Returned item not picked up and no refund even after more than 1 month.
I placed an online order for a Samsung washing machine from reliance digital(RD) but the delivered product did not have all the features as advertised on the website(both RD and Samsung websites have false advertising) even though the model number matched.
So, when I refused to accept the product, the installation technician took all the pictures and proofs of the mismatch and returned saying he will convey the issue and I will hear back from them on the next steps.
It took them 7 full days just to confirm whether I will get a replacement with all the features as advertised or whether I’ll get a refund, that too after a lot of follow-ups. Meanwhile, I missed all the good festive offers that were going on.
Finally, after 7 days they admitted the mismatch and offered two options - keep the same product and get an Rs.1000 coupon as a gesture of goodwill to buy any product at RD or return the product and get a refund. I didn’t even have second thoughts - there was no way I would ever want to buy anything from RD, now or in the future. Not so much because of the product mismatch/wrong advertising, I understand mistakes do happen(Samsung is the bigger culprit here. They have false info on their own website. RD is just a vendor). But mainly because of their attitude towards customers - one of the worst customer services).
So the return request was finally approved. An achievement in itself for me! Well, it turns out that was not it. Their worst was yet to come!
In the return approval email it was mentioned that the item will be picked up within 7 business days and after that refund will be processed. Fair enough. So I patiently wait for more than 7 days and then start following up on it. It’s been over 1 month since the return was approved and the item is yet to be picked in spite of constant follow up. Don’t even get me started on the customer service! Let me just summarize in a couple of lines. Email - all you get is a template-based robotic auto-reply(including from their level 1 escalation - service head), nothing else. Call - their representatives have the audacity to simply hang up on you when questioned, sometimes after putting you on hold!
I mean, RD, how bad can you get? Do you guys have any shame at all? What language do you understand? I know that getting you to pick up the item is not even the last hurdle. I have to still get the refund also after that. I wonder whether the refund will be processed within my lifetime. Is there a way I can declare a nominee for the refund, just in case the refund takes a "little longer"?