently put by Martin Higgins, is that he had my cash and that was that.
Comment by Brian Turner — December 29, 2006 @ 9:38 am
Just before Christmas I bought a Toshiba 20in LCD TV from John Lewis for £450, unaware of the lip sync problem. After a few days I found this really annoying and returned the TV to the store, where they tested it in front of me and concluded that it was faulty.
They offered me either a replacement or refund with no problems. I said a replacement was preferable, but I wanted to see it working before taking it away. They agreed to this again with no problem.
On testing this second one, they told me that it also was not acceptable, but that although they had 38 more in stock, they could not say if any other of them would be better. In the circumstances I accepted the offered refund.
Obviously it is possible that on occasion you -may- pay a little more at JLewis, but the comparison with the experiences at Comet is stark.
They had many other similar sized LCD TVs on the shelf outside, but as is usual the sound is always turned down, (otherwise the racket would be unbearable). I turned up the sound on each of these in turn, but in -every- case even those costing £600, there was evidence of the lip sync problem. Although some were better than others, once you have noticed the problem you get to look for it and cannot enjoy the viewing experience.
I have decided to do without a TV in that room until the manufacturers realise that customers will not put up with an expensive sub-standard product!
Comment by David Ludbrook — December 30, 2006 @ 3:15 pm
What a load of tripe!!!
you sir are a complete idiot!
Comment by Adam — January 30, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
[...] Re: How many credit cards do I need? UK consumer protections via credit cards are actually pretty good - buy with a debit card, and you’re screwed if there’s a problem. However, if you pay for goods on a credit card and something goes wrong - product/services aren’t delivered, are broken, or not what was ordered - then the credit card company will chase it up for you, because at the end of the day it’s their money. I had real problems with Comet about two years ago - a big UK electrical goods supplier: Brian’s Business Blog Don’t buy from Comet Since then, I only buy groceries with a debit card - everything else on the credit card. Now that my girlfriend has started using the internet and shopping online, I’m pushing her to get a credit card for the same reason - any internet sale goes wrong, the credit card company will ensure she doesn’t lose out. 2c. [...]
Pingback by How many credit cards do I need? - The Finance Forums — February 16, 2007 @ 9:39 am
I worked at Comet for 2 years until jan ‘06, and I’ve got to agree with pretty much everything said in the original post.
We sold products based on their commission code. If it wasn’t the best thing for the job, tough. Unless it breaks down, you ain’t getting a refund. Money rules supreme.
I was actually quite lucky in that my managers hated the system as much as me. We were given actual training, and most of us tried to sell the right products for the customer. After all, it made our £4.56ph a little more worthwhile.
Eventually head office replaced the managers and things went tits up. I ended up having a nervous breakdown after a customer started stalking me and walked out one sunny afternoon, never to return.
It was the Kidderminster store by the way. Andy Burns is a tit.
Comment by D. Highmore — March 5, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
Dont you think its up to yourselves to actually know what you’re buying??? If you’re stupid enough to let a salesperson tell you what to buy then you deserve all you get. All im hearing here are the whingings of idiots
Comment by Steve — March 23, 2007 @ 10:12 am
If salesperson recommends a customer buy products to work together, that are:
1. Incompatible
2. Inherently flawed
then I figure that’s a potential case of miselling.
If you think that companies such as Comet are allowed to misell products then that is an opinion I’m simply not going to share.
Comment by Brian Turner — March 23, 2007 @ 10:33 am
we bought a hoover from comet in yeovil i had to take it bk after 4 months as the bottom bar broke off was given another in replace after a while in the shop but hence on the 13th of july i had to return to the shop with the same thing the bottom had droped off got to the shop met by a sales mad who was at the counter doing five things at once to be told sorry ill have to carry on with thsese as we talk ok we thought told him wot had gone wrong AGAIN he tried to phone customer services but it was closed for the weekend so i hvae to wait till monday for a ref nim so they can exchange it well that was he said we may be able to borrow a hover for the weekend so he called his manager but in the mean time i was confronted bty a dim wit of a sales man to tell me if i want to get it replaced it is my job to call up and get a ref num my reply to him was i dont think so when he began to argue with me infront of his manager to my reply to the manager is do you let your staff talk to customers like this he said i have not a clue wot is going on wot a joke the dum wit was made to go to the other side of the shop ha ha to deal with other poor customers on his way past he told me if i was seen in the street he was going to do me i could not belive the reaction of his boss he did nothing only went out the bk to return with a hoove i was suppose to borrow for a few days the state was terribel it was full up with crap and dirty i was discusted so left walking out with my broked hoover and i intend to take this matter to the top papers even i have worked as a shop ass for many years i was trained never ever upset a customer they are alweays right while in the shop i th9ink commet should go on a full course of how to deal with customers when things go wrond not just be all nice and sweet when they want momey i sware i have not finished with this matter in along way
Comment by mrs coles — July 14, 2007 @ 9:49 am
serves you right, it is a totally unecessary load of energy guzzling rubbish, that just strokes your ego. A CRT does everything better, from colour definition, ‘lip synch’ and energy conservation.
It is a devine lesson, I hope that big screen TVs never work, they just hasten the end of the world so you can show off to your friends.
Comment by fred — August 19, 2007 @ 7:48 pm
Fred, you are quite mistaken. Although a lot of older LCDs did have a problem with lip synching, but the truth is that 99% of the major brands (Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba) have eliminated these problems, especially when it comes to Plasma. LCDs are still a little slow in the refresh rate department (5 miliseconds) whereas many plasmas now have this down to 0.8 miliseconds - much better than a CRT, and the colour definition is much much better.
Brian, don’t listen to that idiot that worked at Comet. Yes you are correct in saying Component cables would give you much better connectivity, as along with DVI and HDMI cables all transmit at a high definition quality, giving you a big difference in picture quality.
I’ve worked at currys for 6 months part time, (now left for university) and with no bias, would reccommend it over Comet stores - as long as you get a salesperson that knows what they are talking about. I’m not sure about comet, but currys abolished commission quite a while ago (before i started with the company) and are now starting a new bonus scheme based on how hard an employee works, including initiative, customer service and the upkeep of store standards which should see the quality of these stores improve.
What does this mean? The people who don’t know what they are talking about about will end up leaving and currys will end up with good staff on good wages that actually work hard. I don’t even get my 10% discount anymore but I will still shop in currys over comet in the future!
Comment by John — September 13, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
I have also had a really bad experience purchasing goods from comet. They are so happy to take your money (For faulty goods they’ve sold) but when it comes to customer care they are USELSS!!!
