Discount Safes - www.discountsafes.co.uk

I would advise everyone to stay away from discountsafes.co.uk

They promised that my safe would be delivered within 3 days of me placing the order but I didn't get it in that time. In fact I never got the safe at all and ended up cancelling the order. Then I had to jump through their hoops to get money back.

Please use any other company and don't fall into the trap I did. I kick myself looking back as with a name like that I should've expected a half baked cheap service and that's what I got.

On 13 August 2013 I ordered and paid for a Safewell SW-25EQ electronic safe which I recieved on the 15 August. as per the instructions I inserted the emergency key to open the safe to install. When the key was inserted it would not operate so I sent an email to let discount safes know about the fault and asked for a full refund. The safe was collected and returned to them on the 19 August. I have sent emails requesting a refund only to be told that discount safes were awaiting a reply from the manufacturer. after 3 weeks I made 2 telephone calls and told the staff that under the Sale of Goods Act the contract was with them not the manufacturer,I was told someone would contact me, so far no email or telephone call obviously they dissregard and have contempt for the LAW

"Beware!"

OK - needed a safe for the office so shopped around and these people (discountsafes.co.uk) had an offer on a Toscana-40 safe which appeared to be really good value for money. Order went through OK - then the problems started:

1) Poor communications over delivery - just informed that had been despatched - no idea of actual delivery was given.

2) When arrived (3 working days later) was clear that it had been "knocked about a bit". It was very flimsily packed in just its' retail sales box which had been all but destroyed and only held on by a couple of plastic tapes. The underneath of the safe was visible and it had clearly been heavily scratched and one corner was badly dented so we refused delivery. Incidentally, be aware that the box has pictures of a safe all over it (i.e. it is not contained by an outer corrugated brown box) - so if you want delivery to be anonymous it might be best to source a safe locally and to go and pick it up.

3) Made contact with their returns people and asked for an urgent replacement. Was told no can do as they don't hold any stock and their supplier would have to get another one in from Austria (7-10 days). Declined this and asked for refund.

4) 3 weeks later no sign of refund so sent chase up e-mail - no acknowledgement or reply. After two further weeks, called and asked about refund. "Sorry about that, has been passed to accounts, don't know what the trouble is" yada, yada, yada.

In summary - be aware that these people are no more than a sales outlet (and are part of a larger online retail outfit idealhomestore.com)so are meerly middlemen for a group of manufacturers / warehouses. In addition, I have occasionally had similar runarounds regarding refunds in the past and they didn't end well. I hope this time I can get the money refunded before the company goes bust.