What wrong with Powerbuy?

[ricklev]

They have an English website seemingly dedicated to explaining what a great consumer oriented company they are but they don't answer their phone, email, or Facebook messages.  A simple question like are you going to deliver my order and when goes unanswered.

Edited July 6, 2019 by ricklev

[CharlieH]

Quite possibly not all staff have English reading / writing ability and the messages are passed over.

[petemoss]

When I first moved to Thailand I bought a TV from them. The assistant blatantly lied about the specification of the TV.

 

A few days ago, I went there to do a price comparison for a new TV that I'm interested in buying. Lazada way cheaper for the same TV.

[beau thai]

In my experience their website and customer service sucks. Bought a water heater advertised as free instal- no sir, 1100 baht instal. website wrong. doh! As I explained it was just a replacement so easy job. Got it done for 200.

[CGW]

Powerbuy part of the Central group, why would they have to give good service when they are a "monopoly" if you don't buy from Powerbuy odds are on you will buy from another company in the group, their main selling point is quick credit for Thai's - can't fail! 

[ricklev]

7 minutes ago, CGW said:

Powerbuy part of the Central group, why would they have to give good service when they are a "monopoly" if you don't buy from Powerbuy odds are on you will buy from another company in the group, their main selling point is quick credit for Thai's - can't fail! 

I imagine one of the kids with a fresh  MBA decided to create an online channel that looks like what they learned at university but implementation was the hard part. 

Edited July 6, 2019 by ricklev

[CGW]

4 minutes ago, ricklev said:

I imagine one of the kids with a fresh  MBA decided to create an online channel that looks like what they learned at university but implementation was the hard part. 

Pathetic isn't it, if they were a "stand alone" company they would be out of business in less than a year!

[Tagaa]

I purchased a sub woofer through the web site. I could not get the website to accept my home address as a delivery option. So I called Customer service. On hold forever. Anyway, I opted for in store pickup & was e-mailed a coupon for 200 Bt off my purchase. I tried to enter the code into the appropriate box & it kept coming back as invalid. Called C.S. again...4 or 5 times a day for 5 days...still no one would answer.

 

Finally I selected the option to make a complaint & somebody answered the phone. They never could work out the coupon issue but I needed the sub, so I went ahead & picked it up from the store & forgot about the 200 Bt.

 

Needless to say, I won't be using this website again.

[ricklev]

2 hours ago, Tagaa said:

I purchased a sub woofer through the web site. I could not get the website to accept my home address as a delivery option. So I called Customer service. On hold forever. Anyway, I opted for in store pickup & was e-mailed a coupon for 200 Bt off my purchase. I tried to enter the code into the appropriate box & it kept coming back as invalid. Called C.S. again...4 or 5 times a day for 5 days...still no one would answer.

 

Finally I selected the option to make a complaint & somebody answered the phone. They never could work out the coupon issue but I needed the sub, so I went ahead & picked it up from the store & forgot about the 200 Bt.

 

Needless to say, I won't be using this website again.

I also received a 200 baht off coupon for the first time use, but was not able to use it.  My email went unanswered, but at least they delivered my dryer (ordered COD) on time.  When I asked for a receipt from the delivery guy I was told it would be sent to me within two weeks.  I never got it.  I hope I never have to deal with them about a warranty issue. 

 

My second purchase a week ago was a phone to be picked up and paid for at their Chidlom branch.  Order confirmed but that's all the info I can get about it.  Tracking just says order confirmed but I noticed they removed the phone from the website.

 

I'm just bitching.  Haven't lost anything and just a minor inconvenience.  It's the difference between what they promise and the reality that is annoying.  

Edited July 8, 2019 by ricklev

[josephbloggs]

On 7/6/2019 at 12:55 PM, CGW said:

Powerbuy part of the Central group, why would they have to give good service when they are a "monopoly" if you don't buy from Powerbuy odds are on you will buy from another company in the group, their main selling point is quick credit for Thai's - can't fail! 

They are hardly a monopoly when they compete with the Mall group.    It is a massive rivalry!

 

Not saying that means good service, not contesting the OP's original point, but they are are certainly not a monopoly - it is the biggest commercial rivalry in Thailand.

 

And foreigners benefit from their promotions too - not only Thais, sorry to burst that bubble.

[boonrawdcnx]

They have an English website seemingly dedicated to explaining what a great consumer oriented company they are but they don't answer their phone, email, or Facebook messages.  A simple question like are you going to deliver my order and when goes unanswered.

I have had a terrible experience with them and will never order from them again online!

Pathetic company - had paid in full for an item and only after threatening them with the police the finally delivered the item that was apparently “in transit” from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for 2 months!!!

Just read the comments in their community tab on Facebook - nothing but complaints and almost exclusively from Thai customers!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[VocalNeal]

15 hours ago, ricklev said:

My second purchase a week ago was a phone to be picked up and paid for at their Chidlom branch.

