JKUK Babies247.com Terrible service?
JKUK is no longer trading and has been bought by So Maternity, a company solely owned and run by the WIFE of JKUK owner. Make of that what you will
This post refers to the JKUK (Company No. 04670023) Shops in Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. And is in no way related to JUST KIDDING (SUSSEX) Ltd. or anyother company of a similar name.
Currently we're in the market for a pram, one of those things for transporting small people around in. In this capacity my self and my wife shopped around and decided we would get our selves a Bugaboo Cameleon, a bit pricey however it will fit quite nicely in our BMW mini. I did my usual shopping around and as expected their are major discounts to be found on the interweb. In the end we decided that a face to face sale would suit better so we'd have some one to talk to if it broke or what ever. Weeks of research later we roll up to JKUK also known as Babies247.com and ordered the Pram, car seat and other bits that I'm assured you need. The price we got from JKUK was as expected well over the odds and damn close to R.R.P, but hey I'm paying for the customer service and piece of mind, you can't put a price on that!
From the start we we're informed that the pram would take 8 weeks to be delivered to the shop. This I knew was standard practice with this particular item as every other site selling them said the same (even the people on Ebay). So the 8 weeks come and go, we pop into their store so wifey can purchase some random stuff a magazine has explained how no new mother can be without, I ask the sales assistant how our order is progressing, she passes me over to a senior member of staff as she wasn't trained on the their ordering system (fair enough). The senior member of staff opens up their ordering system (oh its an excel spreadsheet), and explains the pram hasn't been delivered yet and as such the other items that we had ordered which have been coming in haven't been assigned to our order (I had asked that when the car seat arrives, they ring me so i can pick it up, but oh well small over sight). They assure me they will chase the order and ring me during the week to tell me whats going on. Week passes nothing.
Today is Tuesday and I sit waiting for the Excel woman to ring, classic case of shockingly poor service. My current thinking is just cancel their order and get it from somewhere else, had a great chat with a woman from thebaby.co.uk and she was really helpful.
I totally agree with the above quote nothing more irritating than the people who promised repeatedly to ring you back actually ring you back and ruining some decent memories you might be trying to create.
Would this sort of service make you think "NEVER SHOP AT JKUK or BABIES247.com" would you think your JKUK Complaint would be well received and briskly and efficiently acted upon (with heathly use of advanced excel macros and formulas no doubt)
These are some question I have raised and clearly have no answer for (for legal reasons). However other people do have answers, for example:
bat400 has said "babies247.com - promised much but delivered little" read more
ajswuk has said "babies274 dissapointing" read more
mgdanis said "A pathetic experience of digital shopping. I eventually canceled my order after three weeks waiting for it. Web site has been showing my order as pending with no more information. Numerous phone calls to the web site numbers remained unanswered and the staff in stores was not able to help. Beautiful web site but I am afraid there is nothing behind."
A review by hatcher56134 on babies247.com
Advantages: very nice website
Disadvantages: They take your money, but don't exchange it for goods, or refund you !
read the rest here
Hatcher56134 clearly pointing out its not all bad whilst your opinion may be "DO NOT TOUCH THIS COMPANY WITH A BARGE POLE!" its not all bad their web site is quite pretty. These sorts of thing should be taken into consideration when jumping to conclusions regard for example proclaiming that may be, JKUK are the sort of company you'd recommend your enemy's to get their supplies from.
I will update later on when they phone back with all their Excel goodness!.
Quote from website:
babies247 is the online division of JKUK and shares its core principles of outstanding range choice, impeccable service and advice and – most importantly – will never be beaten on price.
From the start we we're informed that the pram would take 8 weeks to be delivered to the shop. This I knew was standard practice with this particular item as every other site selling them said the same (even the people on Ebay). So the 8 weeks come and go, we pop into their store so wifey can purchase some random stuff a magazine has explained how no new mother can be without, I ask the sales assistant how our order is progressing, she passes me over to a senior member of staff as she wasn't trained on the their ordering system (fair enough). The senior member of staff opens up their ordering system (oh its an excel spreadsheet), and explains the pram hasn't been delivered yet and as such the other items that we had ordered which have been coming in haven't been assigned to our order (I had asked that when the car seat arrives, they ring me so i can pick it up, but oh well small over sight). They assure me they will chase the order and ring me during the week to tell me whats going on. Week passes nothing.
- I ring again to chase on a Tuesday morning get a lady on the phone, who couldn't help me directly as she wasn't aware how the spreadsheet worked, so she said she'd put a note on the managers desk to ring me when shes free (11:43am).
- I get to my lunch (13:30pm) nothing so I ring back again cant get to right person but they will pass the message on.
- (16:00) I ring again yet again cant get hold of the woman with the required MS Excel skill to read the column, delivered YES/NO
- 17:30 JKUK Excel division rings me back and explains that they are having trouble with the orders and she is seeking an alternative source which she will confirm by phone on Thursday
- Thursday goes past
- Friday Trundles by and nothing
- On the way home from work Sarah drops into JKUK aka Babies247.com
- The master of all things spreadsheet related explains that because they are having trouble getting hold of stock they are currently only dealing with customers who make a fuss.
- This is all part of their "Impeccable Service"
- She assures my wife that they will ring me on Tuesday to confirm that we will have the Car seat this weekend
- It's worth noting the Baby seat isn't a hard item to get hold of and I could of had one next day delivered through out this entire process
- Another note worthy point is Sarah my wife is close to popping and with a car seat you cant take your child home
- On the way home from work Sarah drops into JKUK aka Babies247.com
Today is Tuesday and I sit waiting for the Excel woman to ring, classic case of shockingly poor service. My current thinking is just cancel their order and get it from somewhere else, had a great chat with a woman from thebaby.co.uk and she was really helpful.
Another Website quote:
By shopping at babies247 you have nothing to worry about except making and enjoying your family memories.
I totally agree with the above quote nothing more irritating than the people who promised repeatedly to ring you back actually ring you back and ruining some decent memories you might be trying to create.
Would this sort of service make you think "NEVER SHOP AT JKUK or BABIES247.com" would you think your JKUK Complaint would be well received and briskly and efficiently acted upon (with heathly use of advanced excel macros and formulas no doubt)
These are some question I have raised and clearly have no answer for (for legal reasons). However other people do have answers, for example:
bat400 has said "babies247.com - promised much but delivered little" read more
ajswuk has said "babies274 dissapointing" read more
mgdanis said "A pathetic experience of digital shopping. I eventually canceled my order after three weeks waiting for it. Web site has been showing my order as pending with no more information. Numerous phone calls to the web site numbers remained unanswered and the staff in stores was not able to help. Beautiful web site but I am afraid there is nothing behind."
A review by hatcher56134 on babies247.com
Advantages: very nice website
Disadvantages: They take your money, but don't exchange it for goods, or refund you !
read the rest here
Hatcher56134 clearly pointing out its not all bad whilst your opinion may be "DO NOT TOUCH THIS COMPANY WITH A BARGE POLE!" its not all bad their web site is quite pretty. These sorts of thing should be taken into consideration when jumping to conclusions regard for example proclaiming that may be, JKUK are the sort of company you'd recommend your enemy's to get their supplies from.
