Worst purchasing experience

I bought a lovely 4 poster bed, two pedestals and a sideboard from the Stoneridge branch a couple of weeks ago.. We got the invoice/quote and paid two days later. When we paid they told us that they now only had one pedestal in stock. The next would be supp**** in two months' time.

I felt ok, at least we have one pedestal.

Two days later I get a call from them saying that they don't have any pedestals in stock so they will put two pedestals on back order to arrive in two months time!! I asked if he sold the one they had to someone else, and he admitted yes!!!

Then on the Friday I got a call from the same T--- at the outlet who said there is a problem. The bed is being held by the courier because the price went up by a few hundred rand, and could I please pay the difference into the same account I paid before! I reminded him that my quote was valid for 7 days and I paid well within that time frame! He acceded but said that they were now going to dock this money off his salary!!!

I remined him that if a quote is valid for 7 days then the price is fixed and they cant legally dock his salary unless something else happened. He begrudgingly agreed and said his manager will call me on Monday. I said that he doesn't need to call me he just needs to handle his sale.

Anyway on Monday after no call at around 10 AM I called, and T--- answered. He said no its all handled, but the two pedestals will still be delivered in 2 months.

So a week later the sideboard and bed arrive. The sideboard is pre-assembled and was fine. The bed needed assembling. I am good with my hands and had no issue with the idea of assembling the bed.

Now it gets interesting. The assembly instructions consist of a single page of very badly photocopied paper. I went ahead and could just not work out how to attach the bottom pieces. The holes did not line up etc. Because the assembly instructions were so unclear I had to use trial and error to make sure I was not missing anything, and I finally remembered that they said the assembly would be straightforward, so I called T--- at the outlet and told him what was happening and if they could help me. He said sure he knew a person A-- who would do this. I though great, they are going to get this working.

I get a call from A-- an hour later. He tells me its going to cost R950-00 to assemble the bed for me!! I baulked at this and he asked me what could I afford!!! He was trying his luck because I was from a more affluent area!! Angrily, since it was already non working time I went to the outlet on the Saturday morning to speak to the manager. I was told he was busy opening another store, and then T--- saw me and I told him what I thought about the situation and his friend A--. I asked him if he was serious!! He just sat there, mum and his colleague said we can raise a customer relations ticket, but they will only be able to help on Monday!!!

On Monday at 8:51 I get a call from their customer relations. The lady says she will be attending to this matter and was going to send me an instruction manual, and I was to mark out on it the missing parts so she could get them for me. She said they would not do any assembly for me just order the missing parts. I asked her can't she send someone out to just fix it once and for all. She said it was not their policy.

I get the "Instruction Manual" still a single sheet but hey, I could read it!!! I could plainly see they had omitted a center strut, and supp**** two sets of top/bottom struts instead of the bigger lower struts explaining why the holes didn't line up.

I sent her the picture with the items marked.

She rep**** that she will communicate with technical to round up the missing parts, but I must remember they will not do any assembly. I said now that I have a readable copy of the "Manual" I could easily assemble it myself. I asked if she could just give me a timeframe of when I get the missing parts.

She said no worry I will hear by the end of the day.

So later in the afternoon I hear that she has notified technical and they are trying to locate the missing parts. No indication at all of time or anything.

Just a sorry for inconvenience caused!!!

Guess what I still don't have my bed it's lying disassembled upstairs, and I will never buy from Cielo again!!!

Coricraft I'm sorry I strayed, even if for just a bit!!! I'm back.