Why I Won't Ever Buy A Radiator From ScrewFix
TLDR = I'd buy it from Wickes instead.
This is quite a saga, but details the issues, complications and frustrations I had when I bought two radiators from ScrewFix. One was 1.6m x 60cm and was pretty heavy. I would struggle to get that into my car, so wanted it delivered.
Monday 2nd Dec 2019 - Ordered 2 radiators and a roll of reflective foam from the Screwfix website. These were to be delivered the next day before 6:30pm. Delivery is free over a certain amount. They also threw in two free TRVs. There was a note that the driver would need a hand with the radiators off the van.
Tuesday 3rd Dec 2019 - Reflective foam and TRVs turned up with a courier. Despite being in all day, a "sorry we missed you" note was pushed through the letter box at 9:01pm. Nobody knocked or rang the doorbell. Frustrating, as I'd hoped to install the radiator that night.
Wednesday 4th Dec 2019 - nobody was at home all day, so got a "sorry we missed you" card.
Thursday 5th Dec 2019 - nobody at home all day again. Got a note saying "We have tried to deliver this 3 times, so the item is now at our depot. Please collect or arrange re-delivery."
Friday 6th Dec 2019 - Phone Parcel Force and used their automated service to arrange re-delivery for Monday 9th Dec. Also phoned ScrewFix to advise them as I wasn't particularly happy with not getting them earlier in the week.
Monday 9th Dec 2019 - Nobody came. No notes through the door. Someone in all day.
Tuesday 10th Dec 2019 - Called ScrewFix. The person I spoke with said they would try and get to the bottom of it and call me back. They did call me back and were going to arrange delivery for Friday 13th. They told me that ParcelForce had had some kind of power issue the previous day and couldn't get a lot of things out.
Friday 13th Dec 2019 - Radiators arrived! The cardboard boxes they were in were damaged quite badly. The delivery driver had to go back to the van to get a bag of fixings which had fallen out of the box. I took the radiators out of the box to check fixings were in both boxes and that the brackets were present. I wasn't able to fit them straight away, so put the radiators to one side. I didn't want or need the boxes so recycled them. The radiators were still in the bubble wrap and also had some bits of polystyrene on them which I left in place.
Then it was Christmas and New Year and I was also ill. So still had no opportunity to fit them.
Saturday 11th January - Carried one radiator upstairs to fit it. It took two of us a great deal of effort and time. Took off all the internal plastic packing. The radiator was caved-in on two edges and the top grill was bent in heavily. Opened the other radiator to check that too - it was also damaged.
Called ScrewFix to ask for replacement. They agreed to send new radiators on Wed 15th Jan and pick up the old ones. They said they would put this on a pre-10am delivery. They advised that it would probably be one van collecting the old ones and another delivering the new ones. I said that wasn't an issue.
Wednesday 15th January - ParcelForce arrived in the morning to collect the radiators, but wouldn't take them because they were not in the cardboard boxes (I had recycled them). As I was expecting the new ones too, and had been told it might be a different van delivering them to the one collecting them, I agreed with the driver I would take the boxes from the new ones when they arrived later to put on the old ones so that they could be returned. I said I would see him the next day (Thursday). Called ScrewFix in the afternoon just to check the new ones were coming so that I could get them repackaged in time for the morning. I had been told they would be before 10am previously, but now was told they can't do pre-10am deliveries for radiators. I waited....
The new radiators did not arrive.
Thursday 16th January 2020 - Called ScrewFix first thing in the morning. They had not sent new radiators as they were waiting for the old ones to be returned first, which wasn't what I had been told on Saturday, nor yesterday. They agreed to get the new ones delivered Friday (tomorrow) and then collect the old ones the Friday after (24th January) so as to give me time to package them and also because they couldn't guarantee that the collection would occur after the delivery if it was on the same day (they would likely be different vans again). I asked them to let the courier know not to come today to save them a trip. They said they would pass that on.
Courier came later that morning. Said I'd see him tomorrow.
Friday 17th January 2020 - Radiators arrived! They were also damaged. Called ScrewFix and asked for a refund, rather than have to keep going through this. Explained that I didn't have boxes for the first ones. They said someone might call me, as they would need to arrange delivery of new boxes for the radiators which didn't have boxes.
Ordered the same spec radiators from Wickes. They advised that they might be a couple of days, as they came from the manufacturer. Also got free TRVs. Price was comparable. Got a text a couple of days after confirming the delivery date. Date wasn't suitable, but was easy to reply and get the date I wanted.
Wednesday 22nd January 2020 - Hadn't heard anything (from ScrewFix), so just wanted to make sure everything was going to be okay. They confirmed that the courier would come with boxes to collect the radiators on Friday.
