Argos cuntstomer service

[randomnotmum]

cut a long story short I bought a strimmer qualcast 600w and 3yr replacement warranty in may from argos in ipswich retail park, london road ipswich. I used it the other day and after a half an hour of light use the handle sheared off. I took it back today and said it wasn't fit for purpose the manager said I accidentally damaged it by dropping it and quickly put the claim through my warranty bought another one out and asked if i would like to buy a new 3 year warranty. I said no, no chance. I asked him to escalate it to higher management another manager came out and gave me the same decision. Angered I left with the broken machine and the warranty. The told me take up with qualcast.

I called qaulcast they told me "qualcast" don't exist they are a brand and argos is responsible. I called customer service and complained to them saying I didn't appreciate being called a liar. Customer services phoned me back and said to take it back to the store and the manager will have another look at it. Also that I could get an independent engineers report that it is not fit for purpose and they would refund the cost of that inspection!

I took it back I was met by another manager who completely ignored what I was saying to him and told me that I had broken it accidentally and they would replace it by claiming on the insurance and then I would have to buy another insurance policy. He said he had the same strimmer over three years and then bought one out of stock to show him how I used it .

As I was holding you could see how flimsy it was around the handle joint,
like it was designed to break, planned obsolescence He then said lets break this one to see how much effort it would take. At that point I could see that this was totally (REMOVED BY MNHQ) I was about to leave and he offered me that display strimmer. He was so incredibly petty keeping the old box and making me take out the strimmer and put it in my old box ! WTF ! he told me that if the handle broke again they wouldn't replace it. What about my consumer rights!

He treated me all the time like a complete liar, ignoring what I was saying to him. That is a real eye opener for me. Basically the warranty depends on the discretion of the managers! I didn't realise that argos were a cowboy outfit but they are. What a shame they used to be decent brand you could trust but now I won't be buying any warranties from them or any products if I can avoid it.

I'm disgusted and shocked by their attitude.

Evening all
As you know we don't allow disablist language on MN - we have removed it from the OP, but have left the posts which challenge this for the time being - to ensure the rest of the thread makes sense.
Here's a No warranty needed copy of the Mumsnet guidelines for anyone who needs it.
Peace and love
MNHQ

Hi thanks for all the support, firstly I'm incredibly sorry for using that word i was just talking about the situation and wanted to use an adjective what i mean't was the situation was backwards ! . I am not or have ever been disablist and I completely apologise to all the people who I have caused offense to. Absolutely.

This is the context I used that word in
www.thesaurus.com/browse/retarded

And of course I didn't use it in the shop. That would be rude and offensive. I've already been wronged. Wronging someone else isn't a good thing. This is a genuine mistake in my post and I apologise profusely.

secondly. It's the principle that sucks. The second manager said to me they have to send it back to qualcast who incedentally don't exist. They are brand of argos who are responsible for the warranty of which i was misinformed by the first 2 managers according to qualcast technical helpline [name omitted] given in the instruction manual.

And if they sent it back qualcast would say that it was accidental damage and then they wouldn't get the refund.

I then angrily countered with so you expect me to take the hit on my insurance policy? Its ridiculous.

Anyway I was in the shop and this manager was going to break another machine to prove that i was liar. you could see how flimsy the handle was. It was about to snap under just holding it up. This new machine must be made weaker than the one the manager had and claimed to use weekly for over three years ?

It was the petty way they treated me. The were bullying me to buy another warranty effectively. They wasted my time. Firstly from a defective product i was unable to finish the work i started, I had to complete it best I could by hand. Secondly taking it into the shop and they tried to cover themselves by claiming it on my warranty. And then they sell me another warranty. Its blatant profiteering, its rude and offensive and oppressive. If I still had the original policy still running then it wouldn't be an issue but who would then pay for then next return.

Then I called qualcast and argos support. Emailed them too. Wasting my time. Then I went back to the shop, I forgot the handle. So I had to come home again without going in the shop. In stop start dmf clutch destroying traffic with roadworks. Went back and then it all started again but this time I left with the replacement item and the warranty intact. I raised my voice a few times but I was absolutely respectful and polite to the manager but I firmly stated my opinion of the situation.

All I'm missing is an apology really. I should really send them a bill for my time !

I can't leave a review on the site about this item.
but here it is ...

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1708875.htm

1/2 *

"strimmer used for 1/2 an hour of light use and the handle snapped off, in the previous 1/2 hour Every 1/2 a minute I would have to extend the cord manually because it was breaking off, because it was so poorly made, and also in a bid to sell more trimming wire by the spares company. I bought some stronger trimming wire that i was going to refit on the empty spool but the strimmer never made it that far. Don't buy this, the power is fantastic 600W but its designed to fail at the handle. you could make a handle for it. But you are buying a complete item not a kit. If you buy this you will need a warranty because argos will claim that its accidental damage and you have to buy another warranty on the replaced item.

I bought it for £32.99 and warranty was £9.99 comes with free abuse,
verbal attacks being called a liar may cause you create scene.
Advantage if you are driving an mpv may cost you the price of a dmf clutch if returned in roadwork traffic.

