Tesco Direct

[Darandio]

Anyone else been caught up in this debacle? As some of you may have seen, earlier this week they announced that Tesco were to close the 'Direct' arm of their operations in July but current customers need not worry, orders were being fulfilled..

Unfortunately for me, I was awaiting just shy of £1000 worth of furniture, a corner group sofa and matching 3 seat sofa, it was ordered on 20th April, long before any of this happened. As they said not to worry and the delivery was scheduled to me made tomorrow (26th May) I didn't envisage a problem.

Fast forward to today and I thought i'd ring to see if I could get a better idea of what time it was to be delivered only to be told it wasn't coming tomorrow at all due to unforeseen issues with certain deliveries and that it would be re-scheduled within a week. It's been 5 weeks already, another week won't matter I thought...

An hour later and an email arrives detailing the same thing, but only referring to the 3 seater sofa. 10 minutes later and another email arrives saying that the corner group has been cancelled and that they will process a refund immediately. This rang alarm bells, how on earth are they going to do that when I paid in store with cash? More interestingly, the email also stated (quoted directly)...

We will also process a further Navy" as a gesture of goodwill in light of the exceptional circumstances.

Yeah, made no sense to me either. Rang them back to find out what the hell was going on and it seemed they were surprised I now wanted to cancel the other half of the order. What use is half of a set of furniture though?

To cut a long story short and after a not so short period on hold as well as them making out they are doing me a favour here by 'seeing what they can do', i'm now getting a full refund but won't get that until next Thursday at the earliest. In terms of the goodwill gesture that makes no sense, they also cannot deal with that and I have to ring back after the refund is made.

Anyone got any experience in this type of thing and what I should push for in terms of this goodwill gesture? Once the refund is complete it's as good as 6 weeks since the original order and I still don't have any furniture.

Thanks.

 

[Darandio]

Just received another email now detailing that the refund is now in progress. This tickled me though...

We hope that you choose to shop with Tesco Direct again soon.

 

[deltic1989]

We will also process a further Navy" as a gesture of goodwill in light of the exceptional circumstances.

So AIUI you could be in line for a couple of Destroyers and maybe an Aircraft Carrier as a goodwill gesture.

 

[jon0844]

So AIUI you could be in line for a couple of Destroyers and maybe an Aircraft Carrier as a goodwill gesture.

Every little helps.

 

[Cowley]

So AIUI you could be in line for a couple of Destroyers and maybe an Aircraft Carrier as a goodwill gesture.

Yes. Or maybe some rum..?
Pretty shoddy treatment there though Darandio.
Sounds completely like a company that’s given up. A bit uncomfortable though when you’ve just spent loads of money with them (and also when you’ve not even got any furniture to sit on).

 

[jon0844]

It was surprising that they considered the only option was closing it down, not selling it off. Must have been really bad.

My only two experiences were awful so I stopped using it. Both times ordering for store delivery pick up and two times the packages being delayed or mislaid.

What's worse is they came from the former Welham Green distribution centre to the Hatfield store (a mile or two apart) and still didn't turn up. But their system emailed to say it was ready for collection!

 

[Darandio]

Sounds completely like a company that’s given up. A bit uncomfortable though when you’ve just spent loads of money with them (and also when you’ve not even got any furniture to sit on).

Luckily we still have the old one. It's just a good job I found out on the Friday though, I was going to chuck it out first thing on Saturday morning and no doubt it would have gone missing immediately.

 

[takno]

It was surprising that they considered the only option was closing it down, not selling it off. Must have been really bad.

My only two experiences were awful so I stopped using it. Both times ordering for store delivery pick up and two times the packages being delayed or mislaid.

What's worse is they came from the former Welham Green distribution centre to the Hatfield store (a mile or two apart) and still didn't turn up. But their system emailed to say it was ready for collection!

I'm not sure there's anybody left to buy out Amazon competitors. Tesco never really had an edge or price or service anyway. The only USP was probably the in-store pickup/return, and that was massively inconvenient for the store operations. I'm quite happy to see the back of it given how often I've got stuck for 10 minutes at the local Tesco Extra while the person who should have been sorting the self-service tills and keeping things moving was tied up trying to answer questions about a product/order they knew nothing about at all

 

[DarloRich]

The Fenny Lock distribution centre just round the corner form me will close in July. 500 jobs lost. That's the real cost.

 

[jon0844]

The Fenny Lock distribution centre just round the corner form me will close in July. 500 jobs lost. That's the real cost.

Welham Green was also shut down, but I believe has been taken over by M&S or similar.

I believe they offered staff the opportunity to move to other warehouses, but presumably without any financial support, meaning most would have had no choice but to become unemployed.

 

[DarloRich]

Welham Green was also shut down, but I believe has been taken over by M&S or similar.

