I ordered an Acer One Pink laptop on the 11th January from Acerdirect.co.uk. Once payment was taken I was told that ACTUALLY I had brought from BuyitDirect.co.uk. OK, well I will let that one slide.
A day after payment has been taken I received an email telling me the item was out of stock. OK, well it didn’t say that on the site 
7 days past after getting lots of OOS emails I enquired when the item would be IN stock. I was told the 22nd of January by their support, and I noticed a little note was now with the item stating stock available in ‘2-7 days’
I wait.
I email again on the 1st Feb and get told ‘Apologies about this, our supplier have had issues getting these into the UK.’
Alarm bells ring and I cancel my order finally on the 9th Feb by phone.
I wait a week and no refund, so I ring again and I was told by a puzzled ’supportier’ that the refund has not been done and he will pass it to the account dept today.
I wait again, then email. The response was ‘I have now done this for you’ on the 19th Feb. So it wasn’t done the second time? Third time lucky…or not.
I am still awaiting my refund from a company who had trouble getting the stock into the UK. I am going to have to get quite shirty on the phone to support now.
I could always just pop up to Huddersfield and demand to watch them refund my money or give me the cash. Don’t test me guys, I will turn up on your doorstep.
So, my first on-line ‘avoid at all costs’ scam award goes to:
Acerdirect/BuyitDirect
also known as:
laptopsdirect.co.uk
serversdirect.co.uk
projectorsdirect.co.uk
iviewcamerasdirect.co.uk
appliancesdirect.co.uk
Edited to add (25th Feb):
Rang today and was told I had never rang up and the refund will be processed today. That is 4 times they have processed my refund (I think they are lying to me) so I shall ring up in a bit to check the refund has been processed. I was also denied any evidence of refund. I will wait my 5-7 days then initiate a chargeback, I don’t feel there is anything else I can do!
Moral of the story is, as an on-line business you need to:
- Sell stock you HAVE, communicate this to the buyer prior to purchasing if not.
- Refund if you don’t have the stock
- Refund in LESS than a month if an order is cancelled
- Don’t do a swapsie on the company names and branding. After that point I wish I had not ordered, I always tell clients that consistent branding builds consumer confidence and I am so right!
Edited to add:
I finally have my refund 02/03/2009 16 working days later. (refunds are supposed to be 5 working days)
18 responses so far ↓
1 denise // Jun 22, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I bought a acer laptop from them on the 20 of june 2009. they took the money out of my bank account then telling me that my payment could’nt go through their security checks and my order was cancelled…. and i should send them my passport and driving license and utility bill and bank statement and copy of my bank card!!!
2 Quyen // Jun 25, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Thanks for the review. I was going to buy from these people but have now gone with Tesco even though they are 10% more expensive.
3 Liz // Jun 26, 2009 at 8:08 am
Tesco is great, you can go in a see a person if there is a problem also….I got another Acer from Tesco in 2 days.
4 Adam // Jun 30, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Bugger! I wished I’d read this before I bought an AC unit from them. They’re also known as AirCon Direct. Guess the clues’ in the title.
Oh well, I’ll sit with fingers crossed until it arrives.. or maybe I’ll start sharpening the knives.
5 Liz // Jun 30, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Ha ha! That’s funny! What they decided to call themselves, not that you brought from them. Hope it arrives for you.
6 Haroldas // Jul 8, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hi, I am also very disappointed by that company
buyitdirect.co.uk
laptopsdirect.co.uk
serversdirect.co.uk
projectorsdirect.co.uk
iviewcamerasdirect.co.uk
appliancesdirect.co.uk
I have bought an ACER aspire one A150 ab
and what I received was a wrong model laptop. Acer Aspire one A110 ab. The difference in configuration is huge. and the one I received is obviously the worst one.
So I arranged the return and they collected it from my work. after a 2 days of examining my laptop they came to a conclusion that it was actually the correct model they send me. I did not even had any prove that it was not true. I have just kept arguing and besides they charged me administration fee for return and return postage fee.