I will update later on when they phone back with all their Excel goodness!.
It does of course depend on what version of Excel they're using, 2007 is all over the place and I'm not certain how to make stuff bold.
ReplyDeleteWell, well, well it seems that we too are experiencing JKUK immense public relations and to date we too have been waiting for our promised refund for over three weeks!!!
ReplyDeleteAs you so rightly say what a lovely website but their aftersales STINK !!
We only live 3 miles from their Bitterne shop but the item in question was £5 cheaper direct from the website so we studiply ordered online. Never again, and so we recommend to anyone considering purchasing through this company to think again... how about Mothercare LOL.
Hope you got your money back. I had to get the credit card company involved before they would give me a refund.
ReplyDeleteHi James,
ReplyDeleteWell, after 5 phone calls, four promised calls back, one rant and a threat of contacting trading standards our long awaited refund has finally arrived. Their customer service is dire and the staff are very good at acting dumb. Needless to say we won't be buying, or attempting to buy from them again, and have advised all my friends to do the same... Looks like JKUK has lost alot of business eh. Take care now.
We have been waiting for four months for delivery of cot and baby changing table. Baby is now two weeks old and all we get from babies 247 is the answer that delvery will take two more weeks. We have been told this three times. We seem unable to talk to them direct and our money was paid into the bank within a week of our original order placement
ReplyDeleteAre they just earning money from the orders placed and paid for during the interim? I am now going to cancel the order and should hope to get my money back - with interest -. Will keep you updated!
I think the daily paper - i.e. The Echo - should be investigatig this company in the light of readers' comments. Please give me any reason why this should not be done?
ReplyDeleteI also have fallen foul of these amateurish theives. I ordered a Graco parasol, only to have the same kind of experiences as listed above. I am surprised they are still allowed to trade - they are clearly unprofessional and don't give two hoots about their customers or reputation. My experience is far too long a story to go into, but I would rather go without something than order from them.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is so quick to be negative online, if you have a bad experience you have to tell everyone!!!! I on the other hand ordered my goods and was quoted a 2-4 week wait and as quoted I received all my goods within three weeks. The staff were very polite and helpful, and able to answer many questions that me or my partner may have had. In the store they give you their full attention as long as rewuired and helped choose the best suited car seat and push chair. Certain items were unavailable whether it be due to the colour of the item or the supplier but the staff did make us aware of these things when ordering.
ReplyDeleteLando I believe the free speech on the web is a good thing, and these small companies should be using the internet as marketing tool. Look at people like play.com etc. People know longer stand for sub-standard service. I'm extremely happy your experience with JKUK was a good one, and I'm sure your not the first person to be happy with their service. However from the emails, comments and shear amount of traffic this page is getting I can only assume your experience is in the minority.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to believe I am part of the minority as you said due to the high volume of negativity, however is it fair to assume this just by internet reviews, when in fact many people who could have had great service are not quick to jump on a pc and write ...JKUK, great service, really nice, got my pushchair in time.... when in fact they are happy just enjoying their newborns along with their goods they have purchased from jkuk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say, people are very quick to judge. Though after my personal experience talking to other people who have used JKUK and/or Babies247.com you are the first with positive comments.
ReplyDeleteAssuming that mine and everyone else's issues have been total mis-understanding or just customers/my self being unreasonable, they at the very least have a major customer service issue. Though the fact your willing to fight their corner, here can only be testament that they've kept at least some one happy! or your just on the payroll :)
which store did you have your bad experience with? , I found the bournemouth store to be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI dealt with their HQ in Southampton, which from what I can make out the web site is run out of. Interestingly I have recently dealt with someone from another big baby retailer in southampton, who said they used to work there and this sort of service was typical.
ReplyDeletewish i had looked at this web first have now got my cc company involved to
ReplyDeleteI am so so glad i have read this today as i am in the throes of pushchair hunting and WAS going to go jkuk but not anymore so thanks for your help on this - will stick to mothercare where the service is fab!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish i had looked at the reviews before I placed an order for 2 babywalkers, i placed the order on monday evening and they took the money out my account the next morning, i received an email saying i would receive my goods within 14 working days. I waited and nothing arrived and heared nothing so i rang them but no one ever answers the phone so i left a message, a week and 3 unanswered messages later i decided to email them, an automated response came back saying they would respond within 24 hours... but nothing! I found the number of their southampton store where the website is run from and finally spoke to someone, they informed me that the items i ordered were not even in stock! I asked why they had not contacted me and why they had taken money for goods they didn't even have, but they could not give me an answer. As I was purchasing these as christening presents for my grandchildren which has now been and passed I asked for the order to be cancelled and a refund straight away so I could go else where. It took several more phone calls before I finally spoke to someone in their internet office (apparently they only work between 12 and 2!) and the order was eventually cancelled but a month has now passed and I am still waiting for my money back. I would not recommend this website to anyone!!!
ReplyDeleteWent into the store yesterday. The lady advised me to order through the store as "the website is only run by one woman, who does everything"! Not very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteAnyway was told my order would take 8 weeks, and that if I went anywhere else I would be paying through my nose! Have just reserved my chosen item at another local store where they have plenty in stock at the same price!
Will not be going back.
if you have had a bad experience with babies247 try to contact the bbc television consumer programme
ReplyDeleteAt least one person who has emailed me directly has.
ReplyDeleteI really wish i had seen this site before ordering my Jane slalom pro from the idiots at JKUK bournemouth. I ordered it 29th March, plenty of time before my 21st July due date, we were then informed that they could not get the complete order in the same colour as the 2008 range was coming out in April. We then changed the order on 16th April, i was assured it would arrive before the baby.
ReplyDeleteOn 3rd July i picked up the car seat and pushchair and was told the carrycot would arrive in 3 weeks (it was all ordered together - bit strange) after many phonecalls and no return calls - i am thinking they cannot make outgoing calls!! i was assured that it would arrive the following week, then the following week and so on. This carried on until i was told it would be delivered friday 5th September (my baby was born on 31st July). No phonecall so i phoned them to be told that the manager would call me back on monday. I called monday and guess what - she doesn't work mondays!!!
I then called tuesday and was told it would 100% arrive on friday but a different colour. I ended up getting so fed up i got a refund and ordered from mothercare.
Absolutely rubbish service!!!!!!!
Guys,
ReplyDeleteI'm after some advice. I've had an outstanding order with JKUK for a SilverCross pram for several monthes. We've gone out and purchased the same model from a different supplier, however they will not give a refund as they say the item is now in stock and ready for collection!
To be perfectly honest, we just couldnt wait around for JKUK to come up with the goods (we're due our baby in 2 weeks) so went to a different store a picked up an "in stock" item.
I am worried now that I may get stuck with two prams!!
Please help!
If you paid by Credit card then just tell them whats happening and (in my case at least) be quite happy to give you your money back and then pursue JKUK them selves. Otherwise your entitled to your money back assuming they haven't delivered in the time frame they originally explained, though you'll probably have to have a bit of row with them. But hey their clearly used to it.
