A I have shopped at John Lewis Milton Keynes over 40 years. I have bought washing machines tumble dryers dishwashers fridges freezers furniture lighting and electronics. In all those years the service has been exceptional. The past week all that goodwill has disappeared and I have been left angry frustrated and let down. I thought ordering a £1,500 mattress from this well respected company would be easy. How wrong I could be. Ordering was the easy but and Kathleen the shop assistant was very professional and friendly doing an exception job. However comes the WhatsApp inviting me to phone the call centre to pay for it. 2 days trying to get through: holding on for 25 minutes even the call back failed. Page upon page upon page of what’s app messages repeating the same information to a robot and having three assistants finally messaging me assuring someone would call. They didn’t. In desperation I returned to the store and paid them direct(why this couldn’t have been achieved in the first place!!). Got the message mattress was being delivered an in the slot the lorry arrived. The mattress looked like someone had sewn a thick blanket up the middle of it. The delivery driver assured me it would level out itself overnight” which of course it didn’t. Back to the shop to be “served” by Sullen unhelpful assistant who would only say I would have to wait 6 days for another mattress because “the computer says”. No offer of ringing to ask for an emergency delivery. I asked to speak to a supervisor but told he was on lunch break but he would call me back. 2 hours have passed and no phone call. So I am 74 my partner is 72 and we have a choice :- a lumpy mattress with a slither either side to sleep on or alternatively on the floor. The reason for the purchase was to help my declining back so neither of these are very acceptable. Perhaps we should book into a hotel and ask John Lewis for the cost?

I purchased a matching duvet, pillow cases and sheet which I washed before ready for use.

I was ill and did not change this bed until 4 weeks after it arrived.

The Duvet was 40cms too long!!! All Brands of King size Duvets are always the same length.

John Lewis made it very very difficult as the bedding was delivered over 30 days ago. After many many emails, John Lewis offered a refund but would not replace. I had to pay to have the duvet altered as John Lewis would not accept the duvet back, as again over 30 days since delivered.

As a social worker, I am appalled at received services after a premium purchase of furniture, washer dryer and cooker for a vulnerable adult. Despite stating what is at stake in terms of vulnerability and during a 16.7.26 phone call to Customers Services, the so called operatives failed to turn up again for appliance installations and furniture set up. What was the point of paying premiums and expecting services when same items could have been purchased from Argos, Amazon or EBay at a fraction of the prices?
And another annoying bit is we spent nearly an hour on phone this afternoon to Customers Service only to be cut off without connecting to an adviser
You should know who we are:-
Delivery Post code: UB2
Acct post code: W13

I ordered a replacement oven for an existing John Lewis one which had broken. I placed the order, with other items, on the basis that it could be delivered and installed within 5 days. I arranged a day off around the delivery as I was desperate to have the new oven. No show on the day. Calling both Customer Service and using their WhatsApp message service wasted literally hours. It’s the longest delays I’ve ever experienced with a major retailer. Finally I received 2 different excuses from 2 agents. After a couple of days of me chasing I was told a silly story about part of my order, the oven, staying in pending status, it would take 3 days to change status, they might then ring me to organise delivery in 5 to 7 days. Essentially there seemed to be some kind of admin error their end and I should just wait till they got their ducks in a row and were in a position to fulfill their side.

It may seem inconsequential to some, but my overriding impression was of zero interest in solving the problem quickly, no coherent explanation for why it happened and absolutely no apology at any point.

Having previously rated John Lewis for their better performance over other retailers, I see a major decline and, in a very competitive marketplace, I’ll be spending my money where it gets a better level of service. It’s fine when things go well but it’s these kind of issues that separate the quality companies from the mediocre.

Shocking Telephone & Chat customer…
Shocking Telephone & Chat customer service

Wanted to cancel order.
First phone call - following all options - put on hold after 23 mins - they disconnected
Second call - put on hold - I got fed up after 88mins, I hung up
Third/Fourth/Fifth calls - following options as before - failed to connect(hung up after pressing last menu item)
Sixth call - as before - they hung up after 13mins.

Tried Web Chat Robot
Bot screen , need to transfer to human, please wait.
Wait time 575mins - STAGGERING

Interestingly I received the Chat transcript - no mention of the wait time - so I screen shotted it.