After finally speaking to a manager I have got my irrelevant charges removed and the correct laptop posted. I came to the post office with my camera this time to photograph everything detail of the laptop to have prove in case it is incorrect again.
The laptop appeared to be Correct model, but the battery was missing. It came without the battery, and even with my camera on my neck I cannot prove that the battery wasn’t there when I opened the box. I called them again and they did not argued, just arranged the battery to be delivered. After abut 4 hours I have called to double double check if that’s been properly arranged and I’ve been confirmed that it is on it’s way. BUT IT WASN’T!!!! after the expected delivery day I called them again and they confirmed that nothing was arranged. my battery is still there with them even by this very moment. I am so very disappointed with this company that II would not recommend anybody to buy from them EVER. I want them busted!
NEVER BUY FROM buyitdirect.co.uk !!!!!!
7 Jason // Jul 11, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I’m trying to get my money back from Aircon direct. They are the shoddiest on-line company I have had the displeasure of dealing with. I ordered 6 air con units on the 29th June and paid for 24 hour delivery. The order was processed on the 30th June and I waited. I received a phone call on Friday 3rd July to say that there was a payment problem as they couldnt find me on the electoral register. Funny that they actually took payment on the 1st July for the full amount. I said that this was the first time this had ever happened and I buy plenty of stuff on-line. The lady told me I would get the air con units on Tuesday as it was too late to dispatch on the Friday. I asked if she would guarantee this and she said yes. Next on the 8th July I get an email from them to say that they are having trouble taking payment and a voice message to say that there is an extra delivery charge which has been explained to me. Nothing of the sort had been explained to me so I emailed them to say that if they cannot honour the price I bought the goods at I want to cancel my order. The same day, 8th July, I get an automated email saying that my order has been cancelled and now it’s the 11th July and I’m still waiting for a refund. DO NOT TOUCH THIS COMPANY WITH A BARGE POLE.
8 Unhappy Customer // Jul 14, 2009 at 11:39 am
This company is unbelievable, I also ordered a pink acer one, a refurb. The first one turned up pretty quickly which was great.
But when I tried to charge it, it wouldn’t charge, I managed to get through to a real live person who told me I just needed to do some jiggery pokery with the bios, I tried to explain that the contacts on the battery were physically broken but she ignored this and told me to follow the instructions in the email she would send, I did this, it didn’t work, I phoned back and spoke to a different person, who said it would be fine to send it back and get a new battery.
After 2 weeks of sorting out pick up dates they decided they wanted the whole netbook back rather than just the battery so I did as I was told. They received and processed it and decided I was allowed a replacement and sent me an email saying that they would get in touch with the tracking details. I also got an email saying they didn’t have one in stock so someone would call me to discuss an alternative. They did call but I was in work so I had to call them back, I picked out a slightly different model and got the guy to send it out with next day delivery, this was last Thursday.
So Monday morning came and went, no emails, no sign of the replacement, I phoned them again, someone messed up this order apparently, the replacement has been given to someone else, wonderful. I picked out another one, it was a graded refurb, so not exactly new but its been nearly a month, anything would come in handy. I get another phone call later on to say they wont send this one out to me, its not good enough, this guy doesn’t see why I didn’t just send back the battery “we’ve got loads of spares”. That’s what I wanted to do in the first place but I was told I had to send back the whole thing, they obviously don’t bother to communicate with each other. He very kindly has sent me out a new one, the same model as I ordered to begin with, we shall see if it turns up.
At one point I mentioned getting some form of compensation and was told they only make £10 on each laptop they sell, I guess that explains a lot.
I will not be recommending them to anyone.
9 Mary // Aug 1, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Thanks for this. I was all set to buy a laptop from AcerDirect but I wanted to check some details first and was googling them looking for a geographical phone number (they only have 0844 and 0871 numbers listed on their site).
Instead I found this, and a load of similar horror stories. Unsurprisingly I decided *against* giving my custom to AcerDirect/BuyitDirect, and with a bit more googling managed to find exactly the same laptop at exactly the same spec with a different company – cheaper!
