Nes

[Verona]

I will never order from Nes again!

Back in march, this year, I ordered a new climbing frame and accessories to the value of £1,450. I made sure I ordered before end of March so that I could get the 10% discount they were advertising.

Duly ordered, I waited and waited and finally the bits arrived - all separately, over a period 3 months! I had made lots of phone calls, etc and even after telling them that delivery should be between 8am and 1.30pm, the courriers still delivered outside that time and didn't phone to let me know what time (aprox) they would be there, as they had promised. The Pre-school is in a church hall and the courriers left some of the parcels (which were obviously large) with little old ladies as they were coming out of the church. One parcel was left on the step overnight !!!

Anyway, in the middle of June all the bits, except the actual slide, had arrived, so we decided to put it all together. But guess what --- it didn't fit together at all.

Trying to cut a long story short, I phoned Nes and insisted that someone come and have a look at it. Eventually someone did, he was a very nice man. He admitted that it should be returned and he ordered me a new one. A week later I received a letter from Nes, saying that they couldn't send me the order as I hadn't paid my last order, and that I was in arrears, which I wasn't. Another phone call made to explain the situation to them. I also reminded them that the invoices should have the 10% discount taken off, but they hadn't - they promised to sort it out.

After many, many phone calls the second frame finally arrived and was put together - hooray, it all went together!!! The children used it for two days and then we broke up for the summer hols!!

Nes arranged for the first frame to be picked up yesterday between 9am and 11am by Lynx carriers. I cycled to the church hall (30 mins) and waited and waited - read the paper from cover to cover , did the crossword and at 12noon I phoned Nes again. They said that the courrier couldn't guarantee the pick up time. Eventually after the girl making calls to Lynx again, the agreed that Lynx driver would phone me to let me know when he would be in the area. I cycled home and waited, but nothing - no phone call at all. I was so frustrated and angry.

After 9am today I am going to phone Nes - not sure what the next instalment will be but one thing I am absolutely sure of is that I won't order from them again. I have had minor problems with their deliveries before but this has been a nightmare.

 

Having reread this post it doesn't sound as bad as it has actually been - but take my word for it, I have made so many phone calls and wasted so much time hanging around for parcels, waiting for Nes to phone me back, they never did, I always had to phone them back. It took a very long time for them to accept that I was entitled to 10% off and by the time they had accepted it there was a new offer to everyone of 15%. I complained about this and finally they agreed to me having 15% (so that was good) I also asked for some kind of compensation and they sent me a coupon for £20 off my next order. I told them that in no way was I going to make another order, so they have agreed that I could use it against the climbing frame.

 

Today I am going to write an official letter of complaint and I am also going to make yet another phone call to tell them that the climbing frame wasn't collected. I know I can get to the hall in the hols but i would probably mean me having to wait all day for the courrier to arrive, so I am going to tell them that there is now no-one at the Pre-school un til September, so they will have to wait for the return.

I don't know what else to do. I am still so frustrated with the way the order and replacement were dealt with. I know I am only small business to them and it's probably water off a ducks back to them but I feel I have to make a stand somehow.

 

I am going to make the phone call this morning and then going to forget them until September.

 

Sorry - but had to vent my frustration somewhere - although yesterday evening my husband felt a bit of it !!!! He is sooo suportive and understanding

 

 

Sue J

[Guest]

Sue we had similar problems with them and have also vowed not to use them again!!

Virtual empathy coming your way

[Guest doohanok5]

We've had problems with NES too. Waited months for what was described as a "folding slide". When it eventually came it didn't fold, and the screw holes were so far out of alignment that it couldn't be put together properly. So like a lot of stuff we've had lately, it's been sent back. Their customer service is spectacularly poor - but so is Hope and AtoZs.

[Steve]

When you look at your post and think it doesn't sound as bad as it felt, you (and your supplier) need to remember that the onus was on you all the time to push the issue, not to forget it, to make sure that things didn't just get pushed into the background and eventually get forgotten due to sheer exhaustion.

 

That is what suppliers don't take into account. The emotional energy and frustration involved in getting an organisation to do what it should be doing without you having to contribute your time and energy.

 

Well done for keeping your sanity Sue!

[Guest]

Also had similar problems with them and a book trolley. They supplied castors with the trolley and the screws went completely through the base and made it unsafe. Then had trouble with them collecting faulty item and sending a replacement. they kept saying we hadn't paid them. In the end I said forget about the replacement order and then they tried to invoice us for two trollies!!!

[Verona]

Thanks, I feel a bit better that I wasn't the only one, but that means that you have had to put up with the same sort of problems as me.

When I write the letter of complaint is it "legal" and "proper" for me to copy your replies (without names and from where I got them) or is it not the done thing?

