--LIDL QUALITY - an Issue??? --

seanaway

Fan of Lidl? Yes, I am. Losing faith in the Lidl brand/quality? Yep! Just want to ask if anyone else has had a simliar experience with Lidl or is it just my unlucky star playing up?

1. Bought a gas BBQ recently. Gas regulator didn't work on gas bottle. Had to cut/switch a regulator from home gasheater to save the day. (Glad we had one or could have been a tad of a disaster) Called Lidl help line. Very nice. Arranged for me to get a new one at the local store. Did so. Switched the regulator and ---- didn't work.
2. Bought a dog lead - very nice. One use and it broke. Excellent service from Lidl. They put me through to the makers who promptly sent me a new one. 8th time out it broke.
3.Bought a new hill/hiking jacket. Nice fit, looked good. 1st walk out happened to be in heavy rain. Got home and found it had a 'weak' point under the left arm. Brought it back and got the only one left ( a size bigger) . Took it home. Went to walk the dog and found the inner pocket zip was broken.

Now.. Is this bad quality or just bad luck? I'd love to hear if it's just me or is LIdl banking on a % of people not bringing things back.

coolbeans

Their food and drink, apart from the coffee, is top notch. Their hardware is much more of a lottery.

TerrorFirmer

Also, with the BBQ. Not to sound condescending but all new BBQ's come with propane regulators, not butane - if you took one from a superser or whatever, that would be a butane regulator, and hence it would work then. So I think it would seem unlikely that there was any issue with the Lidl BBQ, just that you had the wrong gas type for it.

Irishchick

You get what you pay for!

pleasant Co.

Irishchick wrote: »

You get what you pay for!

Why bring consumer mythology to this thread :P

TheDriver

i must say I find their stuff lately questionable in terms of quality and not massively cheap anymore.

seanaway

Thanks for the info on propane/butane. Pity the box didn't say that. WOuld have saved a lot of hassle.

re: quality - I agree. I've had more issues in the last 6 months than in the last 10 years with LIdl. Don't think I'll be spending any more on their hardware. Can't wait until Aldi opens up here.

geordief

I don't want to give away where I shop as it is certainly not the fault of the staff but I really don't get this policy they seem to have in Lidl of there as likely as not being noone at checkut to take your shopping.

You do not know which checkout to enter as there is noone there and so if you go in the wrong one you might not get served even though you are the first in line.

Also it is embarassing to have to call out "shop" or to go looking for one of the workers who will be stacking shelves until they notice that there are customers wanting to pay.

What is the point of all this?

kneemos

geordief wrote: »

I don't want to give away where I shop as it is certainly not the fault of the staff but I really don't get this policy they seem to have in Lidl of there as likely as not being noone at checkut to take your shopping.

You do not know which checkout to enter as there is noone there and so if you go in the wrong one you might not get served even though you are the first in line.

Also it is embarassing to have to call out "shop" or to go looking for one of the workers who will be stacking shelves until they notice that there are customers wanting to pay.

What is the point of all this?

Costcutting.

paddyandy

Complaining publicly is good as it keeps up standards ....we don't do enough of it .I've bought a number of hardware items in the past ten years and i've been satisfied with most of them .Lidls' are good with complaints .Are they dropping their standards ?

geordief

kneemos wrote: »

Costcutting.

I have never noticed to be any different and I remember when the store first opened.

Not saying it might not be getting worse but this policy of the staff at checkout double jobbing at shelving feels like it is inbuilt into the business.

Are staffed checkouts being phased out at any other shopping outlets -or is Lidl on its own here?

kneemos

They are faultless for exchanging goods in fairness. However if one product is faulty the rest of the batch tends to be the same.

hillbloom

I bought masking tape in Aldi & it was useless. Didnt do the job at all. I am very careful about any hardware I buy there. Actually I bought baby socks

recently & the elastic was way too wide, the socks just wouldnt stay on & the celular blanket was cheap but very thin & light.

Vamp369

geordief wrote: »

Are staffed checkouts being phased out at any other shopping outlets -or is Lidl on its own here?

Lidl and Aldi do not have dedicated till staff. All staff carry out floor duties if no one is at the till. The bell you might sometimes hear ringing is the person working at one till calling for another till to be staffed as there is too many people waiting. This helps keep the shop ticking over with minimal staff, hence why they can price their stock lower.

L1011

If your local store is busy enough there is likely to be someone on tills constantly (although as said, they aren't dedicated to that job and move around). If not, there won't be.

I have never been in my local Lidl store without someone on the tills.

P. Breathnach

MYOB wrote: »

...
I have never been in my local Lidl store without someone on the tills.

It has happened to me quite a few times, probably because I try to time my shopping for when things are quiet.

It's not a big deal to dump my stuff on the belt and go find somebody stacking shelves and ask him or her to open the till.