John Lewis is either incompetent or insolent. I purchased an electrical item from the John Lewis website which failed well within its expected lifespan. John Lewis' technical support department initially attempted to repair the fault but, when it became clear that the fault was irreparable, refused to issue a replacement or partial refund. John Lewis publishes a detailed "complaints process" on its website. You would think this is reassuring. It is not. The first stage is to "write to our Head of Customer Service". Email and postal addresses are provided. However, complaints are actually received by a correspondence centre in Motherwell, Scotland! The person who dealt with my complaint did not understand the nature of the fault despite repeated telephone conversations and, although claiming that "John Lewis strives to deliver excellent customer service and support to our customers", cited a range of incorrect legal arguments as to why John Lewis was unable to assist. I resorted to the second and final stage of escalating a complaint listed on the John Lewis website, which is to use the EU's non-binding dispute resolution platform. I submitted my complaint. John Lewis did not reply, or even provide an acknowledgement. An email I sent to the "head of customer service" in Motherwell to inform them of this was also ignored. I decided to take my complaint to the small claims court. This time, John Lewis' solicitors did send an acknowledgement (to the court, not to me!), which delayed the resolution of the case. However, they sent no defence (most likely because they knew they were in the wrong) and I eventually - after the appropriate period of time had elapsed - won. All in all it has been a most revealing experience. The level of customer service provided by John Lewis is almost non-existent (for online orders, at least) and at complete odds with the image they try to present. Don't believe the hype on John Lewis' website, such as there being a "Head of Customer Service" ready to swiftly resolve all complaints. Instead, do yourself a favour and shop with a different UK-based retailer, such as the Co-operative Electrical, Maplin and Richer Sounds.