Due South (Sucks)

[hagar]

Training , enthuastic ,motivated staff who are eager to help and make sure that the customers walk out smiling would be a good start !!!

 

who would want to go back after getting lame excuses from people who did not really want to work on a saturday afternoon ????

 

then give you a crap answer and then try and show you its a newer model than that displayed ??? dont even think he knew what a heart rate moniter does !! 

[bored girl]

I have a real problem with shops that don't have prices on their shelves. Last week I wanted to buy something for breakfast from the woolies section at the garage. More than half the products had no prices, the rest had the labels shuffled so I had to sit and search for the corresponding price. When I noticed the manager I asked him why his stock doesn't have price labels. Oh....he says....which item? So I pointed to the shelf and he gave me some excuse that that particular shelf was supposed to have prices marked on the product. Needless to say there was no price label on the pancakes that I bought.....neither did the yoghurt.

 

 

 

Is it that difficult to get it right? Especially in a shop that's 15 square metres?

[hagar]

I bought a Suunto heart rate monitor from the Eastgate Due South branch last weekend' date=' and the price once it was rung up was R349 less than they had advertised on thier website. Even on the box the old price had been crossed out and the new cheaper price had been stuck over it. When i asked why this was, they said it was new stock that came in at a better price! So you win some you loose some i suppose.  [/quote']

good for you Zaskar  

 

my problem is not money its just they way that they handled it when i pointed it out to them that i was being done in ...

[Polka Dot]

Have to say that I've had the complete opposite experience with them. I've often been suprised by a discounted price once it's been rung up on the till.

I once had a problem with a Suunto watch that I won at a race (not sponsored by any particular shop). Cape Union weren't interested and wanted to charge me the postage and 400 bucks handling fee to send it to the suppliers. I tried Due South and they simply sent it away and phoned me 2 weeks later to pick it up, fully replaired and no charge.

 

One more good story; I had a pair of Salomon XA 3D shoes, that I used for adventure racing, trail running, triathlons etc. After about a year of heavy use, I noticed the lace on the one shoe was wearing thin. The speed lacing system doesn't allow one to just simply put on new laces, so I took them back to Due South and asked if there was anything they could do, ie. send them in for proper re-lacing by Salomon, which I expected to pay for. Their answer: Salomon shoes don't break, here is a brand new pair. Enjoy.

 

And no, I don't work for Due South! Just had only good service there.

 

[AndreZA]

I had a pair of Salomon XA 3D shoes' date=' that I used for adventure racing, trail running, triathlons etc. After about a year of heavy use, I noticed the lace on the one shoe was wearing thin. The speed lacing system doesn't allow one to just simply put on new laces, so I took them back to Due South and asked if there was anything they could do, ie. send them in for proper re-lacing by Salomon, which I expected to pay for. Their answer: Salomon shoes don't break, here is a brand?new pair. Enjoy.[/quote']

 

 

 

geez, I must try that with my 5 year old pair. The rubber is cracking a bit.

[Tumbleweed]

Technically' date=' when you approach the till with a product, you are offering to buy the product at the price marked on the product/shelf. the shop may then accept or decline your offer.

 

I know it sounds the wrong way arround, but thats how it was taught to me in com law.

[/quote']

 

 

 

that's how i've had it explained to me too. good shops will honour the price on the shelf if it differs from the scanned price.

[Weight Weenie]

Eish, myself I've only had issues with them. 

 

Bought some fox gloves, tried them on at the shop, fine. tried gripping my mtb bars at home, the thumb is too short so puts too much pressure on it.

 

Took them back unused next day with slip after cutting the plastic that holds both together - guess what the lady in the shop does ?

She takes the gloves and SMELLS them, too see if I used them. WTF ???

 

Only then did I get a refund.

 

Bought a Suunto T3 from them in 2007, now I want to replace my cracked HR strap, the oke tunes me that they don't do special orders anymore and can't get one.  I bougth it from them so thus I feel after sales support like  sourcing extra parts to be included in the price.  They sell it, they must be able to get/stock the extras. 

 

Seems shops are eager to take the cash, but no so eager to help afterwards...

[Danger Dassie]

Also find that the sales staff are often disinterested, inept or both.

 

I bought a North Face hydration pack about a year ago, which I sometimes carry my camera in.

 

However the last couple of months I've noticed that the bladder leaks if I lay it down.

 

I goto the branch where I bought it and query this, the sales guy tells me that the bladder is not covered. He then backtracks after I read the warranty tag out to him.

 

 

 

Contacted Due South directly via their site and received a call with 3 hours from an extremely helpful lady.

