The Weekly Gripe

Gripes the News
The Soapbox
Gripes in the pipes
*

Debenhams gift card refused on their website

20 comments  Add a comment

I spent a good few hours looking to buy goods from debenhams.com on 8th January 2009.  I only had a gift voucher for £15 to spend.  I selected some costume jewellery from the blue cross sale which was such a bargain that the extortionate £4.50 delivery paled into insignificance.  I paid with my gift voucher got a confirmation of order email and order number.  Half an hour later though I received another email cancelling my order and declining payment.  The email had the reassuring words that "no money had been taken from my account".

I went back on to the Debenhams website, tapped in my gift card number to find that the monies had been debited from the card!  Checked to see if the goods I had originally ordered were still available and guess what?  They were!  Straight away I sent an email to debenhams.com only to get a cheery reply with a promise of a reply within 5 working days (how disgraceful).

I rang to complain getting a 'customer service assistant' who obviously had no empathy with 'the customer' at all.  He even insulted me further by saying 'maybe I didn't have sufficient funds on the card'!  This was even after I had explained everything I have included thus far in this article.  I was told that my gift card could take 18 days to have the money refunded.  I stated that I simply wanted the goods I had ordered and paid for, to which he offered me no help or apology.  Having not reached a satisfactory outcome with the 'customer service assistant', I sent yet another (quite angry) email to Debenhams about this!

I phoned the following day complained to another operative who put me through to The Contact Team.  The lady on the other end of the line couldn't explain why this had occurred but assured me she would look into the matter.  I was still not offered any apology.  After taking both my phone numbers and email I was told she would be in touch on Monday.

E-commerce. Problems ordering online Having heard nothing I phoned Debenhams again (it was now Friday 16th) and the member of staff I was dealing with was not in apparently.  She had arranged the money to be put back on my card I was told.  Great...  but I only wanted to buy my goods.  I have not had a phone call email or an apology which I pointed out to the customer assistant.  Yes I got a half hearted apology and an excuse like 'there had been a mistake in the computer system'.  I stated this just wasn't good enough asked who I could take this further with. Of course she didn't want to know.

I will be taking this further.  Fair enough, £15 isn't a huge amount of money and I am sure if I had been one of their corporate customers or if I had a wedding list with them I would have got adequate 'customer service'.  Wake up Debenhams those £15 sales from normal people might just be the thing that helps you ride this recession and keeps you trading!

By: Ragdoll Lady


Leave a comment

First Prev 1/2 Next Last

Molly

Molly

This is still happening as of 2016/17, 5 gift cards for £5 each. Wanted to buy something and only taking one £5 off the price. Have emailed, contacted Facebook as well and going round in circles. I was told via email the card amounts could be put together then told they couldn't. What an utter shambles. I wished I'd known about this and would of avoided. Trading Standards perhaps ?
03/01/17 Molly
-1
eilad2000

eilad2000

I had a problem trying to use gift cards, I wanted to order a pair of trousers costing £17.50 but was unable to do so as you can only use one gift card at a time and I have 3 x £10. I phoned customers service to be told they are aware of the problem but so far there is no solution.
10/03/13 eilad2000
-1
Anaannnaa

Anaannnaa

Oh, I'm not the only one with problems then! I was given a gift card for 20F, i wanted to buy a gift online for F33,60, so i though they will take those 20F and the rest will be taken from my debit card, but it didn't happen....they took whole amount from the debit card saying that i havn't got enough money on a gift card and i can only buy up to F20!
ok, i had another try then...
i spent more than an hour to find proper goods for F20, i gave the pin number and the card number and again they took money from my debit card !!!!
so i need to call them again
today however, i spent more than an 1h speaking with Next customer service as they messed up with my order, they cancelled it and now the items are out of stock :( !!! Why shopping online is so difficult....
30/12/11 Anaannnaa
-3
Elbows52

Elbows52

Totally agree with other posts here: Beware. Debenhams online must be avoided at all costs. Truly THE most incompetent customer service I've ever had the misfortune to come across. I ordered online using a gift card back in mid November. The goods (intended Christmas presents) never arrived and as they had no despatch tracking number to look up, I had absolutely no idea if they had been sent out/would arrive in time. I then had the inconvenience of having to spend numerous hours chasing them up by telephone (hanging on for ages and ages then getting feeble excuses and no action) and emails (waiting and waiting for days on end to get proper responses and not the automated replies variety that just serve to buy them extra time in not assisting and helping you further your complaint). Early January; receive email telling me that the items have been lost in transit. You don't say, really? Geniuses. Had to find time to write more emails, make more phone calls to now get them to refund my money. Have only just received refund today. Disgraceful. After I've spent this gift card money - by going to the actual shop and getting the actual goods I've paid for - that's it. I'm cutting up the Debenhams Gold account card I have and will not give them any more custom. Plenty more other shops deserve your hard earned.
22/01/11 Elbows52
-12
Jess

Jess

woops I meant cant in the below not can, I cant pay £25 from a gift voucher and then further more on my debit card
03/01/11 Jess
-7
Jess

Jess

it is an absolute joke that I can pay £25 from a gift card online and the rest on my debit card, I'm after shoes in the sale and every debenhams I have been to have not had them in stock so I have no other option but to buy them online! its ridiculous!
03/01/11 Jess
-6
Shane

Shane

I ordered some menswear from Debenhams on-line and would advise others to avoid this Company. I have found that the concept of treating customers fairly, morally and honestly is wasted on their Call Centre staff.