Friday 24th January 2020 - Courier arrived, but only had instructions to collect two boxes - it should have been five boxes (two original, two replacements and a box for the TRVs). Didn't bring any new boxes. Also didn't have any instructions to collect the TRVs which were free with the radiators, but would need returning too, of course. So I gave him the two radiators which were boxed-up.
Also on Friday 24th January, the radiators which I ordered earlier in the week from Wickes arrived. In perfect condition. Incidentally, they weren't in cardboard boxes, just the internal plastic packaging. The TRVs arrived separately.
Friday 31st January - Called ScrewFix, as hadn't heard anything from them. Asked to arrange collection of the two radiators which I still had. The person I spoke to said that the courier team would have to call me back to arrange getting cardboard boxes sent out so that I could re-package them and return them. Said it could be two hours before someone called me.
Someone called me in about half an hour from the courier team. I was told they don't send cardboard boxes out. They asked if I could pop them back into a store. Explained how big and heavy they were. Could I package them in some other cardboard, perhaps? Advised I don't have 1.6m by 60cm boxes kicking around and expressed my frustration and disappointment. They said they would get a manager to call me back in the next two hours.
It was just over two hours, but, to be fair, it was lunchtime and not much over. The radiators will be collected the following Wednesday (the next day I could arrange for someone to be in). Apologised multiple times. They said they would try and let me know time on Wednesday morning if they possibly could.
Wednesday 5th February 2020 - driver came to collect the radiators and again said they couldn't be collected without cardboard boxes. I tried to explain what ScrewFix had told me and he phoned his supervisor. I also got on the phone to ScrewFix. The driver's supervisor wouldn't authorise him to collect the radiators. I had got through to ScrewFix, but they needed to pass me onto the courier team so was on hold still. The ParcelForce said he could get them if they were wrapped in carpet or something. I had a roll of carpet in the garage. He wasn't going to hang around while I did that, so he said he would come back tomorrow. He left.
ScrewFix then got me off hold and asked me to stop the driver leaving. I said that he had already left. ScrewFix said they would make some calls and get the driver to come back.
About an hour later, the driver came back and collected the radiators (not the TRVs, as he only had two returns labels). I didn't need to wrap them in carpet or anything.
Later that day I got a call from ScrewFix and I agreed I would drop off the TRVs at a store the next time I was passing. They tried to refund me my money, but had some issue. They also gave me a £40 credit which I could use on future purchases (but only in store or on the phone, not online for some reason). They said someone might need to call me from the payments team to process the refund.
Thursday 6th February 2020 - Someone from the ScrewFix payments team called me to process my refund.
What a saga....
This is quite a saga, but details the issues, complications and frustrations I had when I bought two radiators from ScrewFix. One was 1.6m x 60cm and was pretty heavy. I would struggle to get that into my car, so wanted it delivered.
Monday 2nd Dec 2019 - Ordered 2 radiators and a roll of reflective foam from the Screwfix website. These were to be delivered the next day before 6:30pm. Delivery is free over a certain amount. They also threw in two free TRVs. There was a note that the driver would need a hand with the radiators off the van.
Tuesday 3rd Dec 2019 - Reflective foam and TRVs turned up with a courier. Despite being in all day, a "sorry we missed you" note was pushed through the letter box at 9:01pm. Nobody knocked or rang the doorbell. Frustrating, as I'd hoped to install the radiator that night.
Wednesday 4th Dec 2019 - nobody was at home all day, so got a "sorry we missed you" card.
Thursday 5th Dec 2019 - nobody at home all day again. Got a note saying "We have tried to deliver this 3 times, so the item is now at our depot. Please collect or arrange re-delivery."
Friday 6th Dec 2019 - Phone Parcel Force and used their automated service to arrange re-delivery for Monday 9th Dec. Also phoned ScrewFix to advise them as I wasn't particularly happy with not getting them earlier in the week.
Monday 9th Dec 2019 - Nobody came. No notes through the door. Someone in all day.
Tuesday 10th Dec 2019 - Called ScrewFix. The person I spoke with said they would try and get to the bottom of it and call me back. They did call me back and were going to arrange delivery for Friday 13th. They told me that ParcelForce had had some kind of power issue the previous day and couldn't get a lot of things out.
Friday 13th Dec 2019 - Radiators arrived! The cardboard boxes they were in were damaged quite badly. The delivery driver had to go back to the van to get a bag of fixings which had fallen out of the box. I took the radiators out of the box to check fixings were in both boxes and that the brackets were present. I wasn't able to fit them straight away, so put the radiators to one side. I didn't want or need the boxes so recycled them. The radiators were still in the bubble wrap and also had some bits of polystyrene on them which I left in place.
Then it was Christmas and New Year and I was also ill. So still had no opportunity to fit them.
Saturday 11th January - Carried one radiator upstairs to fit it. It took two of us a great deal of effort and time. Took off all the internal plastic packing. The radiator was caved-in on two edges and the top grill was bent in heavily. Opened the other radiator to check that too - it was also damaged.
