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AIBU?

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Original poster

About Argos and their lying!

97 replies

HoboMum · 28/12/2015 13:43

Long story short, my Fitbit doesn't charge anymore so DH took it back to Argos. The woman behind the till agreed to refund it but she had a long look at it first, bent the strap back and broke it.

They are refusing to refund it because they are saying that the damaged strap might have been causing the battery problems.

THEY BROKE THE STRAP! I'm gobsmacked tbh. We have asked the manager to review the CCTV but he hasn't given us much hope that anything will be done.

AIBU? Surely they should refund or at least agree to fix it.

OP posts:
Kayakinggirl86 · 28/12/2015 20:52

Contact fit bit.
I did snap mine (still charged though). Phoned fit bit even though had got it from Amazon. I had a band new one with me within 2 weeks. Only issue was could not get the same colour again, but they did allow me to get a size smaller (had lost 2 stone by this point).
Few friends have had to have the replaced (they can't cope with the humidity of Japan, wore them in showers, lost them) and they have all been given band new ones no questions asked.

scottishegg · 28/12/2015 21:02

My poor parents in law had a really bad experience with Argos once they ordered a sofa bed and part of the delivery option offered was to place it in the room of their choice for free they didn't realise this and offered the men £25 to take it upstairs- the men accepted knowing they were meant to do it for free. When we read the terms and conditions later my in laws refused to complain cos the men knew where they lived.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 28/12/2015 21:04

firecrotch, I hate Currys with a passion and I don't think you're an arse! Their so-called repair service broke our TV - it came back with a cracked screen, dirty case and different plug (I'm not convinced we actually got the same one back).

After a lot of arguing they agreed to replace it so we collected our new one and, lo and behold, it didn't work. It was back in the days of Ceefax and only half the text showed. When we complained the manager told me it was a feature of the set and he couldn't change it until he'd spoken with the manufacturer. I pointed out that all I wanted was a TV that worked and therefore he should replace it and he asked me what part of no I didn't understand. That was completely the wrong thing to say! I stood in the store stating loudly that they were happy to sell faulty TVs and refuse to exchange them and the manager told me that if I didn't shut up he would call the police.

After a lot of arguing we did get a new TV and I wasn't arrested but they still tried to sell us their crap warranty!

FireCrotch · 28/12/2015 21:28

Oh give over. I was going until he was rude to me. I wasn't being a hero. Oh and of course they wanted me out of the store. If I was being an arse then so was he. I've worked in retail for years. I've never been rude to a customer who was perfectly pleasant to me. Also all he had to do was take the box and all the relevant info was on it (codes unique to that item). He didn't like the fact I knew more than him about my rights. He even lied and said the system was down. In fact you know what? You weren't there. You couldn't smell the Joop. You couldn't see the perfectly positioned set of keys dangling from his trousers in a silent attempt to display authority. You didn't see the disinterest in my little £39.95 stereo (stores own brand) when a bloke sniffing around a £999 laptop needed guidance. You didn't see him grunt what direction the hdmi cables were in when asked by a little old woman while trying to sell 2000 year warranties on a massive fuck off telly. So yeah...

Pink did they compensate you handsomely? Or did you have to stand toe to toe with Abz and beg for mercy?

LittleFishBigOcean · 28/12/2015 21:46

Ring Argos customer services (don't know the number.....) they'll definitely be on your side, play your face, they'll ring the store manager and tell him he has to refund/give vouchers. You'll probably have a long wait to get through to someone as Argos are so shit, but I guarantee you you'll get your refund.

LittleFishBigOcean · 28/12/2015 21:48

0345 640 3030

SweetTeaVodka · 29/12/2015 08:38

I'm another one who thinks you should contact FitBit direct. DH's FitBit Charge broke on the strap just thorough normal wear and tear after about 9 months, he contacted them and apparently it's a known, common fault with the bands. They replaced it free of charge with a brand new one, and even gave him the option to choose a different colour or band size if he wanted. All they wanted was a photo of the defect and the serial number, then sent out a courier to collect the old one and deliver the new one.

It's certainly worth a try.

MarieMorgan · 29/12/2015 08:59

Fire crotch, I don't think you know your rights as much as you think you do. It's the purchaser who has rights to return a faulty item not the gift recipient as it is they who have a "contract" with the store when they made the purchase.

YourBubzYourRulzHun · 29/12/2015 09:01

My Fitbit strap has split in exactly the same place, this is my second in a year. First one stopped holding charge so Very sent a courier to collect it and then told me they had no idea where it was and they hadn't sent a courier (even though I'd arranged the time and date the courier was coming on the phone with them and the courier came on the day we'd arranged) and now this one has a broken strap.
I'll try Fitbit and see what they say.

