Complaint Review: Epson UK

I was mugged by Epson!

Promotional offer – free 4star hotel stay when you buy Epson XP-520 printer.

This seemed a good offer, so I took it up.  I did wonder about it being a redemption offer (send off details to get a voucher)…but Epson are a big brand, I didn’t think they’d act unscrupulously like many who have appeared on the RipOff site.

I was wrong…they’re worse.

Their offer which is still current is… “Buy Epson XP-520 and receive a free 4 star hotel night away”.   The on-site promotion material in Currys and the promotion paperwork Currys hand to you at checkout say apply within 14 days, with proof of purchase.

I bought the printer, sent them the paperwork, the proof of purchase, I entered the UNIQUE serial number off the machine, and completed it all with 6 days to spare (being careful to ensure I beat the 14 day time limit to claim, which was written in bold lettering on my Curry’s till receipt)

Epson replied with a curt message that said I did not qualify for the promotions because I had not cut off the bar code from the packaging and returned it. 

I pointed out they didn’t ask for this when I bought the printer?
They didn’t add this to the printed directions Currys gave me?
And that I had done what people usually did with the box the printer came in…I’d thrown it out (recycled)    

Epson said…it’s in the Terms & Conditions, you cannot claim without the bar code.  You must cut this off the packaging and return it to us.

I asked the promotion help line staff why they didn’t say this in their directions, the one’s Currys printed at the till for me? 
I asked why they didn’t say this on any of the store promotional material? 

Epson customer support were only able to offer the explanation “Computer says NO!” offering no additional explanation.  (Was the bar code secretly printed in gold leaf?)

This reminded me of the following excerpt from “The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.  Situation: Arthur Dents house is about to be demolished by Mr Prossers diggers:

MISTER PROSSER:
But Mister Dent the plans have been available in the planning office for the last nine months!

ARTHUR DENT:
Yes! I went round to find them yesterday afternoon. You'd hadn't exactly gone out of your way to pull much attention to them have you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything.

MISTER PROSSER:
The plans were on display.

ARTHUR DENT:
Ah! And how many members of the public are in the habit of casually dropping around the local planning office of an evening?

MISTER PROSSER:
Er - ah!

ARTHUR DENT:
It's not exactly a noted social venue is it? And even if you had popped in on the off chance that some raving bureaucrat wanted to knock your house down, the plans weren't immediately obvious to the eye were they?

MISTER PROSSER:
That depends where you were looking.

ARTHUR DENT:
I eventually had to go down to the cellar!

MISTER PROSSER:
That's the display department.

ARTHUR DENT:
With a torch!

MISTER PROSSER:
The lights, had… probably gone.

ARTHUR DENT:
So had the stairs!

MISTER PROSSER:
Well you found the notice didn't you?

ARTHUR DENT:
Yes. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”

In conclusion, Epson think they are being very clever, they are “air tight” because they’ve contracted themselves out of any responsibility by concealing detail within their Terms & Conditions.   I’ll admit they weren’t in a locked filing cabinet, and there were no signs saying “beware of the Tiger”…but they gave me NO reason to consider retaining their packaging and my crystal ball must have been having the day off.   

I’ve tried hard to understand the value of the “bar code” they so badly need and I’ve arrived at the only conclusion I think anyone can…they don’t want to give me a free hotel night… and

...they never did.  (sad face)     

Worse still, Epson are now waving two fingers at me saying it’s in the Terms and Conditions, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
They’re treating this like they won a game called “Screw the Consumer”.  

So yesterday created a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority, and today I joined RipOff report today to demonstrate to Epson that whatever they think, it’s actually the Customer that is King. 

I will get out my tent and go camping…and I hope to enjoy it, maybe even more than their virtual hotel room offer?

But I will not walk away from this feeling like I’ve been mugged!

Big brands like Epson stand to lose more through consumer sites like this and they need to be made to understand that hiding behind concealed small print is a lie and a con whether their legal team says its ok or not!   

Never ever again Epson.  I hope this story flourishes and David shows Goliath again that size and power do not entitle the business to bully the consumer in this way…in my book this was tantamount to theft.