Central ruined my day today

[sundrenched]

I bought some electrical appliances online. I just moved here, so it wasn't a small amount either. Yesterday someone called to schedule home delivery and we agreed on today. First she said she couldn't give a time, but when I probed she said it would be in the afternoon. That's service failure one right there. If she knew it would be in the afternoon, why tell me to be home all day?

Now, I've been twiddling my thumbs in my apartment all day, not even stepping outside to buy food, until I decided to call them at 7pm. After checking, it turned out there was a problem with the payment (sounds like BS because we agreed cash on delivery), and could we please reschedule for tomorrow. Well, hell no. Of course there was no answer why they didn't call me to reschedule the delivery earlier if there was indeed a problem.

Baaaaad service, will buy my stuff elsewhere.

Just needed to vent, and say I can't recommend Central at all.

To be more constructive, are all shops like that, or should I just go buy everything in the shop?

[sustento]

"I just moved here"

You have much to learn grasshopper...

[10Yen]

To be more constructive, are all shops like that, or should I just go buy everything in the shop?

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If you were Thai you would have had the delivery at the right time, Thai folk don't like us and don't wan't us here, I learnt that since joining ThaiVisa.

I never felt that way in the previous 20+ years of living here, but now I see the light, stick around, you'll learn too.

[Hedghog]

Never heard of cash on delivery in Thailand.

Always cash upfront.

[sundrenched]

Never heard of cash on delivery in Thailand.

Always cash upfront.

It's one of the options on their website. It's strange indeed as this leaves them open to all kinds of abuse, but I didn't think much of it. Maybe that was the problem, but they could have just called. I have to give True credit for at least calling to reschedule to connect my wifi.

[Tywais]

"I just moved here"

You have much to learn grasshopper...

Pretty common occurrence from my experience and not just from them. I always plan on wasting a whole day regardless of what time they tell me they will show. One time, they said delivery would be at 2:00PM and they arrived at 10:00AM. It would have been a problem if I decided to go to work that morning and come back just before 2.

[Briggsy]

Go to the shop. Examine the goods thoroughly. Pay for goods. See them boxed. Then let shop deliver if bulky.

Online shopping does not work well in Thailand. Vendor does not trust customer. Customer does not trust vendor. Both with good reason. My few online shopping experiences here have not been good.

Remember you are not in the West now. Go to the shop. Examine goods thoroughly. Preferably pay in cash.

This advice will serve you well.

[Prbkk]

Thailand has many problems in the management of retail and services. However, in my experience delivery is not one of them...usually remarkably well handled. You have had bad luck.

[harrry]

I think you may have to learn to breath deeply and relax and go with the flow. Central is without doubt the most reliable of the online dealers that you will find in Thailand. Yes they do allow COD.

THey also give better warrantee service than many others.

Slow down and smell the Jasmine....(was going to say roses but they are only sold in bars.)

[taotoo]

So it all went pretty much the way it often does in your home country then?

[NancyL]

OP doesn't say where he lives, but we've found Central to be extremely reliable with regard to both delivery and service of appliances. They may not always be the cheapest, but we prefer to shop for appliances from them vs. other options because of their reliability.

We live very close to Central-Kad Suan Kaew Chiang Mai. Normally, we select an appliance at that store, pay for it with a Visa-card issued by our U.S. credit union -- so if there's a problem we have recourse, unlike you have when you pay with cash or a Thai credit card. Then, if the appliance is too big for us to carry, Central loads it on a hand cart and walks it out of the mall, down the sidewalk, into our condo, with us leading the way. Then they set it up exactly where we want it. Easy peasy.

Once a year we go to Bangkok and buy sheets and towels at Central Chidlom, which has a much better selection of high end "white" goods than in Chiang Mai. There, we charge the purchase to our Visa card and ask for delivery to our hotel at a certain time. Again, no problem, although this year, the delivery guy was walking down Suk carrying our package, right past our hotel lobby. Good thing we were having drinks in the lobby bar and Hubby was able to run down the street after him, because he'd already called once, having gone to the wrong hotel.

Edited January 28, 2014 by NancyL

[MESmith]

Never heard of cash on delivery in Thailand.

Always cash upfront.

Try Lazada.co.th

cash on delivery.

If you don't like it, full refund including return ems

[damrong kraithat]

Its not just thailand this happen!! Its just as bad in the uk!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[jackr]

Welcome to Thailand.

Actually, rarely had this problem, and mostly get excellent service from the bigger stores in fact. The one time, Global in CM forgot to include a couple bags cement and so sent the big truck out (no other vehicles available) direct, about 25kms, with nothing other than the two bags on the back of this huge flatbed. Unbelievable!

Edited January 28, 2014 by jackr

[peterb17]

I think you have been very unlucky, I renovated my condo in Jomtien and dealt with at least a dozen stores- Index, Homeworks etc etc.

Everything from furniture, TVs, sinks, taps, tiles arrived exactly when they said they would.

Compared to the UK the service here is brilliant- granite cut, polished and installed within 3 days. Curtains made to measure- ready in 3 days.

It took 3 months to order curtains for my London apartment from a very well known retailer.

Needed a few more tiles- sent from branch in Bangkok - available next day.

So don't be put off- personally I found the major stores to be excellent.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[arthurwait]

"I just moved here"

You have much to learn grasshopper...

Beat me to it.

Welcome to the real Thailand.

[sundrenched]

Thanks, I'll give it one more shot as I need some heavy/bulky stuff, but with lazada or some other place. I just don't feel like spending my money with Central anymore. I'm in central Bangkok by the way (Sukhumvit), not somewhere way out.

