Sneaky cover plan selling by Currys

Sneaky cover plan selling by Currys

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Discussion

craigjm

Original Poster:

17,909 posts

199 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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We all remember the days of walking into Dixons / Currys / PC World and being offered a cover plan with our purchase that was always ridiculously expensive to get the extra few years guarantee. Well now they have changed their approach. I bought a TV from them a couple of days ago and guess what? no hard sell of cover or anything like that just a polite statement about getting "a months cover at the start to help you set it up" etc and then all of a sudden when you sign the documents for sale you are signing a direct debit mandate for a monthly cover plan. How sneaky is that! I wonder how many people forget that they have done this and don't cancel before the end of the first month. Not sure how that stands with financial miss selling but its now how they are doing things. Be warned and cancel as soon as you can.

MagicalTrevor

6,476 posts

228 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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How did they get your bank details to fill in the direct debit instruction?

craigjm

Original Poster:

17,909 posts

199 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
quotequote all
MagicalTrevor said:
How did they get your bank details to fill in the direct debit instruction?
Straight off your debit card as part of the sale. They haven't taken address of bank or anything but part of the T&C's is a direct debit mandate for 6.50 a month

Edited by craigjm on Sunday 13th July 21:03

MagicalTrevor

6,476 posts

228 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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Ah, it's probably a credit card/debit card mandate for the amount per month. Very naughty sales technique IMO, I'd be kicking up a stink with customer services at the very least

craigjm

Original Poster:

17,909 posts

199 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
quotequote all
Im just going to cancel it but there will be loads of people out there not realising what they are signing up for and / or don't check their bank statements that will be fleeced.

OldSkoolRS

6,718 posts

178 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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As my sister once said (while stood in Comet at the time, but never mind wink ) 'I'll never going to shop in Currys again'. I think she had a good point though, especially with underhand tactics like that. I know people will wail about the 'death of the high street', but a quick search on Amazon/eBay/eBuyer usually has me sorted with anything that I'd need that Currys sell and with free delivery usually too.

I used to grumble about people 'showrooming' but these days if Currys sell something I'd like to look at before I order online, I really don't feel guilty anymore these days...I don't waste the sales person's time, I just have a quick look and leave before they have chance to pester me.

egomeister

6,698 posts

262 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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OldSkoolRS said:
As my sister once said (while stood in Comet at the time, but never mind wink ) 'I'll never going to shop in Currys again'. I think she had a good point though, especially with underhand tactics like that. I know people will wail about the 'death of the high street', but a quick search on Amazon/eBay/eBuyer usually has me sorted with anything that I'd need that Currys sell and with free delivery usually too.

I used to grumble about people 'showrooming' but these days if Currys sell something I'd like to look at before I order online, I really don't feel guilty anymore these days.
Amazon aren't much better, I'm pretty sure they pulled a similar stunt to Currys with Amazon Prime a while back.

OldSkoolRS

6,718 posts

178 months

Monday 14th July 2014
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I didn't know that (though I don't do the 'Prime' thing myself).

southendpier

5,254 posts

228 months

Monday 14th July 2014
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Recently purchased a tablet from Currys pc world. Horrible experience dreadful sales person. Constant attempts to hard sell additional products.

Tempo used to be worse I remember the sales guy getting his manager and mocking me for not taking warranty cover on a telly as part of their good cop bad cop pathetic technique. Desperate shame they went down the pan. Cant see any reason that Currys will survive.

PAULJ5555

3,554 posts

175 months

Friday 18th July 2014
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When i went in i had to sign a sepprate form for this cover so not so sneaky, a months free cover is useful when transporting in the car and possible damage though set up.

Like most things its up to you to cancel.

I did forget to cancel and have paid £4.50 a month so far, I may cancel but then my 3 year old did smash the screen on the old one.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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I tried to buy a pc from Currys/PCWorld a couple of years ago, it was the worst experience I have ever had in a shop, the sales robot just wouldn't stop going on about extended warranty. I am lucky I didn't thump him becausecI was very close to it.

