You know how sometimes you see someone complaining here and you think... "yeah.. but.."

How about this

A few weeks ago I bought a laptop off their web site. It turned up a few days later and it wasn't even close to what I'd ordered. An i5 chip not an i7, half the SSD, half the RAM etc (but.. the same model number.. so they'd basically screwed up the configuration on the website)

So I emailed their 'support' with a pic of the config label on the laptop and a screenshot of their advert.

A day later I get .. "Very sorry, we'll contact you soon with instruction on how to return it"

A week later.. still nothing... so I send a reminder email. Another day later.. "Sorry..we have now corrected our web site and we'll contact you soon, or you can take it to a shop to get a refund"

So today I hand it over in Steg Basel. Everything is still there.. all the original packaging. I'd half expect an embarrassed and grovelling apology. But this is Switzerland.. the bloke treats me like I'm the one who has done something wrong... and then says.. 'well.. I'll have to send it back"... er.. OK.. but.. I want a refund.. "no.. I'll have to send it back"

So.. now.. I'm minus 850chfs, I've been the 'victim' of an incompetent advert, and an incompetent returns service, and incompetent salesman. I've spent time and effort trying to fix things.... and now I don't even posses a computer.

Presumably I'll get the refund in the next few days... but.. wow.. just.. wow

Sorry to hear that. I've not bought a lot from STEG but always heard good things about them.
And as far as haggling over service and returns with the shops here goes, I've always found you can only get so far with English.
Sucks, but then again, that's the same anywhere in the world.

Good Luck!

I had something similar with a different shop -buying in the shop the spec on the display was incorrect.

I never did get a refund - they wanted to issue me a credit note but after the appalling service, I just wanted my money back.

What you've experienced isn't uncommon here.

There's an old Swiss saying: "The customer is always wrong".

Thanks! We will avoid them from now on...

Anyway, why you didnt go to Mediamarkt or Digitech?

The 'chat' in the shop was in my bad, but not that bad, German.

Why didn't I go to Digitec... because I thought I'd found a bargain... but.. I'll stick with them in future.

Nope, plus, check on Digitec second hand section, last year i bought a camera that was valued in 2600 or so, at 1370 chf....

We’ve got s pellet burner in the basement bought 18 months ago. Now it reports an error when you try to start it. Rang the company we bought it off where they said it comes with a 2 year guarantee (carton lugon in fully). Right They said we’ll get back to you. Today they sent me their offer of 500chf plus the part for free because ‘it is the part that is under warranty, all the labour for fitting it and checking it works is payable’. I rang the legal insurance, yes they can get away with this.

Customer service in this country is just terrible.

Next time, take the email with you.

I did ! It was on my phone, I tried to show it to the salesman .. he kind of glanced at it, shrugged and handed it back..

So I called the guy in their support team who'd sent me the email so he could talk to the salesman.. his colleague said he couldn't come to the phone

-----

Anyway.. I have got an email this morning to say my credit card has been credited.

Seeya Steg.. and hopefully I've put off a few people on this forum...

Post your experience on Toppreise, they usually respond personally to reviews on there and take them very seriously. https://www.toppreise.ch/index.php?p=2&h=895

I had a very similar experience recently with digitec actually. They had a package offer on 2x Dell U2715H, and since I was setting up a home office for when I'm allowed to work remotely, I thought, yes, perfect.

I get them home, unpack, set up...all's well for a bit, then they both start flickering, 1 sec on, 3 secs off, each one going at different rates. I try daisychaining, then connecting separately, then with HDMI instead of displayport...nada, they aren't working. Did a bit of googling and it turns out with this model this is very common...with certain graphics cards, they just don't work. Ho hum, I call in the warranty and take them back to Digitec Altstetten.

The sales guys tell me they have to send them back for repair - i explain that won't help, and i don't feel like having to lug them both all the way back again when they inevitably don't work again - even highlighting a link to the Dell website detailing the issue. No dice, we send them for repair - then you test them, if it doesn't work, we send them away again...you test again and if 3rd time doesn't work, you can get a credit note (or refund, maybe).

Ace.

Jesus. That's just a waste of everyone's time.

I've had nothing about good exchanges with the folk at digitec. I bought a smart coffee maker once which I didn't like.
I didn't like it.
It worked fine. There was nothing wrong with it.
I just didn't like it.
And it made sh1t coffee.

I went down to the Digitec in Winti (where I was living at the time) and told the guy that this thing sucks. I want to return it.
He asked if there is anything wrong with it. I said nope. All fine. But I dont want it.

He hohum'ed a bit.

I said look I can say its defective.
You send it back and then it comes back and we do this schpeil a few times.
Or you just give me credit and we are done.

He gave me the credit.

__________________
"You picked the wrong house, Bub"

Yeah... but

You obviously got someone a bit further up the chain of command, I got two work experience kids by the look of it.

If they are new and faulty you are entitled to a direct replacement within a certain time period. I'd have asked to see the manager.

Nah. He was a desk jockey as well. Maybe just caught him in a good mood.

Or I've got mad people skillz! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I went on a month's holiday to Asia between the time I bought them and now (violins out, I know!). He told me that you can only bring back within 30 (or maybe it was 20) days for a direct replacement.

Ahhh ok. That sucks.

You need to give them a steely look directly in the eye, and say that evidently this problem is far beyond their level of competance, so if they could be so nice as to trot off and find somebody at a far senior level.


Don't break eye contact
Speak in a slow monologue

I haven't bought anything from STEG in years. They used to have very competitive prices, but then maybe 2-3 years ago (or maybe more?) they revamped everything, offered "express" delivery, maybe new management? and then their prices went way up.... and I haven't bought from them since I usually now buy from Digitec or Microspot