 

Sue J

 

PS I have just phoned and told them that I won't be available now until September for the courriers to collect the parcels and was advised that the whole order would be on my file as still outstanding. They did say, however, that they have had a lot of complaints about Lynx and that that company are taking on board what has been reported and are dealing with it.

 

But do I believe them!!!!

[Guest]

I stopped using them in 1998, I had a wooden play sink from them, it contained a plastic washing up bowl, which sat inside a cut-out circle so that it could be taken in and out. Children loved it, especially putting water in the said washing up bowl. Now as you know these are not cheap! Within a few months all the paint around the bowl had flaked, and the wood had swollen.

 

I duly rang them to complain, a man came to visit to have a look, his bizarre response was that " They are not made to have water used with them, the wood isn't meant to get wet" . I reminded him that it was a 'washing-up, sink unit', he looked at me as if I was insane for letting children have water in the sink. Well I thought, for a company that produces childrens equipment they have a very, very poor design consultancy department who obviously don't have a clue about how children play.

 

I got a refund.

 

Like Steve say's, Well done Sue for keeping at them, I would leave them to do all the chasing for the return of the 'faulty' slide, just send them one letter stating it is at the church hall awaiting collection and let them contact you to find out when they can have access.

It doesn't matter what size your orders are, you have as much right to the same service as a large use customer. So good for you for sticking at it.

 

Peggy

[bubblejack]

Reminds me about the time I used them 4 years ago and spent £2000 (lottery money from NOF)

I ordered about 8 different items and 7 of the items sent were incorrect in some way in that they were duplicated, broken,wrong goods sent and one was sent with the wrong invoice. I still have 2 wooden play sets that were not mine and a duplicate set of dividers that I have never paid for. I got so fed up trying to sort out all the credit invoices together with the muddle of wrong items. I spent hours on the phone and they insisted that i didn't have the dividers and play sets so I just paid for what I had. It did take about a year to sort out.Its wearing me out now to even think about it.I know just how frustrated you must feel.

Thats not the end of the story though because i also ordered a magnetic table with a glass dome over it from SBS.. It had a village printed on the table and the children had to push the cars along with magnets. The problem was the glass dome that you had to fit yourself. Because it was concave/ convex, you couldn/t fit it. My husband and I spent nearly all night trying to do it. We nearly got it in then it just popped out. AHHHHH.

We had to admit defeat so i phoned sbs to be told that their was a problem but they had a new design but instead of cars/ village it was bugs/ forest. I received it but same design so same problem. We only wasted a few hours because we knew it was impossible. The rep came to my house and and i can still see the 3 of us wrestling with the perspex dome. She asked me if I wanted a relacement but I declined. Unfortunately she couldn't take the item back with her so I had to pack it up once mor and sort out a pick up time. Each wrong table took 6 weeks to come.

 

Lynx are an absolute nightmare to me also. Both my husband and I park our cars in the garage overnight so when they deliver early morning they assume we aren't in and take the parcel to my

only neighbour across the road without even knocking on our door first. My neighbour often sheepishly brings parcels across weeks later that her children have taken in and forgotten about. The driver doesn't even put a card through to give me a clue where to find my parcel. I complained to the manager after a while so now the driver still doesn't knock but he puts a card through to tell me he has put it over the road. A few weeks ago I watched him do this ,waited till he had put a card through without knocking then when screaming out after him and made him go and get the parcel back for me. He even had the cheek to moan at ME.Parcel lie are no better either. They throw items over our 8ft brick wall that joins our garages to our house. I have had a table and a light box thrown over and a box of free items from PPA that were left out in the rain for 2 weeks while we were on holiday. A friend of ours who also has a high wall had a television thrown over his wall.

I have repeatedly complained they apologise but still do it.

I try and save time and money by doing lots of internet shopping but it just gives other problems.

[Rea]

I stopped using NES while I was at playgroup. Same as most people, orders took forever, were incomplete, damaged on arrival and so then the dreaded wait for the collection, we also had the problem of them saying we owed money when it was only the things we were returning anyway. Legally, I think there is something that says if you have asked for something to be collected and the company fail to do so, after 6 months it's yours. Not sure that you want a broken climbing frame though, maybe make a den out of it or grow some runner beans!

[hali]

Same here

[mundia]

I was just thinking that too Rea, I dont think it's your responsibnility to chase up a collection once you have made the initial arrangment. If you have somewhere to store it, then hold on to it and in 6 months, do soemthing useful with it. We have done this a few times over the years. Perhasp anyone else can tell us if this is not the case?

[Guest]

They sound like a terrible company to buy resources from! I have never personally used them (funds etc!) nor would I be likely to, judging by these comments.

