Harvey Norman review: Online purchase of computer.

On Sat 16th September 2023 I bought online a Lenovo AIO 3 computer for $998 to be sent to HN Kotara for collection by me.

At the online payment point it stated that the computer was not yet in stock but soon would be and that HN Kotara would telephone me when I could collect the item.

Sunday 17th, Norman Harvey Kotara informed me by telephone that they were unable to supply me with the Product. My option was a refund or part payment towards purchase of another Product available in their Store.

I went to the online advertisement and it was still active.

On Monday 18th I went online and the advertisement was still active. I sent you an email at 13:03 asking why the product was still selling online if I could not be supplied with it.

I again went back online to the advertisement later and found the advertisement still active but that under the Terms and Conditions, the offer had expired on 18-9-23 at 11:59. ( One minute after your refund confirmation order).

On the same day I received an email informing me that a refund had been ordered and that my bank account would be credited at the latest within 3 days.

I repeated my right to have you meet your obligations and supply me with the product I paid for, adding that if for any reason you are unable to do so, I will accept a replacement product with the precisely exact same specifications , or better, at the same price.

Wed, 20 Sept at 09:24 I received the following email:

Hi ​There,

​

Thank you for shopping with Harvey Norman Online. I hope you're well.

In regards to your online order number - #[protected], unfortunately the fulfilment store has informed us that the product you have ordered: Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 23.8-inch i5-1240P/8GB/512GB SSD All in One Desktop SKU: F0GH0008AU, is out of stock and cannot be back-ordered from the supplier.

We sincerely apologise for the delay in contacting you in regards to this as we have been trying to source this stock for you and have unfortunately been unsuccessful. We are very sorry for this it is certainly not in our practice to advertise out-of-stock goods.

A refund has been processed back to your original payment method. You have also been sent a credit memo via email confirming this. The funds can take up to three business days to appear back in your account, but no longer.

We apologise again for any inconvenience caused by this.

Kind Regards

 

Amy | Harvey Norman Online Customer First 

 

Harvey Norman Online Marketplace

The eComm Store  ACN [protected]

Postal: Locked Bag 2 Silverwater BC NSW 1811 

Website: www.harveynorman.com.au

Contact Us: https://www.harveynorman.com.au/contact-us

I replied to Amy as follows.

Dear Amy,

thank you for your email of 20-9-23 at 09:24.

I do not know what Department you represent, or what your position is within that Department.

“Online Customer First” is too nebulous.

I will assume you are in Customer Relations and that you have some Authority within that Department.

Your statements as to why I cannot have what I paid for confuse me. I will explain why that is so.

1. The fulfilment store is out of stock and cannot back-order

2. You have been trying to find a source to supply me with what I paid for but without success.

3. It is not your practice to advertise out-of-stock products.

My response:

1. If I accept that, what I found online today 20-9-23 contradicts you. The same Product I bought on 16-9-23 is Advertised precisely as before; the only change is the price now $1299.00.

2. You emailed me that you would refund me (against my will) on Monday 18-9-23 at 11:58. It appeared in my bank account on Monday 18-9-23 at 12:00 hrs. That transaction took 2 minutes, never mind 3 days!

So all the searching for the Product I had bought was over by that time? Wow, thanks for the supreme effort and great lengths you went on my behalf.

3. If the Product is unavailable, your search efforts on my behalf having established that, you are indeed ,at present, Advertising something you do not have and will never have. (no back-order, remember?).

It is obvious that right from Sunday at 11.02 hrs. you did everything possible to get out of supplying me with the Product at the Advertised Price.

What I cannot fathom is why a Billion Dollar Company will go to such lengths to attempt to save itself $300.00

I will repeat my demand again: I want what I bought and paid for, in good faith, the Product advertised online (which is still advertised online but at a higher price).

If I do not get a favourable reply by the end of Thursday 21-9-23 I will take further action.

You may want to involve Public Relations before we reach that point.

Yours sincerely,

T.J. van der Zanden (Hans)

I have had no further communication. Please note that I incorrectly stated my bank showed refund on 18-9 at 12:00. It was on the 20th at 12:00. My apologies for my sarcasm

View 0 more photos