Argos - can you stop telling lies?

Hugh_Jass_4

For London peeps, I'd big up Taurus Beds.

Really good prices, the beds are alot better then the mediocrity you get at Ikea, and the service in the showroom is really good. The guy who owns the shop is genuinely a nice guy and isn't pushy at all.

I ordered my bed about 2 weeks before Xmas. Not expecting to deliver before then, I asked anyway. To my surprise they could make and deliver the bed at their last available pre-Xmas slot. And unlike Dreams, they dont charge extra for butting the bed INSIDE YOUR HOUSE.

Its a really nice bed as well. Make sure you get pocket sprung, and do visit the showroom in north London somewhere.

PinkLipgloss

yeslek,

When I ordered the bikes in store the woman checked the computer and confirmed that BOTH of the bikes could be delivered on Friday morning.

When I called to complain on the Friday (after receiving just one bike) I was told the second one would arrive on Monday morning.

When I called on Monday afternoon I got through to a stroppy female who told that no such order had been organised - and she then arranged to deliver the second bike on Wednesday.

My experience confirms the view of the OP - that Argos do lie to customers.

It was hardly the worst thing that ever happened to me (and no where near as bad as the experience of the OP) - however it was highly inconvenient and I didn't appreciate being lied to. So I shall take my custom elsewhere in the future.

Timman

Having pushed them along...I get this

"I apologise for any inconvenience caused. Having looked into your issue I can assure you this is not the usual level of customer service we provide and it is never our intention to inconvenience or upset our customers....

...I am sorry we cannot offer you an exact replacement mattress as this product has now been discontinued. We would be delighted if you would choose an alternative mattress from our current catalogue and let us know. If your new choice is more expensive than the original price of £235.95, please send a cheque, made payable to...."

So things are moving at last. But I don't need a new mattress, I need a new base unit...Arrghhhh! What's the betting they turn up with the wrong bit?

chocolatechipcookies

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

How awful.

Imagine that, something arrives 3 working days late.

Did they compensate you fully for your distress?

How can a company compensate for distress? That's something you can't put a price on.

marsupial_mama

Timman wrote: »

What happens if he won't put it upstairs I ask? You can get your money back off us.
Great I say. But wait, Argos expects you to sleep on a wooden floor after that. You see, they'll take the bed away, but won't give you your money back until they've inspected it and decided if you can get your money back. Then you wait for the cash. After getting the cash, you can order a new bed from someone who actually cares, a bed which will take 4 weeks to come. All the while sleeping on the floor.[FONT=&quot]
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This is just blatant law breaking. According to Distance Selling Regulations (which covers internet and mail order purchases of goods - services are a bit different) they can not witheld the money from you if you decided to return the goods within 7 days of receiving them (receiving, not placing an order!). In fact, you do not even have to SEND the thing back, just let them know in writing that you intend to. Then (unless they specify specifically in their T&C that it is up to you to arrange the return) you can tell them to come and collect them.
Because Distance Selling Regulations is in place to help customer inspect the goods (as they can not do so online or via catalogue), it also means the retailer can not demand that you send the stuff back unopened. They can ASK you to send back original packaging and instructions (and it is nice if you do), but they can not demand it or withold the money. It is against the law.
They also have to refund the original postage cost they charged you! In full!
I have been reading this regulation for a couple of years and have discussed details with Trading Standards to clarify my understanding of this law and this is it.

Just waive it in their nose and mention Trading Standards. They have no leg to stand on when they say they will inspect the bed before deciding if you can get refund as you returned it the day you received it!

Hope this helps

Andreja

barrymung

Timman wrote: »

Have followed the great advice on this site and written a letter to Sara Weller MD.

Started with the how great Argos is bit, through the problem all the way making polite suggestions on how to improve, through to a conclusion on how to resolve the issue.

Feel much better now. Thanks peeps.

Hi,

Do you have an address for Ms Weller?

I'm havig trouble with Argos at the moment regarding a bed....!

Timman

Ms Sara Weller,
Managing Director
Argos Ltd
489-499 Avebury Boulevard
Saxon Gate West
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 2NW

Though you'll get through to one of her team in the executive office not her of course. Still it seems to have worked for me. Bed arrives today, they want to phone back on Monday to check everything is OK.

Tim_Deegan

Lesson number 1: if you want good customer service don't buy from Argos (or many of the other huge chains).

Lesson number 2: if you want someone who actually cares and will bend over backwards to help you, and won't be a jobsworth, then don't use Argos.

Lesson number 3: peaple think that Argos are cheap. The truth is that the only products they sell at cheap prices are reduced to clear. Otherwise most products can be found cheaper if you shop around.

You may have had a lucky escape as Sealy are now owned by the same company as Silentnight, and from what I've been reliably informed their quality has dropped.

Tribulation

I've had a few problems with Argos, but no more than with any other shop.

I spent days looking for a new sofa around all the famous DFS/SCS/Furniture Village etc etc etc.

Managed to find just one I really liked from SCS. Had it delivered when they said they would. Within days the stitching started to come undone etc and I noticed a tear in the seam in the side of the armchair. Phoned them up, they tried to fob me off with sending someone out to inspect, I called trading standards who told me to phone SCS back and reject the goods. As soon as I told SCS Trading standards had told me to reject the goods, they changed their tune and arranged for collection and refunded me all money.

We saw a sofa and armchair we liked in Argos, phoned them up and within a couple of days had received swatches of their fabrics.

We ordered the leather sofa and armchair we liked the look of, there was a 5 week wait for delivery, it cost us £999 which was a LOT cheaper than we could get at DFS/SCS etc.

That was two years ago. We have a golden retriever that spends half his day on the sofa, 3 cats all with sharp claws, me who weighed 18.5st up to a few weeks ago etc etc etc. The sofa is still 100% fine and we are really really pleased with the quality of it.

So not all furniture is cheap rubbish.

I was brought an expensive silentnight bed about 12 years ago (not from Argos) as a house-warming present by my wifes mum and the quality was awful. The bed frame it's self looked like it' had been knocked up from old pallets. Many a time I had to repair it.

Personally I think it depends on the individual branch as to what service you get. The Argos near me is a 5 min drive away, open until 8pm and the staff are really helpful.

Tim_Deegan

Tribulation wrote: »

I was brought an expensive silentnight bed about 12 years ago (not from Argos) as a house-warming present by my wifes mum and the quality was awful. The bed frame it's self looked like it' had been knocked up from old pallets. Many a time I had to repair it.

You should do a search for threads containing Silentnight, and you will find out that you were lucky that it lasted a year.