Sent the wrong item 3 times

[ped]

After a 3 week wait for a Roland GK kit for BASS guitar (http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061908.html ) , they send the guitar version ( [url="http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061906.html"]http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061906.html[/url] )

I have said they better send the right version ASAP (will be 3 weeks at best) and i will send back the one I have if they send a prepaid postage label with the new one.

Probably should have gone direct to Roland.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

[quote name='ped' post='591705' date='Sep 6 2009, 09:28 PM']After a 3 week wait for a Roland GK kit for BASS guitar (http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061908.html ) , they send the guitar version ( [url="http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061906.html"]http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_00061906.html[/url] )

I have said they better send the right version ASAP (will be 3 weeks at best) and i will send back the one I have if they send a prepaid postage label with the new one.

Probably should have gone direct to Roland.[/quote]

Perhaps they should have gone to Specsavers!

[BIG.J]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='591712' date='Sep 6 2009, 09:36 PM']Perhaps they should have gone to Specsavers![/quote]


Love it!!

Hope they sort things out for you,

J.

[pete.young]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='591712' date='Sep 6 2009, 09:36 PM']Perhaps they should have gone to Specsavers![/quote]
Sheer class!

Ped, tell them they can make the arrangements to pick it up within 30 days otherwise you're claiming it !

[steve-soar]

Klang, honk, tweet. Pete knows what I'm saying.

[ped]

Turns out it was Roland's fault and Dawson's have apologised and agreed to order the correct item and have this one collected. Just thought I should set the record straight as Dawson's seem to be handling things amicably.

Cheers
ped

[ahpook]

good to hear they're trying to put it straight.

nicely nicely

[ped]

So much for that - several weeks later and a new parcel - the GUITAR VERSION AGAIN!!!

I have asked for a full refund. in the meantime I have two guitar GK3 kits which I can hold onto until the refund arrives. Cheers Dawsons/Roland, 6 weeks wasted.

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='ped' post='618050' date='Oct 5 2009, 10:27 PM']So much for that - several weeks later and a new parcel - the GUITAR VERSION AGAIN!!!

I have asked for a full refund. in the meantime I have two guitar GK3 kits which I can hold onto until the refund arrives. Cheers Dawsons/Roland, 6 weeks wasted.[/quote]

Been there, done that.

Over the years you get a bit jaded with the service from retailers. A few years back I would just take the typically British route ('Ho-hum, things will sort themselves out in time') and not complain and seek something back. Ped, I hope, refund aside, you're hassling them for something...free strings (anything!) to restore some kind of confidence/goodwill with Dawsons. I think your quote of [i]Cheers Dawsons/Roland, 6 weeks wasted[/i] doesn't really sum up the aggro and inconvenience.

Sending you the wrong unit twice isn't anything to do with Roland...it's probably someone putting the wrong SKU on it at Dawsons, putting it in the wrong picking location in their warehouse (and the picker just pulling it off the shelf) or the person doing the order not reading what's actually on the pick note. I have been there at the old company I worked at (medical goods...not good).

Take them for something mate. The more people do complain, the more these companies will actually improve long term.

P

[DanOwens]

I hate Dawsons Music. I ordered an AriaSWB a few years back, and they kept telling me it'd be in next week for about 3 months. I cancelled my order and vowed never to purchase anything they didn't have in stock.

About 4 years later I was desperate for a keyboard bag for my microkorg, but only wanted a decent one. At the time I wasn't driving so I headed out to a rehearsal/audition on public transport clutching my Aldi-bag-wrapped MicroKorg aiming to detour via Dawsons. Got there and despite when ordering being repeatedly told it was well padded with strong zips, they handed me something about as useful as the Aldi carrier it was currently wrapped it. I took it away just because I didn't want to show to an audition with an Aldi carrier.

I have since vowed (again) never to purchase anything that is not in stock.

Dan

[ped]

Useless. They don't answer email either and I have been rather busy during their opening hours so haven't been able to call them yet. I will do so tomorrow and see if they are enjoying this publicity as a fairly useless mail order company.

[rasher80]

[quote name='DanOwens' post='619335' date='Oct 7 2009, 09:41 AM']I have since vowed (again) never to purchase anything that is not in stock.

Dan[/quote]

+1, the Manchester branch is absolute sh*te. Our singer is learning guitar and he went in to purchase a really nice Takamine acoustic. After trying unsuccessfully to flog him a much dearer model, he asked for a [b]case[/b] and they gave him a bottom-of-the-range Warwick [b]bag[/b] which had absolutely no protection and told him they had nowt else.

I was going to buy a VMJ from them to noodle around on at home but when they told me it would be about £350 and would have to be ordered in, i decided not to bother.

If i need strings in a hurry i'll go to JRM or stringsdirect

[EBS_freak]

Never had any problems whatsoever with Dawson's. Hmm.

[MB1]

MB1.
......Dawsons???....Arent they a Gentlemens Outfitters?

