Comet customers find less than they bargained for after shutdown

After the electrical retailer went into administration, shoppers expected rock-bottom prices. The reality was different
Comet store
After going into administration, Comet's greeting at the entrance was not reflected on the price tags inside. Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA

Everything must go, shout the bright yellow signs outside Comet, the electrical retailer that went into administration on 2 November. But on a Wednesday morning in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the promise of 30% discounts failed to spark a rush, with one shopper declaring, "the prices still aren't low enough".

There was a rather sad "Shiny New Store" banner adorning he outside, but the few shoppers who had come in were struggling to find the generous discounts. Some told Money that the lower prices were being bettered at the branch of Currys, just around the corner.

Staff said they had little idea what was happening, and were mostly concerned with looking for new jobs.

Deloitte, the administrator that now controls Comet, says prices have been cut "by up to 30%" but, apart from white goods from Beko, discounts of that scale were rare.

Flat-screen TVs, laptops and tablets, and most other white goods, were generally discounted by just 10%, with new price tags written out by hand.

There was a more generous 20% on kettles, printers, phones and vacuum cleaners, but there was a feeling that you'd find as better deal elsewhere. A Bosch kettle I bought from John Lewis last week for £55 was on sale for £63, even after a 20% reduction.

However, a search through the aisles did throw up the odd real bargain. A 46-inch Toshiba LED TV was reduced by 10% to an attractive £539. Amazon was asking £583, while Currys online had it at £619.

In the car park, we spoke to two guys putting a Vax cleaner in their boot. They said they had got 20% off and were there because they had a poor experience with a previous purchase at Currys. "It's got a two-year manufacturer's warranty and I'll send it to Vax if there's a problem," one of them said. "If I get two years out if it, I'll be happy."

Sylvia, another curious visitor, said she popped in to price check a camcorder she had bought at Currys the day before.

"I've just looked at the prices, and even after the Comet discount it was still cheaper £40 cheaper at Currys, so I'm happy," she said, getting back into her car empty-handed. "I don't think the prices are cheap enough. I suspect they will be going lower the closer we get to Christmas."

Play your cards carefully

Consumers are being warned to use a credit card to buy big-ticket items and avoid giving store vouchers this Christmas. As Comet's fire sale to clear unsold stock got underway this week, consumers who paid for items or vouchers from the retailer were still waiting to see if orders would be honoured.

Dawn Fox from Northolt in Middlesex bought Comet vouchers through an employee discount scheme run by a company called Asperity. She chose a £520 machine washing machine, which cost £468 after the discount was applied. But two days before the delivery date, the administrators were called in.

"Initially, I was told the delivery would be honoured, but then Comet said that, as the item was not in stock, I should go to a store and pick another machine," she says. "When I went there, I was told this was incorrect and I couldn't get a refund or exchange."

Asperity told her it could not give her a refund as it had given her "funds" to Comet. It said it was only refunding unspent vouchers: "I paid with my debit card, so I'm not sure I'm covered in the same way as if I had used a credit card."

After Money contacted Asperity, it arranged for Fox to be given new vouchers with an alternative retailer. It has now said it will honour other customers vouchers it issued with Comet.

However, other buyers who placed orders for items that have failed to arrive have fared less well. Those who used their credit card to make Comet purchases over £100 are protected by the card provider, but those who paid by cash or debit card are not.

A spokeswoman for Deloitte says: "The administrators intend to fulfil orders where the item is in stock in the delivery centres. Where it is not possible to fulfil the order, and the customer paid by means other than credit card, they will become unsecured creditors and will need to make to a claim."

Comet's failure is the latest high-street crash, with almost 50 chains closing or making major cuts this year. JJB Sports, Game Group, Clinton Cards, Peacocks, and La Senza have collectively shut more than 2,200 stores.

Shoppers should always use a credit card to pay for any goods or services up front. If you make a full or partial payment on your credit card for an item costing more than £100 (up to £30,000), you may be able to get your money back through section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This makes your card provider equally liable for the company's breach of contract, says Which?.

Meanwhile, shoppers should be cautious about buying store vouchers as Christmas gifts. If a store fails before voucher are spent, they invariably become worthless, as many consumers have found to their cost. It is predicted that this Christmas consumers will spend around £1bn on gift cards.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd says: "Gift cards and vouchers are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority, so there are no measures to protect your money if a company goes into administration. If you have gift vouchers and the store they were purchased from goes bust, our advice is keep hold of them in case the administrator decides to start accepting them again, or any new owner decides to honour them as a gesture of goodwill."

If you insist on sending a gift card, consider a multi-retailer card that can still be used if one or more stores goes out of business.

How are your protected?

If you bought items from Comet in the past there is mixed news. Deloitte says anyone who bought a warranty or service plan with that product will still be able to claim as they are provided by a third party: the Warranty Group.

If you have a problem with an item and you didn't buy an extended warranty, it could be tricky. If the product is a Comet own-brand, there is a customer helpline on 0844 800 95 95, and the firm will try to arrange for the item to be repaired. But there is no guarantee that this will last beyond the period of Comet's administration.

If the product is a branded item, and was purchased within the last 12 months, contact the manufacturer to discuss repair or replacement through the manufacturer's warranty.

Many European manufacturers now offer two years warranty, and they will be the first point on contact.

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