ReplyDeleteThe receipt dated 21-06-2008 states "Date Required - ASAP (1 Month)".
ReplyDeleteAlthough the pram is now in the store, and ready for our collection, I just do not want to deal with this company!
I have printed a copy of their online store terms and conditions and will take that to the store with me tomorrow!!!
Shall post back tomorrow with how it goes.
Crooks, I had to get a debt collection company involved to threaten court action before they paid me my insinofcant refund of £54 they offered me as my item would take 3 weeks even though it was in stock....
ReplyDeleteDont touch this company
I placed the order of £701.45 on with Diane the manager on Saturday August 2nd and paid in full on my credit card. I was told that delivery would be placed that day and would take between 2-6 weeks but if I called back during a weekday, I could get a better idea.
ReplyDeleteI called for an update on Monday August 11th and was told that the items had not been ordered as the merchant waited for a large order to be made up so that they would only pay carriage once. I said that I was not happy with this, particularly has the money had been taken in full, and the sales assistant consulted with the owner of the company. She subsequently advised me that the order would be placed immediately and that the items would be with me within 7-10 days. I called again on Friday 22nd to enquire if the items had arrived and was told that the manager would call me back. No call was received and I finally called and managed to speak to the manager on Saturday 23rd. She was very apologetic and promised to call on Tuesday 26th August with an update. No call was received and I had to call back on Monday 1st September when I returned from holiday. The explanation for not receiving a call was that the owner did not like the staff calling mobiles!
I was advised that an order was due in but they were not able to confirm what would be in the delivery until it arrived. Apparently, they are unable to call their distributor and ask what is in a delivery!! What a load of rubbish. I called again on the 2nd September and advised that I wished to cancel as the items were not there and if I did not get a refund, I would start charge back proceedings. A cancellation letter was sent to them on the same day. I called the shop on Wednesday 10th to ask why I had not received a refund and was told that they decided not to refund my card as I had said that I would request a chargeback. Diane, the manager is clearly not merchant trained and when I advised her to issue the refund and show proof if I started a chargeback request, I was advised that I would receive a follow up call. Rather unsurprisingly this has not happened. She then tried to be clever and said that clearly I had done this sort of thing before as I knew what a chargeback was. Rather than lose the plot, I politely advised her that I had my own business and knew how credit card machines worked!!
I was also advised that the goods had still not turned up and that they had no idea when they would be received.
I would be concerned if I was the providing bank as I wonder if they are using clients money for cashflow issues.
Needless to say, I have requested action via my credit card company.
Does any one have a phone no. for jk uk that actually gets answered. I would be very grateful for it as I have left countless messages on an answer phone. I share the opinion that this company should be shut down, and if anyone reading this make the bonkers decision to order from this company then for gods sake use a credit card so you can claim the money back. I will also be on to trading standards very soon.
ReplyDeleteYet another victim, monies paid - no product - no refund...
ReplyDeleteWould like to request listing of contact names and tel numbers to make life easier for those us trying to get money back.
So far I have the following for Southampton JKUK:
Shirley (babies247 only contact) can only be reached 12-2pm Mon-Fri by calling 02380434544. The babies247 tel 02380901743 is just an answer phone.
Diane (JKUK store manager) 02380434544
Identical story to all (except One!) How on earth can this company continue to trade they are clearly using honest customers money as cashflow for a business with appauling customer service? Threats of trading standards still doesn't prompt a refund for a product they took money for, that they were never able to supply!!! AVOID THIS COMPANY
ReplyDeleteI have emailed one of the Directors to comment on all this as I think its important they get the opportunity to respond, but unsurprisingly I have had no response.
ReplyDeleteI too have been unlucky enough to fall prey to babies247. Usual story, ordered some car seats four months ago costing £218, they never arrived. All attempts to get the seats and then a refund failed. Emails, phone calls all ignored. Staff in the shop were very unhelpful. I then contacted Consumer Direct (www.consumerdirect.gov.uk) who gave me the following advice ...
ReplyDelete"In reference to your query, it appears that you may have a claim against this trader for a breach of contract if the goods have not been delivered within the time stated on their website. It appears that you have been more than reasonable since you have given the trader a reasonable deadline in which to deliver the goods, or refund your money if the delivery is not possible.
In addition, you also have rights under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. These state that if goods are not received within 30 days of purchase (unless otherwise specified), a consumer can deem the contract to be cancelled and request for a full refund to be provided. The trader must provide a full refund within 30 days of this written cancellation in order to comply with these regulations.
I would recommend that you send a special delivery letter to the trader, outlining the situation and mentioning the legislation as set out above. Make time of the essence (i.e. 7-10 working days) for a full refund to be provided since the goods have not been delivered within 30 days as set by the regulations above. Ensure to keep a copy of the letter for your own records.
I have also passed the details of your case to the relevant Trading Standards authorities for their information. Although you may not hear from an officer directly, please be assured that Trading Standards do take appropriate action where necessary. "
I did this, the letter arrived yesterday and I got my refund. Special delivery means they have to sign for it so you have proof they received it and it is guaranteed next day delivery. It cost me £4.50 but was worth every penny.
I really hope this helps some of you. This company is a disgrace.
Left another message today for the elusive Diane and she was in a meeting apparently!! Surprise, surprise, no calls came back. Halfords are doing a deal at the moment, I reserved the stuff on line and went to the Hedge End store and picked it up. Couldn't have been easier. What amazes me is why the staff continue to work for the company when they know what is going on. NatWest are now dealing with it and have advised me that they will take the matter up with JKUK's merchant provider. From what I can gather, if there are too many complaints, they can have their card services removed.
ReplyDeleteThey are at it even on Ebay
ReplyDeletehttp://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=sandysbaby_123&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller
Wow, i thought i was being a sleep deprived whinge when i told my husband how unhelpful, rude and stupid the staff at JK UK were! Obviously i was not being oversensitive to there lack of customer care!!
ReplyDeleteI went into JKUK bitterne branch to buy a stroller for holiday, the member of staff told me the stroller was in stock and that she was just going to get it from the stock room. She put it through the till at the price of the shop floor model. If i hadn't been such a cynic i may not have checked the box, but my cautious attitude served me well. The stroller in the box was not the same model as on the shop floor, it was in fact two models down...the shop assistant said "Oh...i just saw Chicco on the box and didn't think they did any other strollers". UHH hello, they are all on display next to each other on the shop floor and you have just spent the last 30 minutes showing me how they all vary!! This is not the only bad experience i have had with the staff at JKUK, it was the last straw so i wont be going back!!
Managed to get the correct stroller two days later from an internet site and it was £10 cheaper!!
I am having the same trouble as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI placed an order back in August. Became concerned after a week when it still was 'pending'. I tried to phone no luck so emailed asking whether the goods would be delivered in time for my holiday. They emailed back quite quickly saying they wouldn't and would therefore issue a refund. Six weeks later and numerous unanswered emails and phone calls I haven't been given a refund.
