CUSTOMER SERVICE: A reader from Dublin bought a kitchen from B&Q in Swords during the January sales and was asked to pay up front, which he did. For the next six months, he writes, he was treated "to a whole catalogue of incorrect orders, part-orders and no-shows".
Eventually he was assured that all the components needed to fit his kitchen had arrived so he got a fitter in.
"It turned out there was still pieces missing, incorrect pieces and some pieces I hadn't requested but had been charged for," he says.
Two months ago he went back in store to outline his concerns. "Since then I have been bounced from one person to another. All I have received to date is a small amount of inconsequential missing components; no resolution to the major mistakes in the order.
"I have made store visits, sent faxes, and probably about 30 to 40 phone calls."
Last week we contacted the store on his behalf.
Initially we received a call from a spokeswoman for the company who said that its "high level" customer support staff had been in touch with the store in Swords and had been told that our reader was happy with the way the matter had been dealt with.
When we pressed her, she accepted that he was "not sorted in the sense that he does not have the parts" but she claimed he would have all that he needed within a week. We asked why it had taken so long for the problem to be resolved and the spokeswoman said she would call back.
Subsequently, we received a statement in which the company apologised "sincerely" for our reader's experience to date and the inconvenience caused.
"This is not in line with our normal high standard of customer service," the statement said, concluding that it hoped "to have a satisfactory resolution for him by the end of next week".
We then heard back from the reader who said he had been told that a week had become 10 days and the company had assured him his problems would be resolved by Wednesday this week.
We wait in hope.
NOTARISING DOCUMENTS
Éamonn Flood has been trying to get a document notarised and visited the website for the profession where he read that there was no set fee for the service.
He says: "I rang five offices in Dublin and they all charge €50."
He says that none have been interested in negotiating on price.
"€50 is a ridiculous fee for a photocopy. I'm going to continue until I've called every notary in Dublin to find out whether anyone charges any other price, higher or lower."
