Useless, avoid them

As useless as John Lewis in the end.

Chose them because I needed a new washing machine very urgently and they could deliver in 48 hours. JL wanted a week or two. Same price as everywhere else, reasonable fees for installation (could do it myself, couldn't be bothered) and to take the old machine away.

Score 5 stars for pre-service. Easy website to use, good communication on delivery.

Delivery itself fine - brilliant driver and assistant, machine installed fine.

PROBLEM: Paid in advance for old machine to be taken away. Driver said no room on van as we were very early 7am delivery.

He spoke to his "Driver Line" and passed the phone to I, so I spoke to them as well.

Initially I was happy to leave the machine in the back garden (we are not chavs who want used appliances out front - a security risk as well as unsightly).

BUT "Driver Line" told me they would pick up any time between 7am and 7pm the next day. Meaning having to hang around very early on a Saturday morning and all day to open the back gate for access. Getting a text 30 mins before doesn't really cut it, does it? And 2 days running as well.

Now, AO made the mistake - and it is a very regular thing, the driver tells me. The VERY LEAST you would expect is that they would bend over backwards to find a confirmed time slot to put things right. But NO. This outfit is totally robotic in customer service. Actually, not customer service - they don't do that - I mean, in their system for dealing with their victims, I mean, customers.

Upshot was I agreed to the chav option, machine sitting outside right now, so at least it will be collected without further disturbance.

Asked the "Driver Line" to get customer service to call me between 9am and 10am, so was delighted to get a call at 9.10am from a friendly man.

Turns out he wanted to sell I extra insurance (don't do it folks, "Consumer Rights Act 2015" gives you 6 years cover, free of charge, and a local repairman is far cheaper).

Told him I was expecting Customer Services. He put I through, and I spoke to someone after 15 minutes on hold.

They refunded my "collection fee" but as for actual compensation for stress, time and hassle?

A long exchange of views - I talking over the person who just constantly repeated herself and even got the item I purchased wrong at one point - made I understand they don't give £75 or even £55 or basically cash back. Nor an extended guarantee.

Oh, and the hilarious hopeless accused I of phoning the company before they had a chance to call I!!!! When they were the ones who called but not for the right reason. We did stay talking until 10am just to see if anyone would call me back. They did not. When "Driver Line" said "OK" to calling I between 9 and 10am, guess he was just trying to be agreeable rather than actually do anything (now there IS a surprise with this lot).

They do own the mistake, but not the fact it makes the company look terrible or wastes the victim (not customer, remember, this company doesn't have them)'s time.

Eventually got a £30 voucher code out of them, and person even said "I won't bother sending that" as I said I probably won't use AO again anyway. But did so anyway in the end. Probably won't use it, may pass it on to somebody I can't stand so that they can.

Deeply regret trying AO. With John Lewis as bad, I guess my local Euronics or Independent gets a try next, or maybe Hughes which I think are owned by the impeccable Richer Sounds.

There is a reason AO are going bust - they really don't have a clue about making customers happy and strangle the service staff who could do so.

Avoid this circus. The extra star was due to the actual driver and assistant, or this would be a one star review.

UPDATE: Gets worse. Machine left outside at THIER SUGGESTION and against my advice that it was a SECURITY RISK. Just 2 hours later it was targeted by scrap metal man who thought he could help himself to it, meaning it would not be recycled. AO are happy to expose their customers to street crime if you buy from them, too. It just gets better, doesn't it. If you just want a washing machine without any hassle this is NOT the company to buy it from.

FINAL UPDATE: A second load of "scrap metal" dealers just took the machine while I wasn't watching. Now 20 minute phone wait to tell AO not to bother trying to collect it. Yes, I have some manners, though why I am bothering I am not sure.

And guess what. Told them. They couldn't care less. No compensation, another 20 minutes wasted.

Writing to the Company Secretary now, just so I feel I have sounded off at everyone possible. May as well, as they have wasted so much of my time another 15 minutes to cut and paste this won't do any harm.

1 day later: AO did not cancel the pick-up, so a van turned up 11.20am. Can't even get that right- so customer service woman lied about that as well.

AVOID. AVOID. AVOID. AVOID.