I bought a camera from them about 2 years ago didn’t use it for a long time. When i did use it it did not punction like it should have done. did not hold it’s charge, lines on screen…I took it back, they sent it for repairs, and when it came back it was not any better. I took it back again, they sent it off and i didn’t hear anything back from them for about 2 months. I chased them up loads of times and often eventually got to a person who would conveniently cut the line it seemed. Then despite speaking to several people on the shop floor (over the phone) who said they’d handle my querie, each time I called no-one knew what I was talking about. This was extremely annoying as you can imagine!! And as if all that weren’t bad, I needed my camera for a holiday i was going on. When i mentioned this to one of the guys he said, ‘Well, there isn’t anything we can do about that unfortunately. If it was something important like a washing machine we could have perhaps given you a replacement so long.’ yip. that’s what i was told!!
Eventually, after a helluva lot of fuss and wasted time, they swopped my camera for a different make and model. and…about 1 month after having that one…it’s been taken back in because it isn’t charging. I took it in 3 weeks ago and have not so much as had a phone call back from them yet!
If you’re thinking of buying from comet; THINK AGAIN!!
Comment by Charlene Abdul — October 1, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
Just like to point out Currys are just as bad
Brought a hotpoint washing machine from them with 5 year cover, wouldn’t wash clothes properly from day one phoned there customer services on many occasions to ask for a replacement or even an upgrade which we were quite happy to pay extra for even sent letter to head office, same reply every time will send out engineer who plugged in laptop and said computer says its ok. the last one advised me to sell the machine on and buy a bosch.
Comment by Daron — November 8, 2007 @ 9:38 pm
[...] Re: Out of Sink Both LCD and Plasma TV’s can suffer lip synch issues as a natural construction of their design. It’s unfortunate, it’s annoying, and it’s disgraceful that retailers expressly avoid mentioning such issues before a sale - but it’s something that can often happen because of the TV itself. It’s possible that maybe there is a Freeview issue, but it’s worth being aware that it could be the TV itself: Don’t buy from Comet [...]
Pingback by Out of Sink - Techwatch: Satellite TV forums, FTA, Cable, Hardware, & Tech forums — November 9, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
Can’t believe I was stooopid enough to buy from Comet, it’s a mistake I’ll never make again. Bought a vacuum cleaner which when i took it home and read in the manual that it didn’t work on wooden floors, which i have throughout my home, i tried to return it for a refund. no such luck. They charged me another £80 for a suitable vacuum cleaner and a restocking fee on the original product. So it was a double shaft (without grease). No where on the display models had it said not suitable for wooden floors, and the manager at kilner way, took great delight in ensuring telling me it was my fault and making sure I knew that I’d been screwed. I can accept I’d made a mistake but for someone to take pleasure in rubbing my nose in it makes me wonder exactly where we are in the evolutionary process. I hope Comet use my £229 wisely as it’s the last money they’ll ever get from me.
Comment by Sara WG — November 12, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
Whilst I agree with some of what you have said, It is complete nonsense to suggest that you were sold incompatible products because you were sold a DVD player without component output. Your LG set will doubtless have a scart socket and so too will your DVD player. It is highly likely that you, like myself and most others, would be unable to see the difference in picture quality were a scart cable of sufficient quality to be used.
Surely then if both DVD player and television have scart sockets, then by definition they must BE compatible. I have recently qualified with an LLB in Scots law and in Scotland we are subject to the same Sale of Goods Act statutory provisions as England. There is very little chance had you taken this to litigation any judge would have found favour with this argument.
Component output is not even present on a large number of DVD players and is by no means a requirement when connecting to a LCD or plasma set. Whilst it may provide better picture quality - clearly it will only do so in cases were the DVD player has the appropriate sockets. The decision then rests on the buyer as to which he or she will buy. Both are compatible though.
I am not surprised the manager lost patience with you, if this is the line of argument you used with him. It is this kind of pedantic nonsense I sadly had to grow used to when working in a Comet store in Edinburgh as a student.
Comment by John Stevens — November 19, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
Certainly true to a point, but the manufacturer specifically recommending a connection type missing from the package, which means they were not properly compatible according to manufacturer specifications.
Then if Comet ever sold you a TV in the full knowledge that the picture and sound would be completely out of sync on normal playback, I’m sure you would become just another of those “pedantic nonsense” customers bleating about your mis-sold £2k that Comet seem used to brushing off.
Comment by Brian Turner — November 22, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
[...] once had an issue with a HD TV bought from a Comet store - ironically, I would have been far better protected if I had purchased online [...]
Pingback by How to complain — December 12, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
Obviously you had a bad experience at Comet. I work at a Comet store and we uphold high standards and good customer services - it is disappointing that some don’t.
Someone above spoke about commission on certain products, Comet has totally abolished commission (although overall targets etc are still in place). Unlike Currys, Comet staff don’t get money for selling warrenties.
Before I worked at Comet I had bad experiences at Currys, and loads of my friends have. However, our Comet store is one of the best in the country, and I guess the Currys stores in the area are not so good.
All shops have their bad branches and bad people.
Comment by Rachael — December 19, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
I think it’s fair to say that Comet have reviewed their customer sales policy over the past couple of years - but even still, they’ve lost a customer here for life.
What’s really sad for Comet is that when faced with short-term gain over long-term losses, they chose the short-term route.
2c.
Comment by Brian Turner — December 22, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
hi i bought a lg tv from comet the teletext always used to get stuck and you could not moveit therefor you could not change the channels,it keeps turning itself on and off when it feels like it,they fixed it apparently!!! sent it back after 2 months cause they were waiting for parts refused to et me have a replacement A week later tv turned itself off again comet have had it since 19th nov 2007 &were going to fix it as a priority needless to say that did not happen got back 23rd dec did not accept it because it was scratched and dented so they launched an investigation thats taken 2 weeks and guess what they are denying liability surprise hey! still has not been sorted out the worst company i have ever dealt with because they all pass the buck i will not give in though any ideas anyone i am ready for a fight with this so called company?
Comment by gail — January 10, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
COMET LETS US DOWN AGAIN!!!!!!!!
I had the most wonderful experience today with Comet. I say wonderful because I staged a one man sit in directly in front of their cash desk until they got fed up of me, sitting there, very quietly, waiting for a cash refund of £254.14. Let me now give you the history.
I visited Comet’s in Eastcote and purchased a washing machine which I paid for in cash. The payment included installation and removal of the old machine.
When the delivey men turned up and disconnected my old machine, they decided that they could not install the new machine because it was an extended connection. In case you dont know, an extended connection is an additional hose connected to the machine and to the waste pipe. This is very common in most households. Bear in mind that they had to take the extended hose off the old machine. It simply screws off.