Today out of frustration I rang Consumer Direct for advice. I also finally got through by ringing the Southampton store number (they have taken this off of the babies247 website)I was told my refund would be done today or tomorrow. If I haven't received it I will be sending my letter by recorded delivery.
I really don't know how these people are still able to trade.
I just can not believe this company !!!!.
ReplyDeleteYes, I got dooped as well... ordered online, email says delivery within 48 hours, then recieved another email saying the goods were not in stock and will take 6 - 8 weeks delivery time. I phoned them back to cancel the order, would you believe it !, i got through to someone who canceled the order, i recieved an email saying that I cancelled the order that day. well, I am still waiting. I can not get anyone on the phone, i keep getting the automated email response, i even tried consumer direct, yes they were helpful, but they stated i have to wait 30 days, they said that it will be stated in their terms and conditions, yes it is stated, but only for returned items, what about cancelled items ??? it is now been 45 days that they have had my money....all i can say to anyone is 3 things.
1
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY
2.
IF YOU DO, PAY BY VISA, NOT DEBIT CARD, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED
3.
GOTO 1.
I have been a customer of JKUK for some years now and have built up a really good relationship with the girls in the store, although it makes you feel better for getting your feelings off your chest I do also feel sorry for the personal comments made on your site regarding the staff. I am sure that they are just doing a job and It makes me cross that you judge them all so harshly on such a personal level when I have had excellent customer service every time I have been into the store.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe I did not see this website before ordering my stroller from the store in Portsmouth! They gave me the wrong raincover for my stroller and 3 months down the line I am still waiting for an exchange or refund! They promised me on countless times they would ring me back and they never, they even offered me a bribe of a toy worth £25 to keep me from constantly chasing them for an answer to my raincover issue and I have still not even received that! Meanwhile I have a stoller that cannot be used when it is raining because the cover doesn't fit and I refuse to go and buy another one when the stroller should have come fully packaged. Why are we not taking matters further by cotacting the local press about this horrendous business?
ReplyDeleteLooking at this web site did worry me a bit having ordered the Silvercross 3D from JKUK,but credit where it's due ihave just picked it up within the quoted time scale and the sevice i got was superb.
ReplyDeleteI am another victim from back in July 2008. Ordered a rug from their website that promised delivery within 7-days. To date no goods. They were quick enough to take my money. I have sent 9 e-mails, left countless phone messages and three letters stating breach of contract. I have not had any response. Now taking legal action through HMCS. They have 14-days to respond. What the hell are Southampton Trading Standards doing about them !! This is fraud/theft. They claim to protect the consumer?
ReplyDeleteRe my entry on 10th Oct. The company have paid back the money after I took legal action against them. They have been visited by Southampton Trading Standards who I made aware of their shady dealings. I know this because Trading Standards phoned me to offer feedback from their visit after I complained.
ReplyDeleteThis company cannot continue to trade in this manner. They are playing per centages, how many people would have taken it as far as I did. Type in their name on the internet and see what people on ciao.com have to say. Very similar stories to this site.
I don't doubt some people on this site say good things about their shop but their internet site is a joke as are all the false promises. They should be fined and named/shamed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My partner and I payed for items upfront mamas and papas pramette,bag,footmuff,car seat and base in aug,and have been given 4 dates when it will be in,i have seen the owner,manager and been feed alot of bull**** from the start,i have only just found this website and will be going there tomorrow to get my money and interest in the morning.baby due in 3 weeks !!!!!!.AVOID AVOID AVOID
ReplyDeleteLuke, contact Southampton Trading Standards on the e mail address below. They actually visited the Just Kidding Shop and the internet operation and openly admitted that one person appeared to be running the whole show. Let them know your grievence and demand some action, they should be protecting the public from these crooks !!!!
ReplyDeletetrading.standards@southampton.gov.uk
Also e mail BBC Watchdog watchdog@bbc.co.uk
I used the distance selling regulations approach and only after sending a 2nd letter special delivery did I get a refund. I also took out a civil court summons at the same time as I did not expect a refund but I got it. They did not even have the decency to let me know they had refunded the money. Dave if that's your name (owner) You are a crook who takes money from innocent people and makes interest on it and only refunds if you are likely to be taken to court, many people give up before then and you pocket the money, that's theft in my book, you deserve to be locked up. If you read this, please sue me as I will show you up for what you are in a court of law!!!!!!!!
Hi
ReplyDeleteWe have had much the same experience with this website - we ordered a buggy for just over £460 back in September. We waited for it to be delivered and got nothing, contacted the website via email and telephone several times and just got fobbed off; In the end they admitted they didn't have the stock and told us they would cancel and refund our order and told us they would expedite the refund but that this would take up to 30 days; After around 2 weeks I wrote again and phoned as I hadn't received a refund (this was now 2 months since our actual order) and cc'd in the Southampton Trading standards on the email. I also tried to ring several times to speak to Cheryl - the lady that is responsible for the website but the staff are really great at playing dumb. Anyway in the end we waited the full month (and now it has been 6 weeks since they said they would refund us) and they still haven't refunded us. We therefore placed a formal complaint with Trading Standards in Southampton. I have also since contacted the Daily Echo and some local newspapers as well as BBC Watchdog as I really don't want anyone else to have this experience. We are now claiming the money back from our credit card. I wrote today (20th Nov) to Southampton Trading Stardards to ask for an update and stated that I thought they should be doing something about this trader as they are just basically ripping people off. They told me that the trader had issues with their suppliers and were in the process of refunding everyone. I wrote back to them saying that this is likely to be another 'fob off' on this company's behalf as they have been operating like this at the very least since Jan 2008 which to me says that 'supplier problems' is just a big lie and this is what they have said :
"As far as we are aware, the trader has not been taking any further orders since this problem became apparent and does not intend to do so until the back-log has been cleared. If an order is placed via the web-site, a message is sent to say the order can not be processed and no money is taken.
I am afraid that it is not simply a matter of this service ‘allowing’ the trader to continue trading. Our powers are defined by the legislation we enforce and a court order would be needed before a trader can be required to cease a certain course of action. "
I would therefore urge anyone who has succesfully placed an order after the 20th Nov and has ANY problems with after this date to contact Trading Standards immediately as I suspect that his company is just fobbing them off by telling them the website won't accept any orders and that they are having 'supplier problems'.
We too have had problem when we ordered our bedroom set for our new born to be. It took ages to come and after many phone calls and visits to the shop we did finally get it delivered just in time for the birth of our child. We were lucky enough to have ordered it with plenty of time to spare and to have ordered it in store. I do not know how much worse it would have been if we did not live locally but the service was extremely poor never the less. We have also had to cancel an order for a rain cover that they never managed to service. On the whole we have had very bad experiences and choose not to shop with them any more. Best of luck to all who are trying to get your money back. The best advice I can give is to go to the shop and make as much fuss as you can. Do not leave without your money!!
