Are Argos Goods Sub-Standard

Paul_Varjak

Although I like going to my local Argos store I seem to be unlucky in what I buy. I reckon that I have to return 30% of goods because they are faulty!

here are some examples:

1. Phillips Battery Razor - would not work at all even when I replaced the dud batteries that came with it!

2. CD storage box - broken

3. Three Staiger clocks - all have faulty second hands

4. HI-FI Unit - had already been assembled by someone else!

5. BT phone - loudspeaker facility only works intermittently

6. Extension lead with phone protection - phone protection prevented phone working!

And that is just a few of them!

jollyboy

I think that part of the problem is that people do return things which are then put back into stock. Some of these may have been unsuitable but others are things which are faulty and have not been repaired.

Johntea

jollyboy wrote:

I think that part of the problem is that people do return things which are then put back into stock. Some of these may have been unsuitable but others are things which are faulty and have not been repaired.

An add-on to that comment is that you will frequently see them getting things back, and they simply chuck them into a big pile, so items could probably be damaged quite easily.

Stumpy

I've been fairly lucky with the stuff I've had from them - although I did buy a triple tealight holder thingy last week - has little etched glass fronts and backs where the candles are supposed to go. When I collected it, the box had obviously been opened before - you could see where tape had been ripped off the edges, so I opened in front of the staff and there were all the correct bits there, but just loose, rather than in their packaging. Anyway, we checked, and everything was there, but then spent ages at home trying to put it together until I realised that the holes in the glass panels didn't line up with the holes in the metal candle holders - only a mm or so off, but made all the difference, and obviously why it had been taken back previously. Guess they're just hoping they can sneak a few of these things through. If I wasn't planning on going back shortly anyway, I'd have been tempted to chuck it - was less than £3.

clay

ermmmm i did build a tv unit once to only find the video ect wouldnt fit, so i packed it back in the box & took it back.

ben500

I bought a tv/dvd/video unit and when I got it home it was just a box full of wood and screws no tv no dvd and no video

heathen

ben500 wrote:

I bought a tv/dvd/video unit and when I got it home it was just a box full of wood and screws no tv no dvd and no video

carrie123

I bought a tv/dvd/video unit and when I got it home it was just a box full of wood and screws ALL SHAKEN up as though SOMEONE was looking for something....

gravitytolls

I had to return the alba freeview box I got for my son at Xmas, I now need to return it again, as the rotten thing is still not working.

I bought hubby a Chellenge big drill thingy, and the chuck snapped off.

I bought a challenge petrol mower, great price £79.99, but I took it back today as it own't start. I emptied th epetrol, but they sent me home with it, because they won't exchange until I've wiped the remainder of th epetro out of the tank with a rag. Heaven knows how I'm suppoed to get a rag into the hole.

It's only convenient if things work properly, and they don't appear to.

andrew502

I think the lesson to learn is not to buy cheap products (especially DIY products)! Having worked in Homebase for years I've found that while cheap brands may be as little as a quarter of the price of proper brands, they are considerably worse value. If you want a drill, buy Bosch, if you want a lawnmower buy Qualcast, you do get what you pay for.

The pint I'd make is that if you return a product because you don't want it, remember that someone else is going to have to buy it! Shops can't afford to throw away products returned under money back guarantees.

withabix

So, we should only buy Bosch then? cos that's who owns Qualcast!