Pixmania - Poor service + dishonesty + delay

Xcellor

There are a lot of posts and threads about Pixmania so I wanted to give my review of how things went with this company.

1) Ordered a TV and two brackets for hanging (2011-01-30). The TV came direct from Pixmania the brackets came from another company called Habitat.

2) On the Monday (31st) I phoned pixmania since I noticed I had not put the village I live on in the address (at this point the payment had not been processed). I was told they could not change the address at this point but that if the courier had any problem he would phone me.

3) According to website information the TV would come in 6-7 days, the brackets were supposed to come sooner, 2-3 days.

4) When I ordered I provided all the contact details home and mobile number.

5) On Friday 4th I phoned Pixmania to ask about my order. I told them that I would be out on Monday so would the courier phone me (so I could get one of my family to wait for him). I specifically asked would Pixmania provide my mobile number to the courier and confirmed the number to the agent. They said yes. I also query about my other item the brackets since they should have come. I also had received no tracking information for this order. I Was told to phone the other company and find out. I phone the other company and they tell me that the package needs to be sent again since it was damaged.

6) On Monday I check the tracking details and according to the information the courier had tried to deliver the TV and I was out... I phone Pixmania and they tell me that the TV is on route to me (obvious lie since the tracking info says clearly that I wasn't in). Anyway I give them the benefit of the doubt. A few hours later I contact the courier directly and I am told what I already knew.

7) I phone Pixmania when I get home 5:30. They are closed since they only work 9-5 Nice office hours.

8) Phone Pixmania on Tuesday to find out when I can get it redelivered. They will not commit to any date. They will not even agree to phone me back that same day. They said they would call back in 24 hours. My order was not important, the agent advised me that they ship around 40,000 items a week/day (cant remember which a week seems more likely.). Nice to feel like a valued customer. Contact the courier directly told that they will dispatch on Wednesday . No phone back from Pixmania.

9) Item delivered on Wednesday (along with brackets). Great!!! So I unpack the whole thing go to get the cable and realise they have sent me a bl00dy European power cable!!

10) I posted a message about my experience on boards and was contacted by one of their reps. (this was nice and probably the only proactive approach taken by pixmania)

11) After complaining to the rep and threatening to send the whole thing back without original packaging at their expense I am offered some Pix Piggy points and told the correct cable would be sent... Now it seems they are sending this cable with the same courier so it will take 6-7 days to reach me!!!

I was prepared to give Pixmania a try, I thought they couldn't be as bad as some people were making out... Customer service dire, attention to detail dire... Hopefully when I get the cable the TV will actually turn on!!

darrenw5094

Threads like this make me nervous. I ordered a Samsung 6 Series LED from Pixmania and arrived during the week. Did take a week to arrive and i had no idea that their base was actually in France. I assumed a '.ie' website would have been Irish based. But anyway, it arrived in one piece and is working, so that is the main thing. European plug for me too. Makes me wonder about the warranty on this, how do we send it back to France if it needs a repair?

Xcellor

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Threads like this make me nervous. I ordered a Samsung 6 Series LED from Pixmania and arrived during the week. Did take a week to arrive and i had no idea that their base was actually in France. I assumed a '.ie' website would have been Irish based. But anyway, it arrived in one piece and is working, so that is the main thing. European plug for me too. Makes me wonder about the warranty on this, how do we send it back to France if it needs a repair?

Usually manufacturer would carry out repair on behalf of Pixmania. Either send tech to house or ship back...

It seems that they do this by default, send european plugs. You are the third person to confirm this.

ardmacha

I ordered a TV from Pixmania, it came on time in 2 days, I used the "fast" UPS service. It had a French plug, the website suggests that they ship adaptors, but they didn't. It took 10 mins to change the plug.

I think with many such companies things work 99% of the time, but the other 1% is a pain.

dskenny

Same thing here, Ordered a multifunction Brother printer from Pixmania.ie and what arrived was a French machine. Not really a problem except all the menus were in french, the software was in french and the instruction books were in french. When I emailed Pixmania, they told me to download a copy of the instruction book in english. I eventually called Brother Customer care who, when I described the issue, asked me if I had bouht it from pixmania! I eventually got Pixmania to agree to take it back. Hopefully that will work.

Mistakes I can understand, they happen, but not telling you you are buying a machine that is localized outside of your residential area and that the guarantee will be a pan European one rather than a local one, that it really quite deceitful.

darrenw5094

dskenny wrote: »

Same thing here, Ordered a multifunction Brother printer from Pixmania.ie and what arrived was a French machine. Not really a problem except all the menus were in french, the software was in french and the instruction books were in french. When I emailed Pixmania, they told me to download a copy of the instruction book in english. I eventually called Brother Customer care who, when I described the issue, asked me if I had bouht it from pixmania! I eventually got Pixmania to agree to take it back. Hopefully that will work.