I told them that as i had paid for installation, if it could not be installed, it should be taken back. After all, when I paid the installation price in the store, I was neither asked nor told anything about extended hoses. I asked about a refund and was told to contact the store.
I then went to the customer service desk at the Eastcote store where I had made my purchase. A very obnoxious female person took my receipt after listening to my problem and proceeded to call someone who I think was the manager on the phone. During her conversation, she kept referring to me as ‘She’ untilk eventually i told her that my name was printed quite clearly on the ticket…..
After finishing her conversation, she then told me that i would be entitled to a refund but i would have to take a cheque because there was not enough money in the till to pay me! or, I could come back at closing time, it was about 4:20 by this time. I told her that the problem could be resolved simply, the delivery men worked until 6:00pm and I know they had just left my area so could not be far off, she could call them and tell them to deliver the machine and connect it as that was what I had paid for, or she could give me my money right now, in cash as i had given them. Again she told me there was insufficient money in the till.
I then told her, ok, no problem, i will wait by the cash desk until I see £250+ going in and she can then pay me, she did not respond.
I made my way over to the cash desk and sat down on the floor in a convenient space allowing me to see the cash desk.
For about 21 mins, I was totally ignored and this suited me fine, as I had gone pass talking……eventually, I heard the manager asking how much was in the till, the cashier replied £13……. he then said….OH!!!!!I forgot, we have money in the safe, let me get the money from the safe. All this time, I sat on the floor not saying one word…..I was not even looking in their direction.
Once he had been thhrough the great show of calling over the tannoy for someone to come to the front desk… iheard him saying it is safety precaution that no one goes to the safe alone… as if i was bothered. I think the show was all for me, but all i was interested in was getting my hard earned cash back.
He then called me to the cash desk, asked me ffor my receipt, counted out the correct money … all £254.14 of it, I thanked him and left the store. GUYS, SOMETIMES THE SILENT TREATMENT WORKS!!!!Can you imagine telling someone that a highstreet store does not have over £250 in the till or in a safe somewhere…..COMET……..we were not all born yesterday….and yes you have lost another customer for life.
Comment by Mrs Klein — January 30, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
i never NOW buy from comet ,there the most upleasant high street chain ,they used to be extremly good at customer care but that was years ago!!!
i bought a lcd tv a while back and took it back due to the ridiculous speaker sound , took it back hours after buying , they wouldnt take it back as it was opened , i thought nice cutomer care
maybe that why ythere now closing stores ,
had too hook up tv to sound system as sound was way too bad !!
Comment by vmr edinburgh — February 13, 2008 @ 5:34 pm
Re buying protection when buying with a Credit Card rather that a Debit Card or cash; would this apply if buying a Comet product with a Comet Credit card?!!
Comment by Paula P. — February 15, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
hi there i have purchased an LG steam washing machine from the company that has no customer service or otherwise known as Comets.
We have only had this for six months and have been told that as we have moved to Ireland we no longer have any type of warranty and if we want any work doing we must bring it back to mainland UK, at our expense, what an absolute joke wish i had bought it from J Lewis after all £900.00 on a washing machine, i was expecting this to last longer, we are now in the process of looking at throwing this one away and having to get a Miele or something similar.
Perhaps we all need to look very closely at where our next white goods are purchased from and march out of comets with our wallets intact
Comment by monkeyandminx — February 18, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
Comet is the worst, they recently told me when I asked them what they where going to do about about the HD-DVD abandonment by Toshiba. Will they get free upgrades or refunds or even continue to support it.
“No..” they said “its not our problem why should we…. I really dont care anyway”
Comment by Ben Rattigan — February 20, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
I am a shareholder in Kesa and suspect that low divivends are due to careless employees.
Some months ago I bought two hp computers a laptop and a decktop. I have been trying since purchase to use these machines, The laptop started off Ok but recently it has become subject to problems which seem to be widespread. My decktop has been with the Comet Branch in Cogan St Glasgow most of the time. I am told that a disk is needed to restore the machine,
I am now having to use an old machine because I am unbable to get on the Internet with either of the machinbes I purchased.
Would you please note that I asked the branch superviser to replace or refund my money around the time of purchase but this was refused on the grounds that I had opened the box. The only way to find out iof something is faulty is to open the box and try iot out????
Would youp;lease arrange for a refund on the deckptop and a replacement for the ;laptop.
Yours ssincerely
a disappointed shareholder
Alexander Black
4 Rockburn Drive
Clarkston
Glasgow G76 7PE
Comment by Alex Black — March 22, 2008 @ 11:55 am
i will never buy from comet again.
i bought a playstation 3 on the last bank holiday, they gave me 2 extra games with it, which were crap. the advisor told me to trade them in if u dont like them because its like your getting them free anyways.
now my purchase has a fault and they will not refund/exchange unless i have the extra games that come with it that one of thier staff told me to trade in.
the the clanger in the pipe was when i said if i get hold of them 2 games will you give me full refund then, they said ” well if the games have been opened we will have to deduct 10% of each of them because thier seal is broken.
i will never go there again.
Comment by Asif — April 15, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
Asif:
Since the games are free, if they deduct 10% it shouldn’t make a difference. If they weren’t really free but you were charged for them, complain to the manager.
Comment by Rachael — April 23, 2008 @ 11:56 pm
I have just had a very bad experience with Comet customer service and managers, engineers and store managers.
I am looking to get as many people behind me as possble as I want to take this to the BBC Watchdog and the press, through out the UK, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
If you all would get behind me this would be a great start.
Please email me with your stories and the expereince that you have had, so that I can pass as much as I can on to the press and BBC Watchdog.
You can email me to sharkey2024@hotmail.com
I really hope that you can get behind me on this.
Stephen
Comment by Stephen Sharkey — October 8, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
I have had two horrendous experiences with Comet. The first involved me buying a fridge freezer, which went wrong shortly after we bought it. Comet messed around with us, refusing to replace it and continuing to send ‘engineers’ to ‘repair’ it. Eventually after months they agreed to give us a ‘credit card’ and refused totally to give us out money back.
