My neighbour is 90, housebound and reliant on carers. In early April her Kenwood microwave – bought less than three months ago and still under guarantee – stopped working. This meant her carers could not use it to heat meals for her lunch and tea.
I phoned Currys (where she bought it) on the same day and after waiting for over an hour managed to speak to someone. Unable to contact a manager at that time, the member of staff took my number and said someone would call back.
I have since phoned a number of times, but am just held in a queue or cut off. I have emailed on numerous occasions, leaving my mobile number and used the complaints website Resolver. I have received standard emails saying someone will be in touch, which they never are, and one message saying there had been a system error and if I got in touch someone would contact me within 24 hours, but, again, nothing.
Currys is still delivering appliances. How difficult would it be to bring another product? It is now 16 days since it said it would call. I have even offered to buy my neighbour another from the supermarket when I get her shopping. There appears to be, at best, poor communication, at worst, a total lack of responsibility.
LM (on behalf of JMcA), Hipperholme
It should not have taken the intervention of a newspaper to sort this out and make sure a vulnerable person could have hot meals. Currys escalated the case and a member of customer services phoned you the same evening, arranging to phone your neighbour the following day. It said it was too difficult to send another microwave, but has now agreed to refund the purchase price so that you can buy one for her.
Currys PC World says: “We have apologised to JMcA for the inconvenience and the time it took to resolve the matter. We have issued a payment to match the purchase price of her old microwave and also a goodwill gesture for the inconvenience and frustration.
“Due to our stores being closed because of Covid-19 we are making a Bacs transfer so she can purchase a new microwave. She is happy with the resolution.”
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