ReplyDeleteJust a quick update on the saga:
ReplyDelete1. No refund for our £449 has been received
2. Trading Standards have been informed and are attempting to get our money back
3. I have sent the complaint to a solicitor who replied:
"After reading some of the internet reviews about this company I am concerned that there may be evidence of wrongful trading. I would urge you to push it with Trading Standards and also report it to the police saying being clear that it is not a consumer matter – you actually have grounds to believe that there is foul play.
In the meantime, I will send a letter to the registered office and see if that elicits a response however as above I have concerns about this company’s trading practices".
Please leave an update if you have any luck yourselves.
luke@lsidell.wanadoo.co.uk
YES, we've been hit by JKUK as well!
ReplyDeleteWe ordered a Jane Slalom Travel system, 8 weeks ago and paid £460.00.
To date, we have no goods and the company cannot refund as their bank Barclays has put a stop on all merchant transactions! No I am not making this up (how could you) this came directly from one of the directors Dave Truscott earlier today.
Fortunately we paid on credit card so should be able to get our money back this way (fingers crossed). Which is very fortunate as this is (in the words of Dave Truscott) the only way we would see our money again!
We have now ordered the travel system from another company who kindly questioned Jane on our behalf as to why we had, had such problems with getting our order via JKUK. Jane did not hesitate to divulge that the reason was because JKUK had not paid their bills and therefore Jane is not supplying any goods to them.
Whilst in the Southampton store earlier today, waiting to speak to the store manager, she was on the phone fobbing some other poor (soon to be poorer) customer off, about their order (different supplier, same excuses!).
So, it looks like JKUK are continuing to take orders but worst of all MONEY from us poor unsuspecting victims knowing full well they cannot fulfil them.
Surely this must be illegal - isn't it??
The store manager also let slip today that there was some question over whether the staff would even be getting paid at the end of the month!
Update;
ReplyDeleteI have just rec'd a call from the company we re ordered the Jane travel system from and they've just received delivery this afternoon.
Now I only ordered with them Monday lunchtime - 2 days ago!! (That's how easy it should be).
So don't believe any nonsense from JKUK about items being out of stock or shipping taking two weeks. The stock is readily available and clearly shipment takes just 48 hrs - not 2 weeks!
i had a problem with my pram that i brought- it broke twice. i then had to take them to court as the manager never dealt with my complaint and left me without a pram 9 resulting in having to buy a new one!
ReplyDeleteapparently the shop in winto has now closed?? not suprised!
have just had the pleasure of dealing with JKUK in Portsmouth. My In-laws kindly offered to pay for the Silvercross travel system tht we wanted. We ordered in August 2008 and we were told the pram would be here mid Nov. Suprise suprise we heard nothing and after chasing them by phone with no avail for nearly a week, we finally got through to be told that they were unsure if they could deliver the goods, we said we could collect from them or southampton branch they said this was not possible. they then told us only half had arrived but didnt know what had happened to the other half! when we requested a refund we were told that was not possible at the portsmouth branch,so we again said we would travel to Southampton to recieve a refund but there machine was "playing up" too!! We have been into the portsmouth branch this afternoon to be told the manager is unavailable and to come back over the weekend.
ReplyDeletemy baby is due in a few weeks and all they can give is empty promises. We have contacted another well known retailer who can get us the pram same day from stock if we would like to collect or 4-5 days for delivery and it was £50 cheaper!!! luckily we have paid by Visa so if all else fails we can at least get our money back through the bank! it is unbelievable that this company can still trade. we will be contacting trading services and maybe even the Evening News about this appaling company, i urge anyone to do the same, just wish i had done more homework and read all this before i ordered as it has caused alot of stress!!! good luck to everyone hope your money gets returned to you!
We ordered nursery furniture from this shambles of an organisation back on 13 Oct (Paying £779.00 in full). After weeks of being fobbed off and not receiving call backs my wife requested a refund 8 days ago. I phoned the store today as the money has not been refunded only to be told 'our machines are not working so you should request a chargeback from your credit card company. After a heated conversation for about 30 mins I have decided to do this (thankfully I have that option unlike some other poor people on here that have paid by debit card/cash). The 'infamous' Diane told me she had not been able to return my calls as she had been taking calls all day from other customers as another store had closed and her number had been left for them call. When I asked if this was because the company was 'going under' I was told this was not the case and that they had simply shut it as the rent had doubled.
ReplyDeleteIf I had not paid by credit card I would be taking a trip to the store tomorrow in order to take stock up to the value of what I had paid, whilst I don't condon any action that could be seen as 'criminal' this outfit is obviously that. If people who paid with cash/debit card don't do this Im afraid they may end with nothing.
Good luck to you all.
ps, we ordered from Mamas & Papas direct last week and received a call today to arrange a delivery date for next week.
I placed an order with Babies247.com on the 1st of september 2008 for a Mamas & Papas Murano set with a mattress. I still have not recieved my order, I cancelled my order through email with no response, about 15 days later, Babies247.com said they couldn't supply me with this order. It has now been over 30 days and still no refund. I have been in contact with Consumer rights and now have to write another letter giving Babies247.com another 10 days to refund my money, but I am not holding my breath. It looks like i will have to go down the legal route to take action against this company. I would avoid this company at all costs. The worst company ever.
ReplyDeletewe have the same problem. we went into the store on 26th september 2008 and paid for in full £620 for the pliko pramette travel system, footmuff, isofix base, car seat, and change bag. we were told it would take 6-8 weeks for delivery. we waited and waited and decided to phone them asking when it would be in, all we were told was they are having problems getting it into store. So we left it for another two weeks. berring in mind are baby is due 31st december.
ReplyDeleteAfter many phone calls, and arguments with the store manager diane, we decided to go in and find out what was going on, we told her we wanted to cancel are order and we wanted a refund, all we were told was is that we couldnt have one because their pdq machine (card reader) wasnt working. but could still be used to take payments. We then said we wanted cash which she said couldnt be given to us because they dont have that sort of money in store, so she offered us a cheque to collect the next day.
We went back the following morning to pick up this cheque and took it straight to the bank to be cleared in 5 working days. Were not holding are breath for the cheque to clear, and if it doesnt were taking legal action against the store. But we then had to go to mama and papas and purchase the same pushchair and spend another £620. So far its cost us £1040 for a pushchair. But the funny thing is, is that we walked straight into mamas and papas today, said we wanted that pushchair and took it straight home.
My partner and i have been in contact with trading standards about this and found out their in breech of contract which is the sale of goods act 1997. And have recently found out that the company is going into liqidation.
We are not gonna drop this and think were lucky to only live a couple of miles from the store, others are not so lucky, but you get no joy by phoning the store, all you get is that she's in a meeting or she's not their. We dont think its fair in what their doing to expectant mother and fathers and advise people not to use this store or any of their stores, as well as the internet. But people who are still waiting for their goods and their refunds please dont give up, because were not.
We have had the same problem and are still waiting for our money to be refunded.
ReplyDeleteWe ordered a Phil & Teds Buggy with accessories and also a cot bed mattress on Sept 28th. We were also quoted an 8 week delivery time.
Again like you after a number of attempts to contact the manager, Diane, we went into the store on November 27th to cancel the order and ask for a refund, only to be told the card reader wasn't working.
