Hello there and thanks for taking time to look at my account. My name's Nicky and I am enjoying shar...
Hello there and thanks for taking time to look at my account. My name's Nicky and I am enjoying sharing experiences and advice, and learning of other's experiences in hope of making life easier in the future!
Member since:16.03.2001
Reviews:18
Members who trust:3
Comet - good brands of all types of electrical appliances at reasonable prices. I give Comet this much credit, but a word of warning is do not opt for their interest free credit schemes available on most major appliances, unless you really have to.
The credit option is run through Time Retail Finance (TRF), as a subsidiary of the Kingfisher Group that owns Comet.
Interest free should read more like this;
Interest free*
*As long as you can actually get hold of Time Retail Finance before the date which the balance has to be due to avoid them piling on 24.9% APR interest. (The company supplied no contact telephone number, Comet store had the wrong telephone number)
*As long as you realise that despite what TRF tell you, the balance has to clear ten days, yes ten days, before the actual balance settlement deadline date, or else the interest is yours to pay.
*As long as you realise that you cannot clear the balance with a credit card, but only with a Switch or Delta.
I bought a new Zanussi washing machine at £350 for my new flat in my 3rd year of university and thought that the interest free option was an excellent idea. There was no point in buying a cheap one, just to buy an expensive one in a few years time, but as a student, I could not afford it all at once. I took 9 months interest free with minimal monthly payments.
I was lucky that I saw the Watchdog reports on television about TRF suddenly putting 6 or 9 months, or however long the interest free period is, worth of interest straight onto people's accounts when they did not pay ten days before the settlement date. I asked Comet for a phone number for TRF. They gave me the wrong number, saying it was the only one they had listed. I chased Kingfisher for a number. It took them a week, and after much complaining on my part, TRF called me and gave me a direct number for themselves.
I established exactly what they wanted from me over the phone. They told me as long as I paid the balance by the deadline, there would be no interest. I then received a letter in the post confirming the remaining money owed, except in small writing, it stated that payment had to be cleared ten days before the deadline.
Because I would not be paid before the end of the month a week before the deadline, and I knew had to clear it ten days before, I decided to pay with my credit card. I called to settle the balance over the phone advising them the payment was with Mastercard. The member of staff inputted the card number four times, telling me that it was coming up invalid. Bemused, I asked her to try my Visa instead. She inputted the number three times. It also came up invalid. Then, and only then, she told me that I could only pay with a switch or delta card, depite myself telling her the card type was MC/Visa each time she inputted the numbers.
Time was running out before the interest of about £150+ was mine to pay! I managed to transfer credit card advanced cash to my current account in time to pay the balance then replenished the credit card when I was paid a week later. The money went through just in time, but it was a near miss.
Their advertising for credit is very attractive, but there's a different story at the end of the time period. Those ten days, depending on where they lie in the month, could mean the difference between managing to pay the balance on time, or not. I had had it planned for the previous eight months, and it would have been fine, but Comet, what are you playing at?
I've learnt my lesson now, and I will never buy anything on credit again. I don't trust the companies. I would rather pay outright at the start than go through this race to pay on time again. TRF lie through ommission of details, and whilst this is not Comet's fault, Comet still endorse the options, lead people down the garden path and don't appear to know much about their own finance company. They didn't even have the correct telephone number. In my opinion, they're as bad as each other!
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brilliant op - very informative - i havnt got anything from currys on credit - and now i never shall!!!! thanks for the warning
daseaford 10.06.2001 10:09
I have never liked Comet, so this just sounds like another reason to avoid them.
gander 01.06.2001 20:37
I bought my computer on 1 year's Interest free credit from Comet, and I intend to pay the month before just in case there are any problems, This makes me doubly glad that I am going to. I also bought insurance for my computer which should be refunded after 5 years, but didn't receive my certificate of insurance until about 4 weeks after the deadline that I had to register this certificate with them so that I would qualify for it, however as the envelope was dated two days before I received the certificate I think that they have allowed me to register for the refund. Good op and something which others will have to keep in mind. I think that it is a ploy by TRF to get lots of interest from the customers, but they forget that the customers might not return.
Advantages: They have a good collection of products with staff that are ready to attend immediately. Disadvantages: Do not trust the price promise and some staff lack information on the product specification
poovakode 06.12.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Currys (Shop)
May 29th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
