"I Love Dixons!" and other unexpected testimonials.

[terminallyrelaxed]

.....or 'shops that brighten up your day slightly'.

So, like a complete arsewit I neglected to buy a case for my iPod as I carry it in my jeans pocket, except of course when its not in my jeans pocket, when its in my padded rucksack. All well and good, until I put a large hardback in my bag and dropped it once, which squashed my iPod.
At least, thats what I think happened. A quarter of the screen vanished, and the edge of the er, vanishing point resembled a crack. It still worked, but you couldnt see the battery indicator.
Anyway, as I bought it from Dixon's I took it there instead of wasting my time with Apple. I asked about having it repaired (as I suspected it was my fault and didnt want to feel like a con-man, although I didnt mention that I thought it must have been dropped, just said 'the screens gone funny innit' or soemthing) and the guy said "nah we don't do that, how much did you pay for it? I'll just give you another one of similar value" so I gave him my 20Gb white, 4G click-wheel black-and-white-screened iPod, and he gave me a black 30Gb colour-screened video iPod.
So, yes, I love Dixons. I'll not hear a word against them, d'you hear?

So, what alarmingly good service have you received?

[Daaaaaaan]

I got into some quite bad financial problems with my bank, I went over my overdraft and because I didn't pay it off after a certain amount of time, another £35 charge was added plus another £35 for not paying off the last one and that went on for a few months because it just made much more financial sense for me to ignore it until I had a job and just spend whatever money I had then. Well, I made various calls to my bank to try and get some help, like perhaps if I could just pay it all back in installments but I just got a polite "fuck off please" from most. Until one day some nice woman said "No problem, sir, I'll clear the charges now. Please just take more care of your finances" and that was that!

[Make me smile]

Dixons as well for me too.

I had problems with two iRivers and both times they exchanged it, no quibbles, no problems.

Go Dixons!

[InfiniteFury]

Little tip here about dealing with your bank having worked for one of the big four.

If you're having trouble with money - however great or small - (do you know I shouldn't be telling you this it's a Level 1 secret) then......talk to them.

Talk to them before you start racking up charge after charge after charge.

You really will be surprised how accomodating they will be and, in many instances, how accomodating they are obliged to be under banking regulations once you start a dialogue and start it early. Do it for even the tiniest, shorterst  term financial wobble. If you warn them whats happening, more often than not you won't pay the first charge let alone the second or third.

If you ignore their letters, don't manage your account and basically say: "I don't really give a fuck what's going on with my account nor will I take any responsibility for it" you won't get a great deal of help from them and they'll reasonably assume that your laisez-faire attitude extends to their published charges.

Sorry, I know that sounds sarcastic and it is slightly but I had my fill of twats when I worked there. A bank is a business at the end of the day like it or not - you can stick it all under the bed if you want but they're not a government-funded finance agency or anything.

Er, semi-rant over :-)

Edit - I don't like banks particularly but I think they're a necessary evil. Know how to work with them basically and avoid unnecessary unpleasantness.

[Daaaaaaan]

Little tip here about dealing with your bank having worked for one of the big four.

If you're having trouble with money - however great or small - (do you know I shouldn't be telling you this it's a Level 1 secret) then......talk to them.

Talk to them before you start racking up charge after charge after charge.

You really will be surprised how accomodating they will be and, in many instances, how accomodating they are obliged to be under banking regulations once you start a dialogue and start it early. Do it for even the tiniest, shorterst  term financial wobble.

If you ignore their letters, don't manage your account and basically say: "I don't really give a fuck what's going on with my account nor will I take any responsibility for it" you won't get a great deal of help from them and they'll reasonably assume that your laisez-faire attitude extends to their published charges.

Sorry, I know that sounds sarcastic and it is slightly but I had my fill of twats when I worked there. A bank is a business at the end of the day like it or not - you can stick it all under the bed if you want but they're not a government-funded finance agency or anything.

Er, semi-rant over :-)

Yeah, I appreciate that at the end of the day they are just a business. However, they are frankly extortionate, I may be wrong but I think we have some of the highest charges in the world. And cheques and money transfers take an unreasonable amount of time to transfer while they make loads off of that. I believe the government has tried enforcing much shorter cheque/money transfer times but nothing really happened.

[Lady Beaner]

Actually, that kind of knowledge is handy.  I have never been in any HUGE trouble with my bank, but I have come oh so close to the line once or twice.  But, banks are scary aren't they?  So, I have had a tendency to bury my head in the sand.  I might have to take you up on that info IF and go speak to one of their army sometime.

