to think argos are being completely unreasonable!

[oramum]

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

What do you mean, you didn't get it from Argos?

I think she means she didn't get the replacement from Argos and the original one was taken away when the second delivered.

Can you contact the company you bought the new appliance from and get them to confirm they took away your old machine (confirming make and model?)

Did you register your old machine when you bought it? - ie the manufacture warranty - If so the form you filled out would have the date and place of purchase as well as the modal number. If you can obtain a copy of this document you can prove to argos you bought one of the faulty machines from them.

I remember being taught (at school in 'domestic science') how to use a twin tub and thinking it was a deeply pointless exercise as we had an automatic washing machine at home. This was 20 odd years ago.

The same incredibly old-fashioned teacher told me there was no such thing as 'anti-perspirant deodourant' when we did a lesson on personal hygiene - it was either 'anti-perspirant' or 'deodourant'. There was some in the bathroom cabinet, but I bit my tongue.

She doesn't need to provide any of this specific information to Argos. She can rely on her consumer rights under the Sale of Goods Act. She just needs to convince a judge in a Small Claim that she had a machine which wasn't fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality, and she can claim against whoever she chooses - manufacturer, supplier, whatever, or all of them. She could also claim for trouble and inconvenience and any damage or expense due to it tripping the electrics, plus her reasonable costs.

I think she probably has enough evidence for a small claim if she can prove the machine was purchases from Argos in the first place, which she will do now as she has received a letter from them admitting the fault. Any decent judge in a Small Claim would conduct the case based on verbal evidence to assess the truth. Lack of filling in and sending off a warranty form in no way would adversely affect her statutory rights.

Argos would be extremely unwise to ignore a recorded delivery stating all of this and push her into actually taking out a small claim.

Call the Citizens Advice consumer adviceline, they're the specialists in consumer matters and will be more knowledgeable than an average bureaux (speaking as a CAB advisor!)

I think Melonade is exactly right, and that a product recall at anytime would be absolute proof of failure to be "fit for purpose".

I personally would write or email some consumer rights programs like Watchdog or You and Yours on radio 4. Getting people like that involved can suddenly make things happen.

I think you need to exhaust the complaints procedure first - send a registered letter to Argos HO Customer services or their retail director. Say that you had attempted to resolve this through the sales of goods act before replacement but the situation ahs changed and you would like refund for the original machine as it is now clear it was not fit for purpose. If you have receipt/bank statement include a copy.

Ggtggg gg

Oops sorry toddler got hold of my tablet.

Oops sorry toddler got hold of my tablet.

Tee hee.

Hi OP. Google "Letter Before Action" "Small Claims" and Sale of Goods. I'm sure there are plenty of form letters on the Web.

Pipbin: With all due respect, not a good idea for this level of claim. Argos will make a commercial decision, and Small Claims will cost them under a grand. Consumer programs are for either bulk complaints or really large frauds. A single complaint isn't news, but Argos will defend it ferociously because it can damage them. They won't fold up because it'll be a public surrender.