Feb 22
to feedback, bcc: Rangan, bcc: Rangan
Attention customer Service department
Home Town,
Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd.
Reference: Advance Receipt # 2087010879 dated 19.12.2011, 2087010885
dated 15.10.2011 and 2087010889 dated 15.10.2011
Yet another victim here. Initially I thought I am the only affected
party considering that Home Town is run by Future Group, so called
well reputed organization. Now I realize that they have named "Future"
for an obvious reason..like the idiom - "Tomorrow never
comes"...Future too never does as far as they are concerned" because
it is always present and there will not be delivery in future!! This
message from me is based on various complaints made at various
Consumer Grievance sites!
My story.....In total, we bought items worth Rs. 2 lac approximately
from Home Town including Modular Kitchen cabinets, the Shower
enclosures & Bedroom wardrobe. This purchase was done at Bangalore
Central JP Nagar on 15/10/2011.
As far as Shower enclosures are concerned, at the time of placing an
order, we clearly told the Sales Man that the same are required for 2
different locations. Without any second thought, the Sales man was
nice in nodding the head & booked the order. Subsequently noted down
both the addresses & promised to deliver accordingly. To our shock &
dismay, all the enclosures were dumped at one location & the same was
brought to their notice over phone the same day. They apologized &
assured to pick up the same & installed two of the enclosures at the
second address. Till date, it has not happened despite my personal
visit during December 2011. I again visited on Feb 21, 2012 & spoke to
one Mr. Fahadur Rehman Khan, the customtakeouter service Manager, who sounded
courteous & even called back promptly the next day but the delivery
part is still a mystery. Even the Bedroom wardrobe has been dumped at
a different location, yet to be resolved.
The other major issue is with Modular Kitchen: On 15.10.2011, after
browsing through their Modular kitchen department, based on their
wonderful selling skills of the Sales Manager, I think Yuvraj or
Yogaraj, I opted for a open display model of so called an imported
Italian kitchen. He requested me to make a payment of Rs. 1000/- which
to be adjusted on the sale enabling their estimation team to visit the
location to ensure if the Kitchen can take the display model with no
changes. Promptly the team visited, took necessary measurements and
called us the subsequent day to show the 3D animation to give us an
idea, how it would look. They even mentioned that since the Granite
slab was already placed by the builder, the same had to be removed at
our cost & after installing the Modular Kitchen, the granite could be
placed back by their team. We had no objection for that & agreed
without debating! They were totally convinced that no other changes
were required but one of the Glass Modular cabinets can only be placed
elsewhere but not in the kitchen due to space constraint, we agreed
for that too as we liked the piece a lot by the looks of it!
Subsequently their sales team vigorously followed up for balance
payment enabling them to deliver/install the Kitchen Cabinets. We made
Rs. 1.20 lac payment as on 19.12.2011 & they had assured to
deliver/install latest by end of December, which was fine with us. To
our surprise, one of Home town delivery representatives contacted
couple of days later stating that he needs to take final measurements
before installing. I accompanied him at the site & he looked a little
surprised & repeatedly took measurements & being a layman, I was
concerned as to what was happening and asked him. Hesitantly he told
that one of the Sales/Delivery team would contact us after he goes
back with his report. Out of curiosity, I requested him to tell me his
observations. He was kind enough in telling me, though to my shock &
dismay that the Granite slab cannot be reused considering their
Modular kitchen cabinet size & also to the back panel of the wall, we
either had to get re-plastered or get it leveled with a
Plywood+laminate. I was taken aback to hear that because the structure
& even the granite was very much the same when Hometown people had
visited the first time before taking the order confirmation! If they
had mentioned before accepting my final payment, I would have probably
decided to take something , which fits our place instead of losing the
granite & redoing the structure part. However I waited for them to
revert with their inputs. Till 21 February 2012, not even a soul from
Home Town had contacted, anyways they had received full money! Shame
on them, even if they revert now, I have no confidence in accepting
their product & service, Rajeev_Vermacially after I read all the negatives
other customtakeouters have faced with Home Town. Also I am not interested in
spending further to get the Modular Kitchen fitted. Now I have
insisted that I get the refund with interest, if not I would go to the
Consumer court. For sure, I have decided not to accept their delivery
after all the experience & trauma, we have gone through!
Rangalakshmi & Nagesh 9972 000069 . nagesh.srini@gmail.com
NAGESH SRINIVASGOPAL
10:40 PM (0 minutes ago)
to Rangan, yuvaraj, feedback
Its an absolute shame that supposedly a major brand like Pantaloon
Retail / Future Group / Home Town taking loyal customtakeouters like us for
a ride. Not considering various visits & phone calls made for Refund
in this regard. Everytime, I call Hometown, the representative Yuvaraj
S.P. keeps giving me one reason or the other including the refund
being processed & I should be expecting the payment anytime. One of
the recent excuses was that he could not revert back because his wife
not keeping well. I am wondering, if we as customtakeouters should be only
dependent on the individuals or a group/management acting on it client
concerns?
If we do not receive the complete refund, interest & penalty for all
the trauma by April 20, 2012. You shall see the consequence in facing
us in consumer court & all the consumer forums will have my posting
about Pantaloon’s atrocities on good customtakeouters like us!
We are not going to hear any more excuses but would like to have the
refund & required penalties including bank rate of interest for the
delay!
Rangalakshmi & Nagesh