Auchan, We want our money back

caroline postlethwaite · Post by **caroline postlethwaite** » Sun 17 Feb 2008 22:31

Well, on the 4th attempt, to our surprise & relief they gave us a voucher to spend in Auchan. Success at last, a few tuts that was all.

Now we've done better reserch & have ordered a camara from Amazon instead.
The whole experience has made me very wary though. I will stick to buying food at Auchan from now on.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 18 Feb 2008 01:32

We have an excellent Brico in Carcassonne
http://www.tridome.fr/services/services.htm
We are ordering Kazed built-in wardrobe for one bedroom and the estimate for the sliding doors is 400 euros cheaper than that for exactly the same Kazed doors offered by Roy Merlin in Toulouse. There is no RM shop in Carcassone which makes it all the more interesting as the same product is cheaper even without any competition!!

Their motto "Vous servir: une vocation" is borne out by the staff attitude. The expert spent about 54 minutes with Annaïck chosing and describing exactly - including drawings - what we needed to measure, etc. and how to do the installations.

On the other hand, Leclerc Brico sells (for example) the B&D Alligator for 150 euros when I bought one on promo in Casto Perpignan for 99 euros and the standard price is about 129...

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 18 Feb 2008 08:30

My experience with Brico Depot at Rivesaltes was a bit like my experiences with Ryanair.
I wass renovating a house in Aude and I bought all the kitchen and bathroom units, timber, paint, etc. from Brico Depot because it was miles cheaper than Bricomarche, etc. but of course there was rarely anyone around to give advice, help me load heavy items and so on.
I had no problems with any of the products and saved hundreds, if not thousands of euros, so I thought it was worth the lack of service.

john · Post by **john** » Mon 18 Feb 2008 09:14

Roger O wrote: Leclerc Brico sells (for example) the B&D Alligator .

My God....Leclerc is selling big and dangerous reptiles now. What next ...Auchan having an aisle devoted to the sale of kangaroos?

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Mon 18 Feb 2008 09:17

Roger
Tridome is starting a shop in the Perpignan area. It's planned in the area of the Polygone Nord, near the airport.

Not sure of the date but I saw this in the Independent last week.

Blackduff

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 18 Feb 2008 10:25

john wrote:
Roger O wrote: Leclerc Brico sells (for example) the B&D Alligator .
My God....Leclerc is selling big and dangerous reptiles now.

Yes, sir, even the latest model "special protection" garden overall originally conceived for residents of Florida, but lately imported to southern Europe in advance of expected unwelcome migrations due to climate warming!
http://www.ppp.org/prod/prods/00-03-ede ... -crawl.jpg
... though, actually, I was writing about this one...
http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGu ... uctID=9867

pandjhowe · Post by **pandjhowe** » Sun 07 Dec 2008 15:56

My experience with Brico Depot can be found here :-

http://bricodepotexperience.blogspot.com/

Pete.

edann42 · Post by **edann42** » Sat 20 Dec 2008 16:44

Gifi at Le Boulou is the 'pits'!!! Bought a beach chair in the summer, cost 40 euro. The resin arm broke as I got out of it after using it 2/3 times! Took it back to exchange it, SOME HOPE!! I had bought it 15 days previously, and only had 14 days to return it, aparantly!!! Manager wouldn't even come to speak to me, just sent messages via an assistant!

Will not be shopping there again!!

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Sat 20 Dec 2008 17:44

We've just had a bad experience with Auchan in Perpignan. Daughter bought a laptop before she went off to Uni in October, and it stopped working two weeks ago! She rang Auchan who told her, after hearing the symptoms, that it was a software problem so would not be covered by the guarantee and that she was on her own!

In the same building as her apartment is a computer engineer, so she took the laptop there, he said he'd have a look and that he would keep the bill to under 100€ as she's a student!!!!!

When she went back a week later he said the hard drive was completely knackered and that she should contact the supplier (presenting her with a bill for 120€).

She rang Auchan again who told her that the first advisor was mistaken and that she should contact Acer as it is their warranty, not Auchan's. Half an hour later (it took that long to speak to someone on the Acer helpdesk!), she was told that Acer would repair the hard drive and that they would send her a postage paid slip and that she would need to take the computer to the post office and send it to them to be repaired. It should be back with her within three weeks or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm stunned, speechless and VERY VERY ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PaddyFrog · Post by **PaddyFrog** » Sat 20 Dec 2008 18:31

Information removed by PF

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Sat 20 Dec 2008 23:18

PaddyFrog wrote:
I buy my computers direct from manufacturers (DELL Montpellier)

I agree with you. My last computers are Dell from within France. My forth computer is a Dell too but it was bought in the US.

Most of the computers have a guarantee of "Jour plus 1". Which means that someone will come to my house and fix my computer. And it means within a day or two.

Thumb's daughter's laptop could have a hard drive replaced for about 80 € and it's very easy to change. It only needs four screws to preplace the unit. The laptop is an Acer computer and it's a fairly decent unit. This is built in Taiwan but the components are from the same place as Dell.

One more plus for the Dell, it's usually cheaper than the other laptops on the shelf at Auchan.

Blackduff

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Sat 20 Dec 2008 23:19

Thanks Michael and Blackduff, wise advice, and a lesson learned. As is always the way - a lesson learned the hard way!

The computer has now been sent back to Acer so we'll wait and see what happens.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Sun 21 Dec 2008 20:15

From what I've read above and from some bad experience with a mobile phone that I bought from them 2 years ago, I would not buy electrical items from Auchan. It's a supermarket and is OK for vegetables and kids toys but there are much more reputable places to buy electricals.

