Halfords Are Complete Rubbish!

[Blasphemous]

I've been in Halfords probably 3 maybe 4 times in my life. The prices are ridiculous. However, I needed a new battery before Christmas so rang round for some quotes. I ended up at a small local car accessories shop. He was cheaper than Halfords by £15 for the same battery with a longer warranty!

 

[Steve]

Just to say, not all "ring and reserve" services are crap.

When I worked at Argos, I found their stock control to be exemplary. You know the little picking tickets that come attached to everything? They print on these if it is the last 1, 2 or 3 on the shelf. The person picking it has to verify the quantity shown. If the qty is wrong, they highlight this to a member of management who then alters the SOH figure on the store computer (which is the figure shown on the internet and on the surrounding stores computers).

This means the ring and reserve service, or reserve online, is rarely wrong at Argos. Clearly Halfords have everything on shelf, so are subject to shoplifting and mis-stocking etc. I wouldnt imagine heir stock-and-order procedures are quite as strict as Argos. Argos have the infrastructure in place to easily enable reservations, whereas Halfords dont.

 

[dextrous]

Dare one mention pcworld at this point?

Saw something I wanted and went to local store to pick it up. Internet price was £15 cheaper than in-store price, and they wouldn't price match, even though I had proof.

So, I nipped home (10mins drive), and ordered it online using their reserve and pickup facility. Left it a couple of hours, went back to the store to the pick-up area and had to wait 15mins for some spotty geek to go and get it off the shelf (I know now that I could have done this myself, but foolishly thought that they may have put it aside safely as promised and adjusted their stock records)

 

[Deluks]

I've used the Halfords reserve and collect service. Stuff always been in stock even though they haven't been taken off the shelf prior to my arrival.
Bloke in the Crawley branch told me they have a list they are supposed to print off every day of reserved items, which they are supposed to pick and keep behind the counter ready for collection. This often doesn't get done because they are too busy, plus customers often reserve online and then don't even bother coming in to collect the items.

If you take advantage of their multibuy and sale prices, coupled with the 10% online discount they sometimes do, the prices don't work out too bad. I got the 150pc socket set for about £90, worth every penny.

They are also open at weekends and long after the breakers yard closes.

 

[nickso]

while im not a huge fan of hellfrauds their professional range of sockets sets and tools are very good. aside from sundry items that are priced pretty much the same as any other stockist its about the only thing i would buy from them.

 

[LooPrEvil]

I made an online reservation over xmas, went to collect the goods, and was told the branch did not stock the item. I emailed their head office through their online complaints procedure. Got an email back, saying the goods would be available if I returned to the store. I went to collect and was given the items free of charge for my trouble.

I think that was a good service by Halfords.

Actually, they have a legally binding contract with you to supply the goods. They ADVERTISE the goods on the website, you OFFER to buy them when you place the order, they ACCEPT your offer through their order acknowledgement.

To put this into context: you go into a store to buy an item, say a new TV. You notice that the price on the TV is wrong, and it says £49.99 but should be £499.99. when you go to the checkout they say sorry but this is £499.99, you argue its advertised at £49.99 and you want to pay that price. The store ADVERTISED the product at £49.99, you OFFERED to purchase it for £49.99. The store is perfectly in its right to REFUSE TO ACCEPT your offer.

The difference beng that the email confirmation from Halfords was ACCEPTANCE of your OFFER.

The only way Halfords can refuse to honour you, is if they use a little E&OE accpted clause. You may often see this in adverts. It means ERRORS AND OMISSIONS EXCEPTED, meaning if the price is printed incorrectly or something is omitted the store have this 'get out clause'.

Contact Halfords Head Office, and express your disappointment (in a friendly manner). It worked for me. If they failed to provide the goods I would have then reminded them we had a legally binding contract.

Good luck!

Loo

 

[PE]

I made an online reservation over xmas, went to collect the goods, and was told the branch did not stock the item. I emailed their head office through their online complaints procedure. Got an email back, saying the goods would be available if I returned to the store. I went to collect and was given the items free of charge for my trouble.

I think that was a good service by Halfords.

Actually, they have a legally binding contract with you to supply the goods. They ADVERTISE the goods on the website, you OFFER to buy them when you place the order, they ACCEPT your offer through their order acknowledgement.

