Delayed ordering again

[tfboy]

Dear Scan,

whilst I appreciate the free delivery offer, it is very frustrating to gradually expect orders to be delayed for dispatch.

I placed an order on Wednesday morning, and was quoted a Thursday delivery date. Due to an error on my behalf, payment did not authorise. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a text message explaining this. I phoned your CS team and was put through to accounts after a short wait. The payment was corrected on the phone and processed immediately

I receive an email stating it's being processed, but then see that the delivery date has slipped by one day to dispatch Thursday, delivery on Friday. No problem, I can just about live with that. With the bank holiday, you may have a bit of a backlog.

However, we're now Thursday evening, and still no sign of it being packaged and dispatched, so I'm fearing it will be delayed for a Friday dispatch meaning I lose another two days with the weekend.

I know many people complain about delayed orders due to stock issues, or being busy, but in all honesty, a huge retailer such as yourself with massive experience should be used to this and be able to manage it. Knowing Monday was a bank holiday, it would be prudent to suggest that dispatching orders may have to be pushed back by a day or two as you will know how much of a backlog you really have.

Had I initially been told when selecting the delivery date that I wouldn't get it neither Thursday (which was the available and hence chosen option) nor Friday but on Monday, I could have coped with that. But yet again, I feel the customer is being let down. And in turn, my customer (I'm buying the goods for someone else) is having to cope with the news.

Obviously you "do your best", but it would be far more acceptable to under-promise and over-deliver than vice versa...

I can only commend on your selection of products and very keen prices. It's such a shame that the processing times and dispatch can't match your level of performance in the other areas where you do very well.

Incidentally, I wonder if paying for the postage would be better as the free-delivery-hexites may have a slightly lower priority.

Thanks for the efforts guys, but a pity you fail to deliver again

Oh well, better luck next time I suppose.

edit: if of any use, order number is <REMOVED FOR SECURITY>

[pav]

I have a suspicion it's not shipped because if you search for that invoice number under customer reference with the two leading 0's at the Citylink tracking site then it does not show up.

[tfboy]

I know it's not.

Now had a "due to unexpected volumesin [sic] our warehouse."

It's just so annoying having it slip one day, then being told sorry, it has to slip a second day, making it 5 days with the weekend

[Bugbait]

Same. Two orders in a row with stock issues and notifications well after close of business. Fortunately the new order isn't urgent.

[tfboy]

Well, finally managed to get to the bottom of this and it's only fair that I post the results

Spoke to Paul M on the phone, and he explained that Windows MCE which I had ordered couldn't be found on the system and therefore the order was delayed.

The thing that wound me up most was that I never received an email stating that MCE wasn't available and then I could have chosen what to do. Paul did say that I should have received an email as the picking process would have determined that MCE wasn't available and automatically send out a notification so appropriate action could be taken. Of course, had I not phoned today, I would still not know and be waiting with no email clarifying what's going on. Whether due to an system glitch or human error is irrelevant and I'll give Scan the benefit of doubt on this one.

On the plus side, Paul was very apologetic and did see what else could be done. Realising it would be unlikely that MCE would be available as it has apparently now been discontinued, I've cancelled the order.

I appreciate Scan may be going through a reshuffle on warehouses and the like and it's just annoying that some automated response doesn't seem to go through. Oh well, I just hope I have better luck next time.