Keith schoolchildren let down after firm fails to deliver
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A MORAY COVID-19 response group has been left in limbo in their attempts to buy laptops and tablets for local schoolchildren with community cash.
Keith's COVID-19 community volunteer group placed the computer equipment order with Currys nearly four weeks ago to assist pupils in the Keith Associated School Group (ASG) who do not have the necessary technology at home to access coursework during lockdown.
Rhona Patterson, a volunteer for the Keith response group, said they had paid out more than £6000 for 15 laptops and 15 tablets after consulting with community councils and local head teachers.
The funding included windfarm community cash administered by Keith and Strathisla community councils as well as funding granted to the COVID-19 group.
After nearly a month of local children left hanging on for the equipment – the response group felt it had no choice but to cancel the order and is now awaiting a promised refund.
Mrs Patterson described the whole process as "horrendous", having spent "hours upon hours" trying to contact Currys, given excuses that phones were broken or systems down when she has got through, and passed between agents only to meet dead ends.
During a three-hour web chat on April 30, in which Mrs Patterson was transferred between four different agents, she was told the order was on hold awaiting stock – despite being assured when ordering that there was ample stock.
Later it transpired that there was plenty stock but the order had been cancelled by customer services and needed to be reinstated. Once this was done the group was told, no matter how much they pleaded, that the earliest the order could be delivered was May 5 or 6.
The dates came and went with no delivery.
E-mails and phone calls were made to Currys with no response, and on May 7, after another three hours on a web chat and an hour queuing, they were told it seemed that the order had not been processed.
Mrs Patterson said: "I completely understand that businesses are working under unprecedented challenging conditions with staff working from home. But Currys (Dixons Carphone) has been paid over £6000 and has failed to deliver the goods.
"If they had kept up communication with me and told me what was happening I wouldn’t be so angry.
"To add insult to injury Currys sent an email survey on May 9 asking for feedback on the recent purchase – which of course hasn’t been received."
When contacted by the Northern Scot on Monday, May 11, a Currys spokeswoman said its customer services team would investigate immediately. On Wednesday the firm finally sent information on how to claim the refund to Mrs Patterson, who is now looking at other companies to place the order with.
Mrs Patterson said: "This is community money and we all understand that nothing is normal just now, but the total lack of communication here is unacceptable.
"I am so frustrated. I wanted to help the kids in the area and I feel I have failed – but it is Currys who have failed them.
"These kids should have had the equipment weeks ago."
A spokesperson for Currys PC World said on Thursday, May 14: "Due to the high level of demand for vital technology we are experiencing some delays in our customer service response times and occasionally in the delivery of certain items.
"We know that this is frustrating for customers, but these are unprecedented times and we are doing everything we can to answer their queries and we are working hard to make sure every order is fulfilled.
"We are truly sorry that on this occasion we were unable to fulfil the Keith COVID-19 Group order. We have apologised to them for the inconvenience and frustration caused and are processing a refund."
