Play.com > Reviews (418)

I see from the statistics that this is a site which has been reviewed many times and not surprisingly considering the items that it sells. I do not see much point in listing every facet, as anyone who has used the net will be able to follow the headings and and Play.com makes changes to its site on a regular basis. So the aim here is to give an overview along with my opinion of the strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully, that will be more helpful in guiding anyone's decision whether to do use this company.

I do feel, however, that it may be of help just to let customers know of my recent experiences with Play.com. If you are familiar with the web site and its features, please feel free to skip to the section regarding service as you may be as surprised as I have been by what has occurred during the last few months.

THE SITE

To reach the site just enter Play.com on google and you will be taken straight to the homepage. On first impressions this looks something of a mess due to the many links to special offers but the range of products is displayed in tab form at the head of the page. Clicking one of these will open up a new screen which will contain new headings for you to narrow down your search. Alternatively, if you know exactly what you want then you can use the search facility on the left. Despite the haphazard appearance of the site, this all self-explanatory.

If browsing by category then navigation is efficient and straight forward, offering a range of choices at each click for you to refine the criteria for your search. However, I have found in the past that looking for a specific product by name can be something of a headache on occasion, as you have to be pretty exact with the title. If not, the site will fail to locate the item you require. This is not always the case but if the title is a little obscure then the search engine does not always pick up on a key word if you cannot name the product in full. In addition to this, general navigation from page to page can be very slow at times.

New features have appeared in the last few years such as the option to buy new and used items at a discount price. This follows on from the format previously adopted by Amazon and is a welcome addition. The same can be said of consumer reviews. It is always reassuring to get the objective opinion of the actual customers on a product. If you are registered with Play.com then anyone can offer a review. However, I have submitted three and none were used which is fair enough but do not expect to have every review published or to receive payment for that matter. The last innovation is the option to buy and use Play.com vouchers. As a customer for several years, this is a very welcome addition and something the site has been crying out for as it offers the sort of products that make ideal gifts.

PRODUCTS

Play.com originally specialized in dvds, cds, books and computer games but has gradually expanded to include mobile phones, gadgets, electronics, PC and clothing. To clarify on two of the vaguer headings, gadgets is basically a collection of novelties and toys such as a 'Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix: deluxe roleplay firebolt broomstick' (!

). How I have got by all these years without one of those, I'l never know. The second category that may need some clarification is electronics. You will be able to purchase digital cameras, dvd players, televisions and the such like, as opposed to white goods; at least thats the case at the time of writing.

The range of products is generally expansive. I have found, however, that the books category is not as comprehensive as other general sites such as Amazon, for example, but for cds, dvds and so forth I have always found the product I require. One useful feature on which play.com should be commended is the menu on the right hand side of each page which clearly lists when new products are going to be available. On other sites these are not grouped together, merely a date under the individual item itself or not even listed at all until the item is actually launched. I have found Play.com's approach very useful as on occasion as it has saved me time looking for something yet to have reached the shops..

REGISTERING YOUR ACCOUNT

Registering is very straightforward and takes little time. Just click on the 'Your Account' tab and the site will guide you through. You will end up with a sign on that is based on your e-mail address, so easy to recall, along with a password. You will naturally have to provide your address and preferred method of payment. The whole process takes no more than five minutes. As this is a secure site then there is no need to be concerned about inputting your card details.

Once you have purchased a few items then your order history will be available under 'Your Account'. This will be updated through each part of the ordering process to let you know the transaction is being dealt with. You will be informed both by e-mail and by the account history as to the status of your order. This is a fairly standard procedure on most sites but something to be commended anyway. There is more to this information and your options regarding orders but I will be dealing with this shortly.

VALUE

Play.com has always been more than competitive in this area. I have found that their prices are often lower than their rivals on the web and certainly cheaper than their competitors on the High Street. With the bonus of no payment for delivery the savings are even greater. Furthermore, as you will see from any of their pages, promotions are ongoing. The company regularly has very large sales in addition to the continuous offers displayed on the site.