[ped]

Earlier Dawsons sent me this:

Hi Chris,

Just a quick update to let you know where we are at.
The blemished bass guitar has turned up at our office and the new one is still on order. We're hoping it will turn up early next week so as soon as it enters our warehouse I'll notify you and send it on its way.

Regards,

Having no idea what they were on about I replied to find they had sent the email to the 'Wrong Chris'

Then I was sent this:

"I believe you spoke to my colleague on Wednesday as I wasn't in, and now today its his turn not to be in. Did you discuss the options with him? I phoned up Roland, and apparently they have never sold this bass pickup kit (or at least not for a long time) hence why they kept sending through the wrong item. I have told our technical department so it should be off the system very soon and I can only apologise for not seeing this sooner (I would have expected our purchasing department to have spotted this but it must have been overlooked). It is unfortunately company policy not to give a refund until the item is back in our office which I hope you can understand so if you could let me know where we are at with regards to sorting out a collection for yourself then we can refund you as soon as possible."

To which I replied:

"Sorry alex but that is unacceptable. I have had six weeks wasted by Dawsons and I won't be sending either of the items back until I have a full refund. With the mail strikes at the moment I don't want to wait another few weeks until I get my money back.

You might nit be aware that I own the biggest bass guitar forum in Europe www.basschat.co.uk and our thousands of readers will be very interested in how I am treated in this matter"

And then my phone rang. Some bloke who said he simply wouldn't refund me until they had the stuff back. It's 'company policy' which I thought a little short sighted when they have wasted so much of my time and been utterly useless. I have always had to phone them, they don't check things before sending them on, etc.

So now I am stuck with the choice of sending them back myself, risking Royal Fail strikes and general incompetence or they can send TNT to pick them up as long as I can waste a day waiting for them which is impossible.

I mean - I understand the policy, totally, but when the f*** up is as long winded and completely-not-my-fault as this one, surely there should be some flexibility? No offer of any sort of compensation from them, not that I would risk accepting something (it could turn out to be anything), and a generally pretty rigid and non customer centric approach to the whole matter.

Make of this what you will - this is just my experience. Perhaps they are amazing most of the time, but I won't be going anywhere near them again.

ped

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='ped' post='621832' date='Oct 9 2009, 05:17 PM']You might nit be aware that I own the biggest bass guitar forum in Europe www.basschat.co.uk and our thousands of readers will be very interested in how I am treated in this matter"

Make of this what you will - this is just my experience. Perhaps they are amazing most of the time, but I won't be going anywhere near them again.[/quote]

I'd considered buying from Dawsons online and this thread has actually cost them a sale already from me.

However, I can see your problem AND their predictament. I'm sure they will refund you but I can 100% see why they are reluctant - even though they have demonstrated a fairly detailed catologue of total incompetence throughout this transaction. A nightmare sale.

[MB1]

MB1.
....So they are a Gents Outfitters!.......obviously not much of a Music Shop!....."Doesn't Suit you Sir!"
You should be able to take this stuff back to your nearest Dawsons and get a refund there....

[ped]

[quote name='MB1' post='621906' date='Oct 9 2009, 06:36 PM']MB1.
....So they are a Gents Outfitters!.......obviously not much of a Music Shop!....."Doesn't Suit you Sir!"
You should be able to take this stuff back to your nearest Dawsons and get a refund there....[/quote]

There isn't one very near Oxford I don't think - though it might be worth the trip so I can brick some windows!

ped

[jakenewmanbass]

Not only have they treated you badly but they've done themselves a disservice by being so policy rigid, I get the feeling that it's a heavily bean counted operation so no losses can be risked. I guess it's one way to run a business but it doesn't foster good relations with a sector of their market.
They are eschewing a financial loss and taking a PR loss instead. Good customer service would dictate that they refund and grovel and take the chance that they will lose (which 9 times out of 10 they wouldn't) the goods.
What they have lost is some faith from that market sector, although I would never have gone to them anyway so perhaps they correctly identify that the serious end of the music making public is not worth anything to them, they rely on first timers and people with very little knowledge.
Sadly their model will seemingly not fail.

Edited October 10, 2009 by jakesbass

[ped]

Just had my email from Roland who have confirmed that the product is still available, and that they in fact have no less than 23 in stock. Further to the bashing Dawson's music have already received I also mentioned the poor service during my Vbass demo at the bash which I believe was filmed and will be on the internet very soon.

Dawsons - I hope you are reading this!

ped

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='ped' post='624247' date='Oct 12 2009, 06:48 PM']Dawsons - I hope you are reading this![/quote]

Sadly, I reckon it's unlikely.
P

[ped]

Not if I send them a link ;0)

[AndyTravis]

I'm reading it...

And...I'm keeping my mouth shut.

[Alun]

AndyTravis - totally off topic but your signature is onw of the truest thins I've read in years - here here!

On topic, I've only ever wandered around bought at the Manchester store and they've been fine (although it was a few years back). Don't think I'll risk online though by the sounds of it!

[yorks5stringer]

The shame is, if Dawsons do resolve this (as they should), we'll never know if it was because they realise they've screwed up big time or because they were threatened with the biggest Bassist forum in Europe.....