Complaint against Argos..?

barrymung

I have had trouble with Argos and wondered what the general concensus is, ie do I have a valid complaint?

I'll keep it as brief as possible...

Ordered a solid wood bed for my young Son which was delivered after a week, but the delivery driver dropped one of the boxes damaging the head/foot boards (Splinters/dents/chips)

The driver advised that he couldn't take it away but to put it together and contact head office who'd sort it out. (We'd already taken my Son's old bed apart)

We phoned head office and requested replacement parts ASAP, preferably same day. Argos said they couldn't oblige and that they'd ship replacement parts out within 14 days!

I pointed out that the bed probably wouldn't come apart once put together and what could they suggest. Argos replied that I should "Go buy an airbed" (Really!!)

After a lot of arguing, Argos agreed that I could put the bed together and use it and to write to Head Office to sort out a solution, which I duly did, along with photos of the damage.

Anyway, @ 7.30am today the phone goes, it's an Argos driver who says "We're at the end of the road and we'll be with you in a minute to make a delivery".

They arrived a few minutes later with a new head/foot board. However, they wouldn't let me have the new parts until they'd received the old ones! My Son was still in bed at this point and I wasn't prepared to wake him in order to take his bed apart! In any case it'd taken an hour and a half to put together due to poorly machined parts and lack of instructions so it's reasonable to assume it'd take some appreciable time to swap the part over and the driver wasn't prepared to wait longer than 5-10 minutes!

The driver wasn't prepared to leave the new parts and collect the old ones later in the day so I had to refuse delivery.

Contacted Customer Services again who are still being unhelpful: "The driver can only leave the new parts if you have dismantled the bed" and "the re-delivery will probably be the first of the morning again as you are close to the depot" and "no, we can't make it later".

Whta can I do? I have wasted money on phone calls and time off work. I don't think it fair to wake my young Son two hours early in order to take his bed apart. I don't think it fair that a young child should sleep on an airbed for two weeks. I don't think it fair that I'll have to buy an airbed out of my own pocket. I don't think it fair that I should lose money because an Argos driver damaged the bed!!

I have written to Head Office including photos of the damage explaining that I want the damaged parts replacing at their expense, at a sensible time of day and loss of wages/phone expenses paying but nothing...

Is the small claims court the next course of action, to retrieve my lost earnings? Do I forget it and accept that my Son must sleep on a splintered bed?

Suggestions...?

Brooker_Dave

barrymung wrote: »

Is the small claims court the next course of action? Do I forget it and accept that my Son must sleep on a splintered bed?

Suggestions...?

Small claims court for what reason.

Get the broken bits ready and when they bring the new ones hand them over.

You're just messing around and stringing this out.

stugib

barrymung wrote: »

I don't think it fair to wake my young Son two hours early in order to take his bed apart.

Do I forget it and accept that my Son must sleep on a splintered bed?

You'll waste far more than 2 hours making a fight over it. Sure he'll get over waking up early on one occasion.

Things go wrong, and it's inconvenient but they'll fix it, but be realistic you're not so important that they're going to drop everything to fit in with your plans or routine.

uktim29

barrymung wrote: »

Contacted Customer Services again who are still being unhelpful

You seem to be the most unhelpful.

Couldn't he have slept on the sofa just for one night, I bet it wouldn't have taking much asking around for an air bed if you didn't have one.

You're cutting off your nose to spite your face.

cheeks

Could he sleep on the mattress on the floor? I know how annoying it is when you are inconvenienced by someone elses mistake, but its not really worth upsetting yourself over. At least they are going to replace the part. However, i do think they are being a bit pathetic wanting the broken part back, after all, they do have photos of the damage. I can't see why they can't just pick up the broken one after their last drop on the way back to the depot, after all, you are only down the road from the depot.

barrymung

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Small claims court for what reason.

To recover expenses incurred in sorting this out (half day wages+phone calls ~£40)

Get the broken bits ready and when they bring the new ones hand them over.

How can I get the bed dismantled and bits ready for a possible pre 8am delivery?? My Son sleeps to 8-8.30!

You're just messing around and stringing this out.

How an I "stringing things out"? I wanted things resolving on day 1. It's Argos that are doing things on a 14 day cycle!

barrymung

cheeks wrote: »

Could he sleep on the mattress on the floor?

I'd prefer not. He's slightly asthmatic and it'd probably make him wheeze.

barrymung

cheeks wrote: »

At least they are going to replace the part. However, i do think they are being a bit pathetic wanting the broken part back, after all, they do have photos of the damage. I can't see why they can't just pick up the broken one after their last drop on the way back to the depot, after all, you are only down the road from the depot.

That's basically my point. I have been inconvenienced and am out of pocket (~£40) due to a mistake made by an Argos member of staff. Why should I be further inconvenienced/spend more money to sort THEIR problem?

Becles

They've sent you replacement parts at their cost which you have refused, and you are also refusing delivery tomorrow morning. What exactly do you want Argos to do?

They can't run their delivery vehicles around your child's sleeping patterns. It's a business and they will run the delivery schedule in the most economic way, which means you are first on the delivery route.

I think you are making a mountain out of this to be honest.

I would hoover the floor tonight so your son doesn't wheeze sleeping on his matress on the floor, and have the broken bed bits ready for a swop in the morning. Problem solved quickly and easily.

barrymung

uktim29 wrote: »

You seem to be the most unhelpful.

Couldn't he have slept on the sofa just for one night, I bet it wouldn't have taking much asking around for an air bed if you didn't have one.

I don't have a sofa! I don't know anyone with an airbed!

How do I know Argos will arrive...? Previous deliveries for other items they have missed two times out of three..

barrymung

Becles wrote: »

They've sent you replacement parts at their cost which you have refused, and you are also refusing delivery tomorrow morning.

Eh? Have you actually read my post??

THEY couldn't wait the 30 minutes+ it would take to remove the defective parts..as they couldn't take the defective parts away they wouldn't leave the new ones!

If they'd have waited 30+ minutes I could have removed the defective parts, fitted the new ones and they could have been on their way. I was quite willing to do this. They were unwilling to wait.

Who mentioned delivery "Tomorrow morning"?? I centainly didn't and neither did Argos..

(If Argos wanted to deliver at a sensible time tomorrow it'd certainly be acceptable!!)