We are still waiting for Diane to contact us to let us know when it will be working. I think we may need to visit the store again today and ask for a cheque as this is ridiculous.
Incidently, we also managed to source the same buggy from an online site and they delivered it the next day!
Don't expect Diane to call you back, she wont - i went into the shop and confronted the stupid women face to face - basically the company has no money so you wont get a refund because Barclays whom they bank with have stopped all merchant transactions.
ReplyDeleteThey have not paid any of the supplier bills so no one is getting their goods.
The harsh truth is that if you paid on a credit card you can claim back the money through them, if not, you most prob have lost your money, best bet would be to contact Southampton Trading Standards and they'll add you too their list of over 200 customers it the same boat.
**UPDATE**
ReplyDeleteAs advised I have now used the online Money Claim website to try and get our £449 back, although I have a feeling this is a wate of yet more money. JKUK now have 2 weeks to acknowledge the claim.
It seems as if our friends at JKUK have made the local Bournemouth press:
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3968113.Baby_shops_boss_in_reopening_pledge_over_JKUK_stores/
I have given a £100 deposit on the 28/11/2008 and they took my money and now i see they have gone into recievershaip i saw the the broadcast on merridain tonight 11/12/2008 i think that they new this when they took my money if i wasnt watching tv i wouldnt have know, but i see they live in a lovery large detached house. After researching the internet it appears they have done this before trading under similar company names.I find this disgraceful and a courtesy call to inform me the pram and accesories i ordered were no longer going to be available whether or not they were in a position to refund my £100.00 would of been the decent thing to do. I am purchasing a pram and necessary items for my new born child not a sofa or table.If I never saw the advert what would I have used for my baby. Will I ever be refunded my deposit, what are trading standards playing at.
ReplyDeletesame problem.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone have JKUK registered address?
trading standards recomends all refunds to be requested formally in writting.
there might be grounds for fraud.
Further to my previous post, if there are any customers who are concerned over deliveries being made on time from JKUK or babies24/7.com, please let me have the details - if we can be of any help, we will of course endeavour to assist.
ReplyDeletePlease bear in mind that not all the products we sell are on our website, as we generate most of our sales on the High Street. It's always best to call us and ask if we can supply what you are looking for.
hi chris,
ReplyDeletewhat number should we call you at?
As a result of some confusion around my earlier posts, TO CLARIFY - JUST KIDDING (SUSSEX) LTD ARE IN NO WAY CONNECTED TO JKUK, BABIES247.COM OR ANY OF THE STORES BASED IN PORTSMOUTH, BOURNEMOUTH OR SOUTHAMPTON.
ReplyDeleteWE ARE AN INDEPENDANT CHILDRENS BOUTIQUE AND NURSERY STORE BASED IN HAILSHAM, NEAR EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX.
If there is any doubt over any issues at all, please call us.
Just Kidding (Sussex) Ltd
01323 840084
www.wearejustkidding.co.uk
**New Update**
ReplyDeleteWell, it appears after weeks of denials JKUK is now officially in administration:
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3974040.Hope_for_customers_but_Bournemouth_JKUK_branch_stays_shut/
Lets just hope the admistrators can find the funds to return everyones money.
Oh, there's some more classic quotes on the Bournemouth Echo website:
ReplyDeleteDave Truscott, managing director of JKUK, confirmed that the Bournemouth store had closed but said the Southampton and Portsmouth stores would remain open.
He said: “We intend to deliver everybody their goods or they will get a refund. No-one will be out of pocket. We are taking legal action over some of those websites.”
--------------------------------------------
dave truscott, southampton says...
4:37pm Mon 8 Dec 08
After 6 very successful years in Winton it is with regret that we decided to close our store there. During the past few weeks we have been busy contacting as many of our customers as we could reach to advise of this action.
We are very sorry that some customers had not been kept fully informed.
It is our intention to deliver all outstanding orders where possible or provide a refund if items are unavailable.
We will deliver items to customers homes from our Southampton store.
The contact no for Southampton is 02380 434544
Dave Truscott
JKUK
--------------------------
contact addresses can be obtained from companies house - see link below...
ReplyDeletehttp://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/1c2e78f8d17ee9117f0667553daffc98/wcprodorder?ft=1
Note: companieshouse.gov.uk doesnt let you search over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteName & Registered Office:
JKUK LIMITED
497 BITTERNE ROAD EAST
SOUTHAMPTON
HAMPSHIRE
SO18 5EQ
Company No. 04670023
I left a negative comment about their dealings on the readers comments for the Daily Echo article thatLuke showed a hyperlink for. Strangely it and the other comments have disappeared!
ReplyDeleteThe companies house WebCHeck service is available from Monday to Saturday 7.00am to 12 Midnight UK Time
ReplyDeleteI have had nothing but good experiences with JKUK based in Bitterne,Southampton in the past. I have ordered,paid for in advance and been supplied with (in a timely fashion) all sorts of items for my babies. However, this was some time ago as my oldest is now 2 and a half. It now seems obvious that they have been in financial diffculty for quite a while and have been "robbing Peter to pay Paul" so goods are either never ordered or ordered much further down the line. This is, of course, very dissappointing for the individuals concerned, but is quite understandable / common when a company is faced with (often temporary) cashflow issues of actual financial hardship. I don't condone their actions of late, but just think it is fair to say that in all my personal dealings and in those of my family and friends, service has been excellent and prices extremely competitive. I'm sure the owners don't feel great about having ripped people off but in the current financial climate, everyone seems to be a "victim".
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid nothing can excuse their "customer service" recently, JKUK going into administration is systematic taking you customers for granted. When 99% of your clients are heavily pregnant women, it's unforgivable.
ReplyDeleteHi I wish I'd read all this earlier. I am yet another person who had not received a pram back in September and was promised a refund in Oct/Nov but didn't. Unfortunaltely I used a debit card. It was for a considerable amount. Could anyone let me know if they get their cash back or what to do. I am in the process of issuing a 'chargeback' but trading standards have said it it unlikely that it will be sucessful. My own account is now in serious arrears as we purchased the same pram from a different company expecting the refund....
ReplyDeleteNicola,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you've been also been drawn into this fraud.
The honest truth is that I think the chance of anyone getting their money back is very slim. I have followed the advice from Trading Standards by sending letters. I have even thrown another £35 at the problem by registering the complaint on HMCS Money Claim online which forces the company to refund any debts if available. They have until 24th December to reply. But unfortunately as the company is now in administration I feel we have all been stitched up big time.
To finish, a quote from the Insolvency Act 1986 regarding wrongful trading:
Under UK insolvency law, wrongful trading occurs when the directors of a company have continued to trade a company past the point when they:
* "knew, or ought to have concluded that there was no reasonable prospect of avoiding insolvent liquidation"
Quote from Southern Evening Echo 20th December 2008:
ReplyDelete"Now administrators have revealed that both the Southampton and Portsmouth branches will reopen today after another company, So Maternity, bought the business and its assets."