We replaced the fridge freezer with separate fridge and freezer from ‘John Lewis’ (excellent service)and then decided to replace our old Cannon cooker with a new one using the ‘Comet credit card’ once our kitchen was updated. About a month ago (mid November 2008) I was cleaning the bottom inner glass oven door and lifted the glass up slightly. It slipped and fell back down with such force that it broke both the two bottom plastic housings and fell onto the towel I had luckily placed on the floor. I phoned Comet headquarters in Hull straight away as this tie I had taken out their so called ‘extended warranty’ (the cooker had been delivered on 09.09.2007). I explained the model number and exactly which parts were needed and that once they arrived an engineer would need to call to fix the door. I have rung on several occasions - at least once a week since. On December 2nd 2008 I was told that the engineer had been out and fixed it. This was total news to me as there had not been any visit. It was then that the parts were first recorded as being ordered via the parts department in Loughborough. on my next call I was informed that the parts were on order and that they were waiting for them. On the next call I was told that one part had been received from the supplier (Indesit Group) but not the other. This was repeated to me on Sunday 14th December 2008. When I pointed out to a ’superviser’ that It was getting perilously close to Christmas and that the oven was too dangerous to use he said that Comet would do everything in its power to have my cooker repaired in time for Christmas. When I asked what would happen if the part did not arrive? would I be stuck over Christmas with an oven I could not use his reply was that yes I would. Today I rang again. Iwas put on hold while the assistant spoke to the ‘parts department’. When she came back on the line I was cut off and had to ring again. This time I was put through to the parts department and was told the same story, that they couldn’t get the part and were still waiting. I was really angry and told them I would call Cannon (Indesit Group)to enquire and that is all it took, just one phone call. They had 13 of the left hand and 50 of the right hand housings for the bottom of the main oven door in stock. I ordered them, express delivery, to arrive Friday 19th December 2008 by 6.00pm.(I was also informed that I must not use the oven in that state as it was potentially very dangerous). I then phoned up Comet told them that someone has been telling ‘porky pies’ and that I expect the cost of the parts to be reimbursed and then fitted. The real tragedy is that I had already purchased the so called ‘extended warranty’ from Comet and had a delay before we had it delivered … when I found that I could have Cannon’s own extended warranty for free (which the staff at Comet had not of course bothered to inform me about. I will never purchase anything else from Comet and if I had been able to get my money back would not have done so with this cooker. John Lewis, The Coop, Curry’s and The Electrical Warehouse have been totally different in their approach.
Yours sincerely
Ann Karabinas
Comment by Mrs Ann Karabinas — December 17, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Hi
We may need help. On Christmas day our turkey was nearly ready and then I saw a ’spark’ under the pan on the hob so we switched the hob off and turned it on again. There was a huge bang and all the electric in the house went off. We sat for 2 1/2 hours in the dark, eating cold food (our neighbours finished cooking our turkey for us) on Christmas Day. The fault was so severe it had tripped the cut out fuse outside the house and we had to wait for the electricity board to come and replace it. The cooker is just 2 years old, it is a Zanussi. We are not allowed to turn it on again for obvious reasons. Comet said they did not have to do anything as it was outside its warranty but would send a technician if we pay call out costs etc, can’t quote exact cost but about £75. We were desperate so agreed, when can he come? The reply was 30th December. When we said that was unacceptable, we will have no cooker for at least five days at Christmas, the woman on the end of the line said she thought that was reasonable.
Under the Sale of Goods Act we have a case but reading all these replies has me in despair. We cannot contact them over the weekend so no cooker until Monday at least. What if they cannot repair it or need to get a spare part? No cooker potentially for weeks. Also I am not very keen on using a cooker that ‘exploded’ once before.
I will fight Comet, I will probably take them to court if necessary because I am sick of being ripped off all the time. I will happily help you with your campaign against them. We only bought the cooker there because it was the only place in the area you could see the cookers. It has always been a rubbish cooker anyway, it is supposed to have variable control - it doesn’t - it does burnt or off. I had a creda for over 20 years and the only reason I got rid of it was because the door parts could not be replaced.
Comet have ruined my Christmas and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Any advice gratefully received. Sorry for the rant but this is a big deal to us.
Comment by Dawn — December 27, 2008 @ 12:59 am
Hi I’m Dawn’s partner
Did manage to contact the customer services today.
Since we are having to wait until Tuesday for an engineer unless there is a cancellation) it makes you wonder how many people have cookers bought from Comet that have had to spend Christmas without a cooker?
We will keep you posted on what happens.
But to anyone reading this thinking of buying from Comet - DONT! Having read up on them on the internet we won’t be foolish enough to purchase from them again.
Comment by Nathan — December 27, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Moon on a stick comes to mind….
Comment by Terry Kightly — December 31, 2008 @ 11:11 pm
after purchasing plasma tv from conit and treated like rubbish its the last £1400, they will ever see off me , never never buy from them, they say a fool and his money are soon parted
Comment by steve — February 5, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
I find it quite amusing (currently woring on customer service at an electrical retail outlet) at how many people are very quick to complaint about things that “in their own OPINION” do not satisfy them. Most likly as a lot of customers do end up visiting a store “ranting and raving / shouting etc.” doesn’t really help alot! I personally do not deliberatly try to keep peoples money longer than is nessecary and am more likly to go above and beyond company policy’s(which are set in line with trading standards and sales of goods act etc.) if possible to try and help people out as long as im not being shouted at!
Just think it does not benefit the person you are complaining to at a store call center etc. to deliberatly P**s you off as a consumer.
This comment is probably no way related to the original post. However, just some food for thought before people go in shouting and screaming! Also its a good idea to read BOTH sides of the sales of goods act (look at it from both points of view!)
In closing I will say ” Believe me from personal experience of 5+ years at an electrical retailer - It does not benefit the person you are complaining to by deliberatly annoying you or making you wait excessivly etc.” after all we are consumers as well.
Comment by Rich — February 18, 2009 @ 1:48 am
Comet- same probs
tv bought as xmas present faulty and replaced second now faulty told by manager too high an expectation try another lead till find one suitable to get reasonable picture.
no customer service, no consumer rights,no complaints policy,
added to which my brand xx lcd hd ready not made by company xx but made by comet under license presumably with much cheaper components adn who knows under what other conditions. beware u might not be getting what you think. that info was givenme by company xx
Comment by Chris — April 21, 2009 @ 9:12 pm
Rich for my part i went i very calm on boxing day, sad i know but it was my sons main present, girl on customer service desk said i should have telephoned the engineer to visit the house, complained SHE needed to test tv didnt know how to connect to hdmi, WRONG info engineer do not visit home under 22inch. reluctanlty the gave me a replacment for a faulty product.
when you speak to people who really do not want to help and who you perceive to not know consumer rights it does rather naff u off. my son also a retail manager was with me on my third visit to store will vouch for my calmness but even he was frustrated by the complete lack of knowledge and customer service that he would have disciplined his staff for. there are some good ones out there but clearly not at my local comet store.
