That’s definitely unfortunate. I think first lesson is don’t ever buy HP. I’ve never had good experience with them myself or heard any good from anyone else.

I think PC World should simply send you a new laptop with an official apology letter (much like you had to write a – useless – complaint letter).

Im having a similar problem with know how. I sent my ps3 away to get fixed and it arrived back over 2 weeks later. With the same problem still occuring. I dont even belive they opened the machine to see what was wrong with it. (also it came back with white specs on the startup bottons.?)
I dont know if i have the right to request a new one however i have seen many similar complaints from costumers and do not want to wait another couple weeks in order to solve this fault which i belive is realtively easy to fix .
What do you think i should do? Im off all next week and was really looking forward to relaxing after just finishing some stressful exams.

Having bought an I-Pad for my husband, which speedily indicated a known fault, and having experienced PC World’s apology for service and (apparently famous c.f. Wikipedia)attemts to wriggle out of their responsibilities under the Sale of Goods Act, I am determined never to have anything to do with this firm or their associates again.

[...] Saga Continues Posted in December 14th, 2011 by Paul Mackenzie Ross in business, tech Remember my open letter to PC World back in September? Well they promised to call within 72 hours and I heard [...]

Hi Maria,

Thank you so much for your fantastic response. I’m so sorry to hear that you’re also experiencing tech and customer service problems with a big company, namely your hassles with HP and their CLJ1600 printer.

The encouraging thing is that it looks like you’ve got the same attitude as myself with regards to addressing a polite email to the CEO of the offending party; I tried this approach once before when I ordered a Canon digital SLR and lenses from Pixmania back in 2006. My past experience with Pixmania was excellent but this time the camera, ordered in good time to arrive for a photo assignment, still hadn’t turned up. Disgusted that I’d waited over a week for a product that was due within just 2 days, I complained to Pixmania’s customer service team who said that, if I was unhappy with their service, that I should simply reject the delivery of the package.

Lo and behold, the camera finally arrived at my home well after I’d been expecting it and days after the event for which it had been purchased had been over. I refused to sign for the package and that was the last I heard of the matter.

Some months later I was checking my annual financial figures and I realised that I hadn’t been reimbursed for the camera and lenses. A few emails later and I’d reached an impasse: It had been “so long” since the incident that the courier company were refusing to provide details of the failed delivery and the seller, Pixmania, were dragging their heels in providing a refund.

Exasperated at this reluctance to provide a swift and satisfactory service, I turned to the Internet to find the email address of Pixmania’s CEO at the time – Just by cc’ing him in the previously long-drawn-out email complaint process had a “magical” affect – Within 24 hours of the deed being done I had the money returned to me. From what I recall, there was little in compensation apart from, IIRC, a voucher to receive a discount if I stayed loyal to my offenders!

The ironic thing, Maria, is that Pixmania are now owned by… Yep, Dixons Retail!

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If only more of us took this approach to demanding our rights then we’d have a much fairer system. Better still would be a more open and transparent methodology of consumer protection.

Thank you also for mentioning the Sale of Goods Act, Maria, a friend had also raised this point in a conversation. Readers would be wise to check out Faulty goods? You’ve still got rights when the guarantee runs out If this were more common knowledge then I’m sure companies wouldn’t get away with shafting consumers like they seem to be doing.

It’s also funny how I was told, in no uncertain terms, about what I was “entitled too” – KnowHow are so fixated on simply prividing a “solution” to this issue that any ancillary niceties go by the wayside. The latest update is that I’ve been without my laptop for a total of 27 days whilst it’s been away with Knowhow, another 6 months or so whilst it’s been functioning substandardly, and a further 14 days since the last “fix” which was yet another failure by Knowhow.

I too hope that our experience will be a warning for others, Maria – I’ve already received a direct message on twitter from a guy who said, thanks to the story of my problems with PC World, had refused to spend any money with them and, at a greater cost to himself, had gone elsewhere! How’s that for a small victory?

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Keep at it, Maria, we’ll get there in the end

Nice one, Timsey, and for people who need to contact the CEO of Dixons, PC World and KnowHow (the same group, the same CEO) his name is John Browett and his email address is john.browett@dixons.co.uk although he has neither acknowledged nor answered a single one of the five emails that I sent to him.

I’m really sorry to hear that, Dave. It seems like you’ve had the same issues as myself – You’ve sent it to KnowHow because you’ve assumed, as their name implies, they actually know how to diagnose and repair a laptop and, hey presto, they don’t know how!

Get your laptop fixed by them Dave but, whatever you do, don’t expect a single thing from PC World/KnowHow other than a promise to (eventually) try and fix it and an insincere apology from them. I’ve had no personal message from the CEO, not one “gesture of goodwill” for all the strife they’ve caused me and they’ve failed to compensate me for the money I spent in driving 100 miles over 3 hours to get back my PC before Xmas.

