What happened to common sense?

[LondonRoad]

Is it me or do you think companies sometimes make life difficult for themselves?

I ordered a pine storage cabinet for storing toy boxes from Argos. The item duly arrived but when I go to assemble it there is one packet of cams and bolts missing.

After 3 phone calls the argos solution is to send me a complete new unit and when the delivery man arrives I've to open the box and take the missing bits out.

So basically they're hand delivering a packet of bolts, expensively wrapped in 21 large pieces of pine.

I did suggest that Royal Mail do offer a slightly less expensive means of delivering small items but apparently that's the only way they can do it.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by harmitage

Is it me or do you think companies sometimes make life difficult for themselves?

I ordered a pine storage cabinet for storing toy boxes from Argos. The item duly arrived but when I go to assemble it there is one packet of cams and bolts missing.

After 3 phone calls the argos solution is to send me a complete new unit and when the delivery man arrives I've to open the box and take the missing bits out.

So basically they're hand delivering a packet of bolts, expensively wrapped in 21 large pieces of pine.

I did suggest that Royal Mail do offer a slightly less expensive means of delivering small items but apparently that's the only way they can do it.

Quite a while back I bought a breakfast table from argos that came as a set with 2 stools. I followed all the instructions, assembled the table and one stool fine. when it came to the last stool, it looked like the holes for the screws didn't align and it was impossible to fix.

I phoned argos who told me they would send out a replacement stool. I told them that everything was assembled so all I would want to change over is the faulty stool. The lady on the phone said that not only would they deliver just the stool but it would be assembled too.

When the delivery turned up it arrived in a big lorry. And the stool was accompanied with the rest of the set, i.e another table and stool. I explained to the delivery guy what had happened and he told me I have to accept the whole package. I told him I wasn't going to dismantle the other pieces of furniture and he said "fine, i'll just take the stool back". I signed that I had returned the furniture and got my new ones.

I know have 2 breakfast tables and 3 stools....

I bet when the cupboard arrives they will not even realise you need to take the screws out, and you could end up with 2 pieces of furniture. One for you and one for ebay

[Charlie_Bubble]

Probably nothing to do with common sense, but more to do with their computer systems only accepting whole items and only giving them the ability to ship whole items around.

[Osem]

"What happened to common sense?"

Do you mean flat packed common sense or the good old fashioned ready assembled variety?

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Osem

"What happened to common sense?"

Do you mean flat packed common sense or the good old fashioned ready assembled variety?

The one with the screw loose (or missing)

---------- Post added at 14:31 ---------- Previous post was at 14:28 ----------

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

Probably nothing to do with common sense, but more to do with their computer systems only accepting whole items and only giving them the ability to ship whole items around.

The first person I spoke to said they had a small parts department (yes she did call it that) that sent out missing pieces, the second one says it can take up to 4 weeks, and the third one says it can only be done this way. I don't think that computer programmers have such a wonderfull diverse sense of humour.

[Maggy J]

More like they hate the job they are doing...and so do it badly...

[Angua]

It can be done the right way. A friend ordered a fridge from a catalogue which came minus an essential narrow glass shelf. Rang the manufacturers who just sent the missing shelf. Job done!

[LondonRoad]

I had thought of that mate but no contact information at all in the instructions and no name on the box. I asked the first person I spoke to if I could call their supplier direct but I was told they don't give out that information.