DIABOLICAL DIABOLICAL

Great Staff very helpful I had a query and the lady was more than happy to help. Everything resolve quickly

Communication was good, customer services was very helpful when I had a query about the delivery and the delivery staff were on time, very quick and helpful

We purchased an expensive bean-to-cup coffee machine from John Lewis in December, along with additional insurance for peace of mind should anything go wrong. Unfortunately, the machine developed a fault just a few months later, and our experience since then has been nothing short of appalling.

As soon as the machine broke, we contacted John Lewis Technical Support and provided all the information requested. We were asked for the serial number and, as we weren't sure where to find it, we relied on the adviser to guide us. We gave the number he indicated was correct, and he arranged for the machine to be collected by DPD within five days.

When we asked if a replacement machine could be provided while ours was being repaired, we were told this was not possible. Instead, we were offered a £20 gift card for coffee, despite the fact that our nearest John Lewis store is over an hour away.

After receiving no communication regarding the collection, we contacted John Lewis again the following Tuesday. We were then informed that the collection and repair had been cancelled because the serial number we had been advised to provide was allegedly incorrect. We explained that we had simply followed the instructions given to us by their adviser, but the response was dismissive: "It wasn't the correct serial number, so it was cancelled."

When we requested to speak to a manager, we were initially told there was no one available, despite it only being 5pm and the department being open until 9pm. After insisting and remaining on hold for 45 minutes, we were eventually put through to someone claiming to be a manager.

While they apologised for the situation, the earliest collection date they could offer was the following Monday. Given that the delay was caused by incorrect advice from their own team, we found this completely unacceptable. We were then offered a £50 gift card, but what we wanted was not compensation – we simply wanted our coffee machine repaired or replaced as quickly as possible.

The machine has now been out of our possession for 10 days. When we recently contacted John Lewis for an update, we were told they could not locate the machine and that nobody would contact us for up to 28 days. We were simply told to wait until someone got in touch.

This level of service is absolutely unacceptable. We chose John Lewis because of its reputation for quality products and excellent customer care. Instead, we have experienced poor communication, delays, contradictory information, and a complete lack of ownership of the problem.

Having spent thousands of pounds with John Lewis over the years, we expected far better. Sadly, this experience has completely changed our perception of the company, and we are still without our coffee machine.

Very disappointed.

Ordered a top delivered a faulty item.
I was offered a partial refund and it was suggested I wear a clearly unacceptable garment.
Customer service seriously lacking the necessary skills but requests to repeat problem again and again and refusal to log complaint as only the manager can, who can not give a definite time when available.
Disgusting carry on I will not be reordering from them.

Trying to log a guarantee claim. Automated number 03456 100 341 service to terrible, if you dont want to really piss off your customers get rid of this automated answering nonsense.

I made considerable effort to secure a Pokémon collection box for my 8-year-old son, waking early because these sell out almost immediately. I placed a Click & Collect order, only to be informed more than 24 hours after the collection time that the parcel had been “lost or damaged in transit.” By then, the item was sold out, and John Lewis could only offer a refund.

A refund does not replace a rare item or the disappointment caused. It is frustrating to sell highly sought-after products without being able to fulfil confirmed orders, and the delay in communication left no opportunity to purchase one elsewhere. This was a very disappointing experience from a retailer I expected better from.

I bought a necklace for my wife's 40th birthday. The chain snapped within a month during everyday wear. I recieved a replacement, it snapped again within weeks. Clearly a poor quality item and it wasn't cheap. John Lewis keep fobbing me off to their supplier, who are resisting a legally entitled full refund (consumer rights act 2015). It has been nearly 5 months since the initial purchase and the issue is still ongoing with no refund. It has been like dealing with a crooked local trader than a large national "reputable" retailer. Disgraceful.

I ordered a laptop from John Lewis. It was thrown over my 2m wall. I spent 1 hr on hold for customer services and got through to no-one. I tried the live chat which told me I needed to wait for 85 mins but it cut off after an hour with no response. Incredibly disappointed.