You’re absolutely bang on the money there though, Dave, they really don’t seem to care. From now on I’m going to do the same as you and ensure that my money goes into the pockets of a friendly, local computer repair shop.

Cheers & good luck!

hi there im hoping that you can give me some advice as i am also suffering at the hands of the lovely knowhow idiots. the fact that they call themselves knowhow is laughable enough my problem is with a tv not a laptop but i have the same problem as the rest of you in the fact that they sent the tv back with a letter attached saying it had ben fixed inspected and given a vallet, the prob was still there when we rung the admitted on the phone that they hadnt even touched it just turned it on for 8 hrs am i the only person who see this letter as fraudulent there stating they have done something they havern’t i have been paying for my cover plan for 4 years a total of £340 if i took my car to the garage and paid for a service and it wasnt done i would be able to take action against them so why when i complain i get told by some stuck up customer services manager that i can have £20 voucher and thats it what the hell is going on with this company they need to be stopped!!!

He wont reply because you have the wrong email mate!

Why do you say that, Salty? I never received a non-delivery status message, so, at the time, that email address was valid. What’s the correct email address then, and if you have it would you be able to share it with us?

Another reason he wont reply is because he is no longer ceo of dsgi, he has gone to apple

Below is the letter i’ve sent to their CEO for a TV repair…. i think i’ve tried to be a polite as possible, but the reality is i’m fuming at this service

Hello Mr Browett

I apologise for the direct approach but i feel I’ve exhausted my avenues of pursuing this complaint within your organisation and have no where left to turn.
I do not really expect you to be able to do anything in my personal case but feel that i need some way of making this feedback known to your group. If for no other reason than to see it improve, in today’s challenging marketplace the only way to really succeed if you’re not an on-line mega shop is to differentiate yourself in some way from the competition. I think that should be in quality customer service, to make people want to come to your shops and business’s when they need a product. Instead of dreading doing business with your group as i now feel.

Early this year I purchased a TV from your Currys website which went faulty about 1 and a half months later. I need to stress at this point i in no way hold your company at fault for this as i understand that things do go faulty from time to time. I’m also aware i did not have your premium insurance services and so i shouldn’t expect premium service. This however, does not excuse the events that proceeded to transpire with various parts of your organisation.

Sequence of events (i’ll try to be as brief as possible) -

TV goes faulty and i report it on 20/02. I was given a date for collection 8 days away on the 28/02 from your Know-how organisation. At this point i understand without the premium service i would have to wait so that’s OK
I was promised it would be returned on 06/03. Again pretty much what i expected.
on 05/03 I was informed that you were still awaiting parts and so it would be delayed but no idea of any new time-scales. Technically a breach of a commitment, but I’m not unreasonable and know these things can happen so i wait. I also learned from your know how call centre that an extensive list of parts needed ordered including a new screen which i understand may not be something you immediately keep in stock. I do talk to another agent in the call centre and query the policy of ‘repair or replace’. I’m informed you won’t replace it until 28 days have elapsed, i check the terms and conditions on the Knowhow website and find this to be true and so i don’t escalate it any further.
Later that week I’m informed the TV is repaired and i will get it back on 13/03. This should have been the end of the story. If it was i would have been championing your organisation as having efficient after sales support at even the most basic level. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
on 13/03 my TV is returned. I was shocked to discover that it hadn’t been properly packaged – when i sent the tv for repair i had packaged it in it’s original packaging to ensure safe transit. On return I found the various component parts of the television hadn’t been protected in any way in the box and so were no doubt bouncing off each other in transit. This meant despite the extensive repairs already carried out the TV now found it’s self with a damaged screen, frame, stand and housing. This rendered the previous repair a complete waste of time and money and showed a complete lack of care for your customers property. This was what frustrated me the most, your organisation effectively damaged my property and would not go out of it’s way to do anything about it other than follow it’s standard policy, surely when you have made an error it can be escalated in some way?…..
I now start the sequence again, i call Know how again. Initially i was told there’s no way it could be damaged as it wouldn’t get through the ‘quality control’ phase. Fortunately, this barrier quickly melted away when challenged. I was given yet another pick up date of 20/03. and then at least another 7 days after that for the item to be returned.
Sure enough the day before i was meant to get my tv back (26/03) i got a call stating you were still waiting on parts and it would be delayed again. I was this time told it was the ‘back casing’.
After this call it occurred to me the back casing was dented when i sent the tv to you and the person on the phone implied everything else was repaired. The back casing isn’t seen and doesn’t affect use so i called back and asked for this to be confirmed. After all, if it was just that remaining i would accept the TV provided the screen and frame were repaired. This time i spoke to a guy who said on his computer that seemed to be the case but he needed to talk to the workshop. After being on hold for a minutes he stated he couldn’t get through but he would email them and would be back in touch within 24 hours.
24 hours elapsed and i received no call. If keeping count that’s the 3 broken commitments i had been given and this one has even less excuse.
Now at this point I’ve lost all patience. I call back on , repeat my previous query. This time i’m told i had been misinformed as there is actually still a fairly extensive list of parts that your awaiting including a new screen. (so i was misled and a call back promise broken?). At this stage it has now been over the 28 days one of the earlier agents had mentioned and so i query this on the phone. The lady i was speaking to confirmed that i was now entitled to a replacement but i would need to go into a local currys store and give them my customer reference number. I accepted this.
The following day i get a text saying my original TV will be returned on 27/03. However, as i had confirmation from 2 knowhow agents that once 28 days had elapsed i could get a replacement (which i could pick up sooner than the redelivery date) and the general bad experience i was having i decided this was the approach i would take.
Today (01/04) i go into my local Currys story (Berryden in Aberdeen). I approach the counter and give my story and reference number. After a few confused looks from some of the staff and quite a bit of time trying to locate my details the manager comes over. He frankly seemed bemused and looked to be avoiding any responsibility. He directed his staff to call knowhow and get the details. What proceeded was utterly shocking, confusion rained and in front of me (and other customers in the store) your member of staff argued with various Knowhow people over the phone (at one point getting cut off). In what can only be described as a ‘buck passing’ affair where no one in currys or Knowhow wanted to take responsibility. Eventually her call ended and she declared that I had no right to ask for a replacement and there was no point at which i could ask for a replacement. I reminded her of the Terms & conditions on the website and the commitments made by the 2 know how agents i spoke to. She maintained this was for a different product – although i could see no difference, i admit she may be right, but if that’s the case your terms and conditions are very misleading and it still doesn’t explain the 2 know-how call centre advisor’s that said after 28 days i could have a replacement.