Comment by Chris — April 21, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
We have had a panasonic 42″ plasma tv that started to show signs of a fault 10 months in to the warranty. We have had 2 engineers call,1stly no sound, the first swapped around the cable in the back of the tv and my dvd and then said it was my dvd player causing the problem(works fine on my samsung crt tv).2ndly no dvb piture, 2nd engineer fiddled with the remote and went into ‘engineers mode’ he retuned the tv, now we have ‘ec’ before all of our channels and av options(obviously means engineers code) so the engineer has not reset the tv and remote, We have complained yet again as the set now keeps ‘jumping’ between analogue, digital and av channels completely at random, and guess what, comet have said they will send out another engineer. So we now have the set: hear no fault, see no fault, and speak no replacement. I think we would have done better with the 3 monkeys, at least we could have had a laugh as they ’smashed up the tv’.
I dont know about::
avoid ‘contact’ so as not to get ‘the swine flu’
avoid ‘comet’ so as not to let ‘the pigs fly’
More likely to happen than for ‘COMET’ to replace a faulty product.
Just a thought ‘COMET’ relates to an item that ‘flys across the sky’.
Maybe the two are related and ‘all that have been ‘blessed’ with buying from Comet really have seen pigs fly’.
In this time of ‘economic downturn, you would think every company would want ‘new’ business, so would go ‘hell for leather’ at giving their existing customer base, ‘exceptional customer services/care’ so that they could advertise their ‘excellent customer feedback’.
Comment by paul — May 6, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
hi just had an email from goodmanns they do not manufacture my tv nothing to do with them. told to contact comet they were not interested!! have referred this to trading standards now. also tried to find out about a bosch washing machine and it would seem that with other products you also contact comet.
Comment by Chris — May 12, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
personally Paul i am so pleased i only bought e cheap tv but for me now its th principal the service has been appauling next timw i will stick with asda never had a problem with their products or getting them replaced. you expect when you buy a product with a good brand, and i do realize the brand i bought was cheaper end of market, that you will get a good product and good back up…. not so if its comet…could be made in jacks shed with parts from sloppy joes
Comment by Chris — May 12, 2009 @ 7:29 pm
An update on my Goodman TV (That good man say they have not designed, manufactured and cant help- see comet) went to collect after my second repair appeared to have been sorted- tested in store. however when got it homw and tried to connect we understood why the girl in store had had a problem- during the ‘upgrade of the firmaware they had affected the tv controls ie power button was now the volume control etc. another several phone calls to comet and finally they say they will send engineer out who arrives and promptly tells me he cannot repair it at home needs to take away….after a phone call he writes it off and gives me an SED code for a REPLACEMENT OR REFUND. Great i think. rang to check that i can have refund. ‘they dont give refunds in store money will be on a comet gift card…’ asked to speak to head office ….no joy ‘its upto store’ Finally on internet i find the name of the MD and email him at comet, fortunately they are not imaginative with their address. after several days of emailing him finally get a response
went today to the store for my full refund..onto my debit card as per way i paid!!! SUCCESS.
Comment by Chris — May 22, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
Just wanted to say the consumer direct website and ringing them was extremely helpful at explaining right and they also have template letters you can use. they are a government agency to help the consumer.
keep going i did it you can too just need to get beyond the brick walls you het bounced between,go to the top
Comment by Chris — May 22, 2009 @ 3:38 pm
Hi
I agree about Comet and their non-existent customer care. been getting fobbed off now for 8 weeks re a faulty washing machine. being passed back and forward between branch and customer services.
Can Chris (May 22,2009) please advise which e-mail address you managed to use to contact managing director, i have a letter to post but would also like to e-mail
Comment by lesley — May 28, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
hugh.harvey@comet.co.uk
Comment by Chris — May 28, 2009 @ 11:01 pm
Hi
Thanks so much for that. I tried every other version but that one.
Cheers
Lesley
Comment by lesley — May 29, 2009 @ 9:56 am
Hi
Just wanted to update - I got my money back from comet on Friday evening. sent a letter to the managing director on thursday evening and then also e-mailed it, thanks to Chris giving me the correct address. Had the directors office on the phone at 4.30pm to say i could have my money back for my faulty washing machine. manager in store lied through his teeth to save face by saying that there had been a break down in communiciation between service and his branch and that actually the machine had been “written off” but no-one told him. Lies, lies, lies. Just shows its worth a try to go to the top of the company.
will never use Comet again. Have ordered a Bosch machine for 110pounds cheaper in a local family run shop.
Lesley
Comment by Lesley — May 31, 2009 @ 9:43 am
can anyone provide the MD’s email address as I cant get it from anywhere, and I am reluctant to pay an ‘extra’ £100 for ‘an equivelant plasma tv’.using Comets SED write off arrangement.
Paul
Comment by paul — May 31, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
hi
As provided by Chris 28.5.09 -
hugh.harvey@comet.co.uk
Best of luck
Comment by lesley — June 1, 2009 @ 11:13 am
i will never shop comet at again fridge/freeze three months old wont be repaired for 2 weeks compensation for all food wasted will take at least 28 days
Comment by pat barker — June 3, 2009 @ 5:24 pm
we have a 50inch plasma that had a simple fault,and the picture was perfect.
we had a engineer out for the original fault to be repaired and now our tele is in a worst state, we have had the tv repaired by comet 14 times(please note the problem on the tv now is the one the engineer created)
we have the comet total cover (paid £300)this is just a waste of money please dont ever buy this total cover.tv is only 2yrs old
it went in to their workshop and came back with the same problem which is a red screen,how they could not see this i dont know, even my little boy saw it.we have now sent a letter of to the md and a email to get the problem resolved fingers crossed.
this as been going on for nearly 4 months, we have wasted so much time waiting in for them and it ruined my kids school holidays.we are lucky to have advise from which legal magazine(it is worth paying £26 year for their help if any one has a problem)we will never buy from comet again, will let you know the outcome
Comment by caroline — June 30, 2009 @ 11:15 am
Hi,
I am a engineer(white goods) who works for Comet, having full knowledge on how much emphasis is placed on good customer service, it is terrible to read all these bad experiences.
As an employee I am truly sorry for everyone who has posted on here, I promise you all no-one likes an irate customer, especially when the cause of the problem is of our own doing.
Comet do adhere to all of Trading Standards rules & reg’s, though sometimes this causes more constenation and inconvenience, and more often than not we are the people who have to explain to you in your own homes what is happening, we have to be extremely thick skinned sometimes, yet we agree with what you are saying, and how you feel, unfortunately though we are governed by what the next course of action will be.
Rich posted in Feb that it is a good idea to read carefully the Sale of Goods Act, that was excellent advice, also the Trading Standards website is a very helpful site in relation to any faulty product concerning our(we are consumers too) rights.
