After many months of planning and collating content, the Anam Cara House Geelong website is now live. Many thanks to Diane Wright, Phil Virgona and Leah Hall for putting in several hours’ worth of content editing and testing

Anam Cara House is a Geelong based facility which provides respite services in a homelike environment to those suffering life limiting illness, and their families.

Check it out at

http://www.anamcarahousegeelong.org.au

The saga continues. Here is a copy of the complaint I made to WishGiftCard.com.au:

Hi there,
I would like to make a formal complaint about the Wish Gift Card.

After being urged to purchase a Wish Gift Card at Safeway Newcomb last year, and with a not-insubstantial amount left on the card, I have hence been told by Big W in Geelong that the card has expired.

Checking the card against your site, it expired on 26 June 2008.

Point 1: I was never told that this card expires

Point 2: The card has no expiry date printed on it

Point 3: What happens to the leftover money? I assume that Woolworths simply absorbs this. At the current CPI, the $100 I “purchased” in 2006 would now be worth around $106, not to mention the fact that there’s still over $20 left on the card. Nice going – that’s a 26% return!

Obviously I will not be purchasing a Wish Gift Card again, and will be telling all of my friends about my poor experience.

Regards,
Kathy

Now, I don’t usually do rants. However, incensed at my recent woeful customer service experiences, an exception will be made.

Task number 1: Purchase digital photo frame at Big W

Result: Fail

Of the six models displayed, only two were in stock, and one of those was two and a half more times expensive than the other models. I was left wanting.

Task number 2: Purchase roll down Bonds Large yoga pants in size XL at Big W

Result: Fail

Now, the homework had been done on this one. I had contacted Bonds and asked their customer service department where I could purchase (using specific product codes) a pair of Bonds Large roll down yoga pants. Obviously my grammar and standard of English were subpar, because the response I got was little more than a rehash of the Bonds website (which any semi literate person could peruse). The response told me to go to Target, Big W or K-mart. Well, the original pair was from K-mart and they were sold out. So, next to Big W. Wrong! None there either.

The Bonds response told me to try the TSL website (keeping in mind I had specified the product I wanted). TSL doesn’t even stock the Bonds Large range. What the??

Task number 3: Use up Wish Card at Big W

Result: Epic Fail

This is the most worriesome and wicked part of the rant. Last year I purchased a Wish Card, promoted by Woolworths. It had $100 on it. The week before last at Big W, approximately $70 worth of the $100 card was used. It doesn’t take much effort to calculate that $30 is still on the card. So, after going to the register and trying to pay for goods using the Wish Card, the card is declined – apparently it’s expired! Who knew currency could expire so quickly!

After going Evil Kathy on the customer service lady, I paid using other methods and will follow up with Woolworths. Wonderful.

So here’s a warning: Think of the Wish Card as a You Wish Card – I’d like to pay for some goods with this card. You wish!

To be continued….