Richersounds - Thanks, got my amp.

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Spent some time searching prices for a Denon AVR 1910. Found Forum Hifi in Nottingham advertising it on their website at £379.95. In big letters at the top of their website it suggests ringing them to see if your purchase is cheaper in store so I did. Spoke to a very pleasant guy who confirmed that they had it in stock, initially confirmed the website price and when I mentioned the suggestion on their website about asking if their in store price was any cheaper he said he would reduce the price by £5.50 for collection in store, thereby making the price £374.45. Ok, I thought, my father lives in Nottingham, so I could always pay for it, get him to pick it up and he could drop it off next time he was up in the North East (he comes and stays usually once or twice a month).

Then I remembered that Richersounds do a Price Beat promise which would make my purchase £10 cheaper. Seeing as I live in Sunderland and the nearest Richersounds is in Newcastle I gave them a call first. I mentioned their Price Beat promise and the price at Forums Hifi. Was reassured they would be able to beat the price by £10.

So I drove straight through to Richersounds in Newcastle excited about the prospect of my new purchase. Took a printout of Forum Hifi's product and price. The salesman said he would give Forum Hifi a call to verify the price. I stressed to him that the £374.75 was the in store price and that I my father would collect it if was buying from Forum Hifi, the significance being that the price I had been quoted was not for delivery to me. The salesman went through the back to make the call, came back and said that they had confirmed the price at £379.95 for delivery. Had he listened to anything I had just told him????? Again I explained that the price I had been quoted was for in store collection. This time a different salesman rings Forum Hifi (who later tells me he is an actor and can do different accents). You can now picture Forum Hifi thinking this is a wind up with 2 different northeners ringing up within 5 mins, the 2nd of which is putting on a stupid accent. Again, he comes back stating that the delivered price would be £379.95. Clearly, the ability to listen to customers isn't a requirement for a job at Richersounds.

At this point the Deputy Manager gets involved presumably to try and help out his 2 incompetent staff members. In an attempt to try and get the situation resolved I offer to ring the guy back at Forum Hifi, refer to my conversation I had about an hour earlier so that Richersounds can get the confirmation they require of the price at £374.45 for in store collection. I even offer the Deputy Manager to ring the number himself on my mobile and listen to the conversation. At this point it becomes quite clear they're are sticking to their guns and will only Price Beat the price on the website printout, the Deputy Manager refusing my offer for me to get Forum Hifi to confirm the in store price with the inference that I'm lying about the price.

To cut a long story short, the end result:-

Richersounds have wasted my time and petrol in a 20 mile round trip

They employ numpties who can't listen to their customers

They turn down a very reasonable offer to clear up the correct price

They make me feel like a liar

They lose the sale over £5.50

More importantly they lose a customer for life again over £5.50

Here's a suggestion for you, Richard Clayton if your still the Operations Director, remove your Price Beat promise altogether because I'd bet my house on the fact that you're losing more customers than you're gaining as a result of this promise and your employees attitude to it.

 

[Anonymous]

I may be misinterpreting your post but you seem to have cut off your nose to spite your face.

Best Fourm Hifi price = £374.45 but you have to get your dad to collect and wait 2-4 weeks before he delivers to you.

Best Richer Sounds price = £369.95 (ie £379.95 minus £10), you had already traveled to Newcastle and you could pick up the av amp there and then? !!!!!

Ok, so Richer Sounds didnt listen to you fully but so what.

 

[Anonymous]

after all that , you drove back home over a fiver

i think you have been a bit too stubborn , would it not be less stressful to be now connecting up your new amp , looking forward to watching some movies , instead of moaning to the director of richer sounds over a fiver ??

 

[Big Aura]

how much did the petrol cost?

 

[tvspecv]

i guess you`re not upset with the deal but the attitude of the staff?

 

[Anonymous]

They'd already said £364.45 on the phone before the trip through, hence the heading and yes it's more about their attitude than the money itself.

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like it was the attitude of the staff rather than the fiver that has really riled you. On balance though, you're talking about an AVR that gets 5 stars at £450.00, so any of the prices quoted are a bargain. It sounds like you have cut off your nose to spite your face, but then again it's your money, and as they say, Rule 1: The customer is always right; Rule 2: On the rare occasion where the customer is wrong, see Rule 1.

 

[Anonymous]

They had already agreed the £364.45 on the phone before the trip hence the heading and yes it's more about their attitude than the money.