I will add only one paragraph in our defense, and it is a obvious one, we do not make these products, we are the ones who have to try and rectify the problem, and believe me we would love Comet to take certain companys off our shelves, if you think our after sales service is bad, you truly have no idea how it is for us when we have been kept waiting 4 weeks + for a part, from very well known household name manufacturers, for us ultimately have to exchange the product, which just leaves an irate, and baffled customer wondering why we didnt do that in the first place!
Sorry we have lost you as valued customers, good luck with your purchasing elsewhere.
Trev
Comment by Trev — July 4, 2009 @ 6:13 pm
I can’t be bothered to explain my problem in hgavew had enough pushed from p[iullow to post and then treated like a child by staff don’t buy anything from comet they are a joke I spent over £2,500 in there and heasve had trouble with dishwasher and washing machine and the dishwasher nis only 3 months old
Comment by sacha — July 8, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
Trev, if it’s any consolation, in most large corporate organisations the engineers are often great - they’ve had to qualify in technical ability to get to where they are.
Frontline sales and customer support are usually the Achilles Heel, having far less training, experience, or appreciation for the job.
2c. :)
Comment by Brian Turner — July 20, 2009 @ 8:05 pm
I currently got a big issue with Comet.
I bought a computer from them, and my wife bought a laptop 14/07/09.
The laptop works not bad, but the problem’s with the computer.
It cost £319.99, and it had a big buzzing noise which was constant.
A couple of the front panels also came off.
I went back with it 15/07/09, after being told from the customer service people take it back.
The staff at the store were very unhappy, and I was met with dirty and disgusting looks, the member of staff which served myself in the first place even turned her back.
A member of staff unpacked the computer, and one of the front panels came off yet again.
They admitted the computer done the same thing when they got it from Acer.
They said there was nothing wrong with the computer and refused a refund or a exchange.
Then the staff member packed the computer up, and headed through the back leaving myself heading home with it.
Comet customer support said on more than one occasion, I was allowed get my money back.
Then a friend of the family went back withn the computer 17/07/09, and Comet then said I could possibly get my money minus £30 handling charge, which I accepted over the phone. Then they said wi must wait until later on, when the manager comes in.
The manager was seemingly the person which checked the computer in the first place.
He refused a refund or exchange, claiming I told him I ripped the panels off withn my bare hands, and claimed the clips were snapped off.
My wife later phoned the store, and the manager started a arguement, and still refused deal with the problem, then had a pop at myself, then said he was hanging up the phone, which he did.
Consumer Rights said I’m allowed get a refund, and said if I don’t get a response or they still refuse, it’s getting passed at trading standards.
Meanwhile, I ended up getting another computer from pc world, and it works well.
Comment by Darren P — July 25, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
“Frontline sales and customer support are usually the Achilles Heel, having far less training, experience, or appreciation for the job.”
I disagree, I left Comet just under a year ago where I worked as frontline sales. When first joined the company I was required to complete a computer module about the products on sale there and I was not allowed by my managers to process a sale on products I was not trained on. This “e-learning” as they called it continued as I continued with the company for 2 years with new modules being released for every major adavancement.
As far as your complaint Sacha I would offer you some help in trying to sort your problem out and I’m sure they’re not as unreasonable as you think.
Trev, I totally agree with you. I personally have read the entire sales of goods act and if anyone else has read it then it also covers not only the customer but also the retailer. On occasion I had to work on customer service desk and I found that a lot of the customers were rude and unreasonable. We always did our best and HAD to test the products. When you were told that you had “ripped the panels off withn my bare hands” Darren, I’m sure that wasn’t his exact words. Before sending any item off for repair the customer MUST be aware that IF the damage is foudn to have been caused my undue wear and tear then it would not be covered by Comet. The staff in-store are not qualified to find faults. If it is an obvious fault then we can deal with it but if it’s not we are allowed to get it tested (according to the sales of goods act) and we are also allowed to send it for repair rather than replacing or refunding the item as long as the repair takes a reasonable amout of time as again stated in the sales of goods act. I have one time had a customer come in a try to claim that after 5 months we are required to offer him a refund which I corrected him quoting the sales of goods act allowing us to repair the item. (It’s been some time since I worked there and cannot remember the exact words but if you read it then you will find what I’m talking about).
My main job was sales and me and the team I worked with ALWAYS tried to find the best solution and I would often spend ages checking to see what connections they needed etc… As a member of sales staff you were always required to ask “What are you going to be connecting to this?”. On many of these cases I think you were just unlucky with who you’ve dealt with and I guarantee you would not get bad service like you have experienced at my old store.
Sorry for such a long response but I felt it needed saying.
Also before going in all guns blazing don’t just read a “fact sheet” this will only give you some of the points that are relevant to the consumer. Read the full sales of goods act and then you will know what you are REALLY covered for…
Comment by Anthony — July 28, 2009 @ 9:49 am
I bought a washing machine from commet, it did not work from day one, It is 6 months down the line now, and I am still trying to get the refund I am entitaled to.
as it stands at the minute, mh credit card says they will refund, if I return the washing machine and get a receipt.
thats a laugh, they wont take it back, so what do I do now.
even if I take it to the store, they wont give me a receipt, they told me that on the phone.
comet STINK!! they sold me a faulty machine, the law says I should get a refund, but commet wont give me one, they want to fix the machine instead.
I do not want a new machine fixing, it was broke from day one, I didnt give £300 for a broken machine.
Yvonne xxxxxxxxxx
Comment by yvonne — August 7, 2009 @ 12:18 am
I brought a washing machine from Comet, It arrived just before I went on holiday so I didnt unpack it. When I returned and set up my washing machine I found that it wouldnt even switch on. I rang comet and was informed that as it wes over 2 weeks old they wouldnt replace it, only repair it. I waited weeks for an engineer but they did eventually turn up and repair it. Several months later it broke again ( a different fault). They told me to run it empty a few times and it would be fine. I tried this and it made no difference. I rang up comet to complain and get an engineer sent out only to be told that it was now over a year old and that I would have to pay a call out fee and also pay to get the machine fixed. Ive paid a lot of mony for a useless machine that never worked properly and now they have the cheek to ask for more money just to look at it! their customer service is useless and of no help what so ever, you can tell they are just reading meaningless statements from their PC screen, not actually trying to help you. Im now stuck with a broken machine and the only way to get it fixed is by giving Comet more money, something which I am not prepard to do. Avoid Comet at all costs or you will regret it!