Called ScrewFix to ask for replacement. They agreed to send new radiators on Wed 15th Jan and pick up the old ones. They said they would put this on a pre-10am delivery. They advised that it would probably be one van collecting the old ones and another delivering the new ones. I said that wasn't an issue.
Wednesday 15th January - ParcelForce arrived in the morning to collect the radiators, but wouldn't take them because they were not in the cardboard boxes (I had recycled them). As I was expecting the new ones too, and had been told it might be a different van delivering them to the one collecting them, I agreed with the driver I would take the boxes from the new ones when they arrived later to put on the old ones so that they could be returned. I said I would see him the next day (Thursday). Called ScrewFix in the afternoon just to check the new ones were coming so that I could get them repackaged in time for the morning. I had been told they would be before 10am previously, but now was told they can't do pre-10am deliveries for radiators. I waited....
The new radiators did not arrive.
Thursday 16th January 2020 - Called ScrewFix first thing in the morning. They had not sent new radiators as they were waiting for the old ones to be returned first, which wasn't what I had been told on Saturday, nor yesterday. They agreed to get the new ones delivered Friday (tomorrow) and then collect the old ones the Friday after (24th January) so as to give me time to package them and also because they couldn't guarantee that the collection would occur after the delivery if it was on the same day (they would likely be different vans again). I asked them to let the courier know not to come today to save them a trip. They said they would pass that on.
Courier came later that morning. Said I'd see him tomorrow.
Friday 17th January 2020 - Radiators arrived! They were also damaged. Called ScrewFix and asked for a refund, rather than have to keep going through this. Explained that I didn't have boxes for the first ones. They said someone might call me, as they would need to arrange delivery of new boxes for the radiators which didn't have boxes.
Ordered the same spec radiators from Wickes. They advised that they might be a couple of days, as they came from the manufacturer. Also got free TRVs. Price was comparable. Got a text a couple of days after confirming the delivery date. Date wasn't suitable, but was easy to reply and get the date I wanted.
Wednesday 22nd January 2020 - Hadn't heard anything (from ScrewFix), so just wanted to make sure everything was going to be okay. They confirmed that the courier would come with boxes to collect the radiators on Friday.
Friday 24th January 2020 - Courier arrived, but only had instructions to collect two boxes - it should have been five boxes (two original, two replacements and a box for the TRVs). Didn't bring any new boxes. Also didn't have any instructions to collect the TRVs which were free with the radiators, but would need returning too, of course. So I gave him the two radiators which were boxed-up.
Also on Friday 24th January, the radiators which I ordered earlier in the week from Wickes arrived. In perfect condition. Incidentally, they weren't in cardboard boxes, just the internal plastic packaging. The TRVs arrived separately.
Friday 31st January - Called ScrewFix, as hadn't heard anything from them. Asked to arrange collection of the two radiators which I still had. The person I spoke to said that the courier team would have to call me back to arrange getting cardboard boxes sent out so that I could re-package them and return them. Said it could be two hours before someone called me.
Someone called me in about half an hour from the courier team. I was told they don't send cardboard boxes out. They asked if I could pop them back into a store. Explained how big and heavy they were. Could I package them in some other cardboard, perhaps? Advised I don't have 1.6m by 60cm boxes kicking around and expressed my frustration and disappointment. They said they would get a manager to call me back in the next two hours.
It was just over two hours, but, to be fair, it was lunchtime and not much over. The radiators will be collected the following Wednesday (the next day I could arrange for someone to be in). Apologised multiple times. They said they would try and let me know time on Wednesday morning if they possibly could.
Wednesday 5th February 2020 - driver came to collect the radiators and again said they couldn't be collected without cardboard boxes. I tried to explain what ScrewFix had told me and he phoned his supervisor. I also got on the phone to ScrewFix. The driver's supervisor wouldn't authorise him to collect the radiators. I had got through to ScrewFix, but they needed to pass me onto the courier team so was on hold still. The ParcelForce said he could get them if they were wrapped in carpet or something. I had a roll of carpet in the garage. He wasn't going to hang around while I did that, so he said he would come back tomorrow. He left.
ScrewFix then got me off hold and asked me to stop the driver leaving. I said that he had already left. ScrewFix said they would make some calls and get the driver to come back.
About an hour later, the driver came back and collected the radiators (not the TRVs, as he only had two returns labels). I didn't need to wrap them in carpet or anything.
Later that day I got a call from ScrewFix and I agreed I would drop off the TRVs at a store the next time I was passing. They tried to refund me my money, but had some issue. They also gave me a £40 credit which I could use on future purchases (but only in store or on the phone, not online for some reason). They said someone might need to call me from the payments team to process the refund.
Thursday 6th February 2020 - Someone from the ScrewFix payments team called me to process my refund.
What a saga....
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