Sunday 25 October 2020

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

Where's my bed?

Good morning Richard! I bought a bed on laybye. I was to pay for 6 months then I cleared all the payments within two months but when it was time to deliver the bed they told me it was rainy so they will have to wait to avoid it from being damaged by the rain and I understood. Five days passed without rain but my bed has not been delivered. I called them and asked why they didn't deliver? I was told that they have no stock so I have to wait again. So my question was can I get a refund because I really need the bed urgently? Please help. 

I suppose we should thank the company for not delivering the bed during the rain. That was kind of them. I think.

However, that's where their kindness seems to end and their uselessness began. Yes, it's been raining a little bit recently but hardly enough to stop a store from delivering your bed. Haven't they heard of weather forecasts? Don't they have a weather app on their phone? I suspect that was just a cover story to hide something else, that they didn't have the bed you'd bought in stock.

That's just incompetent and the store needs to remedy this situation immediately. They either need to deliver your bed today (which obviously they can't because they don't have one) or they need to give you your money back so you can take it to a store that's going to treat you with a little respect.

Is it really that difficult to ship someone a bed they've already paid for? I sometimes wonder why some stores exist if they can't even do basic things like deliver a product.

I'll also get in touch with the store's Head Office and see if they can't help the store do the right thing.

Must I go online?

I have been banking with my bank from 1996 to date. Just of recently they have introduced this electronic system to which they force everyone to use but due to some circumstances beyond my control I can not join it simply because the other shareholders are abroad and cannot be here to authorise this change.

I submitted salaries for my employees last week Tuesday up to this moment thy haven't been paid. I went to the bank and they have promised to do it but it's another day going without them been paid. I asked them if they can give me a cheque book so I can pay them using cheques they said they no longer issue check books.

I did my best to leave the bank without ripping the place apart and appear on news at 7. It shouldn't be a must that I should use internet banking. What if I don't want to? I'm willing to pay for all the charges so they leave the old system on.


Unfortunately, times change and while it's sometimes uncomfortable consumers need to move with the times. Cheque books are a thing of the past and that's actually a good thing in my view. Whether we like it or not the future of banking is electronic. Today and in the future we'll be interacting with our banks, insurance companies, cellular network providers and even our supermarkets using our cellphones and laptops. That's just how things work in 2020 and it's not going to change. It actually makes life a lot simpler and more secure.

In fact, I think you should embrace it. If you're running a company it's so much safer to pay your staff using your computer than it is the old-fashioned way. Spend a little time with your bank and I'm sure they'll help you understand how to use their online systems and you'll soon see how much easier your working life will become.

Finally, I don't see why your shareholders being overseas makes any difference. I'm sure the bank can contact them on your behalf and accept electronic instructions to make the necessary changes. I know the bank will accept such instructions because it's 2020. I also know this will happen because I bank with the same bank as you. If they can help me, they can help you too.

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