The Next Worst Service
So for reasons that I won't go into, I've been trying to buy something from Next (I'm not linking - they don't deserve it), and faced with uncertainty about trawling round their shops before the weekend, by which time I have to be sure I've got the things I need, I thought I'd shop online.
If you ever get the chance to buy from Next online, "don't" would be my advice. To start with, it's not actually possible to order from them without also checking the box that says you want to open one of their 'Flexible Accounts', whatever one of those is. Additionally, when you try to buy, and have the item delivered to your work address on the principle that you'll actually be there during their delivery hours, you're given no option but to specify your home address for delivery. You do have the option of nominating a neighbour to take in your parcel, but of course you first have to talk to the neighbour to make sure that they'll be in all day from 8am to 6pm because Next won't be more specific about a delivery time than that.
So despairing of that option, I decided to call them and check whether they could check availability or get the items into a specific store that I could collect them from. The woman who answered the phone was delightful, and gave me a quotation of the week when she said "We've had to introduce new security measures because of security."
She couldn't help me at all, however. Despite the fact that I was asking her to order in stock to a shop to which I would then go to pick it up and pay for it, that's apparently not something they can do. "Because of security", they can only do that for your second and subsequent orders (how in heaven does anyone ever place ONE, never mind more?). The first order has to be delivered to your home, but if you're not in they can leave a card telling you where to pick it up.
Which is good of them.
Seriously - in a world where I can get online and order electrical goods worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds and have them delivered exactly where it's most convenient for me to get them, what bizarre prehistoric realm do the people at Next inhabit?