To put this into context: you go into a store to buy an item, say a new TV. You notice that the price on the TV is wrong, and it says £49.99 but should be £499.99. when you go to the checkout they say sorry but this is £499.99, you argue its advertised at £49.99 and you want to pay that price. The store ADVERTISED the product at £49.99, you OFFERED to purchase it for £49.99. The store is perfectly in its right to REFUSE TO ACCEPT your offer.

The difference beng that the email confirmation from Halfords was ACCEPTANCE of your OFFER.

The only way Halfords can refuse to honour you, is if they use a little E&OE accpted clause. You may often see this in adverts. It means ERRORS AND OMISSIONS EXCEPTED, meaning if the price is printed incorrectly or something is omitted the store have this 'get out clause'.

Contact Halfords Head Office, and express your disappointment (in a friendly manner). It worked for me. If they failed to provide the goods I would have then reminded them we had a legally binding contract.

Good luck!

Loo

Poor advice - the reserve and collect does not equal a completed sales contract. Most of these type stores have a clause that states your iorder is only completed when you have paid and goods are dispatched or collected

Reserve and collect (to my knowledge ) is just like Argos where you don;t pay until you collect

I do agree its a poor system though

 

[LooPrEvil]

You may disagree all you like, but I am correct! Money does not have to have to be exchanged for a contract to be formed.

You have a contract in an auction when the autioner accepts your bid, but no money has benn exchanged at that point.

 

[Donkmeister]

I tried the B&Q system last year. Reserved my items, then left for the shop 2 hours later.

After queueing for 10 minutes, I gave the code and was told it was invalid. It turned out that B&Q's ring-and-reserve has a 24-hour turnaround time, they even pointed me at a 20-foot tall poster stating this (which had been behind me the whole time I was queueing, D'OH!!!)

So, I went and got the stuff off the shelves as I knew it was in stock.

Secure, at least you can get parts for your car at Halfords. Look how many MG TFs you see on the roads, and yet you can't get brake discs or pads for them there.

 

[nickso]

Secure, at least you can get parts for your car at Halfords. Look how many MG TFs you see on the roads, and yet you can't get brake discs or pads for them there.

some mug had to buy them...i guess you are a mug.

cant remember the last time i had the misfortune to see a TF on the road.....or the roadside.

 

[Donkmeister]

some mug had to buy them...i guess you are a mug.

Ah, but a stylish mug

cant remember the last time i had the misfortune to see a TF on the road.....or the roadside.

Most are tucked up nice and warm in their garages. The rest are poking out of hedges, you'll see them when the thaw arrives

 

[nickso]

some mug had to buy them...i guess you are a mug.

Ah, but a stylish mug

cant remember the last time i had the misfortune to see a TF on the road.....or the roadside.

Most are tucked up nice and warm in their garages. The rest are poking out of hedges, you'll see them when the thaw arrives

sorry donk....the word stylish doesnt come to mind when describing a rover driver. its not even a good drive.....and i have driven one.

someone has to keep the undesirables hidden in a garage when they dont deserve it. how else will sane persons like myself declare their surprise at "classic" motor shows in 30 years time when they see a TF for the first time since they could see the sorry turds on the road new?

 

[wobs]

Just to say, not all "ring and reserve" services are crap.

When I worked at Argos, I found their stock control to be exemplary. You know the little picking tickets that come attached to everything? They print on these if it is the last 1, 2 or 3 on the shelf. The person picking it has to verify the quantity shown. If the qty is wrong, they highlight this to a member of management who then alters the SOH figure on the store computer (which is the figure shown on the internet and on the surrounding stores computers).

This means the ring and reserve service, or reserve online, is rarely wrong at Argos. Clearly Halfords have everything on shelf, so are subject to shoplifting and mis-stocking etc. I wouldnt imagine heir stock-and-order procedures are quite as strict as Argos. Argos have the infrastructure in place to easily enable reservations, whereas Halfords dont.

The only time I ever used ring and reserve was with Argos.

Unsuprisingly, when I got there it was out of stock.

 

[BOB D.O.L.E]

Can you believe this lot of moaning so..ds above its just after christmas mo.rons and the country has been snowed in people not had time to update, typical british i get this all the time when i am on holidays i always get the moaning brits on the sunbeds next to me, oooooooothe foods awful;the waters in the pool to cold, yep and its to hot etc....etc.... etc.....

 

[Nitronick]

I have a trade Card for Halfords and recently used it for someone to buy an 096 battery Retail @£93.99 with the trade card it went down to about £65.00!