Terrible Experience with Latitude Pay and Harvey Norman

elektron on 28/12/2020 - 19:22
Last edited 28/12/2020 - 19:53

I placed an order with Harvey Norman using the $20 Latitude Pay credit on Boxing Day. The order didn't go through, returning an error message but Latitude Pay charged me anyway. I have never had this type of issue with other forms of payment such as PayPal or a credit card.

I am also unable to take advantage of the offer, since the one-off credit has already been used by the incorrect charge. Even if it gets resolved, both the sale and the offer will probably have finished by then.

I have submitted a refund request to Lattitude straight away and got an automated email response saying that their response time is 8 days. I have tried calling them but their IVR tells me that there are "no available representatives at this time" and just hangs up. No option to keep holding or request a call back.

Harvey Norman support for on-line orders only seems to be available via live chat, and even thought the chat box says "currently replying in under a minute" nobody's responded to my enquiry after sitting there for what seemed like forever.

I have used Latitude Pay to pay for a Harvey Norman purchase before, during the launch offer similar to this one, and it went through fine. However, it seems that if you have an issue, there's virtually no support. I can see the argument being made about the exceptionally high volumes this time of year, but they had specifically chosen to launch their service at the end of the year and also created a Boxing Day campaign - without providing anywhere near sufficient customer service support.

Even assuming they meet their SLA, if a new business (essentially, a bank) take 8 days just to respond to an erroneous charge issue and hangs up on your calls, I am reluctant to have a financial relationship with them. Buyer beware!

UPDATE: After more than an hour of waiting and chatting with Harvey Norman live chat, they essentially fobbed me off to Latitude and refused to offer any solution. I have offered them two options 1) raise an retrospective order for the payment I've already been charged - I've provided them with the Latitude ref #; and 2) sell me the item at the $20 reduced price, while I'm sorting this out with Latitude, since the issue was originally caused by their website in the HN first place. They said they couldn't do either.

General Discussion

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Comments

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 28/12/2020 - 19:45
    +1

    Due to most customer service agents being based overseas and the impacts of COVID-19 in those countries there are less agents available on the phone, live chat, email, etc.

      • trankillity on 29/12/2020 - 09:24
        +3

        Because tier 1 callcenter operators are going to be first in line for an experimental vaccine…

        • jv on 29/12/2020 - 10:15
          -2

          Are they?

  • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 19:46

    Didn't Latitude know that and take it into account when timing their launch here?

    • plmko on 28/12/2020 - 20:25
      +1

      They knew about COVID last year?

      • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:30

        I thought Latitude Pay only launched very recently, as I'd never heard of it until the other offer earlier this month. Either way, why run marketing campaigns if you can't support them with sufficient customer service?

  • Tech5 on 28/12/2020 - 20:07
    +2

    Personally would not have spent 1-2 hours to try get $20 back…

    • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:31
      +5

      What $20? They charged me for the full order, without actually creating the order. But if I'd known that I would take that long, I probably wouldn't have bothered either.

      • Tech5 on 28/12/2020 - 21:06
        +1

        Are you sure funds are not in pending? I have been in this situation plenty of times, where the order fails to go through but it shows up on the credit card. After 5-6 days, the funds are released and the charge dissapears.

        Unless you are saying the entire order was paid with a free $20 credit. In which case, yeah, wouldn't have spent that long

        • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 21:10

          The Latitude Pay have created a credit plan with a payment schedule and have charged me the first installment. It's not in pending. However, there is no corresponding HN order. So, essentially, I was charged for a product that I'm never going to receive.

    • SF3 on 28/12/2020 - 20:33

      +time posting here…

      • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:38
        +4

        I thought I was helping the community by warning others. Will know better next time.

        • AlanJ on 29/12/2020 - 09:35
          +4

          I think your warning is timely and useful, so don't be put off by the inevitable put-downers that always seem to turn up on Ozbargain posts, just to let us know that they are "above" this sort of thing. You are perfectly correct to keep pursuing the matter with both companies, as, if you just let it go, the companies will have no incentive at all to "lift their game"… and those put-downers could well be their next victim. Strength to your arm, and thank you!

  • Tee Rex Arms on 28/12/2020 - 20:08
    -6

    Hope they don’t give you either of your options.

  • whooah1979 on 28/12/2020 - 20:09

    I placed an order with Harvey Norman using the $20 Latitude Pay credit

    Who was supposed to provide the credit? LP or HN?

    • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:32
      +1

      Latitude were providing the credit. The transaction failed due to an error on the HN site.

  • brendanm on 28/12/2020 - 20:14
    +9

    1) Don't use Lattitude pay
    2) Don't use Harvey Norman

    • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:33
      +5

      Yep, this post is pretty much a warning to others.