I believe they offered staff the opportunity to move to other warehouses, but presumably without any financial support, meaning most would have had no choice but to become unemployed.

Warehousing is pretty common round here - I would hope they can find new jobs fairly soon but it wont be a convenient as Fenny Lock. I think this is the second time Tesco have shut Fenny Lock!

 

[whhistle]

Unfortunately for me, I was awaiting just shy of £1000 worth of furniture... [that] I paid in store with cash?

You paid just shy of £1000 in cash?
Wow.
I'd always put something like that on a credit card. If something happens (like this) the credit card company will refund you and sort it out with Tesco themselves.

 

[northwichcat]

It was surprising that they considered the only option was closing it down, not selling it off. Must have been really bad.

Indeed. Why give Sainsbury's (who also own Argos) an advantage in the market place for nothing?

 

[Darandio]

You paid just shy of £1000 in cash?
Wow.
I'd always put something like that on a credit card. If something happens (like this) the credit card company will refund you and sort it out with Tesco themselves.

I don't have a credit card and only had Visa Electron which Tesco don't take. I've recently sorted that and now have a basic but more usable Visa Debit. Because of that I had to go to the bank to draw it out and then order with cash instore.

 

[whhistle]

I don't have a credit card and only had Visa Electron which Tesco don't take. I've recently sorted that and now have a basic but more usable Visa Debit. Because of that I had to go to the bank to draw it out and then order with cash instore.

Yeah, I understand.
To be fair, I have used cash to buy a car int he past. That was before banks questioned you like you're under arrest!

Have you had any other updates?
I guess this is part of their restructuring and focusing on their core supermarket business. I'll be surprised if they don't get rid of Tesco mobile (yikes! that's me!) and Tesco bank. But then again, they sort of run themselves fairly easily.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't have a credit card and only had Visa Electron which Tesco don't take. I've recently sorted that and now have a basic but more usable Visa Debit. Because of that I had to go to the bank to draw it out and then order with cash instore.

Tesco don't take online-verification Visa cards? (Electron isn't a brand they use any more). Really? Just for Direct, or generally? That's enough to make one shop at Aldi instead!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Warehousing is pretty common round here - I would hope they can find new jobs fairly soon but it wont be a convenient as Fenny Lock. I think this is the second time Tesco have shut Fenny Lock!

I know someone who will be made redundant as a result of this (having already been made redundant the first time round and gone back from a temp job when it reopened). Hopefully he can get something, but as he's at the older end of things and his health isn't 100% for doing physical warehouse work like it was I think he might be considering early retirement.

He lives in Bletchley and cycles there (the family only has one car) so while there's a load of warehouse jobs up towards M1 J13 it would be a nuisance to work up there. There is a bus option but from that end of things it's not great.

 

[Darandio]

Have you had any other updates?

The refund has appeared today. Now i'm going to push for some sort of goodwill gesture.

Tesco don't take online-verification Visa cards? (Electron isn't a brand they use any more). Really? Just for Direct, or generally? That's enough to make one shop at Aldi instead!

Yet they still issue cards branded Electron. I remember a discussion here a hell of a long time ago stating Electron wasn't used any more but a few months later on my card renewal the new one was branded Electron.

Tesco don't take them at Direct but do in store.

2. Is the Card a Visa Electron Card? Unfortunately Tesco Direct does not accept Visa Electron as a form of payment.

 

[DarloRich]

He lives in Bletchley and cycles there (the family only has one car) so while there's a load of warehouse jobs up towards M1 J13 it would be a nuisance to work up there. There is a bus option but from that end of things it's not great.

The warehouses around Amazon are doable by train but for a greater expense. It is sad these guys are going through the wringer again. I wonder if Tesco manage to dispose of Fenny Lock this time.

 

[57Tonic]

I tried to order an ornamental orchid plant for the wife last year but Tesco Direct would not accept my credit card, had to join their mailing list etc, after trying several times I gave up. Googled the plant and found it cheaper from the importer with 24h free delivery and the card worked perfectly. always use a card and like the man on TV says "Paid in full"so no interest.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The warehouses around Amazon are doable by train but for a greater expense. It is sad these guys are going through the wringer again. I wonder if Tesco manage to dispose of Fenny Lock this time.

Didn't think of that, may be worth him considering it (he could cycle to the station and walk at the other end). Another customer for the branch He may well take early retirement though.

As for disposal, I'm not sure what for. It's an old warehouse (doesn't compete well with the new offerings by J13/Ridgmont on the Gazeley developments) and it isn't that good a location for anything else e.g. a housing estate. Though I suppose it's handy for the A5 and Caldecotte Lake, so maybe a housing development would work. They'd have to relocate the travellers' site, though; even if it in reality doesn't cause any trouble people are unlikely to pay premium prices for new homes next to one.