By the way, this is the sixth country where I live (4 in "the West", Singapore and now Thailand), and they'd always give me a reasonable time window. I've never been told it could be any time in the day without a time window at all. In Singapore they'd often SMS to ensure you're home and give you a half hour advance notice. That said, I'm still loving it here and the big things that matter to me are much better here than in Singapore. Couldn't wait to get out of that place, but that's for another thread.

Edited January 28, 2014 by sundrenched

[wym]

Do please throw out ANY expectations you may have about what is normal from Singapore and the west.

If ANYTHING goes like you think it should, be grateful and surprised.

If you value your time and get upset by delay you won't enjoy yourself here at all.

Just relax, have a plan B to enjoy yourself while you're waiting, mai bpen rai, punctuality is unheard of hear, they think the whole concept of "farang time" making appointments etc is bonkers.

[LaraC]

"Time time" doesnt just mean late..it sometimes means never.
Time just isnt respected sadly, and other peoples time has no value whatsoever.

[HooHaa]

i let the maid wait for them.

i have also found that pretty much everything i have ordered has arrived on time.

Edited January 28, 2014 by HooHaa

[wym]

i let the maid wait for them.

I can imagine all kinds of disastrous scenarios with that, unless yours is cleverer and more assertive than any I've had. . .

Best way is to just forget about the whole concept that time is something that can be "wasted".

Arrange things so that you have things to do that you really enjoy while you're waiting, not that hard to do here in the LoS.

[fifthcolumn]

Central? Central is/are the name of many malls througout bkk and Thailand. Within the malls there are many shops that sell appliances from Robinson's to Powerbuy. Confused.

No way a driver is going to be allowed to accept 30k in cash for a truck load of appliances. Hahaa.

[mca]

"I just moved here"

You have much to learn grasshopper...

Pretty common occurrence from my experience and not just from them.

My best one was with TOT. I'd arranged a new internet connection to be set up. Their highest speed package. I was told the engineer will come Monday. Never turned up. Gave them a call and he'll come Tuesday. Never turned up. As I was slightly "miffed" shall we say I got my wife to call them rather than me possibly losing it and having a go at some poor call centre girl who wasn't at fault. They assured me that he'd be there Wednesday. He came on time! No I'm kidding he never turned up. My wife called them again. Apparently they'd checked, couldn't meet the speed I'd requested and, rather than calling and saying they couldn't match the speed and would I accept a slower speed, cancelled the job without informing me.

<deleted>

Edited January 29, 2014 by mca

[wym]

Central Dept store is the anchor of the mall by the same name. They do sell white goods.

Robinsons do not rent from Central

[harrry]

Central? Central is/are the name of many malls througout bkk and Thailand. Within the malls there are many shops that sell appliances from Robinson's to Powerbuy. Confused.

No way a driver is going to be allowed to accept 30k in cash for a truck load of appliances. Hahaa.

Do you live in Thailand? Have you ever been here. Central is one of the largest retailing companies in thailand and operates from large malls which it owns. It has the Robinson and Central stores, Powerbuy Tops and BTS as well as many smaller brands. Go to their website and you will find they in fact do operate online too and do accept COD. THey also operate and own numerous resorts,

A trip to the corportate website will indicate this along with the fact that they are in a Joint Venture with Casino which owns BigC a fact I did not know till now. They seem to have the retail trade all tied up especially as bigC now owns Makro.

Edited January 29, 2014 by harrry

[celso]

Talking about central Zen? Or Who? There are several electronics shops there. I tried to get delivery with Zen, but they wouldn't do it unless I spent over 5000 baht. Even when I offered to pay for delivery myself... so I said ok bye bye, and went elsewhere.

Personally I've used Powerbuy and had some stuff delivered, and the service was excellent.

Edited January 29, 2014 by celso

[billSMITH]

Go to the shop. Examine the goods thoroughly. Pay for goods. See them boxed. Then let shop deliver if bulky.

Online shopping does not work well in Thailand. Vendor does not trust customer. Customer does not trust vendor. Both with good reason. My few online shopping experiences here have not been good.

Remember you are not in the West now. Go to the shop. Examine goods thoroughly. Preferably pay in cash.

This advice will serve you well.

Does this applies to girls too...............lol.

[Mrjlh]

Someone simply explain to the newbie he's now in Thailand. Therefore, he is on "Thai time". When they say tomorrow, maybe they show up, maybe they don't. Just learn to go with the flow and not get all upset. You get upset when they don't show up ...at ALL. And when you get upset...you smile a lot as you slowly simmer to a low boil. It's the Thai way. Can't accept that?....better be on the next plane home because that's just the way it is.

[harrry]

Central? Central is/are the name of many malls througout bkk and Thailand. Within the malls there are many shops that sell appliances from Robinson's to Powerbuy. Confused.

No way a driver is going to be allowed to accept 30k in cash for a truck load of appliances. Hahaa.

Do you live in Thailand? Have you ever been here. Central is one of the largest retailing companies in thailand and operates from large malls which it owns. It has the Robinson and Central stores, Powerbuy Tops and BTS as well as many smaller brands. Go to their website and you will find they in fact do operate online too and do accept COD. THey also operate and own numerous resorts,

A trip to the corportate website will indicate this along with the fact that they are in a Joint Venture with Casino which owns BigC a fact I did not know till now. They seem to have the retail trade all tied up especially as bigC now owns Makro.

Correction it is not BigC that owns Makro now it is CP

[kirstymelb101]

SoOn you will be immune to this sorta thing believe me.

One of many more problems to come.

Welcome to the land of SMILES ^^,