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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think argos are being completely unreasonable!

38 replies

oramum · 16/04/2014 17:43

I bought a washing machine from argos two years ago. two weeks ago it started tripping my electric for the whole house and an error code kept flashing on the lcd panel.
I phoned argos who really werent very helpful and simply said as it was over a year old there was nothing they could do.
so I purchased a new one and paid to have the old one taken away, costing around £500 in total.
this morning I recieved a letter from argos stating they are recalling the faulty machines as there is a risk of fire and tripping the electrics! they have arranged for an engineer to visit and try and mend the machine!
AIBU to be absolutely furious that I potentially have just wasted £500?!
I have phoned argos this morning and they basically dont want to know and said sorry but there is nothing we can do Sad

OP posts:
Custardo · 16/04/2014 17:44

bullshit theres nothing they can do

hope someone can come along and help - but i would be writing a formal complaint and sending an email complaining and ringing daily to complain

thats a lot of money

bastards

Joules68 · 16/04/2014 17:46

Well I'm guessing they aren't psychic and couldn't have predicted the recall?

msrisotto · 16/04/2014 17:48

For future reference - thoroughly acquaint yourself with the sale of goods act - moneysavingexpert has a great step by step for you. You can get a repair or replacement for an item that hasn't lasted a reasonable length of time.
I've had laptops, food mixers repaired and suitcases replaced by quoting the sale of goods act.

I wouldn't give up on Argos now though. Give CAB a call - they're very helpful and knowledgable. Who did you purchase the new one from?

CrohnicallyChanging · 16/04/2014 17:49

I think they should have referred you to the manufacturer when you first complained- argos were right in that there was nothing they could do, as after the year it becomes the manufacturer's fault.

CrohnicallyChanging · 16/04/2014 17:49

I meant the manufacturer's responsibility not fault!

msrisotto · 16/04/2014 17:49

1 year for a white good isn't a reasonable period of time in anyone's book. They were lying when they said there was nothing they could do.

dwinnol · 16/04/2014 17:50

They don't recall products without a lot of complaints first so they would have been aware last week there was a problem with the model. Is be asking why they didn't tell me to hang fire and request a refund on the new machine.

msrisotto · 16/04/2014 17:50

NO. The customer's contract is with the store not the manufacturer. It absolutely is Argos' responsibility.

HerRoyalNotness · 16/04/2014 17:51

No they couldn't have predicted it, but I'm sure 2 weeks ago someone at Argos knew about it. There is planning involved in a recall. There is some headsup of the issue ahead of a letter being sent.

RedRoom · 16/04/2014 17:54

Can trading standards help? The item clearly was dangerous and not fit for purpose- that is now official- and should have lasted for over a year, in line with the sale of goods act that a poster mentioned above.

They were wrong to not initially take your concerns about the tripping seriously- that is a serious and potentially dangerous malfunction that should have been properly investigated (as it clearly now has!).

Keep pushing with this one. You have a record that you paid them to take your old one away, which is concrete evidence of your concerns and the dates of all of this- it might have been harder to sort if you had skipped the old one.

Joules68 · 16/04/2014 17:55

Really? A store assistant answering the phone/in store would know what's afoot over in head office?

Original poster
oramum · 16/04/2014 17:55

thankyou for all of the replies.
I am so annoyed about this especially after speaking to a manager at argos who insisted the most she could do was send an engineer out to repair the machine. obviously she hadnt listened to a word I had said! an apology at least would have been nice.

OP posts:
MelonadeAgain · 16/04/2014 17:59

I would send them a recorded delivery letter stating that you are going to sue them for the value of the machine as it is clearly faulty, plus your expenses, if they do not refund you your purchase price within 14 days.

msrisotto · 16/04/2014 18:00

Unfortunately the sales people and managers will resist hard but yu've got the law on your side. You just need to arm yourself with the facts because they'll argue black is white.

Original poster
oramum · 16/04/2014 18:04

sorry I should have added at the beginning - the new washing machine that I bought wasnt purchased from argos, it was another popular retailer. although I still have confimation via email of the price and that I had the old machine taken away. plus this also confirms the date of purchase.

OP posts:
LIZS · 16/04/2014 18:09

contact your local trading standards and see how they would suggest you approach Argos and/or manufacturer.

AKeyFox · 16/04/2014 19:59

What is the make and model ?

If you can establish that the recall from the manufacturer predated your call to them, I reckon you have a cast iron case.

Good luck.

AKeyFox · 16/04/2014 20:03

Argos product recall page doesn't appear to have any washing machine recalls in the past year.

wowfudge · 17/04/2014 07:06

Yes it does - twin tub washing machine over halfway down the list. Specifically it says there is a risk of electric shock when you follow the link.

wowfudge · 17/04/2014 07:08

Apologies AKey - the recall notice was from 2011.

makeminea6x · 17/04/2014 07:08

Email the CEO of Argos.

Pipbin · 17/04/2014 07:15

That also says added March 2011, so I don't think that's it.

I would write a very strongly worded letter to head office and also cc it to the manufactures of the washing machine.
Before doing that you need to look at the sale of goods act as said above. There has been a lot of talk about how long you should expect electrical goods to last as companies used to say one year. The problem is that the act says a reasonable time, but I think that it had now been laid down in law or legislation as what a reasonable time is.

At the least Argos should have refered you to the manufacturer.

Pipbin · 17/04/2014 07:16

Sorry Wowfudge, cross post.

Can you really still buy twin tubs?

Frozennortherner · 17/04/2014 07:17

Do they have a Twitter account? If I were you I would ask very politely, very publicly why this happened and that you are extremely unhappy with this level of service.

fairylightsintheloft · 17/04/2014 07:24

I don't think it matters that the recall happened the week after yours went wrong. That doesn't mean that someone high enough in customer services can't authorise some form of compensation for your £500 as you were clearly affected by this fault. Its just a case of getting beyond the "computer says no" response that the vast majority of the call centre people will / have to use. Best of luck. My immediate response to your thread title was Argos are BU just for selling absolute shite most of the time. I never buy anything unbranded from there, and try to avoid it generally whenever I can after some appalling customer services regarding a delivery where they lied to my face.

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