Mistakes I can understand, they happen, but not telling you you are buying a machine that is localized outside of your residential area and that the guarantee will be a pan European one rather than a local one, that it really quite deceitful.

What is that all about? Someone should tell Pixmania that not everyone in the world speaks French. :rolleyes:

ejmaztec

dskenny wrote: »

Same thing here, Ordered a multifunction Brother printer from Pixmania.ie and what arrived was a French machine. Not really a problem except all the menus were in french, the software was in french and the instruction books were in french. When I emailed Pixmania, they told me to download a copy of the instruction book in english. I eventually called Brother Customer care who, when I described the issue, asked me if I had bouht it from pixmania! I eventually got Pixmania to agree to take it back. Hopefully that will work.

Mistakes I can understand, they happen, but not telling you you are buying a machine that is localized outside of your residential area and that the guarantee will be a pan European one rather than a local one, that it really quite deceitful.

You should have read your downloaded English manual and changed the printer from French to English using the menu.

Off topic, I've had a couple of Brother multifunction printers from Viking, and both the printers were crap, as was Viking. I now use Canon with no complaints.

Pkiernan

You get what you pay for with this muppet outfit.

There is a reason they are cheap.

Cheap is not always good value.

dskenny

ejmaztec wrote: »

You should have read your downloaded English manual and changed the printer from French to English using the menu.

Off topic, I've had a couple of Brother multifunction printers from Viking, and both the printers were crap, as was Viking. I now use Canon with no complaints.

Wow!! You think?? I should have read the manual? Oh my god, that would be so awesome if I could like read and stuff, but that never occurred to me. I'm sure glad there are smart folks about these here parts who could make such scintillatingly brilliant suggestions, cus when I tried, there weren't no mentions of changing the language.....

Would you like it in French?

darrenw5094

Pourriez-vous ont changé la langue du français en utilisant le menu.

http://translation.babylon.com/french/to-english/

ejmaztec

dskenny wrote: »

Wow!! You think?? I should have read the manual? Oh my god, that would be so awesome if I could like read and stuff, but that never occurred to me. I'm sure glad there are smart folks about these here parts who could make such scintillatingly brilliant suggestions, cus when I tried, there weren't no mentions of changing the language.....

Would you like it in French?

You obviously didn't look hard enough, in French or English.

Mon Dieu!:P

Xcellor

Last update on tracking for new power cable

18.02.11 Outbound
DACHSER, Köln


So will it come today... I wonder. Should be in dublin today.

Looking at the order it says this

Pixmania Adaptateur prise anglaise 3 broches (interne)

I guess that means they are sending me an adapter to convert the two pin into three pin. Is this safe? I didn't think two pins had the grounding of UK plugs? I suppose if the original plug provided by LG had only two pins grounding can't be important...

Xcellor

Just to update I got the adapter. They actually sent two different shapes. Guess it depends on what type of plug you have as to which one you use.

Now I am going to test it out finally !!

BnB

ardmacha wrote: »

I ordered a TV from Pixmania, it came on time in 2 days, I used the "fast" UPS service. It had a French plug, the website suggests that they ship adaptors, but they didn't. It took 10 mins to change the plug.

I think with many such companies things work 99% of the time, but the other 1% is a pain.

From experience, I reckon Pixmania's failure rate is higher than average.

But I'd get over that. Mistakes happen.

Where Pixmania really fall down is that when THEY do make a mistake YOU are in a world of pain. Their customer service is simply astoundingly bad. I don't think they could have made it any worse even if they tried.

The last time I used them, I received a damaged item. After weeks of phone calls, e-mails, that girl who comes on Boards every so often ringing me... I eventually got..

The product replaced....
Then a week later (for some reason) a refund to my Credit Card
Then a further week later, an e-mail informing me that they would not be able to replace the item or issue a refund...!!!!

Incompetent dimwits.

If I needed an electrical item in the future, I would attempt to build it myself before I would buy from them.

Xcellor

Just a bit of advice on this...

I bought a TV from pixmania along with a bracket. The bracket was through one of their certified sellers.

The bracket stated it was suitable for TV up to 55inch and the weight it states is greater than that of the TV. I installed it during the weekend and while its stable enough i.e. no chance of it coming off the wall the actual extendable arm is arching down slightly so when I goto push the TV back it doesn't line up and so cannot be pushed flush against the wall.

This is the type of bracket I got

http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/7011166/art/designer-habitat/black-universal-cantileve.html

I notice that they no longer specify it is OK for 55 inch, however on my invoice it states that it can...