Comment by Nick — August 14, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
I work at Comet, i go through all this everyday with customers. But whatever goes wrong with a product, the buyer is entitled to a repair/exchange/refund. depending on the item we will do all 3 at the appropriate time. Our returns policy is one of the best out there but we just cant refund something as soon as it goes wrong. We need proof, whether it be an engineer to be called out for a faulty washing machine or an iPod to be booked into the store. the latter is not allowed to be looked at by Comet service man, it has to go to Apple direct. Each company has a differant returns policy and we have certain rights to each companys returns policy. we do our best, we really do. When i get a customer who is peeved off i truly feel sorry for them, but we have to abide by rules and regulations. I only see bad comments about Comet, Currys, PC World, etc. there are alot more good stories and thats why people keep coming back to Comet. Remember We only sell a Product based on what information we have. LG are not going to tell us they has relased a faulty product. it is not Comets fault your TV is rubbish, its LG’s fault. Would like to see some feed back.
mileno@live.co.uk
thats my email, email me if you need help or advice from me. or just want to harrass me with your troubled producs lol.
Comment by Comet Worker — August 19, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
“it is not Comets fault your TV is rubbish, its LG’s fault.”
No, it is Comet’s responsibility to sell goods in a state fit for purchase.
Comet as a company was well aware that there are fundamental problems with the LG PX11 42″ plasma TV - the audio delay was incredible.
When the Comet sales staff recommend a particular product, that the Comet engineers have a clear history of problems with, then it is up to Comet to either replace the TV or stop selling the particular make altogether.
Instead, I will always have it ringing in my ears - the voice of a Comet store manager telling me that he will not take it back because it will “cost him money”.
Comet, you lost a customer for life, along with my family, plus you have had to endure mention of these complaints on your Wikipedia page directly because of poor sales service.
You might want to consider just how much money Comet has lost by *not* accepting a return, as opposed to exercising proper customer care - instead of letting a little store manager screw a customer because I paid by debit card.
Comment by Brian Turner — August 24, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
Yep the Comet customer service is rubbish and I would never buy anything from then again. I purchased a washing machine online on the 28.07.09 and it was delivered 21.08.09. I am having the house renovation so only opened the packaging on the 31.08.09 to find a dent on the front. We left it in the packaging to protect it. I called Comet whom told me that as it was outside 7 days they would not do anything. I have contacted Trading Standards and have been told to reject it stating the goods are to be collected within 7 days. This is really unreasonable on behalf of Comet as nowhere on the paperwork or the fancy booklet you get with delivery does it state this !!!
Hope I get my money back so I can spend locally with a business that has a proper aftersales, as Comet don’t know the meaning !!! Avoid any delaings with these people !
Comment by Steven Peers — September 1, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
Steven Peers?
Quick question, when you had your washing machine delivered (on the 21/08/2009 as you said) did you by any chance sign a delivery note? If so, did you read it BEFORE you signed it?
Working at Comet, i’m well aware that your delivery note is a LEGAL document and by signing it, you are agreeing that the product has been recieved, and that it is in PRISTINE condition.
Comet offer a service (when delivering) to remove and dispose of the packaging. This is a double bonus, not only do you not have to recycle the rubbish and plastic, but you also get to INSPECT the products before you sign for it.
I wonder if you’d sign a contract before reading it.
I work on the customer service desk, and all i deal with, day in day out is ranting raving customers. Thick skinned doesn’t describe it, but i’m sorry to be blatant with you, but by signing THAT delivery note, you have effectively waived all rights to the situation cause as far as the delivery centre are concerned, you recieved the product in PERFECT condition.
Have fun trying to claim!
Comment by Leonard — September 8, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
Well done Leonard - your post is a blazing example of customer care gone wrong, and if this really is the official position of Comet, then perhaps the Wikipedia page needs updating to show that Comet *still* have no regard for consumer protection laws.
For a general appraisal of legal protections for consumers, there’s a nice piece on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8253915.stm
Comment by Brian Turner — September 15, 2009 @ 9:37 am
Just taken delivery of a Candy washer dryer from Comet.
Before using it myself I read the manual and checked that it had been installed properly.
It hadn’t. The transport bar had been left in place on the back of the machine. I’m glad I checked, it could have wrecked the machine had I started to use it in anger.
I am also worried that they haven’t fitted a part to the underside of the machine (I can’t check it), some kind of corrugated shield or something. They certainly hadn’t leveled it.
Fortunately I didn’t buy it, it was bought for me by the British Legion (I am an ex-serviceman, now disabled).
Comment by FeiJi Fancier — September 27, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
Hi we were the people who bought the Zanussi cooker which ruined our Christmas last year.
Last week the same thing happened again with one of the other rings - there was a flash going up the pan. We didn’t dare switch it back on after that. The cooker is 2 years and 9 months old and we have now scrapped it and bought a new one. Thanks Comet.
Comment by Nathan — October 5, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
I was just trying to look up an address for complaints to both Packard Bell and Comet, but I’m guessing from the above that I’m not likely to get very far!
My three day old computer which had problems from the very start decided to breakdown completely on day three with the blue screen of death appearing repeatedly about five minutes after starting it up. Once I’d spent an hour trying to re-boot in every mode available, I decided that it was clearly faulty and that I would return it and exchange. I packed it up to take it back the next day to exchange it. Little did I realise how naive I was.
Despite having the receipt, Comet refused to refund or exchange. This was because I had foolishly left it til a Friday evening (approx. 6pm) and I was told that a Packard Bell engineer would have to issue some kind of code to Comet in order for them to complete the most basic of customer care. The engineer did not work late on a Friday. My second mistake apparently was that in the face of a clearly faulty computer, I should have called Packard Bell’s repair line. The manager refused to boot up the computer in store, and claimed that there wasn’t anyone available to check it.
Regardless, if I have bought a product that doesn’t work after three days, I don’t want it repaired, I want it replaced.
Once you’ve added in to that the outrageously rude behaviour of their staff, you’ll understand why I am so angry:
“Customer services” “lady” as I approached the desk:
“I’m not going to like you”
Me, thinking she was joking:
“Well, I don’t like your computer”
Her:
“It’s not MY computer”
The Store Manager was not much better, he completely stonewalled any kind of argument that I had stating that the retailers code or whatever said he was perfectly entitled to refuse to exchange or refund, and when I asked to speak to someone higher than him, he gestured to my receipt. When I asked if I could use their phone, the answer was no and he walked off. What a prize ass.
The head office was no better at all, rude, unhelpful, unsympathetic and frankly a disgrace. He actually spent the entire phone call trying to aggressively batter me down verbally so I would go away. When I complained that the store manager had not even let me use their phone, the response was:
“Well why should he?”