      • TilacVIP on 29/12/2020 - 08:46

        I have used Latitude Pay 4 times now but never with a HV purchase, just can't find anything worth buying that is price competitve even with the $20 voucher.

        Having said that, never had a problem.

        Would only ever use these BNPL's if there is an incentive, like a voucher or decent discount.

    • DoctorCalculon on 29/12/2020 - 19:32
      +1

      3) Maybe stick to Zip Pay to avoid ghost transactions like these?

      Must be amateur hour for the guys running Latitude Pay.

  • demiurge on 28/12/2020 - 20:21

    I have offered them two options 1) raise an retrospective order for the payment I've already been charged - I've provided them with the Latitude ref #; and 2) sell me the item at the $20 reduced price, while I'm sorting this out with Latitude, since the issue was originally caused by their website in the HN first place. They said they couldn't do either.

    As far as HN is concerned it's entirely your problem with latitudepay, and I agree with them. You should take it up with latitudepay.

    • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:36
      +5

      As I explained in the OP I already did. Since the issue was directly caused by the error on the HN website, I thought I would give them an opportunity to resolve it. Besides, I have no confidence that the Latitude charge was not created due to a dodgy integration workflow from the HN site.

  • zombrex on 28/12/2020 - 20:48
    +11

    Harvey Norman are clowns, I learnt to never buy from them after a similar but different refund issue. Seriously stay clear of their online ordering system, because if there is a problem you will spend weeks chasing it up.

    • elektron on 28/12/2020 - 20:55
      +3

      Yes, I learnt it the hard way it seems. Interesting, that some fellow OzBargainers are gloating.

      • payton on 28/12/2020 - 23:39
        +4

        Its the tone of your post that encourages it.
        Some of it is a bit presumptuous

        Either way you'll get your money back so don't sweat it.
        Its a small problem that will get resolved.

    • jv on 29/12/2020 - 08:48
      +1

      Harvey Norman are clowns

      That's been my experience too…

  • Raj09 on 28/12/2020 - 20:54
    +3

    Harvey Norman support sucks balls. I even had to wait n nearly 3h for a response or update on my order. They should just say that the response will take 24h and not a minute

    • TilacVIP on 29/12/2020 - 08:41
      +2

      HV sux ball, especially that **** himself….period!!!

  • AustriaBargain on 28/12/2020 - 23:13

    I don't really understand what Latitude Pay is all about. I think they are linked to the dodgy credit provider Harvey Norman used to use, or maybe Latitude now owns the dodgy provider Harvey Norman used to use. I applied for it anyway because of the deals but they only gave me $700 credit.

  • eddieboy2 on 29/12/2020 - 08:56

    I have used the Latitude $20 off offer several times with no problems. Have also used HN with no issues.

    • jv on 29/12/2020 - 09:01

      I won tattslotto once…

  • OzHunterNSW on 29/12/2020 - 09:54
    -1

    $20……….. $20……….. what have you lost? Nothing except a sale on a $20 item. $20….. a $20 item.

    • elektron on 29/12/2020 - 10:20

      The $20 credit is only for spending $60 minimum on your order. I lost the money I spent on my order, plus I can no longer use the credit on anything else as it's a one-off.

  • papachris on 29/12/2020 - 20:11
    +2

    It should be a warning to everybody that Harvey Norman & Latitude Finance earned the ultimate prize this year - the Choice Shonky award.

    Choice described Lattitude as "one of Australia's most predatory finance companies".

    https://www.choice.com.au/shonky-awards/hall-of-shame/shonky…

    Avoid at all costs…

  • eddieboy2 on 30/12/2020 - 08:08
    -2

    I wouldn't doubt Choice as it is a reputable organisation, but I have used the Latitude spend $60 or more and get $20 off and have saved a lot of money with no issues. You get a guaranteed $20 discount upfront each time, pay the balance in 10 weekly debits, and pay no interest on purchases……..I can't see a problem with the offer. I have no connection with Latitude or HN.

    • godofpizza on 30/12/2020 - 12:10

      you forgotten that there are other fees including monthly fees/Payment handling fees/ paper statements/Late fees.

      Oh it also being run by Ahmed Fahour, former Australia Post CEO.

  • eddieboy2 on 31/12/2020 - 08:37

    From my experience, Latitude don't charge any fees provided your 10 weekly debits are processed on the weekly dates shown on your emailed agreement at the start. I also get an email the day before each debit is due, so I know when the next one is due and the amount to be debited. I can't speak about late fees, but there are no other fees that I pay on my Latitude purchases, and no interest. I can only speak on my experiences with Latitude and so far its been great for me.

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