I have written to pixmania to complain but I am wondering what is the normal proceedure for an issue like this. The bracket is clearly not suitable for the job and I have drilled 6 holes in my wall for a bracket that will most likely have to be removed...

foggy_lad

Send it back as being not fit for purpose, This looks like it is designed to fit flush with the wall and due to the weight of your tv the mechanism is strained.

dudara

Threads merged, so as to provide background and history

Xcellor

Just to update the thread on the continuing saga.

I made contact with Pixmania but since it was purchased through a reseller on their website there has been a passing of the buck.

I was asked for pictures of the issue with the TV bracket which I provided 3 days ago. I have sent 2 follow ups and no reply.

I don't know exactly what they are waiting for....


Will post more when I get an update.

maddogcollins

Just to provide balanced argument.

I have ordered numerous camera equipment from pixmania and only ever had one issue when I ordered a "deal".

I got the main part of the deal but one part never arrived. After arguing with them the claimed the deal never existed and that it was an error.

I had already been charged on my visa and asked for a refund which they said they could not do as the deal did not exist and I got what I ordered.

After requesting a call back from manager and not receiving it within two days I was very annoyed. But on day 3, I got a call back from manager, a refund to my card and the remaining part of the deal.

It depends on whom you get on the phone when they are french speaking.

flyandrain

order 4 sets of speakers from them 4 months ago. and pay around 17 euor for the delivery charge, and the delivery man never left a single piece of paper into my mail box. went to local post office and found the parcel. but only one set is arrived, email them a few times, they told me out of stock. and cancel one item without notice, and never send the rest of them when they are back in stock. :mad:


just send them another email and see?

-Corkie-

I have to laugh at the OP. They say they have read several threads about Pixmania but then go and purchase something of them..:rolleyes:

Every thread here is Pixmania negative. Why in the name of god would you buy something of them then???

Xcellor

-Corkie- wrote: »

I have to laugh at the OP. They say they have read several threads about Pixmania but then go and purchase something of them..:rolleyes:

Every thread here is Pixmania negative. Why in the name of god would you buy something of them then???

Fools and their money are easily parted?

Saw a good bargain and wanted to hope that all would go well. I mean they ship tens of thousands of orders a week and they cant all go that bad.

Xcellor

Just a further update on this.

Now day 6 (4 days excluding weekend) since I sent the photos of the faulty TV wall bracket. No response from the pixmania seller. The rep from pixmania said she would contact them herself on Friday. Didn't receive an update so will follow up with her this morning.

Don't know whether to remove the TV, leave it there. What if the thing collapses along with the TV.

I took the risk when I chose Pixmania but hopefully this account will help others to make a better decision...

Xcellor

Phone call this morning from the seller involved and they are shipping out a replacement wall bracket.

See how this one goes. To me it seemed like a design fault but prepared to give a replacement a try.

Xcellor

Xcellor wrote: »

Phone call this morning from the seller involved and they are shipping out a replacement wall bracket.

See how this one goes. To me it seemed like a design fault but prepared to give a replacement a try.

After posting this message I was told that a new TV bracket would be sent the next day. I was not very happy with this. It was early enough in the day, why couldn't it be shipped then? I phoned back the next day to get a refund.

I got the refund on April 13th but it did not include the shipping fee, approx 15 euros. I contacted them back and stated that due to the part being faulty (i.e. not change of mind) they were obliged to refund including shipping.

Despite a couple of follow ups have not received the shipping refund.

wandatowell

All of my dealings with Pixmania have been top notch. Ordered a few things Monday of last week, got a phone call from them on Tuesday to confirm my details and I received the items on Wednesday. Couldnt fault them.


Though tbh after reading this thread I dont think I will risk ordering off them again, dont wanna push my luck

Xcellor

Just to complete the thread. I got the refund for shipping yesterday. No explanation, apology for delay. Just the automated refund been processed.

While there are many things that can go wrong even with the best of companies the way a company handles things, courteousy, follow up etc makes a difference.

BMCG100

I was about to place an order with Pixmania for and LG47LV4500. I went onto the LG website just to check it out and found that there is no such thing. I did a check on some other LG stuff they have. There are a lot of errors in the specs. Enough to prevent me giving them my hard earned cash.

Jarren

my guess is that your LG tv is from France so LG France would have it
http://www.lg.com/fr/tv-audio-video/televiseurs/tv-lcd-led/LG-47LV4500.jsp

Get your tv from http://www.richersounds.com/product/led-tv/lg/47lv550t/lg-47lv550t
or http://www.pcworld.ie/Product/LG-47LV450U-47andquot-Full-HD-LED-TV/304700/191

Different products but you can pay more for a peace of mind










ps - steer clear from Pixmania