Errr, back on the subject.  I was 'leaving' Carphonewarehouse's mobile insurance plan about 6 months ago and called them up to cancel everything.  Nice lady on the other end told me that they owed me £400 because I had mistakenly opened 2 policies!  I hadn't really noticed because they were taking around £20 every 3 months or something... silly me.  I would have expected them to shaft me up the arse and keep the money, but I guess they have to cover their backs too. Thanks for being honest Carphonewarehouse - hoopla to you!

[InfiniteFury]

I'm glad you didn't think that was directed at you personally Daaaaaaan

Their charges are extortionate but I also believe we have one of the most financially irresponsible populations in the world and the money that gets spent on credit has to come from somewhere - and when people default on borrowing they can't manage everyone is made to pay through the standard day-to-day charges. Of course the deregulation of the banks meant they could certainly become more "generous" with their credit lines so they are, indeed, to blame in their own way.

You're very right about the clearing times of course. Frankly ridiculous in this age of internets and what not.

[InfiniteFury]

But, banks are scary aren't they

I suspect - and I don't assume this applies to you - that what a lot of people are actually scared of being told is that they can't afford that new and perhaps unessential shiny new telly therefore we won't give you any more credit til you have your finances in order.

Obviously I can understand that someone with a £90,000 debt is in a different league. In which case I would probably just do a runner which is what the previous tenant in my building did and everyone's stopped chasing him after a year or so.

That's the other option :-)

[Pinball]

I've got an Aussie bank account, and they've started charging $5 a month despite the fact I don't use the account. Apparently this is across the board in Oz now, with only the elderly and >$30,000 balances being let off. So the UK isn't the worst - in fact it's better than most, and also better than France I know for a fact.

I had a good experience with the Dixons group (Currys specifically). Their online prices are very competitive, almost the same as the cheapest out there, despite the fact that their high street prices remain high. So buy online from 'em and enjoy the customer service and quick delivery :-)  I had a bad experience with a cheapo web shop, then ordered from Comet which had a good price but screwed up the order (then went out of stock for the item), and finally third time lucky bought the camcorder from Currys! It was delivered in a couple of days.

[InfiniteFury]

Before I take this thread completely off-topic, I should just finish by adding that I have had my fair share of over-zealous borrowing with a bank myself so there's no ivory-tower shit going on here. Fortunately, I bit the bullet from the off and it turned out to be a very good decision in comparison.

The irony of course is that the financial problem came about from working from the bank and living in London on £8000 per year. You can imagine the direction my borrowing took just to survive. I'm still paying it off.

[Pinball]

I'd like to plug uswitch.com. Thanks to them, I've switched from BT (phone) to another supplier that's half the price, British Gas, and Southern Electric. Overall it's saved a fortune. They also have an online directory of tradesmen and stuff.

[Daaaaaaan]

Yeah, it's tricky. They can be greedy cunts but it's impossible for me to not be at least partially to blame for the problems. I don't consider myself somebody who purchases lots of unessential products, infact most of the time when I do go over my limit it's just because of bills and stuff so I do feel a bit hard-done-by sometimes.

[Mister Cairo]

Maplin Electronics have been extrelmy helpful to me, refunding parts I don't need, friendly and always helpful. Their London Road shop is an oasis of happiness.

If you work there, I love you.

[zozman]

I've just had a very nice call from the (probably) lovely Laura from Powergen, refunding me £400 of overpayments.  This was followed up minutes later by an e-mail, re-affirming everything she'd said just so I'd have a written reference.

Anyone fancy going to the pub?  Drinks are on me....

[terminallyrelaxed]

Maplin Electronics have been extrelmy helpful to me, refunding parts I don't need, friendly and always helpful. Their London Road shop is an oasis of happiness.

If you work there, I love you.

I've bought plugs there. It was an acceptable retail experience.

[mook]

Steve, my butcher. Always remembers to put aside lambs hearts for my dog. Never forgets when I've ordered up a rake of beef bones to make demi glace, and flogs me hares at a fiver a pop. You can't beat Steve, you really can't.

Actually, thinking about it, he's the only Steve I can recall who doesn't seem to be a bit of a cunt.

[ColaCoca]

I'd love to participate in this thread but I've had such appalling customer service lately from almost everyone I've had to deal with that unfortunately I can't.  So there.  And if you want to stay happy I would avoid Co-op bank, Tiscali BB and McKeags solicitors if I were you.

[Rubbish Monkey]

Maplin Electronics have been extrelmy helpful to me, refunding parts I don't need, friendly and always helpful. Their London Road shop is an oasis of happiness.

If you work there, I love you.