I've been pretty happy with Conforama for white goods and Darty for electronic items. I would only buy from Auchan if you don't mind replacing it after 3 months.

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Sun 21 Dec 2008 22:28

I had a couple of arguments with shoe shops in the UK where I was told that they would return a faulty pair to the manufacturers for a refund. Of course, my reply was 'Certainly, you can try to get a refund from them, but my contract is with you, so I would be glad if you would reimburse me'. If I did not get a good response, I would quote my consumer group (I don't have one) and the Sale of Goods Act, and stay arguing quite loudly until they got fed up and paid me off.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 00:38

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 08:17

My daugter taught me one technique, when people ask you to do things and you just don't want to - simply keep repeating in a very friendly voice 'No, I don't want to do that'. I frequently used to find myself making all kinds of daft excuses to get out of things, but now I don't try to justify myself or give rambling explanations. (Of course, this does not apply to your family - you will always end up doing any darned thing they ask!)

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 09:11

Carol
In Spanish you say "Si pero Non". Literally "Yes but No"! My secretary used this against me all of the time.

Blackduff

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 10:29

What were you asking your secretary to do?

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 11:15

When you have a Spanish secretary, they always say this for anything or everything. This girl was very lovely though, so saying "non" doesn't worry that I complain.

Blackduff

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 22 Dec 2008 18:35

carol sheridan wrote:What were you asking your secretary to do?

Carol is asking because she used to be called Eartha Kitt and lived in Usku Dara - till it got too hot!!

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Tue 23 Dec 2008 00:24

Blimey, Roger.
That takes me back a bit - Eartha Kitt!
"If I can't take it with me when I go....
I just ain't gonna go!"
Brilliant.

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Tue 23 Dec 2008 08:06

I loved 'Just an old-fashioned girl' - nobody could sing it like Eartha.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Tue 23 Dec 2008 12:27

The quiver which sends a shiver!!!!

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Fri 26 Dec 2008 02:05

... and so the Magic passes on...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5082752.stm

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Fri 26 Dec 2008 11:22

Eartha Kitt died yesterday from Cancer problems. She was 81 years old when she died.

Blackduff

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 07:39

Daughter's computer - saga number TWO!

thumbelina wrote:
The computer has now been sent back to Acer so we'll wait and see what happens.

Customer service at Acer was, in fact, very good (except for the fact that the thing had to be returned there within eight weeks of being bought, obviously!). Computer was duly returned to my girl when she went back to Uni after the Christmas break - complete with new hard drive.

Last week, the screen started flickering and is now flickering so badly that it's almost impossible to use. Due to the fact that the Uni is on strike and she has now not had courses for three weeks, the only way of being able to communicate with the Uni and her lecturers is via the internet so, clearly, this is causing some problems (that and the fact that the damned laptop is still barely six months old!)

Having spent hours on the phone again yesterday, first to Acer to get an incident number, then to Auchan, Auchan inform us that the problem is Acers and that they should deal with it. The Auchan paperwork says that if your purchase breaks down they will either replace it with new or give you a replacement whilst your article is being repaired. When we mentioned this to them they said that computers are not covered by this clause (although we can't find this exclusion cause ANYWHERE in the paperwork).

We duly re-contacted Acer who said that if Auchan won't deal with the problem they will but that they don't offer a replacement service and that she will be without a laptop for another three weeks!!

Advice please, someone? What actually ARE our rights? To my mind, Auchan have a duty of care to the customer but, as always seems to be the case, they are washing their hands of us!

I am now rapidly getting towards my wits end and am thinking of buying her a new computer (not and Acer or from Auchan, I hasten to add!) but really don't see why I should!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HELP!

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 09:13

I bought my Acer L100 duo (minibox not laptop)
http://www.plusdepc.com/images/acer_l100_tft.jpg
from Darty (no problems so far, rather the opposite) with the additional 5 year gtee and free servicing on top. NOT cheap (total ca. 1,000 euro) - but not "hors prix" either - and worth it also for the security which is a bonus.

I add that in case you do think of buying a new PC..

Acer is normally very good - the serious business centre boutiques recommend them - but the professional versions not the Windows Media junk versions on offer in discounters which are just for boom booms and Wii stuff! I additionally added Office family and student pack 2007 last year.

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 09:22

I know Acer is a good brand with a solid reputation - that is why we bought Acer!

And even though it was bought in Auchan, it wasn't a crappy 399 euro special. If my memory serves me right, we paid 750 euros - but without the five year guarantee and servicing that you bought, Roger, so probably roughly the same price!

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 09:50

thumbelina wrote:I know Acer is a good brand with a solid reputation - that is why we bought Acer!

And even though it was bought in Auchan, it wasn't a crappy 399 euro special. If my memory serves me right, we paid 750 euros - but without the five year guarantee and servicing that you bought, Roger, so probably roughly the same price!

I was in no way suggesting you bought "crap" - but rather that the reliability of grandes surfaces sellers (half of whom are hardly capable of correctly explaining to mammi and pappi - but in a condescending manner - what to buy for their grandchildren to play games) is less than Darty, in general, and certainly much less than serious IT boutiques - especially the type which put together the PC elements and config as specified by the buyer. Sure they cost (sometimes quite a lot) more, but for serious and "vital" usage, the value is in the servicing expertise and guarantees.

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 11:50

thumbelina wrote:As is always the way - a lesson learned the hard way!

I know you didn't Roger, I was just stating that it wasn't some cheapo crappy brand that I bought, had it been, I might have understood - after all you do tend to get what you pay for!

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Auchan, We want our money back

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