For more than 40 years Buy As You View has been helping customers spread the cost of household essentials, but what do you do if there’s a problem? Here’s a guide to explain how you can complain about Buy As You View, should you ever need to.
If you’re looking for big brand electrical, top quality furniture and the latest technology and appliances, the online pay weekly store are on hand to help bring life’s essentials within your reach.
Spread the cost of essential purchases with big branded household items that are available with weekly payments.
- 1 Methods of complaining
- 2 Phone the complaints number
- 3 Make a complaint through email
- 4 Write to Buy As You View
- 5 Contact them through social media
- 6 What happens after you make a complaint?
- 7 The Financial Ombudsman Service
- 8 Frequently asked questions
- 9 Common complaint
- 10 How Buy As You View works
- 11 Applying online
- 12 How to complete your application
- 13 The benefits of using Buy As You View
- 14 Smart Meter
- 15 About the company
Methods of complaining
If you feel unsatisfied with the Buy As You View services, or if you have a complaint to make about a product, there are a selection of methods you can do this. You have the option to ring the complaints line, email them through their contact form on their site, or write to them in a letter.
Buy As You View have a dedicated page on their website, which allows you to make a complaint or give feedback on the company or a specific product you have bought through them.
Phone the complaints number
There are many reasons you might need to call the Buy As You View complaints number, and it is the quickest way to get a response on your problem.
You might have hired or bought a product that is broken, damaged or faulty, there may also be a problem with your smart meter that is fitted on your TV. You could also get in contact with them if you have recently written to them or emailed them and are waiting for a response. Again this is the most direct way of getting in touch and finding a solution for your problem.
The dedicated customer service teams are available Monday through Thursday between 8 am and 7 pm, and then on a Friday between 8 am and 8 pm.
Make a complaint through email
If you need to get in touch with Buy As You View out of the hours of their customer service phone line operation, or just prefer not to speak to someone, you can email them through the email customer.services@bayv.co.uk or you can use the contact form which is on their website.
It’s important that you ensure you fill out all of the required information so they’re able to help you efficiently as possible. The boxes with a red asterisk are the most important and the form will not be submitted until they are complete.
If you email them out of office hours, they say they will pick it up as soon as possible, which will be their next working day. If you don’t hear back within a couple of days, we’d recommend getting in touch through the phone number above.
Write to Buy As You View
If you prefer, you can also put a complaint in writing to Buy As You View. Your letter needs to be addressed to:
Customer Service Department
Buy As You View
Kingsway Buildings
Kingsway
Bridgend Industrial Estate
Bridgend
CF31 3RY
When writing to Buy As You View, you need to ensure you give the following information for them to be able to resolve your complaint as soon as possible.
- Full Name
- Full Address including postcode
- Telephone Number
- Date of birth
- Information outlining your complaint and how you have been affected
Social media has proved a quick and effective way to get in contact with the brands we know and love. Buy As You View has a range of channels that ensure it’s easy to get in touch with them.
This is a great option because you generally get a quicker response and because it’s done in a public way they have to ensure they act quickly and respond in a more effective manner. No company wants to be seen as ignoring valuable customers.
See the Facebook page below, Facebook.com/buyasyouview. Here you can write to them, there’s a box in the middle of the page.
See the Buy As You View Twitter page below, Twitter.com/buyasyouview
What happens after you make a complaint?
After Buy As You Have received your complaint, they will send you a letter of acknowledgement. This will explain their complaints process, as well as information on when you can expect to hear further information from them. Plus, you’ll also receive a complaints number.
They will then take out an investigation, which looks into your complaint after that is completed they’ll issue you a final response. This will outline their findings from the investigation, how they reached the decision they came to and what they will now do as a result.
It’s important to note that if your complaint is particularly complex, they may need more time to investigate. However, they do endeavour to keep you up-to-date throughout the process.
If you do have a query whilst your investigation is taking place, use the complaint number they have given you, when you contact them through the complaints number above.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
In the event that it has taken longer than 8 weeks for Buy As You View to resolve your complaint, or if you aren’t satisfied with the decision they have come to, you are entitled to take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
This is a free service to use and it helps to resolve disputes between customers and financial services institutions.
It’s important to note that you will need to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months of the final response letter you receive from Buy As You View.
To contact the Financial Ombudsman Service you can do so in the following ways:
- Contact them by phone 0800 0 234 567
- Contact them on their website www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Contact them through email complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Contact them by post with the following address: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR
Frequently asked questions
If you have a complaint or question to make and need it doing so urgently, it might be worth checking out the Buy As You View Frequently Asked Questions page, as this might have the answer you need.