 

Can't you maybe get in touch with the trading standards people or similar? Maybe there is something they can do to help, especially when quite a few people have had reason to complain about them?

[Verona]

Following up the posting I made a couple of days ago -

The caretaker of the hall phoned me to say that Lynx had put a card through the letterbox to say that they called Thursday last week and no-one was there !!!! They were supposed to come 2 days before that but just didn't arrive. I contacted Lynx (got their phone number from the card) they apologised about not collecting the 4 parcels and not phoning me. The manager has promised that they could be collected on whatever day was convenient to me!!! I relented and said Tuesday but I wasn't going to wait at the Church hall all morning or all afternoon.

He is going to phone me tomorrow (Tues) to let me know what time they will come to collect the climbing frame. So here's hoping..........

 

Sue J

If they don't come tomorrow......then forget it until September, I'm not going in again!!!

[hali]

i dont blame you Sue.....

[Guest]

Well, I hope you are going to invoice Nes for your time, what's the hourly rate during holiday periods? , must be double time at least.

 

Peggy.

 

I do hope it is sorted once and for all, then you can really relax for the hols.

[Verona]

Thanks Peggy, Would like to invoice them but it would probably be too long winded.

The thing now is, I would like four room dividers - the best and cheapest of its sort are in Nes Arnold - NO - I will NOT order from them but has anyone got any ideas of child friendly room dividers that are NOT from Nes, SBS, Hope, Galt etc. ???

 

Sue J

[Guest]

When I bought my preschool I inherited home made dividers, basically rectangles made from 18mm overflow plastic piping and plastic corners to join the pipes, cover with bright material slip.

Rectangles are joined with pipe clips to make screens as short or as long as you require. Really hard to explain, I will try and find a photo to attach. They are easy to store ( hang on high hooks in cupboard ) and lightweight.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

How big etc. do they need to be Sue? I bought some really nice ones from Three Bears Playthings. They have different covers to them-I have some that are velcro friendly and a couple that are plastic pockets of differing sizes. I can't remember how much they cost-we bought them a couple of years ago with our toddle money. But they are really useful because, not only do they divide off areas but they can be used for display and storage.

Linda

 

Just found their website here.

Linda

[Verona]

Thanks Linda for the link. Will think about those dividers.

I would like four dividers - 1200 x 1200 as they are the size we have now and are just right. I would like them for hanging the name pockets, weather board, etc as well as having room for the the childrens works of art.

Good idea Peggy, would like to see a photo if you can put one in please.

 

Sue J

[Beau]

Just wondering if they came Sue?

[Verona]

YIPEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes, Beau, they came and took the broken climbing frame away.

 

Lynx manager, promised to phone me before 9am this morning to let me know what time the driver would arrive. At 10.30am I phoned him, he said "Oh, you just beat me to it - I was just going to phone the driver" He phoned me back and told me the driver would be with me at 3pm.

I went out shopping (boring - but had to be done) and received a call about 1pm from the driver. He said "I'm at the hall, where are you?" I was about 20 mins away and told him he HAD to wait for me. He did wait (luckily for him) and he took away the four parcels, GREAT RELIEF

 

In an earlier post I asked whether it was OK to quote some of the comments from here about Nes or whether it wasn't the done thing - any thoughts please????

 

Thanks for all your comments - apart from the letter of complaint to Nes, I am going to forget all about it.

 

Sue J

[Rea]

I wouldnt have a problem quoting anything Sue, You might want to put names for authenticity though, i dont mind my name being used but I'm not at playgroup anymore.

[Guest]

I'm happy for you to quote my comments, don't hold your breath that it will improve customer satisfaction though- you can quote that as well - here's another quote.

 

" Faith in any organisations ability to improve, through listening to customers genuine complaints, is only borne by swift and consistently good actions"

 

Peggy

 

p.s. I look forward to all the praiseworthy comments about NES customer services in the new year. ( well they will most probably need at least 6 months to show a marked difference)

 

I'm happy for you to quote my comments, don't hold your breath that it will improve customer satisfaction though- you can quote that as well - here's another quote.

 

" Faith in any organisations ability to improve, through listening to customers genuine complaints, is only borne by swift and consistently good actions"

 

Peggy

 

p.s. I look forward to all the praiseworthy comments about NES customer services in the new year. ( well they will most probably need at least 6 months to show a marked difference)

 

 

p.p.s. I've earmarked it in the forum diary ( January 2007) to ask the question- Have you had good, value for money service, from NES?

 

Can't add to forum calender, comes up as error when I select new single event ( help Steve)

However, it is written in my diary at home!!

 

Peggy

[Beau]

Glad you finally managed to get rid of them Sue. I had a problem with them a couple of years ago but unlike you didn't even get my ordered goods and ended up cancelling my order and getting the stuff from Galt instead.