Urgent advice required Re returns

gramalkyn

Hi, I'm hoping someone can give me some pointers before I go to Argos in the morning! (well, in about 6 hours from now! Stressed to bits cos of this!!)

This evening (5pm) I went to my local Argos to collect the Nokia mobile phone i'd put on reserve online for my 12 year old sons Chrimby box, and the lady at the til said 'it isn't covered on the 16 day money back guarantee'...fine, no probs..

My number was called, and I went to the collection point and a sour faced young lady, without a word, stamped my reciept before I'd even looked at the box to check it was the right one and then she just suddenly started to peel off the security label on the box.
I said " Why are you doing that!??! Thats going to void that phone!!!??"

she said, "I've got to check it, but it's not covered under the guarantee so you wouldn't be able to bring it back anyway"

I said 'oh my god! It looks awful! Thats for my sons Christmas present!"

"It's ok, we put one of our stickers over it to reseal it"

As she'd pulled the security tab, obviously the printing on the box came away and the security ink/sticky bit was left, as its supposed to, and a little tear was made too....

I know, this is when I should have said something, but to be honest, i was gobsmacked!

She proceeded to manhandle the contents of the box, take the battery off the phone and then took 3 attempts to push it back on.
Because I was that amazed at what I was seeing, I said to her:
'The offer on this phone was for £35 free call time, do you know how I get that??"
She poked the sim card plastic envelope/cd looking thing at me and said
"it'll probably be on there"...

I feel sooooo stupid now! i just stood there!! Watching her!! even the chap next to me was watching with eyes a-gog and jaw a-dropped! I'm usually quite outspoken, but I just stood there!!! AAAARRRGGHHH!!!

After she finished her 'check' she shoved everything back in the box, wrote a 5 digit number on my reciept, and got a big, ugly white sticker that says 'ARGOS opened and checked by.....(sarah)' and put it over the security seal.

I came straight home and haven't even taken it out of the carrier bag, i'm that mad!!! What the hell do I do!! I am NOT willing to give this phone to my son now, as it looks like I've made a second hand purchase, and I'm stressed to death! How do I stand on taking it back? It isn't covered by the 16 day money back guarantee, I haven't just 'changed my mind', the phone isn't faulty, (well, I assume it isn't! She gave it a blummin good 'check'!!!! )
But, why did she open it? Surely if I'd have had it delivered, it wouldn't have been opened???
I'm going back to the store at 10am, so I'm hoping that someone reads this who can help me before I go.!!
Do I try and get legal advice before I go? Do I call the Consumer Protection people!

PLEASE HELP!!

Thanks in advance
:sad:

Ivrytwr3

I was in Argos the other day and i saw the exact same thing happen to another woman. The assistant took the phone out of the box and started removing stickers etc

However, the woman was unfazed by this and it seems that this is the norm.

I don't know why they do this; sorry!

cathys1_2

Try not to stress.
They check the phones in store to ensure that the sim number matches the box. This is because a few years ago, many people claimed to have been given the wrong item in their box, and in some stores, staff were clever enough to get the phone out of the box without it looking open. (i lost several in a store I worked in many years ago!!!!)
This is to protect you as well as them.
It is bad that they don't explain to you what they are doing or why - I can only assume that now, it is an automatic process as them marking your receipt that you have the goods.
If you are that unhappy, by all means ask to speak to a team leader or a manager - but I'm not sure that you'll get anywhere, possibly exchanged for another opened slighlty more carefully?
If it's any consolation, I had a mobile phone purchased for me from Virgin for my birthday - and they were opening all boxes in front of customers too.
HTH

Becles

I bought a PS2 and that was opened so the serial number could be checked and written on the reciept. The lady opened the box very carefully though, and fastened it closed with clear selotape though, so you can't really tell it's been opened.

Bubba_Shaboo

Yep Argos have been doing this for a while - we got son a Nokia 6600 during the infamous "secret RO" raid on Argos by MSEers a couple of years ago. The lady explained why she was doing it but I must admit I wasn't happy as like yours it was a present.

Funnily enough I'm just back from Argos and the gent next to us had bought a Virgin phone and the assistant was having an awful time breaking the seal - in the end the gent did it for her but the thing is, it was the sticker that says 'ARGOS opened and checked by .......' that she was having trouble with - as it was already on does that mean it had been checked already - if so, why was she checking it again? Unless it was a return - but then you can't return them, can you?



Bubba©

sco0ter

Seen this done many times with PS2's,Phones and cameras.... The only reason my cheap XBOX got away was because there is actually a hole so they can see the number without opening the box.. I dont think you really have a case for getting it returned as there is nothing wrong with the item just the box and because packaging isnt covered by returns policy (you dont need it to return faulty items) then I wouldnt say trading standards would be able to do anything with damaged packaging.

Ivrytwr3

OK, so it appears that they are checking to see if the serial numbers match. So can you not say to the staff i will sign a piece of paper/receipt saying something along the lines of

"i accept that the item enclosed may/may not be correct and i'll take that chance thankyou very much as i don't want your hands all over my son's Xmas presents and after all their is no comeback later anyway according to you"

Little bit of sarcasm, but you get my direction.

chrisw

I understand your annoyance and I can't speak for your son, but I don't think a 12 year old would be particularly bothered about the seal on the box - it will probably be opened within 1 second anyway and thrown to one side as he gets the phone out. Is he not old enough for you to just explain why the seals broken?

sco0ter

Ivrytwr3 wrote:

OK, so it appears that they are checking to see if the serial numbers match. So can you not say to the staff i will sign a piece of paper/receipt saying something along the lines of

"i accept that the item enclosed may/may not be correct and i'll take that chance thankyou very much as i don't want your hands all over my son's Xmas presents and after all their is no comeback later anyway according to you"

Little bit of sarcasm, but you get my direction.

And then you get it home and there is no battery or sim card or phone or you try to register it and find out someone switched it with a different phone and you cant because it isnt the one to be matched with the sim card.

Why not just buy a nice little box and re-package the phone.. That way the surprise is when he opens the box and sees the phone not the box the phone came in

Ivrytwr3

And then you get it home and there is no battery or sim card or phone or you try to register it and find out someone switched it with a different phone and you cant because it isnt the one to be matched with the sim card.

OK, considering that there is a possibility that the above has happened (sheesh talk about glass half empty). How about the OP asks that SHE open the box and show the sales assistant the things she needs to see.

That way as it is her property she will be much more careful than the store in opening and re-packaging the item.

I completely see where she is coming from, you paid the cash you want a perfect present and a perfect box so it looks new and not something you've picked up in a bargain bin.

arnie&caseysma!

What I dont get is why do they have to peel the Security sticker off? Surely I am not the only person that takes care with these things and cuts it so as not to damage the packaging? I am especially carefull with this kind of thing when it is a present that I have to open.

I would be more inclined to complain about the manner in which the act is carried out and the sullenness (or ignorance) of the person that did it in this manner. It is common sense that most items bought in December are going to be presents and should be treated with a bit more respect - as should the customer!