Sorry am I missing something? Why not simply just go to Chidlom and buy it like going to a normal shop? Why complicate it, which only seems to lead to frustration>

[ricklev]

11 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Sorry am I missing something? Why not simply just go to Chidlom and buy it like going to a normal shop? Why complicate it, which only seems to lead to frustration>

It was on sale online for 2000 baht less than the in store price and was supposed to be available for pick up in 2 days. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by ricklev

[VocalNeal]

But you still went to the store? Obviously I'm not as clever?

[ricklev]

6 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

But you still went to the store? Obviously I'm not as clever?

OK. 

[ricklev]

45 minutes ago, boonrawdcnx said:

I have had a terrible experience with them and will never order from them again online!

Pathetic company - had paid in full for an item and only after threatening them with the police the finally delivered the item that was apparently “in transit” from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for 2 months!!!

Just read the comments in their community tab on Facebook - nothing but complaints and almost exclusively from Thai customers!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Wow!  You are right.  I didn't see that before because you have to click on the community tab.  It's literally hundreds of comments of complaint and outrage.  A daily litany of disfunction.  

 

Something must really have gone wrong there.  It would be interesting to learn what.  

Edited July 9, 2019 by ricklev

[Mark1066]

The last time I went to a Powerbuy shop, they went through the usual routine of bugging me constantly as I walked through the TV section then, when I asked about delivery of a TV I wanted to buy, they told me it would take 2 weeks because they were currently conducting a stock take. I gave up and bought a TV from Index instead. They told me it would take 3 days, I said I really wanted it the next day, and they sorted it out for me....much better customer service.

[boonrawdcnx]

Wow!  You are right.  I didn't see that before because you have to click on the community tab.  It's literally hundreds of comments of complaint and outrage.  A daily litany of disfunction.  
 
Something must really have gone wrong there.  It would be interesting to learn what.  

Yes I wish I would have checked out that section before I ordered anything from them!

Anyway things can go wrong but not all the time - and what really pissed me off was nobody seemed to care endlessly trying to contact their “customer service” hotline was not not even once able to get through and usually gave up after 25- 40 minutes wait each time. Their outlet at Central Festival blamed it on Bangkok and just kept telling me maybe next week - maybe next week....



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[lopburi3]

12 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

They are hardly a monopoly when they compete with the Mall group.    It is a massive rivalry!

Not really - Central has been around twice as long and has 10 times the revenue as The Mall.

[Youlike]

The record number of staff surrounding me at Powerbuy was 12!...and none of them could speak english. Will never go back.

[transam]

I bought a printer there a few months back, it was the only one that ticked my boxes, looked at the price, great, was on special offer too...

Went to checkout, spent ages there whilst they were fluffing around with their tech and paperwork. The sales bloke who didn't understand English said to the mrs, there is a mistake over the price, not on special offer..

 

I looked at the guy, told the mrs to tell the bloke to get the manager, no manager, so I looked round for staff who looked like they were in charge...

 

You Manager, I asked...Bor....Manager...Bor....Flush it, I thought, went back to checkout, calmed down, they were taking me for 300bht, hmmmm, the printer is what I want so will swallow it,...Reluctantly..

[WorriedNoodle]

Last time I went to Powerbuy was about 20 years ago, before we had Internet shopping. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

Having similar issues with one of the other big electronic stores at the moment. Ordered online and went to pickup the same day (because customer service told me it’s ready). At the warehouse, two items were missing, and they told me it would get delivered to my place within a few days. I have learned to be jai-yen and mai-pen-rai here, and that normally things would get solved, so I said fine. 
 

Until today I’m still waiting. Several calls and Line conversations didn’t produce any solution. 
 

I also want to return one item using their 7-days-return policy and no one is able to help. My last Line conversation ended with me sending a detailed explanation of my order together with colorful icons indicating which item is ok, which items was not delivered, and which item I want to return, plus photos of the items from the internet together with a text that I put on it saying what to do with what item. Silence. 
 

Does anyone know whether I can cancel the credit card payment over this? I always thought cancelling credit card payments is only for fraudulent activity which isn’t exactly the case here (in fact, I have received most of what I paid before because I picked it up myself). 

[lopburi3]

I bought this model from Shopee six months ago for 6620 and very happy with it.

https://shopee.co.th/Standard-by-Rwc-ลดพิเศษ-ตู้ทำน้ำเย็น-น้ำร้อน-พลาสติก-สีดำเงา-(ไม่ต้องยกถังคว่ำ)-สวย-เท่-ดึงดูดทุกการใช้งาน-i.3732980.1524698276

 

Jugs should be under 100 baht - as below from Lazada - which I bought as a spare.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i2026272494-s6542208481.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1

 

 

 

 

[digbeth]

When they had their home improvement store 'Homeworks' (now Baan and Beyond and not many left) I'd find prices for the same item varied wildly between the Powerbuy attached to Central, Homeworks and stand alone store.. No wonder they lost out to HomePro and close down most branches

 

Nowadays, if you want something from the Central group online, I find JDCentral has best service in delivering, just have to make sure you are not ordering from a seller in China, even then the service is better than anything delivered from any of Central's brick and mortar store