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Recently splashed out on a rather nice coffee machine with rrp £1,700. (See my PSA thread)
First one was faulty, so after many very painful phone calls they collected it, and a few days later delivered a new one.
What I think has now happened is that the return has got back to Germany so they have automatically sent out a replacement.
Twice today I have tried to fill out the online contact form to advise them of the error but the form isn’t working.
So I assume in the next couple of days a £1,700 coffee machine will land on my door.
What would you do?
Refuse delivery?
I had similar recently with a lower value item - company totally screwed up order and sent me something despite me telling them not to - I think it was some sort of drop ship thing so there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Very painful dealing with them so I sent them a final email stating very clearly that I’d hold the item for 14 days for them to collect and then I’d dispose of it and invoice them for storage and disposal. Never heard from them so binned it.
In your situation I wouldn’t be doing any running around for them - email, set a time frame and that’s it
Agreed, refuse delivery. Courier will look a bit confused but should go along with it.
I accidentally ordered 2 bikes once and the company advised me to refuse delivery on the second. A worked out fine.
It’s going to be difficult to refuse delivery when I’m out at work.
We quite often get stuff just left on the doorstep these days due to COVID
Say nothing until/unless questioned?
You say it was a painful returns process so if I were you I certainly wouldn't be breaking my back to resolve the issue in their favour.
I'm obviously not advocating theft. But if you're the party to alert them, your next battle will likely be over who is liable for return postage.
Do whatever it takes that you don't feel guilty if they **** it up and you're left with it, so in your head its their fault not yours! If they sort it then great, and if not, also great and you can flog it for bike parts / coke / hookers!
Let them know, tell them to arrange collection at your convenience, give them 14 days to arrange or you'll dispose of it.
I had something similar with a company who sent out a replacement monitor after the one I’d bought arrived cracked. The courier was supposed to pick up the damaged one as a straight swap but didn’t for whatever reason. Cue a couple of months of me intermittently asking the customer services when they were going to pick it up and getting nowhere. About 2 months later, the sales director emailed me directly and arranged return. They’d done a stock check and realised they were down a (pretty expensive) monitor.
If they do deliver it, I’d let them know, then keep it boxed and ready for return for a good 6 months or so. After that it’s up to your conscience. eBay??
I once bought a medical device to check my asthma, it was a little electronic gadget to blow into, about the size of a pack of fags, and cost me 100 quid.
When it arrived, the box was 2 foot cubed. They'd sent me their entire stock, worth 10 grand. Tempted as I was to start an online store I alerted them to their error and told them if they wanted them back to arrange a courier.
I'd not go out my way to facilitate the return, but I'd absolutely alert them to their mistake. Anything less is theft.
Refuse delivery
Stumpyboy and Petrieboy have given the correct answer- if you can’t refuse delivery then do what they say.
Hammer sausages into it.
Then send it back...
Send it to me.
The same coffee machine company sent my machine about three weeks ago, yesterday I received an email telling me it had been despatched on the 23rd Nov and will be with me in a couple of days.
Guess they’re having some logistic issues.
I had same recently, bought some new touring skis from German seller. In the meantime they went bust so refunded my cc and a day later ding dong courier delivered them. Tried to return but as co no longer existed I couldn’t send them back ! So I donated the value to charity.
What would the X-Files' conspirators do?
We ended up with three fancy heated bathroom mirrors recently, worth about£170 each. First one didn’t arrive despite courier saying it has been signed for. We raised this so they sent a replacement, then a second replacement, then original turned up.
Tried loads of times to arrange returns and kept evidence of this. Now, three months later, they’ve gone up in the other bathrooms as keepers.
Another vote for
Make a good attempt to contact the company stating you'll hold it for 14 days or a month to allow them to correct their error, or you will dispose of it.
Keep evidence of that, just, in case.
After time expires, dispose of it however you see fit.
Obviously if it's a ton of asbestos or anthrax you might need to do things differently.
Stumpyboy and Petrieboy have given the correct answer
Very painful dealing with them so I sent them a final email stating very clearly that I’d hold the item for 14 days for them to collect and then I’d dispose of it and invoice them for storage and disposal. Never heard from them so binned it
Really not sure about that. Regardless of what the item is, if you wanted it enough to buy it, then binning it if you have two seems stupidly wasteful. Give it to a charity shop or something.