I received an e-mail confirming receipt of my on line order indicating delivery of my purchase in three to four workings days. When I did not receive the customary e-mail advising me that my goods had been dispatched, I telephoned to query the matter. I was sarcastically told the reason you have not received the e-mail confirming dispatch is because "the goods have not been dispatched." When I indicated that I had been advised in writing that delivery would take place in three to four working days, I was told that Debenhams manage to dispatch items in that time frame; not deliver them. I found the person to whom I spoke officious and supercilious bordering on rude.

His Call Centre Supervisor later apologized and told me that the items which I had ordered had been "picked" but "not wrapped up and dispatched." I was told that I could not cancel my order despite Debenhams' failure to deliver within the times advertised but I could refuse to accept delivery and just pay the delivery charge. What a cheek ! What a shower, they are !

Go to John Lewis, I say. They may be bureaucratic and make mistakes but at least they are good about putting things right.
02/01/11 Shane
-10
Buttercup

Buttercup

Thanks so much for your posting, I was on the internet trying to findout where I could buy Debenham gift cards from, I was going to buy at least 4 of £20 upwards, but having read what you have written, I would want the people that Im buying for to go throught the same bad experience aspecially as the customer service is so bad! So House of Frazer here I come!
21/12/10 Buttercup
-3
shell

shell

I have the same problem, i'm trying to pay for something with my girft card from debenhams online but they won't let me...whats the point in allowing people to buy gift cards if you can't use them when you want to?! As for the service you got what a total joke it's unbelieveable how these companies treat the people who are paying for them to remain in business
02/12/10 shell
-12
Missk

Missk

Just tried to use my £20 gift card in part payment for a £50 mirror which clearly states can be done on the website. Surprise, surprise won't let me do it saying there are insufficiant funds (I had only just checked the balance before paying so I know this is isn't the case).
looked for an email address to contact customer services and none available. Unbelievable that in the 21st century a huge retailer like debenhams don't have this option.
In furture I'll be warning people not to bother with giftcards from them and infact, not to bother with such a bad company as debenhams again. Hmm...I agree with the other lady, if this company doesn't wake up soon they won't be in business at all. My custom will go to much more deserving retailers in future.
24/11/10 Missk
-14
Kris

Kris

Same problem am still waiting for it to be resolved only when I telephoned the online customer help line it says "due to circumstances beyond our control we cannot answer your call".....great so now they are going to take the full amount from my debit card and I wanted to pay the majority with my gift card, which was the whole point in looking on their site in the first place.
05/11/10 Kris
0
Birdie

Birdie

Debenhams so called 'customer service dept' are useless!!!! I keep complaining that I never receive flyers advising about sales. They couldn't care less. My Mother-in-Law who rarely shops there always gets them, containing extra discount vouchers. I was told by an assistant that because I'm a good customer they don't bother sending them. Charming... will take my good customer status elsewhere!
17/06/10 Birdie
-1
cat

cat

I had trouble with debenhams.we won some money on a gift card so bought quite alot of stuff from there,clothes and electrical items through the website. the clothes are overpriced and no better quality than the lesser priced shops. one cardigan I bought all of the buttons had to be sewn back on and the kids clothes are finished to a low standered. we tried to order a tv from the website but we were eventually told we couldnt use our giftcard to order electrical items anymore,whats the point of a giftcard then? I tried to return an item with no receipt and pretty much got accused of stealing it by a member of staff. phone service is a joke they dont have a clue what is going on.all round debenhams is s**t . I will never shop there ever again!!
20/04/10 cat
0
Robert Mansell

Robert Mansell

I also purchased a three piece suite from Debenhams of Plymouth in 2007 and the quality was rubbish to say the least it cost 2250 pounds. Numerous complaints to customer services and three attempts at repairs solved nothing.

I finally took them to a small claims court (July 09) and won the full cost of the suite and costs. Obviously customer services at Debenhams Wellbeck Street aren't doing their job properly. Debenhams also have to pay GE Money compensation as well as me, as they were equally liable and financed the purchase.I agree don't purchase large items of Debenhams as after sales is extremely poor and the customer services team very rude and unhelpful.
09/08/09 Robert Mansell
-9
leona

leona

it seems the people in debenhams ireland are much more clued in on customer service........the people that I have dealt with in the stores have always been extremely pleasant and are always genuinly apologetic if something happens to go wrong.....have never had a debenhams experience in the uk though!
31/07/09 leona
-5

First Prev 1/2 Next Last

FEATURES

Gripes the News
Gripes in the pipes
The Soapbox
spinner