This other company - So Maternity - was established on 8th December 2008, with one director (Diane, the former manager of JKUK) and is fully owned by one shareholder being Mrs Truscott( formerly both 50% owner/shareholder and director of JKUK, and presumably wife of former owner D.Truscott).
JKUK/Babies247 were, right up until admiinstration, taking deposits from customers.
So Maternity is owned and managed by the same people as JKUK.
Why should anyone trust what is essentially a re-branded business that still owes so many customers so much money?
Based on reading these and other message boards and reading local press it appears that JKUK have been requesting customers to get refunds off of their credit card company directly rather then through their shop. Doubtlessly this leaves the credit card companies out of pocket, whilst potentially allowing the owners to set money aside to create the new business.
JKUK have upset my family so much that we are determined to safeguard any other members of the public from losing their money through this "new company".
(Note: So Maternity registrated company number = 06768093 incorporated 8th Dec 2008).
just to echo what has previously been written. This company is definately being run by the same people, i for one will certainly not be trusting them with my money, even if items are more competitively priced, i would rather get them from a decent company, rather than one which has the track-record of this one.
ReplyDeleteDear All unhappy babies247.com, JKUK limited customers and So Maternity limited future customers,
ReplyDeleteI would like to invite everyone that has lost any money due to Babies247.com or JK UK limited (same people) to join me at 184 Church Road, Southampton, SO50 6FA for a carol singing session, in the hope that Mr David Truscott and his wife Sandra J Truscott will return all of us our owed money, refunds and items.
At the end of the day it is Christmas a time when miracles happen!
Happy Christmas everyone!!
Will be interesting to see if they have same trouble with Mrs Truscott at the helm, its obvious what the cynic in me is saying. But it would be great if they could turn it around now. If for one wont be trying them out to find out, but if any one hears of a positive or negative experience with the "new" company.
ReplyDeleteShould I say 'Happy New Year' I tried not to think about the money loss over Christmas but now I'm back and chasing!!! Guess everyone has read the latest in the Bournemouth Daily Echo?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3974040.Hope_for_customers_but_Bournemouth_JKUK_branch_stays_shut/
I shall be ringing Mr Biddlecombe in the morning
Good Luck everyone :)
Duh soz read wrong date I'm about 3 weeks behind everyone! Still going to ring though. Has anyone recieved money or goods back yet?
ReplyDeleteI would just like to say that we are disgusted that JKUK have been allowed to set up under another name So Maternity with the wife running the show.
ReplyDeletewe are a small family run baby shop in Petersfield and we offer good reliable service, along with information on all our products and demonstrations, we are reliable and offer a great back up service. We do not agree with the way in which JKUK have treated the public and to take money when the Company was already in trouble is both dishonest and in very poor taste.
As a fellow retailer in the nursery trade i would be ashamed to say that JKUK represented our industry.
if these shops reopen lets all get together and put signs up outside saying about this website and tell everbody the truth with people who rob peoples cash and change companys into wifes name . lets go to new shops and get our money back !!!!!
ReplyDeletewe got our money back yesterday.
ReplyDeletein october we paid £586.00 with a debit card for a full travel system. three months later, got the money back through a chargeback scheme.
glad our dealings with jkuk/so maternity are over.
we wish everyone good luck.
I paid £180 with a debit card but I have still not recieved my money back. Can you please tell me who I need to contact for Chargeback Scheme?
ReplyDeleteI write this in an attempt to set the record straight with regard to JKUK.
ReplyDeleteJKUK was forced into administration late last year after negotiations with its card processor and its bankers failed. Not the first or the last in the current climate to be affected in this way by the banks.
The card company owed JKUK over £70K! For this reason it is right that customers who paid by card should contact their bank to arrange a chargeback.
In addition (and well beyond what is legally required) i have personally committed to repaying anyone who has lost money out of my own pocket. This has already started with many customers already paid back where they had paid by cash.
With the creation of the new company 15 much needed jobs have been saved.
I am not sure what else we could have done and in this situation we are trying hard to make sure no one is out of pocket.
JKUK was good business run by hard working passionate people. It has not as has been suggested "done this before" nor did it "rob people of their cash"
Dave Truscott
ex director JKUK (in administration)
I have just noted Mr Truscott's comments in respect of his mis=fortune in business.
ReplyDeleteOne question that I would like to make to Mr Truscott is that in early December, after many attempts to discuss my refund and an article in the Bournemouth Evening Echo(£930cash that was paid to his shop in Bournemouth) I, by chance managed to speak to Mr Truscott and was assured that we would recieve our refund in full.
To date we have recivd nothing from Mr Truscott and still wait.
I wonder what Mr Truscott would like to add to this fact??
Which fifteen jobs is that then???????
ReplyDeleteMr Truscott, how do you have the front to come and address the hundreds of customers you ripped off through your website. You took money off people and then failed to deliver, your staff did not reply to e mails or phone calls. No wonder the banks pulled the plug on your scam!
ReplyDeleteDon't try and slip out of this one, you company were fleecing people for months before this. You have had hundreds of people complain about your working practices on this and other websites. You knew there were issues and still carried on taking people's money right till the end. I understand you are playing the game and have gone into receivership and set up again through your wife. You should all be thorughly ashamed of yourselves and count yourself lucky you were not dealy with by the police.
Well said Phil. My sentiments exactly.
ReplyDeleteIf the problems with card company only occurred recently then why are there cases of money going missing as far back as September 2007?
http://www.ciao.co.uk/babies247_com__Review_5703453/SortOrder/2/sortedReverse/1
p.s. Still waiting for my refund.
As a person who worked in one of the stores for three years from the opening, I can honestly say that the main goal of the owner was to give axcellent customer service with low prices. Years ago he even took over a shop in Poole that had left customers in the lurch and helped them to get goods at cost price. It is easy to judge and I would obviously be furious of being out of pocket myself, but this was not a business to con people. It is so difficult to compete against the big chains as a small company. Any independent retailer will know that. Especially at the moment. JKUK wont be the last company to go under in this current climate. Just look at the banks. Not so long ago people were about to lose their life savings when Northern Rock collapsed. Now that kind of a loss I would really be upset about.
ReplyDeleteEx-employee, get real. One person was apparently running the whole mail order side of things. Glossy website promising everything and delivering nothing. You obviously worked in the shop, most of the people (that's hundreds) are complaining about the website. He took our money, delivered nothing and ignored all e mails and the phone never answered. No he has gone bust and will no doubt be coming back under the disguise of his wife. This was a scam from the start, your excuses mean nothing to the hundreds of people who have been conned.
ReplyDeleteI do not know who wrote the last reveiw as an ex-employee, possibly one of the directors?, they must have been the only member of staff that was happy to work there. Most of the staff only worked there because they were either pregnant, or had children to support, and needed to earn money. I do not know which 15 jobs were saved, as the majority of the staff are now unemployed. I can only say that i am truly glad to be out of a working envoironment where i was forced to lie to customers on behalf of cowardly and greedy members of management.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have never been a director of anything and definately was an emplyee at one of the stores. This was years ago, so obviously something has gone seriously wrong since that. My point is, that however bad things have turned at the end, the business was started with a goal to provide good service. To say it has been a con from day one is completely untrue. I certainly had some very happy customers at the time. I couldnt speak for the owners if i wanted to because I havent had any contact with them in years. I hope they can get the mess sorted somehow, but it is not looking good, clearly.
