Well, my husband has gone ahead and paid the additional £70 so that my daughter does not suffer from the lack of this dream birthday activity and the other 3 girls are also not disappointed.
This morning I was on the phone with the local Citizens Advice Bureau and Consumers Advice Helpline. I have to say I have come away very discouraged with this experience of dealing with a small business and I admit it is coloring my perception of dealing with small businesses in the future. I feel like there has been no consumer protection in this case.
The advice I received is that the general course of action would be to present Deen City Farm with a complaint that we feel it has been a breach of contract... but here is the clincher according to the lady I spoke to for advice. This is generally proven with bigger businesses because they record phone calls. So, the business can look back and verify who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Of course, having dealt with a small business... this is not available to any of us. So again... I am feeling hopeless.
The second issue is still the lack of an email confirmation. I assume Deen City Farm can prove they sent one from their computer, however... it is impossible for me to prove NOT getting something. So... what am I supposed to do at that point really? I am again failed because I went to a small business. Had they had a better process of dealing with this... they would have had us verify the email, checked with us when that hadn't happened so it could have been resolved for the good of both parties.... but, that never happened.
She did say court was an option but a risk... and really it falls back on the above... you just can't prove what happened when there is no evidence.
IN FACT, Deen City Farm never even provided us with a receipt, not for the initial £140 and not for the £70 we paid on top today.
The ironic fact.... when my husband spoke to the manager on the phone making that £70 payment, they agreed my husband would confirm he received the email..... 5 hours have now passed and we are still waiting to receive that email. You'd think after the entire big fiasco they'd have gotten straight on it and made sure the email went out immediately.
We have been advised to do future correspondences and complaints via recorded delivery, so we will be considering what to do.
We have also been told contacting the card issuer is an option, however... yet again... without the proof it just falls to their discretion.
Overall... I feel there is a big gap in the safety of the experience for the consumer in this case. We might have been the only one this has ever happened to, but then again, maybe we aren't since they delete any negative feedback they get from public viewing.
This morning I was on the phone with the local Citizens Advice Bureau and Consumers Advice Helpline. I have to say I have come away very discouraged with this experience of dealing with a small business and I admit it is coloring my perception of dealing with small businesses in the future. I feel like there has been no consumer protection in this case.
The advice I received is that the general course of action would be to present Deen City Farm with a complaint that we feel it has been a breach of contract... but here is the clincher according to the lady I spoke to for advice. This is generally proven with bigger businesses because they record phone calls. So, the business can look back and verify who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Of course, having dealt with a small business... this is not available to any of us. So again... I am feeling hopeless.
The second issue is still the lack of an email confirmation. I assume Deen City Farm can prove they sent one from their computer, however... it is impossible for me to prove NOT getting something. So... what am I supposed to do at that point really? I am again failed because I went to a small business. Had they had a better process of dealing with this... they would have had us verify the email, checked with us when that hadn't happened so it could have been resolved for the good of both parties.... but, that never happened.
She did say court was an option but a risk... and really it falls back on the above... you just can't prove what happened when there is no evidence.
IN FACT, Deen City Farm never even provided us with a receipt, not for the initial £140 and not for the £70 we paid on top today.
The ironic fact.... when my husband spoke to the manager on the phone making that £70 payment, they agreed my husband would confirm he received the email..... 5 hours have now passed and we are still waiting to receive that email. You'd think after the entire big fiasco they'd have gotten straight on it and made sure the email went out immediately.
We have been advised to do future correspondences and complaints via recorded delivery, so we will be considering what to do.
We have also been told contacting the card issuer is an option, however... yet again... without the proof it just falls to their discretion.
Overall... I feel there is a big gap in the safety of the experience for the consumer in this case. We might have been the only one this has ever happened to, but then again, maybe we aren't since they delete any negative feedback they get from public viewing.
Warning when dealing with small businesses
Protect yourself when dealing with small businesses. Beware of how things can go wrong over the phone. Make sure the process leaves you with protection in case anything goes wrong.
Get a receipt, ask them to send you one in the mail if you talk on the phone, book in person if possible, don't leave without your confirmation.
If you are worried something could go wrong over the phone... don't do business with them unless the call is recorded.
Know what a no refund policy means... you might think you do but if their process is flawed or lacking... you could be left in a lurch like we are with no way to prove anything.
Get a receipt, ask them to send you one in the mail if you talk on the phone, book in person if possible, don't leave without your confirmation.
If you are worried something could go wrong over the phone... don't do business with them unless the call is recorded.
Know what a no refund policy means... you might think you do but if their process is flawed or lacking... you could be left in a lurch like we are with no way to prove anything.
Final thoughts today
We are in an economy where we are encouraged to do business with the small businesses around us to build up our areas and this country. I am left feeling more protected dealing with the big guys. At least they have an established process with plenty of proof for themselves and for me... at least they won't miss giving me my confirmation/receipt, and they go above and beyond to be legally covered... and that is good for both of us.
But it is easy for the little guy to not go that extra way... like in this instance. And when you are the consumer on the other side... no one cares about you.
I want to be for small businesses... but at this point... I had better know them personally or it just be the local green grocer... else maybe I will be burned again.
But it is easy for the little guy to not go that extra way... like in this instance. And when you are the consumer on the other side... no one cares about you.
I want to be for small businesses... but at this point... I had better know them personally or it just be the local green grocer... else maybe I will be burned again.