It’s going to be difficult to refuse delivery when I’m out at work.
Depending on the courier you may be able to do it online, or call the local depot and advise them not to deliver.
Had the same with a battery powered Makita Chainsaw recently .... think the courier didn't scan it when he collected so they sent me another and then the 1st arrived a few days later as well.
Was awful tempted to hang onto it for 3 months and e-bay it but my conscience wouldn't let me and didn't feel "easy" about it so dropped them an e-mail and they arranged to pick it up.
If they hadn't of replied I would of hung onto it without any guilt .... maybe I should have used a load of words in the e-mail that would have got it sent to their junk folder (how do you get a smiley on here? )
CRC once delivered me 2 bikes, 2 cargo bikes at that. The boxes were huge!
I mailed them and said they needed to collect it and ended up in a bit of a to and fro as they were adamant they couldn't collect on the weekend and I was adamant I wasn't taking time off work for them.
In the end they found a way to do weekend collection and promised me some vouchers...that never arrived!
I wouldn't actively try to keep it.
But there's a range of responses from actively trying to prevent it being delivered to refusing to do anything vaguely inconvenient to help them get it back, and where I'd be on that scale would depend on what I thought of the company, previous experience with their service, whether they're a small business or a big faceless corporation, etc.
Might be worth considering whether you might need to deal with them again for warranty or service reasons - that could be awkward if you've nicked one of their machines and they know it!
Agreed, refuse delivery.
Easier said then done right now... with most deliveries that would normally be signed for being left and photographed instead.
Make a good attempt to contact the company stating you’ll hold it for 14 days or a month to allow them to correct their error, or you will dispose of it.
Keep evidence of that, just, in case.
After time expires, dispose of it however you see fit.
+1
I suppose the other way to look at it is: what would you hope someone would do if you sent them 1700 quids worth of stuff by mistake?
If the returns form doesn't work just email them and wait for a reply. Or, stick a note on your door so the delivery driver knows you want to refuse delivery.
After 2 more failed attempts to use their online form, I have responded to the original email they sent me last night. No response as yet.
There delivery system isnt very good. With the original delivery I got an email saying order dispatched, and no link to a courier. I rang them to ask if I would get a tracking number, and they said not. The first I knew about it arriving was £1700 of machine being left on my doorstep.
Im not leaving a note outside as we get plenty of deliveries (currently awaiting Xmas present deliveries)
Getting them to pick up the broken machine was incredibly painful as they said they couldn't arrange their end. They ended up giving me their account details and logging in to their account to do it ! (which certainly wont be happening this time) this was after trying to use 3 couriers that they tried to link me to. It took me literally hours of my time.
So now email sent will see if I get a response.
Might be worth considering whether you might need to deal with them again for warranty or service reasons – that could be awkward if you’ve nicked one of their machines and they know it!
Why would he need to contact them for warranty? He's literally got a whole machine's worth of spares! 😁
They ended up giving me their account details and logging in to their account
Bloody hell! cyber security anyone?
Yeah, consider it a proactive delivery of spare parts
Why would he need to contact them for warranty?
Oh that was interesting in itself, they wanted me to take a 1 day old machine 80 miles away to a 3rd party company, leave it with them for 3 weeks and then go and pick it up again !
If that is their response to any issues, I’d be keeping the extra machine as spare instead!
If you do refuse delivery make sure that is well documented (photos etc) in case the item doesn't get back to the sender.
Years ago i received a big parcel. Was expecting something else so didnt think anything of it. Turned out to be a brand new TV DVD combo (about £500 worth at the time) with no return address, invoice order number or anything. Was correctly addressed to me, but not ordered that or anything similar.
Tried to manufacturer, courier company etc but couldn't find who sent it. The manufacturer (?Panasonic) seemed very confused when I called them! Hung on to it unused for 9 months or so , and then assumed it was now mine.
So a bit of an update - there is no update.
I responded in the end by email, no thanks for letting us know from them, but neither has a nice expensive coffee machine arrived