Whinging for money...

[Wij]

Is anyone any good at getting compensation out of companies who've fucked you over. After my dining suite finally arrived on the 5th attempt after 4 months I've been offered £200 compensation, which is about 10% of the cost. I had to use 4 days holiday waiting around for failed deliveries. I reckon that's £90 a day (my after-tax earnings) but they reckon they'll only consider unpaid leave, not lost holidays. Plus 3 months without furniture, they kept our money for months without delivering, being treated as a nuisance in the shop, endless phone calls and utter confusion due to inablility for different departments to talk to each other.

To me £360 plus say another £200 for inconvenience would be a minimum but they say they cannot offer more than £200 unless they get proof of earnings and confirmation of unpaid leave, mobile phone bills, visa bills etc... in writing. Is this just a put-off tactic ?

Does anyone work in customer services ? What's the best tactic to scare 'em into giving me something reasonable for being so royally fucked over and treated like a twat despite them sitting on wodges of my cash without fulfilling their obligations ? Threaten a solicitor ? Press ?

Wij-of-great-justice

 

[Will]

Normally, the call centre person has a set limit. If you are reasonable with them, or shout them into submission (though that sometimes gets you nothing, depends on the person), they'll give you the limit, and anything higher often has to go into writing. I'd ask to speak to a manager, and if they can't offer you anything higher, you'll have to put it in writing.

 

[dr_jo]

I always had to get everything in writing, even just to refund postage etc.
Talking to a manager is usually a good move, because they have more freedom to be honest with you.
And I would say always be reasonable. If the person you're talking to feels sorry for you, and feels that you deserve compensation, they'll go out of their way to do their best to help you. If you shout/swear/hurl abuse, their likely to write you off. In my experience, anyway...
Putting complaints into writing is a good thing too, because it means the company has a permanent record of your points.

 

[MYstIC G]

Put it in writing. Look up statistics on the net for the interest rates and tell them you expect the interest earned on your money during the period paid to you. Then tell them you expect detailed calculations or if they can't be arsed a cheque for £500.00 will make you go away.

 

[throdgrain]

£200 is alright really.

Tightwad

 

[Damini]

I wouldn't threaten a solicitor just yet. Tell them they, if they were a reputable company, should have kept a list of all the phone calls you have made, and all the missed dates, and it is not up to you to provide them with infomation they should already have. You warned them previously that you were having to take time off, and if they didn't tell you in advance to take the time as unpaid leave, then they have no right to list that as an obligation now. Demand to speak to someone higher up, demand to know their name, remain civil but defiantly annoyed. Ask for the address and contact details of their manager, and write a letter (recorded delivery) outlining your complaints and demand a formal response.

My favourite line is a courteous but firm "I'm sorry, I appreciate what you are offering but that's not good enough. Is there anybody else I could talk to about this?" People are quite happy to pass you up the line.

Go go Justice Wijlet. I know how blood boilingly frustrating this can be.

 

[Will]

Good line. I recommend using it. Though you'll probably only get passed upwards twice before they tell you to write anyway.

 

[Gray]

I guess at o2 then we're rather leniant in issuing reimbursements. I am anyway. If customers come on, ranting and raving, eventually they will annoy me, and i will limit the amount of money given to them.

Whereas if they have been messed about, upset and genuine, i will issue a credit which would be more than the customer above.

One day recently, this guy comes on, Scottish (... need i say more... ) ranting and raving that his phone was barred because he didnt get a bill, ok, simple enough, i'll credit you back the half a months line rental you missed out on. "im naw xceptn tha! i spoke to one yurudder advisors and they said id get more!" well, quite clearly youre wrong, you was given quite a substantial amount last month, im no way giving you more than you deserve..

He left rather pissed off ,

But for things like "ive had to use my holidays up" and stuff, days off, we would require most likely proof - It could well be some smackhead on the dole wanting more money to feed his cravings if we didnt have the necessary proof

 

[gmloki]

To me £360 plus say another £200 for inconvenience would be a minimum but they say they cannot offer more than £200 unless they get proof of earnings and confirmation of unpaid leave, mobile phone bills, visa bills etc... in writing. Is this just a put-off tactic ?

Check the small print. Usually they put in about delivery by best endeavours and reasonable time scales. All pretty vague so you cant tie them to anything. Plus if they are a fairly large company they will put something in about not accepting consequential loss. So in real english that means if you take a day off and you then phone them up because they didn't tun up then it is your at your own risk not theirs. Sucks I know

I always ask to speak to the manager straight away and present all the facts to them as it (did/didnt) happen

 

[~Yuckfou~]

Take the money, put it down to experience.

 

[Utini]

Have to say, my old man is the master of complaining. Last effort i think was a steak wasnt cooked well in a vegas casino restaurant, so gave the manager a bollocking, and got another free meal for 4, stretched limo to a top las vegas show (sigfreid and roy i think).
From what ive seen the best way is going to a proper manager (not shitty floorstaff teamleaders or anything), and explaining that its just not on, and what are they going to do about it. Dont make unreasonable demands, but just firmly put that its not on and what can they offer in return. Obviously best face to face this, but if not, on phone, or at worst via written. The slightly higher managers have more power to get stuff given out / settled quickly, and they just want an easy life, so if u can thats the best way imo.

 

[jaba]

crikey! how can you not cook a steak properly? you only need do it for about 30 seconds a side! nice n bloody just the way nature intended! yum!

 

[old.user4556]

Get it in writing, keep a detailed history of them all.

If you threaten a solicitor, and you have nothing in writing, then forget it. Prepare the ammo, get some letters on the go.

Shouting or being angry gets you nowhere, particularly on the end of a phone.

 

[mank!]

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