Rant about First Choice click and collect

Lgnarlyrocks on 01/06/2022 - 22:59
Last edited 01/06/2022 - 23:05

Sorry in advance for this rant. I'm just annoyed at First Choice and figure seeing as I ordered via a cash rewards deal posted here I might as well complain here. Apologies if it doesn't make sense, or I'm being unreasonable, I'm just annoyed at having my lunch break wasted for such a stupid thing regarding an order I legitimately paid for and could prove it.

So ordered ~$80 worth of Alcohol on Sat 28/5/22 for Click and Collect at First Choice Ringwood.
Now, I was unwell (found out covid negative via PCR result Sunday) so I put the pickup details down as my partner (as I was unwell and she wasn't). Anyway, by the time she got home that day (Saturday), she was unwell - so she also couldn't pick the order up either.

I get a text this morning from First Choice stating - you need to pick up your order or it'll get cancelled and refunded. Fair enough.
I go during my lunch break at work to pick the order up (with my phone/invoice/ID etc), except the person at the counter says I can't because its there policy that only the person listed as 'who is going to pick up your order' can pick up the order and collect online.
So despite me having an invoice, with my name present as placing the order (and her name on it to say that she's to pick up the order), as well as billing details and evidence that we live together - I can't pick up the order.
I'm basically like "really??". They're like, "yep…. except you can call head office and they can change it over".

I then call head office (while waiting to the side of the counter), explain the situation, change the order details so that my names under the pickup and person on the phone says "all sorted, the store will have the updated details in one minute".
I wait about 7 minutes, the guy at the counters like, nup we haven't received any update, I can't give you the order (this is despite him seeing/hearing me call first choice head office up).
I then have to head back to work because my lunch break is essentially over.

I call the store at the end of my shift (8.10pm ish) and one of the guys at the counter who was there during this, says 'yep, I remember.. let me find your details - oh, looks like they're not on our system anymore, they must have cancelled and refunded your order, sorry' (it wasn't this guys fault, he said that it was a very avoidable situation if the person at the counter had just given me my booze (which I had paid for).

I then get home and check my emails to see any notification of this refund/order cancellation or see if the money's in my bank account and there's nothing. This lends me to think either the order isn't cancelled (but it might get cancelled tomorrow) and I could have picked it up tonight or it is cancelled and they just don't communicate it/take a little while to process the refund. Either way, it's not the outcome I wanted - which was my cheap booze!

Thanks for letting me rant.

Food & Grocery

Related Stores

First Choice Liquor
First Choice Liquor

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/06/2022 - 23:17
    +4

    Well I am definitely not going to shop at FCL Ringwood branch if that’s their standard of customer service.

    Ps don’t take it out on the worker, he’s just following the rules as set out by management/head office.

  • kyle on 01/06/2022 - 23:28

    If they did refund and you paid by credit card, you won't see the funds for a couple of days

  • cannibal on 02/06/2022 - 09:04

    Yes, First Choice has a vicious pick up policy - within 5 days and can't call them up to extend it, my store says their computer system automatically cancels the order after 5 days.

  • chrisn26 on 02/06/2022 - 09:47
    -1

    Morale of this story is to not drink alcohol!

  • dtc on 02/06/2022 - 09:49
    +2

    Its funny how when people come up against security requirements that cause them inconvenience (such as only the person nominated as the pick up can do the pick up) they rant; but when they go to do a pick up and discover some random person has been able to pick up their order and run off with it they….rant.

    FCL dont run big stores with lots of stock, if they are putting 10s or 100s of order aside for collection and no one is collecting them, its a practical issue. if your order is cancelled you can just go into the store and put everything in a basket yourself, like we used to do in the old days of, say, 3 years ago

    • Seraphin7 on 02/06/2022 - 13:02
      +5

      While I agree with your sentiment, I think a far more pragmatic solution is to enable either the person who placed the order OR the nominated person is able to collect (as opposed to some "random person").

      I think it's an entirely reasonable proposition that the person who has placed an order should be able to collect in addition to anyone else they have provided permission to.

    • gnarlyrocks on 02/06/2022 - 16:30
      +1

      I understand the need for security requirements, typically I have no issue for them. In saying that your example shouldn't happen if they check for ID (they also need to know that that order is available - they can't just point to an order behind the desk and be like "that's mine"). My case is particularly obtuse as I placed the order, had proof of purchase and could even verify that the person 'picking up the order' lived at the same address.

      I also came in before the cancellation date to deliberately avoid my order being cancelled. If I missed the date it would have been fair enough

      • cookie2 on 02/06/2022 - 21:56

        Nope the original guy just does know or care how to use brain cells to have resolved a situation that wasn't really that challenging in the scheme of things. Unfortunately some people love finding problems but seem entirely unable to bother trying to find a solution. Those ppl drive me insane. Just do a social media post about it on their FB page or similar.

  • try2bhelpful on 03/06/2022 - 09:13

    It does seem a tad daft. Pity you didn’t have time to ring head office back again. They might’ve sorted this guy out for you.

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