To think this a really bad of Argos?

[Loveheart10]

I bought a small electrical item from Argos around 4 months ago. It cost £50. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect to keep for several years.

After 4 months it completely stopped working.

I did an online thing on the Argos website, and it said that even though their returns policy is 30 days because it was as broken I still as able to get a returns barcode to take it into store.

Went into store and they were having none of it. They said because it’s only 30 days I’d have to contact the manufacturer.

I went home and checked Argos own returns policy and it literally says that if an item is less than a year old they will refund or replace it.

So I rang customer services, they were having none of it and the woman was almost shouting at me to read the terms and conditions, which I had.

So I went straight to the chief executive email address, it seems to be the only way to get anywhere these days. So I wrote an email asking for a refund under my statutory rights.

Got a call from the executive team almost immediately and he confirmed that the store were in the wrong not to refund or replace the item.

I said I was happy to have a refund via gift card as I’d buy another one, not realising that the item now costs £20 more.

But I had to post the item back at my own cost.

Aibu to think that this is terrible customer service?

It seems to be becoming more commonplace for shops to /take your moneysell you crap and just wash their hands of it.

Edited to add that even though the guy on the phone was as puzzled as me as to why the store wouldn’t refund me, in his email he was very careful to say that the refund was only a goodwill gesture.

It’s not a bloomin goodwill gesture though is it.

Thats shocking

I had a crappy experience with John Lewis (!) Of all people and had to email the ceo as well

What will you do?

I’ve had to accept the gift card now because I already said I would, I’d have preferred a like for like replacement.

But I’ve had to post the item to them at my own cost.

No offer of any kind of compensation for all the faffing about. When I say compensation I mean a gift card to cover my petrol and postage.

It’s crap.

@Loveheart10 I’m shocked that you bought something for £50 and expected it to last years!

You don’t even know what it was.

I bought a hat from "Debenhams"

3rd party seller sent it in a bag, and its ruined, now Debenahms are like "not our problem"
They have "reached out to the seller" and I have to wait...

See, this is bollocks. Your contract is with the company you bought it from, ie, Debenhams and they should deal with the issue.

@landofstories
I bought a toaster from Argos 7 years ago. Cost £35 and is still working perfectly.

I can't remember the name of the current legislation, it used to be the Consumer Goods Act but your contrat is with the retailer, not th emanufacturer and they are responsible for refunding or replacing faulty goods.

In thid case not necesarily. A lot of thse places use 3rd party sellers in the same way as Amazon but it should state this on the website and in that case th seller is responsible.

Doesn’t matter.

But did you expect it to be?

I bought a kettle and toaster from Argos for less than £50 and they are about 12 years old now and still going strong!

Whoop! But did you expect this to be the case when you bought it?

So do you expect to buy things and throw it away after 4 months. No matter what it is?

Because that’s shocking.

That is really bad.

I've generally had good customer service from Argos - both in store and via their call centre. I did have to call the manufacturer of my previous vacuum (Tower) when it stopped working after about a month and get a reference for Argos to accept the return in store. But that's the only time.

We have had issues with HMD phones before and they have just accepted them as faulty after I rang the support helpline and they told us to return them in store for a different phone.

It used to be the sale of goods act now it’s the consumer rights act.
within the first 6 months of purchase you’re entitled to a repair or replacement as the item is assumed to be inherently faulty, if this doesn’t solve the issue a refund should be given. Within this 6 months the burden of proof is on the retailer to prove the item was not inherently faulty.
After 6 months you still have the same rights but the burden of prod switches to you so you have to prove the item is inherently faulty, although you can argue that an item, especially a higher vague one, should last a lot longer than 6 months. You should also have recourse from the manufacturer
Within 30 days you can request a refund or replacement straightaway.

This is what I understand the new(er) laws to be anyway

Yes of course I would expect an item to last a few years.
im baffled you are shocked that people expect items to last.
In the OP’s case 4 months is ridiculous for an item to need replacing already.

No, not at all. I just wouldn’t be expecting something that cost £50 to last years.

Ime ..
Dh approaches counter...
Declares it's s broken.
Refund immediately..
Never had any issues with Argos ever..
Until they changed to Argos Pay instead of an Argos card.

They've lost a high spending customer..
Absolutely rubbish system now.

Well I certainly would.

There's plenty of guidance here on what your rights are www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/goods/selling-and-supplying-goods and there are different versions for England and Wales and for Scotland. Aimed at businesses but just as helpful for customers. I think Argos have a bit of a reputation for being crap. Lots of retailers try to send you to the manufacturer.

And yes, I expect a toaster to last several years. Under EU rules things have to be made more durable and repairable now (as of 31 July I believe), and so manufacturers won't make a crappier version for the UK, we'll get them too.

To be honest I do not understand why you agreed to post it back. I would have told them that you would drop it to your local store or else that they send a courier to pick it up.

I’ve had the 3rd party seller bollocks from Amazon recently. I am using them less and less these days.

Write back and explain you need the higher cost refunded and the postage cost refunded.

@Loveheart10 I had a very similar experience with Argos, item defective. Returned for like for like item, only to be told it had increased in price and I had to pay the difference! I no longer shop there as a matter of principle, it’s complete nonsense!