Please help, faulty hoover from argos

Batman11

Hi, I hope you can help me. I bought a new Vax hoover from Argos on 24th Feb 2011. I started using it today and it blew up and smoke came out of it. I spoke to Argos customer service and they said I had to deal with Vax. Vax told me I have to send it away and it could take 7 working days for them to decide what they are going to do. I have a young child and pets and I cannot do without a hoover for this long. As I have only had the hoover a short period of time (10 weeks) I thought Argos would have to replace the product for me as it does not do its job for a reasonable time. I hope someone can help me with this matter, Thanks in advance

dreamypuma

Batman11 wrote: »

Hi, I hope you can help me. I bought a new Vax hoover from Argos on 24th Feb 2011. I started using it today and it blew up and smoke came out of it. I spoke to Argos customer service and they said I had to deal with Vax. Vax told me I have to send it away and it could take 7 working days for them to decide what they are going to do. I have a young child and pets and I cannot do without a hoover for this long. As I have only had the hoover a short period of time (10 weeks) I thought Argos would have to replace the product for me as it does not do its job for a reasonable time. I hope someone can help me with this matter, Thanks in advance

To put things in to context, 10weeks is approximately 2months. This is plenty of time to inspect the goods. Argos are responsible for administering the remedy of your situation under SoGA. Their have various option available to them, including repair, replace or refund, the choice of remedy would be at their discretion, so long as it does not "reasonably" inconvenience you.

In this case Argos have referred you to the manufacturer. This is probably because they will administer a resolution for you quicker and more efficiently than Argos could themselves.

Whilst you could insist that Argos resolve the issue, you may find that the may protract the situation further. 7 days is a good turnaround on situation like this, insisting Argos resolve the situation, may take longer.

If you choose to enforce this with Argos, you may find that the delay could be much more than 7days. As you have already insisted that 7days is too long for you, I would take deal with the manufacturer.

shaun_from_Africa

As dreamypuma has stated, you could legally insist that Argos deal with the matter, but that would probably involve you taking the cleaner into a store.
They would then send it off to Vax, who would look at it and then decide on a repair or replacement, which would get sent back to the Argos store.

The store would then have to contact you to advise you that your cleaner is ready to be collected.
All in all, this would probably take far longer than the 7 days that Vaz have quoted.

shellsuit

I've taken a dead hoover back to Argos after 8 months of having it and they refunded me there and then with no problems so we could buy a different one.

I'd try and get it to a store if I were you to see what they say.

McKneff

Of course you can do without a vacuum cleaner for a few days, do what they did before they were invented.

Brushes and shovels, dustpans and brushes.

shellsuit

McKneff wrote: »

Of course you can do without a vacuum cleaner for a few days, do what they did before they were invented.

Brushes and shovels, dustpans and brushes.

In those days carpets were rare, hence the fact people could get away with sweeping the floors.

visidigi

like shellsuit says - take it in store, I have found Argos to be pretty accomodating instore to be fair...

McKneff

Why cant you sweep a carpet................

jspritch

I have experienced this problem with vax before. For some reason vax insist you go through them but argos offer you a 12 month warranty on products purchased from them so i would take it into store and insist that they either replace it or give you a refund. For the sarky comment made earlier: people with children cannot live without a hoover as there are all sorts of risks involved with bits being on a carpet. To assume that we would want to live like people years ago is rediculous as life expectancy was a lot shorter. people ask for advice on this forum not sarcasm or negative feedback

George_Michael

argos offer you a 12 month warranty on products purchased from them so i would take it into store and insist that they either replace it or give you a refund

You can ask, but you can't insist on a refund.
This is what the Argos T&C's state for faulty goods:

If you've had the product for up to 1 year, we'll repair the product or, if that's not possible, give you a replacement or, if that's not possible, a refund.

Which is about in line with what the SOGA states.

McKneff

It wasnt a sarky comment at all, I didnt assume anything, as far as your life expectancy comment, dont be so stupid, life expectancy wasnt shorter just 35 years ago when I got my first vacuum cleaner, note, it is a vacuum cleaner, it is not a hoover,

It wasnt negative feedback, i was making a suggestion, if the vacuum cleanerr has to go away for inspection, what else is she going to do, there will be plenty of bits on the floor if its not swept for 5 days, sarcasm, negative, i can add another word for yours, pompous.
Of course people can live without a vacuum cleaner for a few days, many people dont have them at all, even nowadays.
Mine is only used on carpet upstairs, if I had wood floors upstairs I wouldnt have a one.

I would agree that the OP should pack the machine up and take it to the nearest Argos and see what they say.