Ideal Shopping Direct- The Consumers Complaint List-In the Public Domain

I made a purchase for a 3 tier garden lantern from Ideal world on the 25th february, after waiting 2 weeks and no item delivered even though I had seen it being advertised for sale again on 2 differnet airings, I called customer services, I was told they could see it had not been despatched (along with another 130 customers) but was not sure why other than it was a supplier held order.

I was told I should have it within 2 days, at this point I asked if I had been charged for an item that they did not even have any stock of and was told no I would be charged on despatch.

I also sent 2 e mails to the company which were ignored, I only got a response asking me to call them when I said I would pass my complaint onto the legal department of my visa company, when I called them they just said it still had not been despatched.

A week later still no item but I had received my statement and found I had been charged. I phoned again and to my astonishment was told the same story. At this point I asked them to cancel my order and refund my credit card that day, I was assured that had happend, she had credited my card while I was on the phone. 9 days later i still have not been credited but Ideal World have managed to cancel the order.

I have contacted ITC and strongly recommend that all customers with a problem with Ideal World do so also. I stongly believe that Britains live in 'Rip off Britain' because we allow the operators of these coporations to get away with it............It is time we stopped it.

Link to Other Ideal Complaints: Link1| Link2|Link3

Editorial Comments

Update on 18 of April 2003
A robust reply from a Customer Relations Manager at Ideal Home Shopping. The are refunding costs of her phone calls and a £10 discount against her next order. Click here for details of Ideal's response.

Is she satisfied with Ideal Home shoppings response? Will she be using the service again? We wait for Mrs Harris' response.

Update on 25 April 2003
"I am watching for the £5 credit to my visa account for my telephone calls, will I use the £10 credit on my Ideal world account... I don't know, should it be once bitten twice shy or give the dog another chance."
Click here to read Mrs Harris' full response.

In regards to a letter I recieved today, dated 21st May 2003, signed by Roz Stirman. I am offended, in fact I am deeply offended by the title without prejudice at the top of my letter.

My complaint with you was that there was no continuity between customer ordering and customer service. I merely suggested, I did not know that my call had been via India. I live in a world where I believe prejudice of any kind is unacceptable; I would never, and I mean never make a detrimental comment.

This has left a very sour taste in my mouth in reference to your shopping channels. Maybe you should re-read my original letter of complaint.
Mrs Edwina Thorogood... 23 May 2003
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It is good to know that I am not alone in finding that the service from Ideal World is deplorable. last summer I had to make innumerable phone calls to sort out a complete muddle over my orders . I gave up over the last item which was a computer disc which I found to work only partially. I phoned the help line with no success and I tried to phone on air which was treated with contempt. All this time I was only asking for help in the use of the disc. Finally I returned the item asking for a replacement. I phoned repeatedly and eventually was told that it had not reached Peterborough and that NOT ONE PERSON IN THE WHOLE OPERATION KNEW anything about it and hard luck!!!!

I was made to feel that I was the only person in the U. K. who had a complaint and I must be very patient. I hve even had the phone slammed domn on m e and been told they don't have to listen to complaints. Who Does I'd like to know . Where does the buck stop????
Emma C. B. Mackay .. 16 August 2003
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Just not surprising really is it. Ideal World prove themselves time and time again to be quick to take your money. Very slow indeed to return whatever the circumstances. Last even took me three months and loads of letters emails etc. Like another link - seems to be living off customer money here. The thirty day money back guarantee means you will wait at least thirty days before any attempt to refund your money is made it seems
Sandra Hulland .. 24 November 2003
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I made a purchase from the ideal world shopping channel of a mountain bike on receipt of the bike assembled it and the gears were a problem ie very difficult to move, so send it back to ideal world, after a week of sending emails with no replies the land lines are always jammed up, so next step Trading standards who have sent me a drafted letter to pass on to Ideal world, watch this space. Mr E Newstead ... 15 December 2003
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Boy does this sound familiar, I ordered items on 19/11/03 and was advised of the 10-14 day lead time, which is fair enough. After 14 days no order so I called only to be advised that its 10-14 WORKING days again fair enough. When this passed I contacted them again and they said they would fax the supplier and find out what was going on. When a further week passed with no response from e-mails I tried calling again to be told that the supplier had not yet contacted them, annoyed at this I asked for the supervisor as I felt that this was unacceptable but there are NONE apparently. I have sincce made loads of calls sent loads of e-mails and I still have only part of this order and no idea when if ever I will receive all of it. They even chased up the wrong order and sent me it again and then had the cheek to ask me to return it for them. Their manager a Mr Mills has since not responded to at least three increasingly irate e-mails from myself as I refuse to spend anoth
er 20 odd minutes hanging on the end of a phone. Will not use this company again as their so called CUSTOMER service is definately not customer orientated. Mrs C Johnstone ... 21 December 2003