Bargain hunters slam Masters fire sale over missing stock, poor service and price discrepancies

IT’S like the Dick Smith sale all over again. Masters’ fire sale is plagued by missing stock, weird prices and frazzled staff.

IT’S like the Dick Smith sale all over again.

Failed home improvement store Masters’ closing down sale has descended into chaos, with confusion reigning over the price of reduced stock and staff bearing the brunt of customer frustration.

When Dick Smith had its closing down sale earlier this year, customers complained some staff were keeping the best items for themselves.

Bargain hunters have now taken to the Masters Facebook page to complain about “misleading” advertising and “absolutely disgusting” customer service.

Two weeks into the chain’s “fire sale”, which aimed to shift more than half a billion dollars worth of stock by December, the Woolworths-owned retailer is struggling to maintain order.

“I just went to pick up an order that I paid for and the item has not been in stock for a week,” customer Andrea Angourias complained. “False advertising, Masters — not happy.”

The retailer’s social media moderator replied with an apology and promised to investigate further.

Other shoppers pointed out that the price of advertised sales stock was different in store.

“Your catalogue says 40 per cent off blinds with the picture of the clear plastic cafe blinds, so my wife goes into the Ellenbrook store only to be told that the special is only on the mesh blinds,” Shane Del Nero wrote.

Not happy, Jan.

“Why put the picture off the cafe blinds? The women who served her was very rude as well. False advertising at its best.”

Another disgruntled customer vowed to complain to Fair Trading after waiting six weeks for her order, to receive just 40 of the 150 palings she’d ordered.

“Would not shop at masters again,” Jo Bland wrote. “We were told would be no trouble ... Still waiting and worst thing is no one gets back to us ... Not a happy customer, you are closing ’cause your service sucks.”

Others complained that staff were not honouring the advertised price of Roca tiles and outdoor furniture.

“Please at least have the respect not to put your staff in a position that they can’t defend,” Kaylene Puzey wrote.

“Makes life for your staff even tougher when they are unable to sell at the advertised price and obviously customers very disgruntled. Some who have driven quite some distance for the disappointment ... Also witnessed the poor kitchen staff having to keep explaining ‘no more orders’. Why don’t you close the display down to avoid this and make some upfront advertising to make things clear?”

A Masters staff member apologised and asked for further details.

Everything must go. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

A customer was unimpressed by this “reduction”.

‘TREAT ME LIKE A HUMAN BEING’

Staff member Renee Christina hit back, writing that she and her colleagues were just “trying to do our best as we are coming closer to the end”.

“Since the fire sale has kicked in, we have been given new prices with little time to change tickets and new store policies to follow,” she posted on Facebook.

“I have been verbally abused, filmed so it can be put on social media as ‘horrible service’ and had to literally clean up someone’s sh*t in the public bathrooms at our store.

“I come to work with a smile on my face every time because I want to try and have a good day at work, even when I know I’m going to be treated like sh*t.

“Since this sale, I have seen new customers coming in demanding better prices saying it’s my job to serve them and they have rights. I didn’t know my job required me to deal with total a**holes.

“If you come in and treat me like a human being then I would happily help and serve you but treat me like sh*t then go help yourself, I’m not paid to deal with your abuse.”

Amid the complaints about poor service were some sympathetic posts in support of Masters’ soon-to-be-jobless staff.

“Must be soul destroying to know that you will shortly be out of a job in today’s job market,” Derek Naismith wrote.

“We only went to Masters a few times but found the service really good, streets ahead of Bunnings.”

But others were not so understanding.

“The staff are still getting paid a wage to go a job and have some sort of professionalism but it seems customer service is the first thing that seems to have been marked down,” Eryn Hanckel wrote.

END OF AN ERA

Masters loyalist Sharon Richardson lamented the demise of the Bunnings competitor, arguing that consumers would be worse off.

“Maybe if the same people whingeing about discounts had supported the Masters stores from the beginning, instead of still going to Bunnings, they would not be closing down,” she said.

“Now there will be no competition for Bunnings and they will more than likely go back to their old ways.”

Chris Gallichio agreed, writing: “Have a look at electronic retailing — in 2010, you could go to Clive Peeters, Retravision, Dick Smith and David Jones to buy a TV; now all of these no longer exist and it’s hard to get a discount greater than 20 per cent.”

Masters said all warranties would be preserved under a new Woolworths-based scheme to be unveiled at a later date.

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