ReplyDeleteNow for a few home truths. The company is still being run by the same bunch of comboys.Everything has been done legally buy morally it is disgusting. Staff have not got there jobs back and Dave Truscott is still heavily involved. As reported in the press recently, he is now a consultant overseeing things for a couple of weeks. How many consultants do you know who reguarly open and close the shop, answer telephone calls and take money off customers. I hope this message will encourage people not to purchase anything from this shop. I for one will be spreading the message not to shop at JKUK. Sorry my mistake So Maternity. Name is irrelevant anyway being that the same con-artists are still there.
ReplyDeleteEx-Employee 2. Thanks for be honest. Truscott is a con artist and should be gripping the bar at a Crown Court for Fraud.
ReplyDeleteI am still mystified what planet he is living on when he tries to blame the banks who saw what was happening and pulled the plug! He took money, banked it and hoped that the majority would go away and just deal with the persitant few who took legal advice and put pressure on.
i totally agree with ex employee 2 and 3, it was absolutly horrible working for the manageress. and i for one am glad not to be working for dianne and dave(the same people now running so maternity) and not to be made to lie to customer bout there items ordered. Also i will be spreading the word to all mums and mums to be not to shop there and trust me i associate with alot mums.it's not just buying the pushchair and taking it thats the problem it's the aftersales that is appalling, you would be waiting along time for it to be solved.
ReplyDeleteI ordered a pliko pram and car seat with base back in sept 08 and paid £100 on a debit card as a deposit.I was promised the goods begining of dec as my baby was due begining of jan.I then went into jkuk in oct and foolishly paid £370.00 in cash.I have returned all the paperwork to the administrators but they say hold tight mr Truscott is dealing with the refunds himself.Has anyone heard or recieved refunds or doing anything more than I have done? As from reading some of the comments, its just so heartbreaking and disapointing that this has happened when having a baby is the most wonderful experience, and we should not have to have this stress.So please Mr truscott if you read this please have a heart and refund us.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1137462/Britain-going-bust-Company-collapses-treble-small-businesses-bear-brunt-downturn.html
ReplyDeleteDo you think this happened overnight?
Message for Dave Truscott and Dianne. Just do the decent thing and shut the shop up, stop telling lies, give people full refunds and leave the country.
ReplyDeleteAre you happy to lie to customers? Willing to work with bosses who pass the buck on? Happy to get paid anytime except payday? Dont mind waiting months to get your pay resolved. Well if you have answered yes to the above questions then why not apply for jobs with SO MATERNITY. SO MATERNITY SO S**T
ReplyDeleteCan Trading Standards really allow this sort of thing to happen? Cant the 'takeover' by the same family be blocked? Surely it is illegal?
ReplyDeleteIt's called running a limited company. Go out of business and then set up again using the wife, daughter etc. This man operates right on the edge of the law and will strike again !
ReplyDeleteYou only have to see what his staff had to say about him.
Now let me guess, Mr Truscott probably has his and hers Mercedes or BMW's. Lives in a very big house with all the lovely money he got from all of us and sleeps with a big grin on his face !!!!
I think you hit the nail on the head there mate.
ReplyDeleteWhy didnt the managers say not to to take any more money when they new of the problems ages ago.I had to purchase a car seat which wasnt as good as the one i originally ordered as we didint have any money.My poor little baby has had this taken friom him.
ReplyDeleteWell, I am sorry to say that as the judge pointed out, Mr Truscott probably needed to carry on making money in order to fund his lifestyle, and then, conveniently, the credit crunch has happened and given him an excuse.
ReplyDeleteWe took Mr Truscott to court a couple of weeks ago - strange - he didn't turn up!!! We won our case and he has been ordered to pay us, but I doubt we will see any money, but at least it is a moral victory over him. I'll keep you posted about him paying up. Has anyone else got anything back from him through the small claims court?
ReplyDeleteHave just visited the porstsmouth branch of So Maternity. What a joke. I tried to purchase a car seat for my son but had to give up. None of the staff were able to help me. They knew next to nothing on the products and had no idea on how to fit them. I find this rather disturbing from a so called specialist shop. I now read the comments on this website and i'm glad i didn't purchase anything from them. The stories are heartbreaking. I hope justice is done in the end and they can no longer trade.
ReplyDeleteI have endless remarks about this company.
ReplyDeleteI find myself able after 6 months of hell working for them to express my embaressment in JKUK.
I held the position of manager in one of the branches.
I witnessed Dave's absolute lack of regard for both his staff and his customers.
My first day entailed nasty phone calls from customers and supliers wanting money to release stock!
I couldn't believe what i was hearing!!!
I fell short to late wages, short pay packages, no holiday pay upon leaving and what is now a shattered reputation.
JKUK may have offered lower prices but they certainly didn't fulfil them!
I had to let down hundreds of customers whilst being told from Dave Truscott hmself that he was paying the accounts and we would have stock soon.
This was a daily issue and soon i began to tell customers long lead times to avoid let down- i really didn't want to mislead anyone!
I lost out on hundreds of pounds as did the majority of my team and feel that i have let them down as well as my customers!
I would like to also set the record staright about the idiotic staff in the winton store.
We were not stupid and did no what was happenning but all had families to support and needed our low but well earned wages to survive.
My team fell from 7 members of staff to just 1 at close of business as noboy could stand the lies.
In october i waited for my pay to be put into my bank and closed the shop as normal. i then posted the keys through the door and never returned.
I later heard the news about total closure in the papers and the news. i felt total relief and hoped for refunds for all customers.
Any staff who also left never got their wages and are still waiting- even those with children.
I would like to appologise on behalf of all the honest staff and let you know that we suffered too.
I hope that so maternity is soon closed down and no other parents to be suffer at the hand of the truscotts.
So Mr.Truscott didnt pay up after our court judgement against him. Not really surprising when you read what he is like. I am sending my claim on to the company dealing with the administration.
ReplyDeleteIs there any way we can get the word out about this family, so that others dont get cheated by So Maternity. Perhaps if everyone wrote to Watchdog or the Daily Echo. If everyone did it at the same time, surely there must be some impact? Any ideas?
It is sad to read how things have turned out in the end. When I worked there, things were still going well and I was never treated badly by the owner. It is hard to imagine how things have got to that stage. Slow process over the years I suppose. I feel bad for the customers and staff. I suppose I was lucky to have left when I did. It sounds like a different business than the one I left behind. Shame.
ReplyDeleteTruscott you have been found guilty of deception and lies by a jury consisting of:
ReplyDeleteYour customers
Your Staff
The Banks
The Trading Standards
The Receiver
The Media
and all the children who's parents thought they were buying something special for their little one's.
Sleep well at night in your big house and petrol guzzling car. You are a fraud and have been somehow allowed to trade again. What goes around comes around !!!!