10 Joel // Aug 3, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I bought some good from this company, becareful theydo not have an ethical trading policy. I neither have the goods or my money. I ordered in business credit card and be warned you have no rights when doing it this way and these guys know it. Customer service is the worst I have ever dealt with.
Thanks
Joel
11 Sickened Customer // Sep 8, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Bought an Acer laptop with extended warranty from laptopsdirect aka buyitdirect on 22nd april 09. I paid for next day delivery and was not delivered next day, received no refund or apology.
In June i noticed a small hairline crack on the inner screen bezel were the manufacturers screws are fitted. I thought nothing of it until several days later further cracks were clearly showing around ALL of the screw areas. I sent them a so called ‘E-Message’ via their website on 21st June after contacting Acer support directly, and surprised they referred me back to acer. Acer said they would be happy to repair it for me however i would incur all repair and delivery charges. After several emessages over several weeks they final gave in on 17th july and arranged to collect my laptop on 20th july. I was informed that the repair would take roughly 10 days, however depending on parts to please allow up to 28 days. As of Tue 8th September, multiple e-messages to Katie Halsall and Lesley Pollard, two calls to trading standards (for which laptopsdirect are aware of) and two hand written letters letters later to (Management apparantly) Lisa Deveney, Buy It Direct, Unit A Trident Business Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1UA, I still Have no Laptop!!! In the meantime, I am receiving emails to say “Thank you for your recent order with one of the buyitdirect brands. I hope everything arrived as expected and that you are enjoying the use of your new product.” I’ve given them several deadlines to sort things out as advised by Trading Standards and they just dont seem to care!!! I would like to advise anyone and everyone to, DO NOT BUY LAPTOPS DIRECT / BUYITDIRECT or any of its other trading names. You’ve been warned!
Wish me luck!
12 Patrick // Sep 10, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I bought a laptop based on a recommendation from a work colleague. Needed it quickly and ordered 2 days before.
They waited until end of business the next day, then cancelled my order by email (no phone call).
When I called through, Josie (speaking through an intermediary) said I needed to post(!) them photo ID, bank statements and utility bills before they would process my debit card transaction.
Am going back to PC World Business – so much better.
These guys are stone-age. I hope they go they way of the dinosaur. And soon.
Avoid like the plague!
13 Lame // Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Was going to buy, now decided not to, reading these comments.
14 Bulat // Oct 30, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I have bought a Laptop from acerdirect.co.uk (accerdirect.co.uk) and did not receive the product code the Microsoft Office software that I have payed for.
I have sent an email to Katie Hal**** and she asked me for my details, then more details. And then she just stopped replying to my emails. I have called them after a month and was told that they have to investigate this issue and will call me back. They obviously did not after two weeks.
So now I have opened a dispute in Pay Pal but that still does not help.
I wish I could complain to Microsoft directly.
Don’t buy from them! They will lie to your face!
15 philip // Nov 4, 2009 at 11:16 am
Really helpful when taking your money
but if something goes wrong watch out they don’t
want to know my advice KEEP WELL AWAY
16 s r woods // Nov 5, 2009 at 11:09 am
I bought my first acer from buyitdirect in august 2009. it did not work, was picked up two days later, was advised that it had probably nbeen dropped by the delivery co. Another was available but more expensive. They took my money, this early in September 2009 this also did not work, though promised a new laptop Acer told us it was two years old and password protected, so had tobe returned. THIS WAS DONE ON THE 11th September I AM STILL TRYING TO GET ALL MY MONEY RFEFUNDED. It iis now November. Quick enough to take your money very slow to refund it. It is coming back a few pounds at a time, usually after ‘phone calls. We also found out that if they tell you itis a factory outlet, itis second hand.
17 Kumari // Dec 3, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I have waited 3 months for my refund they need to be reported to trading standards!
18 Tom Armstrong // Feb 2, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I bought a monitor from them, needed to return it in 7 days. They would not let me return it. I’m stuck with either legal battle or an unwanted product. Do not use this company people.
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