Bought a freezer on line paid for delivery, never came phoned up said they would call back. No one called! Got a text with new date stayed in all day still no delivery. Still not resolved said they can’t send it and waiting on money back!

Terrible customer service experience. I rang the helpline to try and resolve a simple issue. I was waiting for an hour, listening to the same tune on repeat, being told repeatedly by an automated voice that they were sorry for the wait and a partner was doing everything they can to get to me. Being kept on hold for an hour is terrible customer service. I eventually had to end the call because the wait was inordinate and no one was picking up the phone. I will never order from you again, for fear that if anything did require support from you I would not be able to contact you in order to resolve it. To leave someone waiting indefinitely on the phone is unacceptable. Invest in your customer services.

I ordered a breast pump which I urgently needed (I gave birth a week ago any my baby isn't feeding well). The delivery was scheduled for 21 July to a post office. The delivery failed as "nobody was home" - it's a post office how can nobody be home? I called John Lewis, waited over an hour on hold. They said no-one in their delivery team was answering hence nothing they could do. Then the call cut. The agent didn't attempt to call back. I really needed the item and paid £140 for it, really disappointed

Staff very friendly but completely unknowledgeable about their stock, which is what JL used to be known for. In the TV department the assistant had to check online to answer basic questions which I could have done myself. I then visited the Place to Eat and almost every table was littered with uncollected plates and cups. Very disappointing.

I have ordered Items on two occasions over the last two weeks and both time had dreadful experience. What happened to John Lewis? It seems to be taken over by AI and everything is going wrong.
I am not using them again, until they switch back to humans. Very sad where retail is going. Bots instead of humans.

I have always associated John Lewis with quality and excellent customer service, which makes this experience even more disappointing.

I ordered a bin (Order No. 560120108) costing £92.80, which arrived with two dents. I emailed customer services with photographs, and to be fair they quickly confirmed that a replacement would be sent. We also agreed a collection date of 20th July for the damaged bin, and I received email confirmation of these arrangements.

Unfortunately, 20th July came and went with no collection and no communication whatsoever.

I then tried to contact customer services. On my first call I waited 58 minutes in the queue, finally got through, spent a further 23 minutes explaining everything, only for the adviser to disconnect the call without any call back.

I called again and waited another 48 minutes before speaking to someone. When I asked to raise a formal complaint, I was simply told I had to do it online and the adviser refused to help me. She then placed me on silent while I could hear her huffing and puffing, and she would no longer respond to me. It was one of the most unprofessional customer service experiences I have ever encountered.

I am still no further forward. I have no idea when the damaged bin will be collected, despite John Lewis confirming the arrangements in writing.

Receiving a damaged item is unfortunate but can happen. What is far less acceptable is the way this has been handled afterwards. John Lewis has fallen a long way from the high standards of customer care it was once known for.

I sincerely hope someone from John Lewis takes ownership of this and resolves the matter properly because, based on this experience, I would think twice before ordering from them again.

Ordered a 20th wedding anniversary present from John Lewis and paid extra for next-day delivery. It never arrived.

Not only did I waste over two hours trying to sort it out, but I also made a completely unnecessary trip to the Post Office. Despite the delivery failure, my request for a refund of the next-day delivery charge was refused.

The result? No anniversary present, wasted time, and money spent on a service that wasn’t provided.

I always thought John Lewis was a company known for quality customer service, but this experience has been incredibly disappointing. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be the company it once was. Based on my experience, I’d advise others to think twice before paying extra for next-day delivery.

Update more delays

This is completely unacceptable.

I paid for next-day delivery, and my order was due to be delivered yesterday, 21 July. The item was a gift for a 20th wedding anniversary, which is today. Because of your failure to deliver as promised, the gift has not arrived in time for the occasion.

I have now been informed that there is yet another delay. This is simply not good enough.

I no longer want the item, as it has missed the occasion it was intended for. I expect a full refund immediately, including the next-day delivery charge, as the service I paid for was not provided.

Please confirm that my refund has been processed without further delay.

Update

Finally got hold of someone. They’re refunding me—but for the wrong amount. It’s just another example of the incompetence and couldn’t-care-less attitude I’ve experienced from John Lewis. I’ve now deleted my account and won’t be shopping with them again.