‘I have phoned at least 20 or 30 times asking for the item to be returned’

Another day, yet another retail debacle for one of our readers.

Angela O’Neill bought a headboard off Littlewoods in November 2017 and was given a time frame of delivery of a couple of weeks.

The couple of weeks came and went without any sigh of the the headboard. “After I contacted Littlewoods numerous times, chasing up the order, they eventually came to the conclusion that it was lost and that they issued me a refund of €100.”

So far so what? A few weeks later Angel received a call from DHL to say that they had my headboard on board the truck and were delivering it ASAP.

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I rang again two weeks ago and spoke to a manager and was given numerous apologies and was told it would definitely be collected within five days

It was just before Christmas 2017 and having already bought a different headboard she left it in her house ready to be returned to Littlewoods.

Then, shortly after the Christmas before last she got an email from Littlewoods to say the headboard had delivered and she owe them €100.

“I phoned them straight away asking for the item to be returned as I had no need for it. I was told they would arrange for the item to be returned and it would be collected within the next five working days!

“That was a year ago and I have phoned at least 20 or 30 times asking for the item to be returned and each time I am told it will be collected within five working days and nothing ever happens!”

‘Numerous apologies’

Each month Littlewoods also send her a reminder letter that she owes them €100.

“I rang again two weeks ago and spoke to a manager and was given numerous apologies and was told it would definitely be collected within five days and they even went as far as giving me €50 in credit on my Littlewoods account for the inconvenience.

“The item still hasn’t been collected so I phoned again today and asked could they not write the debt off as the item is not going to be collected (as its going on a year now) but they refused.

“I just don’t know where else I can go with this as I want rid of the headboard and want the account cleared as its beginning to stress me out to be honest.”

“The headboard is still in its original packaging under my stairs with all of the delivery stickers still attached,” Angela’s mail concludes.

Response

When we got in touch a spokeswoman for Littlewoods Ireland said the company “takes customer complaints seriously and on this occasion fell below the high customer service standards we set ourselves.”

“We’ve contacted Ms O’Neill to apologise, refunded the headboard which she has subsequently decided to keep and we’ve also given Ms O’Neill a gesture of goodwill.

“We are looking into the circumstances surrounding this case to avoid it occurring again.”