Customers of Currys PC World have been left frustrated after many Black Friday orders appear to have been cancelled.

Some did not find out orders had been scrapped until after the deals had come to an end, meaning if they wanted to re-purchase they would have to pay full price.

The tech retail giant has blamed ‘website glitches’ for the errors and has promised to launch an investigation into what happened.  

It was under pressure by some who made orders to honour original prices they believed they bought goods for – and it has confirmed to This is Money that it will.

Currys PC World has been criticised for cancelling customers Black Friday offers

Currys PC World has been criticised for cancelling customers Black Friday offers

Currys PC World has been criticised for cancelling customers Black Friday offers

Other customers found their gift cards weren’t accepted on the day, leaving them unable to purchase anything.  

This is the latest problems to face Currys after customers previously complained about missing deliveries, poor customer service and receiving faulty items. 

A spokesperson for Currys PC World said: ‘We understand the importance of our Black Friday offers to customers and we are very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience caused by our website glitches. 

‘Following a detailed investigation we stand by our approach to help customers on a case by case basis.

‘We will be honouring promotional prices for any customer who placed an order between 25 November and 1 December and received an email confirmation of purchase but then had the order cancelled.

‘If we are out of stock on their item of choice we will give the customer a 10 per cent discount off a similar product.

‘Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented volume of customers shopping online with Currys PC World on Black Friday, our website experienced a temporary outage. 

‘We can confirm that transactions made by gift cards and some Order and Collect purchases were affected but home delivery was not.’

Stress: Many customers have been left frustrated after their orders were cancelled online

Stress: Many customers have been left frustrated after their orders were cancelled online

Stress: Many customers have been left frustrated after their orders were cancelled online

It added: ‘Any customer who paid by gift card had funds put back in full by 8pm on Wednesday 2 December. 

‘Those customers whose order and collect purchases were cancelled were informed as soon as possible and they were able to replace their order the same weekend and still take advantage of our Black Friday promotions.

‘We ask impacted customers to contact our customer services team and we are also putting in place a webform for cancelled orders which will be live by the end of tomorrow to help those customers affected seek a speedy resolution.’

Following the investigation, to help process customers issues faster, it is launching a webform for cancelled orders which will be live by the end of tomorrow.

A number of frustrated customers took to social media to vent after finding out their order was cancelled.  

One customer said his order has been cancelled and he is waiting for his money to be refunded

One customer said his order has been cancelled and he is waiting for his money to be refunded

One customer said his order has been cancelled and he is waiting for his money to be refunded

Another user said he couldn't find out what had happened to his Black Friday order

Another user said he couldn't find out what had happened to his Black Friday order

Another user said he couldn’t find out what had happened to his Black Friday order

This Twitter user said their gift card couldn't work & now the item they want is back to full price

This Twitter user said their gift card couldn't work & now the item they want is back to full price

This Twitter user said their gift card couldn’t work & now the item they want is back to full price

Another social media user said their order was cancelled and are looking for help

Another social media user said their order was cancelled and are looking for help

Another social media user said their order was cancelled and are looking for help 

Brian Atkinson, boss at Five9, a software firm that helps retailers communicate with customers, said: ‘Complaints over Currys PC World’s handling of cancelled Black Friday sales highlight how discounts and price wars don’t always win customers over.

‘Customer loyalty is built on trust and support more than anything. The key to establishing this is to provide first-class customer service, no matter the issue.

‘When technical glitches occur, or things go wrong with the transaction, it’s crucial businesses don’t leave customer frustrations to build up. 

‘Rather, businesses have a prime opportunity to focus their time and energy on providing exceptional aftercare – responding quickly and effectively to issues.

‘Doing so can make the exchange more than just a transaction – it reassures customers that the retailer is on their side, and willing to go the extra mile to look after them. 

‘This can go a long way in building brand reputation and persuading the customer to continue shopping with the retailer.’

This is Money reported problems with Currys PC World in May with many criticising the companies customer service. 

Since then, we have received hundreds of emails from frustrated customers.

Some have received faulty products, whilst others are waiting months for refunds. 

However, the main concern is customers being unable to contact the firm when issues arise. 

We’ve had reports of people waiting hours on the phone while others couldn’t obtain a response to their written communication. 

While initially Currys had removed the option of emailing, it has now re-instated it, making it easier for customers to get in touch.  

What are my rights if I want a refund?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, your purchases are protected should something go wrong.

The Act says products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described and last a reasonable length of time. Items must be installed correctly if installation is part of the contract.

Therefore, if you receive a faulty item, it is not as described and you can ask for a refund.

In order to assert your consumer rights using this law you must have proof of purchase which does not have to be a receipt, it could be a bank statement, for example.

If it is less than 30 days since the date of purchase and the item is in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can reject the goods for a refund. This is not the case where the expected life if the goods is shorter, such as perishable goods.

When it is 30 days from purchase, the trader can offer repair or replacement. If neither of these are possible or if the trader chooses, a refund can be given.

Your contract is always with the trader to whom you gave the money. So if you order something online, for example, from a trader and the delivery is delayed, contact the trader and let it take the time sorting out the delivery problem. You should never need to contact the courier.

#fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle#mobile {display:none} #fiveDealsWidget {display:block; float:left; clear:both; max-width:636px; margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; font-size:12px} #fiveDealsWidget div, #fiveDealsWidget a {margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; text-decoration: none; font-family:Arial, Helvetica ,sans-serif} #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitleBox {display:block; float:left; width:100%; background-color:#B11B16; } #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitle {color:#fff; text-transform: uppercase; font-size:18px; font-weight:bold; margin:6px 10px 4px 10px; } #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {float:left; display:block; width:124px; margin-right:4px; margin-top:5px; background-color: #e3e3e3; min-height:200px;} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {margin-right:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {display:block; margin:10px 5px; color:#000; font-weight:bold} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {float:left; display:block; margin:0; padding:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {border:1px solid #ccc} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {width:100%; height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemdesc {float:left; display:block; color:#e22953; font-weight:bold; margin:5px;} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemRate {float:left; display:block; color:#000; margin:5px} #fiveDealsWidget .dealFooter {display:block; float:left; width:100%; margin-top:5px; background-color:#e3e3e3 } #fiveDealsWidget .footerText {font-size:10px; margin:10px 10px 10px 10px;} @media (max-width: 635px) { #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {width:19%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:20%} } @media (max-width: 560px) { #fiveDealsWidget #desktop {display:none} #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitleBox {background-color:#e3e3e3; } #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitle {color:#000} #fiveDealsWidget #mobile {display:block!important} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {background-color: #fff; height:auto; min-height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {border-bottom:1px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:10px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {border-bottom:0px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:0px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem, #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:100%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {float:left; display:inline-block} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {width:35%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent {width:63%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {margin: 0px 5px 5px; font-size:16px} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemdesc, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemRate {clear:both} }

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

I’m an appliance pro – 5 money saving myths that won’t save you money

AS the cost of living rises, you’ll want to know every energy-saving…

How an assistant job can boost your career

WANT to move on up but not quite ready for a top…

Credit card rates snowball at Christmas as cost-of-living crisis bites

Christmas shoppers face being clobbered by snowballing credit charges as the cost-…

Universal music’s Swift move to cash in on AI

The world’s biggest record label has set out plans to cash in…