This is a story of fraud and forgery; of deception and theft. I've waited a long time to write this piece, hoping that Dixons would do the right thing and honour their legal and contractual obligation and client commitment. Instead, the company has chosen to drop the matter, apparently hoping I'll tire of fighting for my rights.
In a nutshell, I bought a Toshiba laptop computer from Dixons on Kensington High Street, London (the store has since folded). I felt like a mug when purchasing their three-year extended warranty, but was glad I had when the computer crashed with a hardware problem. I reported the problem via phone; had an IT specialist in Paris verify the technical issue was beyond repair and as per Cover Plan Customer Care instructions, filed a claim. I was told the claim was approved and a cheque in the amount of £920.98 (about $1,509.68) had been issued to replace the defective computer.
Six weeks went by; still no check. In a flurry of increasingly hostile email exchanges, I was told the check had been sent to the wrong address in London; even worse, it had been cashed!
I reminded Customer Care they knew very well I wasn't living in London - all our conversations and my correspondence had come from France, plus they'd verified my address in France. I informed them if they had in fact issued a check, it had been stolen and forged. I urged Dixons to file a theft report with the bank, as well as a police report in Blackheath, London, where they supposedly had mailed the check.
Dixons refuses to accept responsibility
Over the next five months, various Customer Care representatives assured me the matter was under investigation by their finance department. Yet they refused numerous requests to provide any paperwork confirming their actions or a photocopy of the check - and the forged signature - to provide to my UK bank and the police.
I advised the manager of their "World Wide Product Support" that their company was participating in fraud and encouraging theft, by refusing to pursue the matter. But Dixons' customer care representatives were rude and uncooperative. They informed me they weren't going to do anything else; they'd issued a check and it wasn't their problem if it was sent to the wrong address, stolen and fradulently cashed.
A so-called customer care representative provided a mailing address for Dixons litigation department, where I sent a copy of the file. Yet my correspondence has remained unanswered, despite repeated queries. I wonder if the company's CEO has any idea about his Cover Plan's reckless disregard for customer care?
So the moral of the story is don't buy a computer from Dixons and by all means, don't fall for the false assurances of their Cover Plan Extended Warranty. Dixons is quick to take your money to pay for an extended warranty, but extremely slow to bother with fulfilling their obligations under that warranty. Dixons still owes me £920.98 - plus interest.
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