So here i am, almost a month and a half after i reported my tv faulty. Still without my TV, having it’s repair botched once and perfectly functional parts of the television damaged by your organisation. Different bits of your organisation that refuse to deal with each other in a professional way (even in-front of your customers!). Multiple broken promises and commitments. Outright contradictory information being given by your agents and extremely confusing terms and conditions. Who was right? Was it the Know how advisors who said after 28 days i was entitled to a replacement? Or was it the staff in store that said i could in no way request a replacement and that i had misread the terms and conditions. If it was the latter then i stress again how poorly worded your KnowHow terms and conditions are.

I appreciate your time in reading this complaint/feedback

Regards a frustrated and disappointed customer

David Smith

Thank you for stopping by, David, and I’m so sorry to hear yet another bad experience with Knowhow. I didn’t think they could screw up repairing or replacing a TV but from your experience, it’s true!

What appears to be happening at DSG International, DSG Retail, Dixons Retail, Currys, PC World, KnowHow, or whatever anybody wants to call them is a deep systemic failure. And what is most dismaying is that this John Browett character, who we’ve been emailing and cc’ing in on all the sordid details of our experiences without a single response as he passed the buck to his minions, went to Apple! The worst part of this is that he was apparently head-hunted! http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/31/apple-poaches-dixons-chief-john-browett

The reasons for JB’s poaching by the Cupertino techies is even more astonishing:

“Analysts said Apple’s board was attracted by Browett’s many years of experience in the retail sector and his performance in successfully turning around Dixons’s reputation for poor customer service”

I’m gobsmacked – “successfully turning around Dixons’s reputation for poor customer service” – That’s a sick joke, right?

You only have to go back to this alleged tale of a guy returning his iPad2 because his “wife said no” to see the sort of culture at the customer service end of Apple – http://www.macrumors.com/2011/03/18/ipad-2-wife-says-no-but-apple-says-yes/

To think that, with the absolute zero amount of customer service we’ve had from Knowhow, Apple tracked down and forcefully employed John Browett?! It makes you wonder what fragrances they sprayed on the corporate bullshit to make Browett come up smelling of roses?!

The bets are on – How long will the ex-Dixons CEO last at Apple? If he stays a long time then we’ll know for sure that the corporate world is a sick twisted abhorrence of the real world the rest of us live in…

well PC world even screws up their price promise, by giving me the most terrible lie ,, i saw a TV that i wanted and as my current one had “died” I need a new one quick , so did a bit of surfing and saw y PCWORLD had one but at a higher price of another store so i went in and asked for the price promise . The managers had a talk and came back to me stating ” as the one in their shop is GB coded and the oone at the other sore is EU coded , they are not the same and noot gong to do the ” price promise” ” , so I asked them to show me , but they then said it is what they know ,,, not what the product shows . Say what ??? so I argued the point that it was bull, I then get told to contact customer service to confirm ,again ” say what?”. although I know I could argue and get it from them from their “price promise gaurentee” , I refuse to pay them any money . I will however contact CEO and trading standards to complain.