Page 1 of Empiredirect Shaft Anyone Else This Christmas?

***Beware this`ll probably be a rant, apologies to those easily offended!!**

Ordered a camera and memory card from Empiredirect (for those who dont know the website, I wont post the address becuase you really dont want to use them, trust me!!!) both in stock. Great, I thought excellent price (it`s last seasons stock, so difficult to track down in the shops, but still an excellent camera - Olympus c4000z) Checked the delivery times last - last order for Christmas delviery 3pm on the 23/12/2003, the website proclaims. Spot on so I order, get a telephone call on Friday 19/12 to say thats the order been processed, sent to dispatch will leave depot on Monday 22/12 should have Tuesday, Wednesday at the very latest.

Being of a nervous disposition and as there website tracking is the biggest crock of s*** since dump time in Jurassic Park, (everything you click, takes you back to the same page, like Hampton Court Maze but a lot more bloody irritating - incidently the technical response from E`direct is the severs slow at this time of year, it`s not just the server but the service!!!) i phoned today just to make sure it`s going to arrive tomorrow. I guess it shouldn`t be too big a leap to guess that it`s a Christmas present for someone, who be getting s*** all come Christmas morning. "oh, thats still in our dispatch area, that wont be delivered for Christmas now, sorry." the call handler said, "What, but your website proclaims delivery before Christmas, you phoned me on Friday to confirm just that", I said. "I know but it looks like an IT problem in that the order never created a manifest number" so the f*** what I thought, "Is that right, so what can you do about this" I said "There`s nothing we can do, it`s to late to have couried to dispatch, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" I think I switched off then, it was either that or rip the phone from the wall.

You know sorry doesn`t cut it the earliest they can deliver is next Tuesday (I`m struggling to work that one out, but I dont work for E`direct so I dont know how f****d up they are!!) why advertise to the contrary and if you make a balls up why not try and rectify the situation, dont just shove in another pile building up. the guy actually said to me they have 14,000 parcels in the dispatch area for delivery tomorrow however only about 1,000 will actually make it in time for Christmas. To the other 13,000, I know how you feel unfortunately, i hope you`ve cooled down sufficiently to enjoy Christmas day and hope there`s no bits and pieces for your kids becuase that`ll be a bugger to explain.

If I hadn`t phoned up today and waited till i came home form work tomorrow, I would have no chance to get anything, other than a multibag of Walkers and a bag of nuts. As it is I`ve little chance as I`m one of the unlucky buggers to be working tomorrow.

It`s the season of goodwill and all that, so Merry Christmasn to everyone, however do yourself a favour and steer clear of this bunch of melon farmers, and you might actually enjoy Christmas day. :(

P.S.Thanks for putting up with my rant:)

Seems like dejavu - http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=222&Thread=223785&Type=1 and there has been another thread about their shoddy service recently too.

Sorry, not much comfort now i know. ED`s service has gone downhill fast in the past 12 months or so. Internet retailers seem to be one of 2 breeds, the ones that grow by word of mouth on a reputation of good prices and good service, and then decide to start advertising but maintain these standards (Play & CDWOW spring to mind), and then there are those that get big and just start to shaft people left right and centre as their customer service and delivery goes to sh*t. Unfortunately empire direct have taken the second route :( I for one shall stay well clear for a while, and hope they sort themselves out...

Had pretty much the same level of poor customer service from Digital Direct AND The Mobile Republic. Ordered a digital settop box from DD on the 7th Dec, cancelled the order on the 9th and im STILL waiting for the refund, emailed them 9 times to no avail, called them up to find out where my refund is and got and I quote "Do what your mother did for you....... WAIT" then they hung up and that was it?!? As for TMR ordered a phone case on the 13th, and again im still waiting for it, emailed them and said if delivery cant be made before xmas to cancel the order, no reply to 14 emails and no bugger ever answers the phone? Exceptionally poor customer service and needless to say I shant bother with these two any more!!!!


===================

The Shi*house poet needs a good thrashing, Grafitti ISNT cool.... kiddies!

This item was edited on Wednesday, 24th December 2003, 00:39

Sounds familiar, I had a similar experience a week or two ago. See this thread here:

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=222&Thread=241743&Type=1

Mark. :(

This item was edited on Wednesday, 24th December 2003, 01:44

i placed an order with them last wednesday, I done it over the phone just to be sure and they said I would have it before Christmas but it has not come. I rang them up and cancelled the order today.

Good news was that i went in PC World today and the product i ordered was £5 cheaper anyway...

Yup, got the two finger salute from ED today as well, I ordered a Canon Digital Camera, and a pair of Eye Trek VR Glasses, via First National Able2buy so called instock, and today after ringing them up and talking to Woman who sounded half asleep was told the Eye Trek Glasses were out of stock and discontinued, I asked ok what shall I do as this was bought via credit though you.... and after what seemed like a 10min silence I was asked did I have any alternatives in mind.. I reply no, then theres another pause and then I`m told it will all be sorted out with the paperwork in the post for just the camera.... Arrrrrrrrrrggg...

I`m sorry to hear there`s so much people in a similar situation, in this day and age just shouldn`t be happeninig. . .however, I`m getting the very real impression it`s not ED who are the doughballs but me for even thinking they could deliver on what they promised.

It makes me wonder what it`s all about, cancelling orders and boycotting these places just doesn`t seem to get through to them.

Good luck anyway to all who`ve stumbled into their troubled shores.