Online retailer Zavvi is giving customers a stern warning after it mistakenly sent out PlayStation Vita gaming consoles, worth £170, to customers that bought a £20 game from the company’s website.
The consoles, valued at approximately £169.99, were sent to customers that bought the award-winning title Tearaway. Zavvi has blamed the expensive mix-up on a bug in its computer system that resulted in the wrong product being sent out.
After some customers failed to return their consoles on time, the company is taking a stern approach to enforcing returns. Zavvi recently sent a letter to customers that received the PlayStation Vita consoles, stating that it may turn to “legal remedies” if the gaming consoles aren’t promptly returned.
Branding experts believe that the online retailer’s strategy misses the mark. Aidan Bocci, chief executive of Commercial Advantage – a marketing consultancy – claims that Zavvi must “tread very carefully” to avoid alienating its customers and causing them to think that it doesn’t trust them.
“A heavy handed approach to ensure mistakenly delivered goods are returned will at best bring out a Machiavellian streak in a small group of people and at worst damage the reputation of the business to loyal honest customers – its core source of profit – who are now being told by the business that ‘we don’t trust you’”.
The letters sent out by Zavvi have been called a “final notice” and may be followed up by legal action. A spokeswoman has confirmed that the letters sent out to Zavvi customers are genuine. Customers were given until December 10 to make contact with the online retailer and arrange to have their consoles collected.
Many of the customers that were mistakenly delivered the consoles last month have already arranged to return them to the retailer, with just a small group of ‘holdouts’ subject to the strongly worded letter.