They don't do the tiny screws for digital cameras. I had to go to a watch repair place. They also had no 2.5mm headphone adaptors, which I only found on a little known auction website. Thank you baronbuzby69.

[Captain Crunch]

Maplin Electronics have been extrelmy helpful to me, refunding parts I don't need, friendly and always helpful. Their London Road shop is an oasis of happiness.

If you work there, I love you.

Ditto for the TCR branch too, patience of saints.

A special retail award goes to Dan from Virgin Oxford Street, probably the most helpful shop assistant ever.

Runners up are the lovely people who work in Honour, Lower Marsh and that nice young man in Darkside clothing.

[VegaLA]

I hope they hold up for you come Dec 2nd.

[Daaaaaaan]

That reminds me of quite an amusing conversation I had with a young lad on the phone to HMV a few years ago while I was trying to track down the Adam and Joe video and it didn't matter how many times I said "Adam and Joe" he consistently managed to mistake what I was saying.

"Sorry, what?! Glam Rock, So?"

I eventually got it online. Still, not good service to employ a british citizen who's yet to grasp the concept of listening.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

I think I regularly plug Aria in threads like this, so here's another plug:
http://www.aria.co.uk/

They're great, really good prices, everything arrives very quickly and when I've needed to get things repaired, replaced or returned they've always been helpful. You can ask questions about item descriptions on their website and the Webmaster(s) will always answer them fairly quickly. Over the years I've probably spent a few thousand on their website buying components for me and other people, and I'll always buy from them if they have what I want in stock.

[Lady Beaner]

Thanks for the heads up on that one Sutton - looks great!

[domesticgoddess]

Aww, this thread is making me feel all warm and gooey inside!

I would like to plug Faith (that's a shoe shop for the men on the board).  I recently took back a pair of boots that I bought 9 months ago, where the leather had started to come away from the sole with no way of repairing it.  My little toe kept getting cold and wet when it was raining.  That particular boot was no longer stocked, but despite the fact that I didn't have a receipt they gave me the full amount back in vouchers.  So I now have £60 to spend on shoes.  It's like free money!

[Ambient Sheep]

Maplin Electronics have been extrelmy helpful to me, refunding parts I don't need, friendly and always helpful. Their London Road shop is an oasis of happiness.

If you work there, I love you.

Ditto for the TCR branch too, patience of saints.

A vote for Maplin in Swansea here too.  Generally great.  I guess that's what happens when you employ enthusiastic geeks as shop staff...

[gazzyk1ns]

Steve, my butcher. <snip> ...and flogs me hares at a fiver a pop.

I know he's a butcher, but that's a bit cruel.

[Pinball]

I guess that's what happens when you employ enthusiastic geeks as shop staff...

Exactly what I was thinking!! I went to the huge Maplins in Farnborough, and had a superb time with, I admit, fellow like-minded geeks, who just happened to be staff. It's a fantastic place. Goddamn, I could have spent hours there, were it not for my better and more slender half.

[Frinky]

Maplin would be great, but unfortuantely, the fact that the component stockfile they keep has absolutely no bearing on reality in any shape or form hampers them from achieving true greatness.

Even the online ordering is hopeless when it comes to components - they don't check any of what they send.

I ORDERED TEN LEDS FOR A REASON, ONLY GETTING NINE RUINS EVERYTHING. NOT THAT I REALLY WANTED TO BUY FROM YOU AND PAY POSTAGE, BUT I WENT TO YOUR STORE AND YOU TOLD ME YOU HAD 20 BUT REALLY YOU HAD THREE

Can't fault the staff, but the stores need burning to the ground.

[Lee]

So, yes, I love Dixons. I'll not hear a word against them, d'you hear?

I have never had a single good retail experience with Dixons. Not one. They have all been shite.

[/anarchy]

[grundie]

I've been with a few banks, most have been very helpful regarding charges etc. However, Nationwide are complete and utter b**tards as regards charges.

One of their charges for a failed direct debit made put my account £3.00 overdrawn. They then charged me for going unauthorised overdrawn. I tried to argue that was a bit unfair, but they wouldn't waive the overdrawn charge. Before then I had never had a charge and I had never ever had an overdraft. To make matters worse the branch staff seem to have have very little power, all complaints and queries have to be sent to their head office. I switched banks ater that.

As for Dixons, I think a lot depends on the branch you are going to. The more profitable branches have happier staff who are under less pressure and more likely to give you better service. Now that they have closed 100+ of their less profitable branches maybe their reputation will improve?

At this point maybe I should mention the time they sold me a scanner with a continental two-pin plug. I spent the best part of an hour explaining to the assistant why that was a bad thing and why they should give me a refund, rather than try to sell me a travel plug.