"

I wonder how many people would buy that. But the comments policy is very filtered now by argos. I've read that only positive reviews that are vetted make it etc ...

Anyway its been a fun day. I've expressed my anger. I have a display model machine. I am calling it that because it was open when it was presented to me. Argos can't actually sell that.

It was all so personal it felt like it was in the playground again. I am paying customer. I am buying a product. Please don't try to mug me off. Before I saw this whole response I felt helpless. Like its the profiteering system, the little person has no voice no effect and these companies will keep abusing some random people and nobody will find out and nobody cares.

I wish you could hear the conversation and see how ridiculous and backwards it was.

And honestly I never thought anybody would ever see this post. So thanks for making my day. There is life out there. Power to all of you. Peace and thank you.

Chill guys. I am not disablist. TBH I never even thought that it would be interpreted in that context. I have disabled people in my family. I have never caused offence to a disabled person and never intend to. So I am sorry about my naivety. And I certainly didn't say that in the shop. Of course not. I see reprehensible people doing to hurt people who are different to them. I agreed with you it was foolish to put that in my post.I didn't think. I did however use the words "WHAT" "NO WAY" "That RIDICULOUS" "Cancel that now" etc.

I think you may wish to ask MNHQ to delete this thread. The majority of terms you have linked to through that online thesaurus are deeply offensive, the term backwards is not really much better than retarded.

Any term that has been used to denigrate or abuse a person with some form of SEN are no longer acceptable. Describing someone's poor behaviour or bad communication like someone who has a disability is not acceptable.

if that's what you all want fair enough what i am trying to say is that i am not intending to cause offense to a person. In my post I described the "situation" as backwards not any person.

I would have thought the 3 year replacement warranty covered the whole three years irrespective of how many times you had a replacement item, OP. Check your warranty paperwork small print. If not, it's pretty poor. I'm not surprised your unhappy with this example of customer 'service'.

I took out a three year "whatever happens" (Currys) warranty on a kindle in January 2013 and this July I used it when my kindle got a cracked screen. When they replaced my kindle with a new one they told me to keep my original receipt safe because the warranty was still in operation until January 2016 and my replacement kindle was also covered.

yes that's what was shocking. but to be honest I though qualcast was a manufacturer for example panasonic etc, but they are actually argos. So its a product that is branded by argos an own brand as it were. I've never heard of the warranty expiring as soon as its used ...
[http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8832414.htm]
but their denial is based on no treating it as a warranty claim. And then when the original item is returned the new one needs a fresh warranty.

Its ridiculous.

I haven't used that first word and neither in the shop of course not and i haven't used it directed at a person in the initial post.

To put your mind at rest none of the managers appeared to have any sort of disability in which case it may have been deemed to offensive but it wasn't so relax, lets talk about argos ripping us off, and what strimmers are crap.

I haven't used that first word and neither in the shop of course not and i haven't used it directed at a person in the initial post.

To put your mind at rest none of the managers appeared to have any sort of disability in which case it may have been deemed to offensive but it wasn't so relax, lets talk about argos ripping us off, and what strimmers are crap.

look i don't want to cause problems for those managers, they are just doing their job, following orders, which is looking out for argos and themselves, i know that now I was under the foolish impression that they were there to make sure i was fairly treated as a customer of their business and that they would abide by the uk standard laws and conduct themselves in truthful and fair manner, but i was wrong unfortunately, they made themselves and their position perfectly clear. I think that they do that so often that it has started looking right to them and they even believe their own BS. The call center person told me that if a shop manager has already made a decision that was final. She couldn't change that. So it must be generally accepted within argos. I'd rather do other more creative things and brush up on the latest trends in posting etiquette and language

random I do understand not your intention to be offensive with the words you used.

I am just trying to explain how the use of certain terms can be offensive, even if it is not your aim. Using words that are now considered inappropriate to describe a situation can really upset people, there is really no normal context where it is OK to use them.

From the link you provided explaining the context you use the word in:

Usage Notes
In reference to low intellectual ability, the terms retarded, retardation, and mental retardation are now usually perceived as insulting. There are several acceptable alternatives. In general, someone with a mental, physical, or emotional disability may be described as developmentally disabled, or as a person with a developmental disability. If it is specifically a mental disability, the person may be described as cognitively impaired or intellectually (or mentally) disabled. Such a person may be referred to as an individual with a cognitive impairment or a person with an intellectual (or mental) disability. The slang term retard is a term of abuse used especially by children, though much less commonly than in the past. In both of its meanings, retard is perceived as insulting to disabled people. See also cripple.

Had you actually read the link before using the word it might have been more helpful

It's person with a disability random, not disabled person.

i had no idea that if I described a situation as retarded it would cause offence and that people in this thread would actually call me retard and a moron. Demonstrating how not to use it I suppose. I should have said that the situation was fucked up, which is more accurate. And there are plenty of valid non disablist contexts to use this word in for example ...
the velocity of the projectile was retarded by the thick viscous medium it passed through. I've explained myself and my intention. If that is not good enough then well heah we are back in the shop where they were telling me what happened ... I suppose I need to find another blog to moan about mumsnet on lol

I can't see where anyone has called you a retard.

yeah you are right they just called me moron fair enough.