When Harvey Norman staged a 50 per cent off games sale last month, it attracted lots of buyers keen for a bargain. However, not everyone is happy with the outcome: some shoppers are reporting extended delays in receiving their games, along with poor and conflicting information from customer service.
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One Lifehacker reader contacted us with a detailed account of what went wrong for him. He ordered Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 for the PlayStation Vita on March 28, and received an order confirmation the same day. On March 29, he was told there had been a delay in fulfilling the order, but told it would be ready within five days. On April 12, he lodged a query about the order’s status, and was told in a brief one-line message “we are trying our bet [sic] to have your order completed next week”. The reader queried why Harvey Norman thought this was an appropriate response or timeframe, and was told the retailer was still awaiting stock. A subsequent message on April 15 said the game would ship “this week”. Then on Tuesday this week, he was told:
Hi sorry about the delay in order we are still waiting shipment of your game in from supplier
None of this suggests an organisation with a good handle on either stock control or answering customer queries.
There’s a thread at Whirlpool where many shoppers recount similar experiences, though it’s also worth noting that plenty of people have received their games. Regardless, a sale shouldn’t be an excuse for shoddy customer treatment. It’s an area where Harvey Norman needs to be particularly careful, given its often shaky reputation for in-store service and founder Gerry Harvey’s wildly-oscillating view of online retailing.
Had your own experience (good or bad) with the games sale? Share it in the comments.
Originally published on Lifehacker