Diverse Vinyl, Newport

[Vinny]

Anyone use(d) these cowboys?

They stock, or slightly more accurately, can eventually obtain, some odd-ball stuff and have a decent stock too, plus, so long as you buy several items, p&p is reasonable too. Very competitive with the usual online outlets although their website is verging on poor/p-poor for user-friendliness.

However, has anyone ever had an answer to an email? I haven't.

To cap it all, my last order (a little shy of £200) has gone walkabout (Parcelforce), and Diverse have EVENTUALLY told Parcelforce to contact me, for me to claim. That took Diverse 3 WEEKS after my first email to them.

As it happens, I contacted Parcelforce 2 days after the parcel failed to turn-up, although their query line has only apologised, no referral to any claim system. The paper claim form appeared last Friday, as a consequence of the prompt from Diverse.

Do Diverse really want to do business? I haven't looked at the legality of who should claim for the £200 loss, but what business would not stand the temporary loss to keep a customer by offering a refund?

Seems to me that it is a miracle that they are still in business.....................................

 

[Fudgemaster]

I've been buying from them since 2014, and had no problems, and on the rare occasions I've emailed them I had no problems. But then again i wasn't chasing them over a missing £200 order.
But it would appear that your beef is with Parcelforce? I do hope things work out for you.

 

[misterc6]

I’ve used Diverse for over twenty years and used to visit them regularly. They’ve always been brilliant, maybe a ‘phone call would get a better response than an e-mail that can easily slip off the bottom of the screen when they’re busy?

I see the contractual situation like this: you’ve paid them for the goods so they belong to you, you’ve also paid them to get the goods shipped to you and they’ve used your money, as an agent, to get Parcel Force to make the delivery.

Your beef is with Parcel Force, not Diverse.

 

[Snufkin]

I also started buying from Diverse over 20 years ago and they always used to be brilliant if not a little pricey. My dealings were always either by phone or in person. Their first web presence was a little clunky but I assume its better now.

 

[misterc6]

When a package goes missing both Royal Mail and Parcel Force have a policy of waiting a considerable time, possibly the three weeks mentioned, before starting the claim procedure in case it eventually turns up.

 

[alan967tiger]

I've used Diverse since 1999. Most of the time I've been pleased with their service. They aren't the cheapest and P&P is relatively expensive unless you place a large order shipped by courier. They do sometimes take a few days to answer emails. When I placed my last order, they forgot to include an LP which I'd paid for. I emailed them to let them know, no reply, but the LP turned up 5 days later.
I continue to buy from them occasionally.
If I'd placed an order for £200, I'd expect a refund from Diverse within a few days. I use Paypal, so a refund would be issued from PP. Good luck.

 

[paulfromcamden]

I see the contractual situation like this: you’ve paid them for the goods so they belong to you, you’ve also paid them to get the goods shipped to you and they’ve used your money, as an agent, to get Parcel Force to make the delivery.

Your beef is with Parcel Force, not Diverse.

Nope.

"Under the Consumer Rights Act, when you buy goods from an online retailer, they are responsible for the goods until you receive them. So if the courier loses the goods you ordered or they are damaged, the retailer is responsible for putting things right, not the courier."
https://www.moneywise.co.uk/consumer-protection/scams-rip-offs/your-rights-when-parcels-go-missing

 

[pmac]

I've used Diverse a lot (admittedly, not very much lately)

Never had a whiff of an issue and was always pleased with their service.

 

[MVV]

I used to use them a lot and found them great. They are phone call kind of chaps. Oddly just shows how amazon has Borged me without me even realising it!

 

[Natara]

Absolutely bang on Paul until the goods are in your possesion they are still the property of the retailer as no physical exchange has taken place which is why eBay for instance in cases like this will always, always compell the seller to refund the buyer.
There is a slightly grey area when a parcel has been signed for by a third party and then gone missing but even then I think the seller is liable.

Nope.

"Under the Consumer Rights Act, when you buy goods from an online retailer, they are responsible for the goods until you receive them. So if the courier loses the goods you ordered or they are damaged, the retailer is responsible for putting things right, not the courier."
https://www.moneywise.co.uk/consumer-protection/scams-rip-offs/your-rights-when-parcels-go-missing

 

[Cookstown]

I used to use them but on more than a few occasions I found the "new" LP had been played prior to my receiving it. I now use What Records or Amazon or Ebay.

 

[najb]

Used to visit them when we lived somewhat closer than we do now. Still use them occasionally. Never had a problem.

They used to attend the Bristol hi-fi show.

I do not use Amazon on principle.

 

[glenda]

I've been happily buying from them for over 20 years -I always enjoy a visit to the shop on a Saturday and usually get a response to my e mails within an hour or two.
Exemplary service and very nice blokes .
Cheers
Tony

C

 

[Vinny]

It seems that I was a little harsh in my criticism of Diverse, although I very strongly suspected (correctly as it turns out – thanks Paul), that I was/am entitled to a refund from them.

Anyone using Googlemail/Gmail will know that the spam filter is an absolute total nightmare. Even though I use an account devoted to online uses, even that account gets very little real spam at all and well over 90% of what gets sent to the junk folder (maybe 5-10 mails per week - I essentially never check) isn’t spam, while plenty of mails from the same sources do not get marked as spam. I near certainly get all news and order mails from Diverse, BUT I did find a single reply in the junk folder that was recent enough to have not been auto-deleted. (Marking any sender as trusted is also a total waste of time in Gmail as well…………………….).
As a consequence, I actually spent a while searching for instructions on how to bypass the Gmail spam filter (disabling it is not possible apparently), and hopefully nothing at all will get junked by the Gmail spam filter now.

A mail from Diverse did arrive in my inbox today after I found the one mail from them and answered it with an apology. The refund................. watch this space.

 

[Premmyboy]

I've used Diverse for many years. Still do. Yes I've had to return plenty of faulty LP's over the years but never had a problem.
I once had a problem as they sent a large order to my old address just after I'd moved via Parcelforce. First I knew was I got a text message saying my parcel was ready for collection at the post office where I used to live! Diverse sorted it all out and retrieved it and got it sent to correct address.
Good guys to deal with in my experience.