Harvey Nichols

UPDATE Be very careful buying expensive fragrances from here, especially Creed. I am updating this review to reflect the full outcome of my complaint. I purchased a 100ml bottle of Creed Aventus from Harvey Nichols. I have worn Aventus for many years and know exactly how it should perform. The bottle I received was noticeably different from what I would reasonably expect. The scent was significantly weaker, the balance of notes appeared different and the fragrance did not last anywhere near as long as previous bottles I have owned. I tested it repeatedly, on different occasions, on both skin and clothing, with the same result every time. What ultimately concerns me far more than the fragrance itself is how the complaint was handled. I raised the issue promptly, within days of purchase. During discussions with the perfume stand manager, it was accepted that batches can vary and that there can be differences between bottles. However, despite this, the position appeared to be that no exchange would be offered. I was invited to compare my bottle against a tester, yet it was also made clear that the outcome was unlikely to change. This created the impression that a conclusion had already been reached before any meaningful consideration of my concerns. The matter then became an exhausting exercise in persistence. Over the following weeks I corresponded with numerous individuals and managers, escalated the matter repeatedly, contacted Creed directly, submitted formal complaints and eventually involved my bank. By the time Harvey Nichols agreed to resolve the matter, my bank was already in the process of investigating and recovering the transaction. Eventually Harvey Nichols accepted the return, covered the return postage and issued a full refund. I acknowledge that this was the correct outcome and I am pleased that the financial aspect of the dispute was finally resolved. However, it is impossible to ignore what was required to get there. No customer spending more than £200-300+ on a luxury fragrance should have to devote this amount of time, effort and energy simply to have their concerns taken seriously. The issue could have been resolved much earlier through a more balanced and customer-focused approach. One positive lesson from this experience was the importance of purchasing expensive items using a credit card. Had I paid by debit card or another payment method, my options would have been significantly more limited. As the matter became increasingly protracted, I took reassurance from knowing that consumer protections existed and that my card provider was able to independently investigate the transaction. In the end, Harvey Nichols resolved the matter before that process concluded, but consumers spending significant sums should be aware of the protections available to them when things go wrong. What I find particularly disappointing is that after all of the correspondence, escalation, inconvenience and time invested, not a single goodwill gesture was offered. No voucher, no store credit, no acknowledgement that months of unnecessary effort had been imposed on the customer. The eventual refund merely returned me to the position I should have been in all along. It did nothing to recognise the considerable time spent pursuing a resolution. The overall impression left with me was that the eventual refund was treated almost as a favour rather than the resolution of a genuine customer complaint. At times I felt I was being expected to justify and re-justify concerns that had been raised almost immediately after purchase, despite having been a long-standing user of the product and despite being willing to attend store assessments and engage throughout the process. Will never buy from them again.

A store that sells original perfumes

Excellent service from Sabha, Jo ..... on the Beauty floor I had ordered some hair products & a lovely lady rang me to let me know they were in store..... Davines amazing products. Also Phoebe on fsshions was amazing last week, im yet to try get aome stuff i put aside ..... 💯❤️

Our first visit. Absolutely wonderful! Went for a birthday lunch. Ambiance excellent, food and drink divine, service amazing. All the staff were lovely but special mention must go to Chip who was exceptionally nice. Will definitely be revisiting soon.

Ayesha (apologies if I spelt name wrong) was extremely helpful and accommodating we asked for a product and directed us right to it and was very informative about any products we asked about she had amazing customer service.give her a pay rise

Excellent service from Washington, was a great help from the minute we walked in until we left. Thanks again

No atmosphere, never any customers. Poor store layout. Only good thing is the food drinks section with their helpful friendly staff. Always pick up some bits and pieces from that part of the store when in Manchester. Rest of store definitely lacking. In past definitely noticed highly inappropriate language about customers from beauty stand staff. This was closer to the front entrance not at the back. Extremely unprofessional and disgusting to be frank. Ranging from body shaming, appearance to racial profiling. Understandable why Selfridges across the road is doing better.