Asda Direct, i don`t think i`ll be using them again.
 

Ive never used Asda Direct before so i thought i would give them a go, i ordered a coffee table to use my laptop on, i didn`t want one too low which is when i found an ideal looking one on the Asda Direct website.

Anyway i ordered it last thursday and it arrived this morning, it has chrome legs and 2 glass shelves. I started to assemble it and as you know the polystyrene packing leaves a right mess everywhere, i got half way through when noticed the finish on the chrome finish legs looked a bit iffy, quite a few scratches and blemishes etc. I then found quite a large dent on one of the legs, it stands out like a sore thumb.

Their is nothing more frustrating then getting half way through building one of these flat packs then finding out you have to put everything away again.

I contacted Asda Direct to say i wasn`t happy about getting half way through assembling this coffee table only to find a large dent on one of the legs along with the general finish being poor, anyway they were fine and said that they would arrange for it to be collected.

I asked if the replacement would be sent on the same lorry thats collecting the damaged table, to my suprise they said no.

This is what they said happens, i would have to complete a fresh order for a replacement coffee table and pay them again as they don`t issue a refund until they recieve the damaged item, so including your original order that means you have to pay twice before you recieve a replacement and when you get your original refund is anyones guess.

What an incompetent operation Asda Direct must be if they are making the customer wait in 3 times in total for a delivery, once for the original delivery, twice for the damaged item to be collected and then a 3rd time for a fresh order to be sent out on a totally different day to the collection. They state for the collection that the driver can turn up anytime between 8am and 5pm which means you could be kept in all day, not only are they putting you out as a customer they are also paying twice the fuel to have an item collected from your house that they will be going back too the next day or day after with a replacement.

I`m just posting this so that you don`t have to experience the same hassle that ive had with them.

Sounds like pretty poor service to me. I would be tempted to cancel the order and go somewhere else-telling them why!

Les

Had similar problems with them last year over a Nintendo Wii. They were doing a bundle with the console and mario kart but when it arrived the mario kart was missing. Several phone calls later I was told the mario kart was out of stock so I could either do without or send back for a refund. They were the worst customer services I've ever dealt with. After some digging found out they are actually based in South Africa and have very little to do with Asda themselves. Would get a different response from them about what was happening every time I rang!

Got sorted in the end though, took it all back to my local Asda and kicked up a fuss until I got a full refund. Bought a replacement from Game. Then, a few weeks later the out of stock copy of Mario Kart arrived in the post!

Just out of interest and for future reference.

Are companies like Asda allowed to trade in this way where if you buy an item from them online and the item turns out to be faulty or damaged they won`t send a replacement without further payment, are they allowed to charge you the same amount again for a replacement ?

The way Asda Direct are doing is like i said above, they will charge you the full amount again to send a replacement out which means you have paid twice, they won`t refund you until the damaged or faulty item gets back to them.

Surely they are bound buy some sort of legal contract between themselves and the buyer where the goods they provide have to be fit for purpose and if they turn out to be faulty or damaged then the onus imust surely be on them to provide a replacemnt at no further cost to the customer ?