At this point it may be worth mentioning a helpful feature which is not always the case with rival sites and that is the fact that your basket is always visible on the left hand side of the screen. With no hidden costs such as VAT and postage, you can keep track of exactly how much you will be paying in total whilst shopping, without having to exit the page you are currently viewing.

SERVICE

I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I have come to expect shoddy service when ordering anything in this country. To get the required item undamaged and on time is an increasing rarity.

Play.com have always stood out as exceptional for their reliability in this regard. I have used this company for a very long time and have never had any problem whatsoever. Well, I never HAD any problem..

At the end of 2007 I was given some Play.com e-vouchers. I proceeded to place an order which comprised two items. The first arrived within the usual three to five days. However, the second item did not. Looking on my account I saw that both products had been posted on the same day. I tried to find an e-mail address to contact the company but all that was listed was a telephone number. I also noted that parcels could not be traced before twenty one days after the date of postage (so that Play.com could 'investigate'). This is fair enough as these items are not delivered by courier but posted.

After twenty one days had expired, the item had not arrived. I reported this online under 'My Account' and the voucher was credited within half an hour. The speed of the remuneration was impressive but also made me think that little investigation had been required so maybe the item was not posted in the first place. As their service had previously been so good, I re-ordered. Unfortunately the same thing happened and I never received the product. Again I had to wait twenty one days before reporting the error. As with before, I was reimbursed very swiftly on the voucher. When I had not received my goods within two weeks on my third attempt at placing the order, my patience snapped somewhat.

I tried to telephone Play.com but could not get through. While an e-mail address is of course twenty four hour (but they do not have one), unfortunately their phone lines are restricted to office hours. Eventually I was able to find time to try again. Everything was explained to the operator who made no effort to hide his complete disinterest and obviously had not listened to anything I said. I repeated myself and explained that I wanted the credit card used to buy the original vouchers refunded as Play.com had been paid for something they were not providing. What was the point of them crediting the vouchers when they were not sending the order? Although at this stage I was still being very polite, I was curtly told to wait until the end of the twenty one day period and the phone was put down on me.

Needless to say that by the twenty first day again nothing had arrived. I will not go through the whole performance, suffice to say that after two more phone calls with equally rude customer service representatives, little enthusiasm had been offered to resolve the issue. It was their manner rather than the actual cost of the sale that antagonised me to pursue this matter. I wrote to the managers twice and got no response. Half-hearted promises from the CSA's on the telephone that someone would e-mail me also proved empty. Two and a half months after the initial order was placed, I made one last phone call only to be greeted by the same apathy. At the point where he drawled "What do you want us to do?"

, I told the CSA he could "shove it up his ass". Pointless but it made me feel better. I have not used Play.com since and will not use them again. I do not mind the errors, it was the attitude and I for one am tired of this approach from sloppy companies in 'Rip Off Britain'. A pretence of apology would have softened my view but there was just absolutely no interest whatsoever right from the start.

It seems that Play.com have caught the same disease that befalls many a company. When they start, every effort is made to provide a service of quality. Once the company starts achieving success, standards slip and the first to go is the reliability.

SO...

The Pros

- Extensive range of products particularly with regard to dvd's
- Much more clairty than Amazon and other online retailers of this nature in terms of the site's organisation.
- Competitive prices.
- Free Postage.
- Regular Sales
- Expensive purchases are sent recorded delivery.

The Cons

- Contacting Play.com could be made a lot easier.
- Once contacted their 'bedside manner' leaves a lot to be desired.
- The sales often contain poor titles that very few people would consider buying and are obviously to shift unsold stock.

Up to the latest series of events I thought Play.com was one of the best companies I had ever dealt with. Price, choice and service surpassed their rivals and for those who have experienced them at their best I would not dissuade you from continuing to patronise their site. But I would hope this review has provided a warning of what their after sales service is like should something go awry. Value or not I would rather pay one or two pounds more to get the item I ordered. I would dearly like to recommend the site on previous experience but I cannot which is a real shame. There is no point in having choice and value if you cannot trust the company to deliver the item for which you have paid.