On this page, you’ll find a list of the frequently asked questions put to the company, and they’re already answered so you may find the solution you need to your problem. These are general questions to online orders, paying online, delivery charges etc. But there are also more in depth questions like those related to faulty items, insurance cover and advice for those who might be struggling to make payments.
Common complaint
The most common complaint at Buy As You View is most likely the breakdown or a fault with a product purchased. All of the products, excluding Valueline, are covered for 12 months under the standard manufacturer’s guarantee.
If you have a product that is faulty, you do have different legal rights when it comes to refunds and exchanges. This includes the right to a remedy from Buy As You View for defective goods. If you buy a product that is faulty when sold, you have the right to claim for a repair, replacement or refund for up to 6 years (5 years in Scotland) from the day of purchase.
How Buy As You View works
Big branded household items are available to buy through Buy As You View with weekly payments, as they aim to bring life’s essentials within your reach and budget. The company is designed to help you spread the cost of your essential purchases and take away some of the stress of when your TV, washing machine or dryer suddenly breaks and you don’t have the full amount to replace it.
Applying online
To apply for a product there is a simple online application process, which shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes to complete. Once you’ve completed this, you simply select the product you want, add it to your basket and select any optional cover you require, and then proceed to the application form.
The credit available through Buy As You View is subject to status, available and acceptance in your area. They explain that they are a responsible lender, so they will assess every applicant individually. For example, if you’ve ever had financial difficulties in the past, or never had credit before, they will assess you on your own unique circumstances.
How to complete your application
When you’re completing your online application, having the following details available and ready is recommended.
Details of your previous addresses if you have lived at your current address for less than three years
Details of income, such as your salary, benefits or any other income you may have
Details of your outgoings, such as rent, mortgage, bills etc
Once you have completed your application, you will get a fast decision on whether or not you’re able to use the services of Buy As You View.
In some circumstances, they may require further information. This might result in a member of the customer services team getting in touch with you via email or phone with advice on what is needed to complete your application.
The benefits of using Buy As You View
There are select benefits to using the Buy As You View system. Along with weekly payments that make costs feel a little less daunting, there’s also a free delivery, plus no deposit or late fees.
Buy As You View offer a free delivery service and installation service. Plus, they will also take away your packaging and get it recycled for you.
When it comes to delivering your items, they’ll call you to arrange a delivery on a day that’s convenient for you.
There is also a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Meaning that they will give you a full 30 days from the date you place your order to make sure you are happy with your purchase. So if you are feeling less than satisfied with your product, or you have changed your mind, you can cancel and return to them within this period.
Through Buy As You View there is also an optional service package, which offers unlimited repairs for peace of mind. This will protect you against breakdown, and they will offer to fix your product or replace it.
Buy As You View work religiously to ensure they are a responsible lender and want to ensure customers can keep on top of their finances. Through the use of a SmartMeter they help to keep your payments manageable. If you struggle with payments, they will endeavour to help you get back on track, and say they won’t charge you late fees. They have a dedicated debt advice page to help ensure customers don’t get themselves into unwarranted debt.
Smart Meter
Buy As You View will install their very own Smart Meter when you purchase a product through the website. The slimline smart meter is designed to discreetly connect to your TV and blends in with other devices you may have.
The compact smart meter monitors your payments, ensures that everything is functioning correctly and is designed to help resolve any problems that may occur.
If you haven’t purchased a TV through Buy As You View, or pay through a direct debit, as part of your agreement with the company, you still need to have a Smart Meter, which they will connect to your current TV in order to monitor payments and ensure that everything is functioning correctly.
If your account goes into arrears, Buy As You View may temporarily restrict the TV connected to your Smart Meter. If you happen to miss a payment, for whatever reason, you will still be able to continue to watch your TV. However, there is a seven day grace period in which the company will attempt to contact you. If they can’t get in touch with you and have not received a payment after the 7 day grace period, they will then issue you with a notice of intention to restrict your TV viewing.
About the company
Buy As You View was first established in 1972 in South Wales, since then its popularity has grown and they’re available throughout the UK, using their online system, and operations in several places. The easy application is what makes this company a big drawer, plus the fact you can buy essential household items through a payment scheme, which is ideal if you don’t have the upfront cost of a sofa, washing machine, TV etc. They operate on a smart meter basis which means you can buy the products on a hire basis and have a prepayment meter fitted so that you can pay for the products as you use them.