 

[Anonymous]

Big Aura:

how much did the petrol cost?

i dont know , but if it was 10p per litre cheaper in london , he would have probably drove down

edit .. apologies , just a bit of crack on a saturday nigh

t

 

[Anonymous]

Let's face it, if it was 10p per litre cheaper in London, we'd all drive down! (sidles off having reinforced Scottish stereotype....)

 

[CraigDS]

I went to Richer Sounds In Glasgow on Wednesday looking to buy the new Q Accoustic 2000 series 5.1 speakers. I was told they were £550.00. I told the sales men I have seen them advertised at several different places for £479.99. The salesman replied with "I'd better buy them then". Meaning I better buy them wherever else I saw them and he couldn't match that price!

 

[Anonymous]

RS in Glasgow isn't what it once was, used to be a friendly wee shop with helpful staff and clean floors.

 

[John Duncan]

I think if I were your dad I'd be telling you to go pick up your own 15kg box...

 

[Anonymous]

I have been dealing with richersounds for many years in reading

and have had a good experience with them

just got £20 off a sonos unit I found cheaper online and they matched it

took along the advert they made a phone call and said ok

purchased 4 hi fi units in the last year and all good

 

[Nolia]

if it's the principle then I totally agree. companies should practise what they preach. and what is this business of pushing u to buy onkyo.

 

[JoelSim]

I suspect it was the red and white stripy football shirt that put the salesmen off...

 

[the record spot]

JohnDuncan:I think if I were your dad I'd be telling you to go pick up your own 15kg box...

Glad I'm not the only one to have thought this...!

 

[JoelSim]

Surely that's what dads are for

 

[idc]

In a life that is beset with serious problems, is too short, often unfair and imperfect, I would not have worried about a fiver, I would thought about the money I was saving on the RRP.

Sorry to the OP as I am generalising here and this is not directed at you. There are loads of people who slag off Richer Sounds, but they provide excellent responses on the site and do not slag off their customers. There is two sides to every story and sometimes I pity the poor sales staff as they face cantakerous, unreasonable, demanding, irritating, aggressive customers. I use Richer Sounds and have seen that happen.

 

[John Duncan]

JoelSim:
Surely that's what dads are for

If my dad were still alive, I'm fairly sure that he would disagree, and I'm also fairly sure that what he'd suggest I do with my 15kg box would not be possible, anatomically speaking.

 

[Big Aura]

the chap I bought my amp from has Richer Sounds' number programmed into his phone. When he sees it on his display he knows there's a pricematch query being made, so he always claims to have whatever it is in stock. Heh.

 

[The_Lhc]

Big Aura:the chap I bought my amp from has Richer Sounds' number programmed into his phone. When he sees it on his display he knows there's a pricematch query being made, so he always claims to have whatever it is in stock. Heh.

I'm not sure I understand, surely if he said he didn't have it in stock, RS wouldn't price match it and the customer might then come directly to him? I think I'm missing something but I don't understand how that helps him really.

 

[Richer Sounds]

Hi Pejwright,

I was very concerned to read that my Newcastle store would not honour our price beat policy on your recent visit.

Indeed whilst we are happy to price beat advertised genuine prices ( subject to a few very fair terms and conditions ) it is sometimes difficult for our sales colleagues to verify verbal quotes given by other companies.

www.richersounds.com/information/pricebeat

However in this situation as it was such a small amount I would have expected my colleagues to have taken a view and price beat for you and can only offer my sincere apologies that the situation was handled so badly.

Please be assured that I will take this up with the store manager and the colleagues concerned to investigate what went wrong on this occasion and to take the appropiate action to prevent any similar reoccurences in the future.

If you are still interested in purchasing the Denon item then please contact me via the below email address and I will be happy to arrange for you to collect the product or have it delivered at the cheaper price.

john.p.clayton@richersounds.com

Finally, if any other customers have had issues with their local store, such as CraigDS above, then please contact me directly and I will do my best to resolve for you.

Many Thanks

John Clayton

Operations Director

Richer Sounds

 

[Anonymous]

Can't argue with that, I have to say I've always found Richer Sounds to be top notch, particularly the Preston store!!

They price matched without an issue when I bought my Yamaha surround amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Bought my alumni in cardiff, and I said I got to go back to work, which he thought I was going to check for a cheaper quote.

He then said, we will beat any price, remember that.

I went back to work and then checked on-line and they were the cheapest, so went back later that night to buy them.

I have not had one problem with RS

TBH though the store is a bit of a dive, it looks like a jumble sale, no were to move.

I wish they would get a bigger store as if 3 people are in there, its a tight sqeeze.