 

She informed of the manufacturer's warranty process, which involves paying to have the product shipped to them overseas where they inspect and replace it.

 

clearly I'm not happy about paying to transport something that shouldn't be faulty in the first place! She did offer to take a look herself though and possibly replace the bladder from existing stock.

 

 

 

All in all great service, but there does seem to be problem with staff on the ground in the retail shops though. This isn't just restricted to Due South either.

 

 

 

The good experience I've had with DS sales staff has been at the Sandton branch, was looking for a Fox Flux helmet a while back. They didn't have my size and nor did the warehouse or other branches, the sales guy still took my details and called me a week later after he had actually managed to source one for me. They also helped with some other queries I had.

 

 

 

So yeah I guess there can be good and bad experiences, one thing I've noticed though is how much of a TOOL customers can be! Talking down to staff, being offensive, sarcastic, raising voices etc ... without any provocation whatsoever, then expecting good service.

 

Some folk actually seem to walk into a shop with the aim to break a person down and to have a conflict, the purchase is secondary.

 

This must be one of the most disgusting characteristics in a person, it takes nothing to be polite.

[Weight Weenie]

Im always polite coz I worked at a camera retail shop myself and knew how bad it can be sorting out warranties and not having stock etc.

 

But I always tried to sort something out to keep the customer happy, he is king afterall !

 

That said, I did tell the guy at the Woodlands branch to shove it after he didn't want to help me with the strap, I was pi$$ed and thought it was total BS. 

[Capricorn]

Hagar: if you complain to them, send them the link to this topic. Surprisingly effective especially when one complaint cascades into a chorus of pain.

[Danger Dassie]

Im always polite coz I worked at a camera retail shop myself and knew how bad it can be sorting out warranties and not having stock etc.

 

?

 

But I always tried to sort something out to keep the customer happy' date=' he is king afterall !

 

?

 

That said, I did tell the guy at the Woodlands branch to shove it after he didn't want to help me with the strap, I was pi$$ed and thought it was total BS.?

[/quote']

 

 

 

It wasn't Kameraz was it? Cocky bunch .....

 

 

 

For sure, I was just speaking generally. Often folk are asking for a good bolloxing with their attitude

[Christopher Brunsdon]

 

Next time tell them you are going to report them to the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority). It is against the law to charge a higher price than the one displayed. "The price you see is the price you pay"

 

Truth is no. Price you see is an invitation to purchase. (ASA covers advertising in media - then its just called bait advertising)

 

Technically' date=' when you approach the till with a product,

you are offering to buy the product at the price marked on the

product/shelf. the shop may then accept or decline your offer.

I know it sounds the wrong way arround, but thats how it was taught to me in com law.

[/quote']

 

Correcto!!! Very nicely put.

 

BTW: I was in retail for many moons and this topic was often discussed. There is a big difference between ethics and law.

 

[Christopher Brunsdon]

 

Technically' date=' when you approach the till with a product, you are offering to buy the product at the price marked on the product/shelf. the shop may then accept or decline your offer.

I know it sounds the wrong way arround, but thats how it was taught to me in com law.

[/quote']

Technically, yes you are correct, but in principal this is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Case law has thrown a spanner in the works and this is no longer the case.  Basically, if it went to court, the price on the shelf is the price you pay. Period.

 

Hence, fight for the price you see (unless it is in excess of the scanned price!!!)

 

Agree on that!

 

A few years back a local jewellery store ended up selling a diamond ring for 20% of its real value as their regional manager decided that the bad publicity from a court case would cost them more than the ring (was about a R10K discount).

 

[Weight Weenie]

Nope dassie, Outdoorphoto.

[Gert Janse v Rensburg]

My DS story is good and bad.... Had a Suunto sent in through the THE GROVE DS.... The sales guy told me no longer than 2 weeks and it will be back...

 

2weeks pass, I get a call saying that my watch has not arrived but he wil follow up on it.

 

 

 

Long story short ( Suunto no stock this and that blah blah)After i was told there is stock by the Suunto guy at tech center.

 

 

 

14Weeks later I get my Suunto back. every thing fixed like I asked. Charged for a brand spanking new Battery but the watch does not even show an inkling of Life....

 

i ask the clerk about it.

 

He shrugs his shoulder. Says will follow up on Monday past and call me.

 

Monday 14h00 he calls me. Suunto is sending a brand new battery wil cal me when its here... Tuesday he calls and gives a tracking nr. I must collect on Sat as i work during the week and cant get there.

 

 

 

So my Take.... Bad service from Suunto but really awesome service from DS.

 

 

 

But HAGAR I agree with your argument....