PC Science subject to inquiry by OFT

Exclusive Soaring complaint levels spark Trading Standards probe.

Troubled Yorkshire manufacturer PC Science is facing more controversy with an investigation by both Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading.

The Trading Standards inquiry was triggered by PC Science's customer complaints recently passing the 400 mark. This is the latest problem to hit the manufacturer after starting the year well by winning the Asda contract (PC Dealer, 3 March).

But PC Science has since been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), dumped by Argos, and is suing its motherboard supplier Protac over compatibility issues.

Richard Flinton, management co-ordinator at Trading Standards, revealed: 'We have received a lot of complaints and have sent the case on to the Office of Fair Trading. We are trying to get the message across that this level of complaints is unacceptable.'

The Office of Fair Trading is set to reconsider the manufacturer's credit licence and will seek assurances from PC Science that it will improve its customer support levels. This could be enforced by a court order so that if things do not improve, PC Science could be in contempt of court.

One source - who previously worked closely with PC Science - believed that problems stemmed from cutting prices and trying to maintain decent specifications.

'Unfortunately, something has to give within organisations and most choose a degree of skimping on the components,' he claimed. 'These problems have an effect on the customer services department, which can't deal with the volume of complaints. The trouble is, this affects the perception of the industry as a whole.'

PC Science has notched up seven county court judgements against it this year, marking a 20 per cent increase compared with the past three years.

PC Science declined to comment on the matter.