Hamperstop www.hamperstop.com

On 6.12.02 my partner ordered a trug basket from www.hamperstop.com (hamperstop.com Limited is a company based in Burnley, Lancashire, U.K, as our phone calls discovered!) which was shown with the product's picture. Surely in time for Christmas . . .

The money for it was taken 8.12.02.

Guess what? No trug basket by the week before Christmas. A phone call promised us that said trug basket would arrive by Friday 20.12.02.

It didn't, and an answering machine confirmed on 22.12.02 that they would not be open again until 7.01.03.

Such appalling service and a broken promise only led to one conclusion: cancel the order and get a refund. A refund was promised (when we were finally able to talk to someone other than an obstructionist telephonist any doctor's surgery would be proud of) when we called on 7.01.03 and we were told that it would be done that day because the form was there on her desk.

Over one week later: no refund. I've called 4 times today and my partner has called twice. She is still waiting for the return calls that were promised. I finally got a call back when I threatened in my first call to name and shame, to be told that the refund would be done within the hour and a confirmation fax and email would be sent.

Guess what? No fax and no email. And my subsequent 3 calls were met with "Mr. X isn't available at the moment/he's gone home . . ." And that's all we hear.

Fortunately there are other trug basket providers albeit a little more expensive.

Be warned!