Now as a general rule Currys is the last place I will shop at, if forced to it is only certain stores as the experience varies a lot depending upon the store. I still don't agree with showrooming but will buy if we can agree a reasonable deal, if not then go elsewhere so their loss.

rix

2,776 posts

189 months

Monday 25th August 2014
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as a student i used to work in a comet store back in the late 90s. Extended guarantees (and store credit) were more important than the sale of the goods. We used to have a target that (IIRC) about 10% of sales value came from guarantees! If you weren't buying a £200 guarantee on that £400 washing machine then I didn't want to sell it!

guitarmandan

181 posts

142 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
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This technique of attaching warranty has been going on for years. It's not a new thing. The most questionable part is simply taking the details from your card and springing it on you. Of course, you could have just refused and kicked up a stink there and then, but I guess part of the under-handedness is to catch you while you're caught up in the excitement of getting your new toys home!

That aside, TV's used to be about the only thing I'd have honestly purchased cover on without a moment's doubt. The repair/exchange process on telly's was terrible, so it might be worth figuring that out just in case you have any initial problems. Generally any defects would show in a couple of months, in my past experience of working in a store... Just my two penneth.

Taita

7,592 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
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Alarm bells as soon as you need to sign something to buy something in run of the mill shop!?

caiss4

1,865 posts

196 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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I bought a laptop from Curry's a few months back. The sales guy asked me whether I wanted the extended cover. I said no. He then told me that if there were any problems out of the box then I would have to return the PC for repair which could take a week or more. If I had the extended cover then it would be an immediate replacement.

He then explained that I could cancel the cover within the first month (after I had set up the PC when it was most likely issues could occur) and there would be zero cost.

I took out the cover, received a letter advising me that the first debit was going to happen and cancelled the agreement.

I suspect he got commissioned for selling the cover regardless of whether or not I actually paid the premium (£12 per month I think)

Whilst I'm sure they rely on people forgetting to cancel DD's I still think the guy was very open and gave an honest justification for taking out the extended cover.

hilly10

7,076 posts

227 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2014
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craigjm said:
Im just going to cancel it but there will be loads of people out there not realising what they are signing up for and / or don't check their bank statements that will be fleeced.
That's what they rekon on by the time people remember they have paid a month or so. Good business for them when they might have sold thousands of electrical items.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2014
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caiss4 said:
I bought a laptop from Curry's a few months back. The sales guy asked me whether I wanted the extended cover. I said no. He then told me that if there were any problems out of the box then I would have to return the PC for repair which could take a week or more. If I had the extended cover then it would be an immediate replacement.

He then explained that I could cancel the cover within the first month (after I had set up the PC when it was most likely issues could occur) and there would be zero cost.

I took out the cover, received a letter advising me that the first debit was going to happen and cancelled the agreement.

I suspect he got commissioned for selling the cover regardless of whether or not I actually paid the premium (£12 per month I think)

Whilst I'm sure they rely on people forgetting to cancel DD's I still think the guy was very open and gave an honest justification for taking out the extended cover.
I worked for DSG 15 years ago as a student.

Coverplan on a PC was £349 for 3 years and £499 for 5 years then.... smile

If it got cancelled a few days later in store to would come off your commission - not if it was done centrally though.

He lied about the replacement bit. If you buy something that breaks in a 'reasonable' time - like a few weeks you can come back to the store and ask for your money back, or an exchange. SoGA 1979.

irocfan

40,152 posts

189 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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JustinP1 said:
He lied about the replacement bit. If you buy something that breaks in a 'reasonable' time - like a few weeks you can come back to the store and ask for your money back, or an exchange. SoGA 1979.
that's what I was thinking TBH

C0ffin D0dger

3,440 posts

144 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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Best way to buy a PC for Currys/PCWorld is online, I did this with my laptop (they were cheapest), ordered to collect from store and paid for online with no extras.

The bloke in the shop made a half hearted effort to sell me some cover when I went to pick it up but I just said no thanks and walked out with my goods.

Kudos

2,672 posts

173 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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Did the exact same with me a couple of weeks ago. Cheeky to say the least, underhand tactic. I'm sure it's misselling of some type