After the delivery I attempted to assemble the item, but found it impossible to attach the plastic handle to the lid, and there were no instructions in the accompanying booklet explaining how to achieve this. After several further attempts I found that the handle broke.


I then wrote to your company asking if I could send back the handle and receive a replacement for it, together with instructions for connecting it to the lid. The reply on the telephone, from a lady your company, was that I would have to have the whole item replaced by a new one. This seemed rather ludicrous, since a new handle could be delivered by a postman and probably put through my letter box, whereas the whole item would involve someone being present to hand over the faulty one and take the delivery of a new one. However, since this was your policy I agreed to it, but I was astonished to learn that the no date, let alone a time of day, could be made for this changeover, and it would take place any time within a seven day period.


After making arrangements with a friend, who would be willing to keep the porch to his house open, in case he was out at the time, I now learn from a phone call I have just made to your company that the arrangement is even more drawn out and time consuming. The delivery of the new item would not be made at the same time as the old one is collected, but another arrangement would have to be made for it at a later date, once the old one has returned to the depot.


This whole process has gone on for weeks and involved letters and telephone calls to Ideal Shopping Direct. The phone calls have always been lengthy due to the time taken in your staff asking for personal details every time.