Erm… customer service, at the customer service desk? Or just a nice gesture for someone in distress who needs help? Or just common decency. It wasn’t even like the store manager said that he wasn’t allowed, or that there was no outside line etc. It was just a blank “no” as he turned his back on me.
The only person who even attempted to help me was a lady from their investigations team, but even she just came back with the same ridiculous policy. The only difference was that at least she had the decency to apologise about it.
I need a computer to work. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. I eventually had to pay an engineer to come and look at it for me on Saturday, at great cost to myself.
Essentially, if it’s Packard Bell’s policy that they will not accept a returned product without this code, then they should have someone on call 24/7. If it’s Comet’s policy to refuse to exchange or refund without this code, or proof of a fault, then they should have someone on staff at all times who can provide that service.
Equally, if Comet have this store policy, then they should have it clearly marked around the store so that people are aware of what they’re likely to run up against if they have a problem.
I’ve never known anything like it, still can’t believe what I’ve experienced, and will also never ever buy from Comet again. I’ll be posting a link to this site on every web page I have.
Comment by Sharon Barclay — November 9, 2009 @ 10:11 am
Have they not heard of the Sale of Goods Act? Or does it just not apply to them?
Comment by Nathan — November 11, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
I’ve jsut finshed a 5 page letter of complaint. Comet messed up everything on my order, have probably ruined christmas. And don’t care.
Comment by Dave — December 23, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
Washer/dryer less than six months old breaks down on 17 December 09. Comet refuse a replacement even with Christmas less than a week away, an the engineer cannot call till Christmas Eve - of course part is too expensive for Comet to keep in stock so it is ordered. Engineer cannot return today, 7 January, as originally arranged because of snow. Launderettes provide no boil wash facility so have run out of tea towels. To date I have paid out £50 at the launderette (not difficult with Christmas period, and delicate washes, warm washes for sheets, hot for towels and then the tumble dryer). I offered to collect replacement part from Comet’s depot today and ask independent engineer to fit and I would waive my warranty and statutory rights, but no, they can’t let me do that. Oh, and with the weather forecast in mind, I doubt if the engineer will arrive on Monday, 11 January, as now arranged either. Comet certainly don’t disappoint by giving you nothing to complain about. All the telephone calls and letters, whatever else would I have done with my time?
Comment by K Bennett — January 7, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
I am in the middle of a dispute with Comet, I bought a 22′ Lcd TV on the Sunday, mounted it set it up and found the remote didn’t work the DVD player from the box, I rang them up on the Monday, they said take it back to the store. The first time I could get back into town was four days after buying it on the Thursday, The salesman tested it and and agreed it was faulty but because I hadn’t taken it back within 72 hours it will have to go to the engineers to be certified faulty before they will consider a refund. The consumer line neglected to tell me this. I took the brand new set back repacked in the original box. Having tested it they didn’t put it back in the box but wrapped it bubble wrap alone to send it on one hundred and fifty mile round trip, and told me to take “my” box home with me. So including the extended warranty which I asked for! - all I have to show for spending £282.97 on the 17th of January with comet is a box, and several hours lost installing this set, repackaging it and returning it to the store. According to Comet I will find out the next part of this saga on the return of the set on the 3rd of Feb. Unless of course I act before.
So against my better judgement I bought a set from Comet which was supplied with a fault from new (that may even be a batch problem with the software- it was their own brand “Kenmark” tv). I notified them the next working day, the salesman agreed it was faulty in the store that sold me it, but I am having to wait till the 3rd of Feb before they tell me what my options are. It’s all my fault I should have known better than buy off them!!!!. And the staff, poor devils being front line for a company that makes them implement it’s inflexible and legally questionable policies.
My opinion is that Comet is a company trying to secure individual sales not long term customers.
Comment by Harry — January 24, 2010 @ 7:40 pm
is this the correct place to make a comment on the awful service recievedfrom comet ???
Comment by william windsor — February 2, 2010 @ 9:56 am
today i had a comet engineer come to my home after 5 days of waitiing without a cooker, i had told customer services that i was very poorly and that i was suffering with M.E. and food and what i ate was of great importance to keep my strength up, with this she replied that there was plenty of nourishment in a sandwich to which i was horrified, i then pleaded with her to send one sooner she said she couldn’t.
Today Tuesday 2nd February the engineer turned up at 8-15 a.m he was very evasive when i questioned him about certain procedures and when i explained that the cooker gave off a rubber/plastic burning smell that smelt the house out he merely asked do i have a smoke alarm, i explained that 3 people had been 1 being a council electrician to make sure there wasn’t an electrical fault the councils electrician varified the smell was definately coming from the cooker, then my friend who loaned me a small russell hobbs cooker in the meantime said she could smell it as it was so bad it literaly made you gag, however comets own engineer said his final say on the matter was there is nothing wrong??? they are shocking at customer services in cleveland i spoke to an operator then a team coach what ever that is as he told me no more than the customer services operator, he too was rude so i asked for the head office address and number for the 2nd time which when he gave me it turned out to be the one i’d rang to begin with, they were told i was ill and needed the problem resolving and i asked them to please get management to call me back urgently, i’m still waiting, the cooker is about 6 mths old
Comment by william windsor — February 2, 2010 @ 10:09 am
I wish I had seen this website before purchasing from Comet. We brought a televsion as a christmas presentfor our daughter which broke 23days later. They refused a refund or replacement and sent it off for repair. I cannot get a response from them and they won’t tell me when the television will be returned to me.They have already had it 3 weeks - I am completely frustrated at the lack of customer care and would advise anyone to NEVER purchase any item under ANY circumstances from COMET even if it is free!!
Comment by Carole — February 4, 2010 @ 2:57 pm
I hadn’t realised that Comet purchase some items from the manufacturer WITHOUT WARRANTY. Therefore Comet are extremely unlikely to offer a replacement if an item goes wrong. I have replaced my LG Washer Dryer purchased from Comet with the same model from Argos and it works perfectly (washer dryer from Comet was four months old when it went wrong in December 09). I now know that the item purchased from Comet was NOT working correctly as they stated after they had fitted a new board.
They told me that it was “my duty” to have the faulty washer dryer plumbed in when the engineer arrived (having it connected to the kitchen tap turned out to be perfectly adequate), the Sale of Goods Act and Sale & Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations they seem to believe do not apply to them.
They rely upon the fact that issuing proceedings against them does not guarantee a result, and you will not get back 100% of your costs in any event.
Once you have made your purchase, they don’t want to know. They should come with a health warning.
I should be ashamed if I worked for them.
Comment by K Bennett — March 17, 2010 @ 10:08 pm