Argos is shit. I recently reserved a Nintendo 3DS XL which was on sale. I went to collect the next day and it had gone back up to full price. I showed them my email with the reservation price and the cashier called the manager. Manager said I had to pay full price, I said 'No, I pay the reservation price'.
Manager said 'no you don't, you pay full price and if you check the terms and condition that's what it says.'
So I stood in the shop and used my phone to do exactly that on their website and quelle surprise, it states that you pay the price you reserve it at. I showed the manager the website information, no apology, just told me 'go to that till then and you can pay the reservation price.'

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 29/12/2015 09:13

fire, no they didn't - I got a written apology and a £20 voucher!

Pipbin · 29/12/2015 09:37

I agree with getting in touch with FitBit directly.

Sorry Your, but I think that Argos were right there. You reserved the item, not the price. If the price dropped between your reservation and coming to get it then I'm sure you'd be complaining if they insisted on you paying the price at reservation then.

StrictlyMumDancing · 29/12/2015 09:46

pip Seems your was completely right. Here's the relevant part of Argos' t&c
If you reserve a product and the price changes (due to normal fluctuations e.g. goods going into or coming out of promotion) before you collect the item, you may request to pay the lowest of i) the price on reservation or ii) the prevailing price in store at the time of collection. This will also apply if your reservation is extended but not if the reservation collection window has expired.

ILoveMyMonkey · 29/12/2015 09:53

If it were me I'd be tempted to just take it to a different Argos and get a refund for the broken strap and not mention the battery - really bad that they damaged it and now refusing to rectify their error.

NicoleWatterson · 29/12/2015 10:04

Argos are shit now, last year I had three issues with them, all should have been straight forward refunds. But they weren't. One took 6 months with the manufacturer to resolve (it was a glitched game).
Your contract is with Argos not the manufacturer, they should resolve it. But it's like they have been targeted to do as few refunds as possible.

I like a physical shop so you generally have better customer care, but Argos seem to forget that

Original poster
HoboMum · 29/12/2015 10:20

Update - I'm totally shocked now! I rang customer care and they contacted the store. Who are still refusing to refund/replace and have claimed that my husband was abusive! I really am completely stunned. He was more than calm more than I was and did not even raise his voice. I am just shocked that they would bare faced lie and close ranks like that. Customer care lady was more than helpful and tried her best. She has recommended that I contact head office which I guess is the next step although complaint and small claims is where I'm headed now. I think this is Argos' responsibility not Fitbit and I want them to resolve it.

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 29/12/2015 10:27

Who are still refusing to refund/replace and have claimed that my husband was abusive!

CCTV will prove that one way or the other. So they need to look at it.

StrictlyMumDancing · 29/12/2015 10:28

hobo rerequest they view the CCTV images to prove your husband was abusive, and prove they didn't break the thing. Tell them you take defamation/slander/ seriously, as well as the fact they've damaged your property (I assume you could take them to small claims court over this theoretically).

StrictlyMumDancing · 29/12/2015 10:29

sorry not just view, send you the proof too.

Lynnm63 · 29/12/2015 19:01

Just read the rest of the thread. It's worth telling head office you'll need a copy of the cctv, as they're accusing you of being abusive, you intend to issue proceedings through the small claims court they'll be obliged to submit that to substantiate their claim at court they may as well submit it now.
I sued argos over a Nintendo DS they claimed was water damaged. I knew it was not. They produced a single sheet report saying water damaged dated the day the unit was collected from the store 100 miles from the repair centre so I knew it was bs.
As soon as the court papers hit head office i received a cheque for the full claim. Don't be fobbed off, they told me there was no way they'd settle as they had a cast iron defence and that they'd counterclaim. They lie.

HooseRice · 29/12/2015 19:07

Fitbit sent me two replacements when my charge stopped charging up. They don't ask for the original back and can see by checking your usage online that there's a fault.

Neeko · 29/12/2015 19:18

My Fitbit was also from Argos. I contacted Fitbit directly when it stopped syncing. They made a few suggestions and when that didn't work they asked me to confirm the month I bought it and store it was bought from and sent me a new one with sincere apologies. Fitbit's customer service is excellent. I'd contact them and let them know the problems you are having. If their cs is do good I'm sure they wouldn't want one of their distributors to be so awful. Good luck.

Iggi999 · 29/12/2015 19:26

Ihatethecold - that is amazing! Did you contact them for a replacement when you lose it, or how did it come about? Shock

Ktay · 29/12/2015 19:45

Confusedat the number of replacement fitbits that are being sent out, has anyone had one that works?!

rosewithoutthorns · 29/12/2015 19:48

It doesn't work anymore?

How long have you had it?

Parrish · 29/12/2015 20:11

My Fitbit fell apart. Fitbit replaced it no problem. Contact them direct.