Covent Garden FX

Could not ask for more

Normally to get a premium service I expect to pay a little or a lot more, but the reverse is true in this instance. I got the best rate of exchange I could find and with no problems attached.

The process was extremely efficient and simple. Everything was timely and my dollars arrived pronto on the day requested.

Will use again.

Proridermobility

Poor quality item and unfulfilled guarantee

Road King Mobility Scooter

This item is cheap, but this comes at a price. Website shows item delivered fully assembled coming down the ramp of a company van, but mine was dumped and left by a courier in a carton on my lawn; some assembly required and had to buy an electric tyre pump to inflate flattened tyres before it could be moved indoors. Difficult if you are not able-bodied and no prior warning given.

Item is cheap Taiwanese junk, but I expected this for the price. Like Chinese motor cycles don't expect to see many old ones on the road. Batteries were never going to make the claims of 'up to' 35 miles range. This is an overinflated claim and my battery indicators started going down after 5 miles. After 8 weeks the battery power indicator started going down after only 2 miles and I tried to claim on the companies' famous' 'home warranty'; however, unless I could dismantle some of the scooter, remove and package the batteries for a courier to pick up, then it was going to cost me £80 just for them to test the batteries and then they would only replace if manufacturer defect was present.
The company wriggled and found every excuse not to honour its glowing 5 star warranty.

This company is a sales outfit with no genuine back up in my experience.

(the day after posting this review ProRider emailed me and threatened a minimum £5000 libel if I did not remove this review)

Doug Somersetand Richard Newton found this review useful

Rspb

Quick and no problems

I've made several orders from RSPB. The website is easy to use and clear. All my items have arrived within two working days on standard delivery. You can leave product reviews on their site. While not all their products are 5 star rated, they are pretty much, I've received no disappointing junk items and I have confidence that there would be no problems for any return. I don't think it is necessarily the cheapest, but the quality is mostly present and I will continue to shop there because it seems hassle-free.

Tesco

Every little hurts

Anyone can give less for less money. There is no value in Tesco and no respect for customers. It is a pure money grabbing operation. And I know someone who chauffeured the Directors. My wife discovered an item on her till receipt that she did not buy. The store manager made her wait standing at customer services for over an hour while he went and checked CCTV which happened to show she never entered the aisle with the expensive product she had been charged for was stocked. A refund with no hint of apology followed. Every little hurts as this monster forces smaller shops off the high street and makes other supermarkets drag their values and quality down to compete with Tesco's base levels.

Wickes

Basic

I always check Wickes first because they are always cheaper than Homebase and B&Q. I have had a lot of building items delivered, timber, flooring, tiles. Usually it is all fine and that one time it arrives bashed up and the driver thinks its fine? Likewise in store, a few of the staff have been helpful and polite, but my do they have more than their share of staff who really do them no favours. I have heard staff aggressively effing and blinding on the shop floor without a care that customers are walking around. Till staff are often straight out of school Vicky Pollards. The managers and directors really need replacing with someone who cares about making the business healthy. I find my nearest three stores, Twickenham, Hanwell, Ealing, dull and dreary to walk around (poor lighting). It's just not good business all round. That said, I will always check them out first because they are usually cheapest (need to check quality sometimes though). But for price, I would not go near them.

Charlies Direct

Rather pay a little more to a better company

Item (an SDS Drill) arrived with inadequate and torn packaging. When opened there were bits and paperwork (reg docs etc.) missing I'd normally expect to find and the manual had been thumbed through. It looked like a customer or catalogue return or ex-demo to me, plus it did not arrived sealed from the courier so who was to know. Charlies direct refunded, but they didn't like it and were quite snooty and unapologetic. Their customer rep claimed to be doing me a favour by not making a charge for returning the item to them as they did not regard it as faulty. I suspect they only fully refunded to try and not get bad feedback, but John Lewis they ain't. I will not be buying from them again.