There's another one

of our local service providers who's pissing me off! You will see I have started a list on the right somewhere.

Incredible Connection (or Corruption as they are referred to here) (LIU).

Last week b4 we went off to fire valley, I was in Cresta Mall (LIU) with a business associate. I walked past IC and saw they had a special on some laptops. GMan has been wanting to buy one for some time, so I had a look. One of them was fine, and I said I would discuss it with my son, and maybe be back the next day. They confirmed they had 9 in stock, so no problem there.

Details as follows:-

ACER Aspire 3683WXMi

Intel Celeron M 1.6 GHz Processor

120 GB HDD & 1024 MB RAM

DVDRW Dual Layer Drive

14.1" ZGA TFT LCD

Windows Vista Basic & 1 Year Warranty

Was R6 499.95

Now only R6 199.95

Next day I was back. GMan wanted one. I asked the salesman while he was fetching me one from the store room to ask the manager if he would throw in a free carry bag. (You don't ask, you don't get!)

He comes back to me after about 35 minutes to say that the manager says the price is actually R6499.95! And only the one on display, which is shop soiled, has been back to the factory for a refresh, and is once again shop soiled is on special!

HUH?

Doos! I just walked out.

Onto their web site, find the customer complaint email, and off it goes!

Here's my complaint as I sent it:-

Tues, 24th, I went in to your store in Cresta shopping center. I looked at, and spoke to a sales person about a laptop that was on special. I even cot a copy of the offer so I could take it home to discuss with my 16 yr old son who is keen to buy one. Wed, 25th, I went back. Discussed the merits of the machine with another salesperson. I then said I would take one, there were 9 in stock, and asked if he would see if the manager would throw in a bag.

He came back to say that he was just told that the machine costs R6500.00, and only the one that is on display, which is shop soiled and has been back to the factory to be refurbished was on special for R6199.95.

Well, that's not good enough. No where on the display does it say that the special is limited to that one unit - false advertising. neither of the two sales people I spoke to on the two days mentioned, or knew that either. Therefore, I have to let you know that I am very disappointed, and so was my son when I got home without his laptop (he's paying for it)!

I don't think it's good business to not display the correct terms and conditions when running a special like this. For what it's worth, you fall into the same category, in my books, as most of the service providers in this country today, where customer satisfaction is not important, and erroneous ads / displays are just fobbed off with a "Sorry"! Well, sorry to you to, I won't be back, and neither will any of my family, or anyone else I can convince that your "shop" is not totally honest with it's displays / specials.

Have a nice day.

I then got this:-

And since then, nothing!

Today I checked http://www.hellopeter.com/, and see that they are one supplier who does not respond, and there are hundreds of complaints!!

Back to their website, and I send them this:-

"I submitted a complaint end of last week. No one has got back to me yet. Would you recommend I correspond with you via the press instead?"

And got this:-

And now we wait.

What is it with South African service providers? Have we really become a nation who accept any level of service, as shoddy as it may be, just because we couldn't be bothered to test it? Is rugby and cricket and soccer the only thing we can complain about? Crime, and the current government? What about our rights as consumers? What about some fucking service please? I find that even with the hellopeter.com page running, many people vent there, but nothing really happens. We need to go to the root of the evil. Not some random complaint site. Direct to the CEO, and if he does not care, to the press. Damn it.

Salagatle!