Warning to battery buyers

[Poledriver]

I hope that this doesn't contravene 'name and shame' rules, this is just a statement of fact.
On Sunday I ordered a new battery for the Cerb, on line, from xxxxxx, their ad promised next day delivery but as it was a bank holiday I assumed that it would be dispatched Tuesday, arrive Wednesday.
On Wednesday I phoned them to confirm that they would be delivered that day (My OH is on holiday at mine this week) which they confirmed.
After waiting in all day without the receipt of a battery I was a little p'eed off so I tried to call them (at 5:30). The automated answering system diverted me to the tracking department and then to voicemail which informed me that it could not take a message from me at that time. I e-mailed them and asked if they would call me ASAP to say what had happened to the delivery.
Yesterday morning I rang them at 10:00 to ask what was happening. They told me that the courier had needed to change vehicles and my battery was out for delivery as we spoke... Cue another days holiday wasted as we both waited in again!
Tried calling them yesterday afternoon, this time I left messages on both lines and sent an e-mail stating that I wanted a refund to my PayPal A/C first thing this morning!
At 9:00 this morning I called them, told them what had happened and they said that they would contact the courier and get straight back to me.
At 10:00 this morning I called them again to ask what the fk was going on. They told me that the battery was out for delivery! I again told them that this was beyond a joke and I wanted a refund to my PayPal acoount, they agreed to do this immediately and asked if I would tell the courier that I am refusing delivery.
At 11:00 I called them again to ask why the refund had not gone through. They kept me on hold while they 'checked' and came back to tell me the refund would be through within 20 minutes. It was there in 5.
So, apart from being unable to supply a battery (still no sign of their courier), they have never called me back, always leaving it to me to contact them, their voicemail system is cack, they are either lying or using the worst courier in the world and they have no idea of how to deal with customer complaints!


Mod note: It (clearly) does breach name and shame rules. All stories have two sides and PH doesn't want to end up in court hearing the other party's.

Edited by Bill on Friday 7th May 17:09

[RobCrezz]

Very poor service! Will avoid them.

[sinizter]

They might have been using the green and yellow courier company whose name might rhyme with stty.

I had apparent attempted deliveries on two days with no cards or anything - days when we were in at the times of the attempted delivery.

Finally there was a third attempted on the fourth day after ordering the item (next day delivery) when a card was dropped.

Managed to pick it up the day after that. When I mentioned the (non)delivery attempts, they looked it up and the driver had marked it as premises closed.

Edited by sinizter on Friday 7th May 16:50

[jas xjr]

sinizter said:

They might have been using the green and yellow courier company whose name might rhyme with stty.

we have two deliveries a week using that courier. cannot fault them.
in fact never have a problem with any couriers, we have deliveries every day. it does help that we are a shop and are able to accept deliveries all day and are easy to find

[anonymous-user]

To sell the other side of the story....

I ordered at 5:30pm on the Saturday before the last bank holiday from them. I thought the same, that it would be dispatched Tuesday, and arrive Wednesday.

And it did - 9:30am Wednesday.

So its not all bad

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 7th May 17:37

[bazking69]

Was it really that much cheaper than your local factors then in the first place?

[anonymous-user]

bazking69 said:

Was it really that much cheaper than your local factors then in the first place?

It was for me - £20

[Stu R]

No idea which outfit you're referring to, but I've been using www.tayna.co.uk for years, never let me down

[CampDavid]

Halfords are my choice for batteries. 50% off with a Trade Card, ideal

[Dog Star]

Nyphur said:

bazking69 said:

Was it really that much cheaper than your local factors then in the first place?

It was for me - £20

£20 saved for a days holiday?

[Poledriver]

Local factors only have cheap, 2 year warranty batteries. Halfrauds do not list the one I'm after, I'll try the other one now!

ETA Tayna don't list the ones I need!

Either 086 or 096R

Edited by Poledriver on Friday 7th May 18:26

[anonymous-user]

Dog Star said:

Nyphur said:

bazking69 said:

Was it really that much cheaper than your local factors then in the first place?

It was for me - £20

£20 saved for a days holiday?

Nope, £20 saved and delivered to work

[AndyS2]

Poledriver said:

Local factors only have cheap, 2 year warranty batteries. Halfrauds do not list the one I'm after, I'll try the other one now!

ETA Tayna don't list the ones I need!

Either 086 or 096R

Edited by Poledriver on Friday 7th May 18:26

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_734753_langId_-1_categoryId_165762

Any good?

Edited by AndyS2 on Friday 7th May 19:43

[stigmundfreud]

2 year warranty on a battery? what more do you want? The cerb certainly wont be working in 2 years time

its only a kit car after all

[Nickyboy]

In that kind of situation i always demand the name of the courier and the tracking number, 99% of the time they try to say its their fault to pass off the blame to someone else. I mean how would the battery supplier know one of the courier companies vehicles had broken down and they were swapping vehicles? Its not the sort of thing that is told to customers unless its a major problem

[MMTWRX]

stigmundfreud said:

2 year warranty on a battery? what more do you want? The cerb certainly wont be working in 2 years time

its only a kit car after all

Ouch

[sinizter]

jas xjr said:

sinizter said:

They might have been using the green and yellow courier company whose name might rhyme with stty.

we have two deliveries a week using that courier. cannot fault them.
in fact never have a problem with any couriers, we have deliveries every day. it does help that we are a shop and are able to accept deliveries all day and are easy to find

To be completely fair, in London, their service was abysmal. In Milton Keynes, it was good. In Suffolk, through last year I had no problems. Just this one delivery being so completely messed up.

Overall, I have never felt confident with their level of service. They have never delivered consistently good service which might make me consider them a good option. But they are not always bad either.

[JVaughan]

Stu R said:

No idea which outfit you're referring to, but I've been using www.tayna.co.uk for years, never let me down

Just ordered 2 new batterys, one for the Jeep, and one fo rthe TVR .. Both Leasure batterys, deep cycle, 1000 CCA !!
Paid the extra £2 and they were delivered next day.

Top company cannot fault

[Poledriver]

AndyS2 said:

Poledriver said:

Local factors only have cheap, 2 year warranty batteries. Halfrauds do not list the one I'm after, I'll try the other one now!

ETA Tayna don't list the ones I need!

Either 086 or 096R

Edited by Poledriver on Friday 7th May 18:26

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_734753_langId_-1_categoryId_165762

Any good?

Cheers! It would be if it was an 096R, the terminals are in the wrong position!

[Poledriver]

MMTWRX said:

stigmundfreud said:

2 year warranty on a battery? what more do you want? The cerb certainly wont be working in 2 years time

its only a kit car after all

Ouch

We would never expect a Mundaneo driver to understand!