How dare Argos accuse me of this!

jazzsue58

I'm seething. Bought a new Kodak printer (£60) from Crawley Oaks Retail Park Argos store, got it home, thought it looked a bit shabbily selotaped, but inside all looked pretty well packed.

However, when I went to open the lid to remove packaging, the entire thing fell to bits! The lid came completely adrift, ripping away electronic tape etc. Unsuspecting, I took it back today, to be accused of swapping a new printer for an old, broken one! Manageress checked serial number on machine against that on box, said it was different, then said it wasn't the same printer I bought 4 days ago! Evidently, someone inhouse had swapped the 2 machines and sold me a duff one, but when I pointed this out the reply was "oh no, we would never do that." Well, they damn well did - I'm not a liar.

Told to call customer services - like, what is that going to do? There's a tealeaf inside Argos or something, but it's their word against mine. I'm £60 down and deeply insulted. Where do i go from here? I'm sick of hearing about how the poor old shopkeeper has it so bad - as a consumer, I'm on the straight and level, but how do I prove fraudulent malpractice in this case and get my money back? :mad:

System

jazzsue58 wrote: »

I'm seething. Bought a new Kodak printer (£60) from Crawley Oaks Retail Park Argos store, got it home, thought it looked a bit shabbily selotaped, but inside all looked pretty well packed.

However, when I went to open the lid to remove packaging, the entire thing fell to bits! The lid came completely adrift, ripping away electronic tape etc. Unsuspecting, I took it back today, to be accused of swapping a new printer for an old, broken one! Manageress checked serial number on machine against that on box, said it was different, then said it wasn't the same printer I bought 4 days ago! Evidently, someone inhouse had swapped the 2 machines and sold me a duff one, but when I pointed this out the reply was "oh no, we would never do that." Well, they damn well did - I'm not a liar.

Told to call customer services - like, what is that going to do? There's a tealeaf inside Argos or something, but it's their word against mine. I'm £60 down and deeply insulted. Where do i go from here? I'm sick of hearing about how the poor old shopkeeper has it so bad - as a consumer, I'm on the straight and level, but how do I prove fraudulent malpractice in this case and get my money back? :mad:

Call again but this time speak to the directors office and see what they say. Normally helpful.

Dave101t

if it was shabbily taped, you should of opened it in store. ive always wondered about the computers that are sealed and say"not to be unsealed until purchase".

Forwandert

Ring customer services like the person in store suggested if they weren't willing to give you the right product. I would be amazed if CS didn't sort this out for you although it should have been exchanged to the right product already when you went you went in. It will be one that has already been exchanged or returned and put back in stock I don't think an Argos employee would sneak a broken printer into store in order to sneak a new one out.

arcon5

I'm betting rather than it being a member of staff swapping the item it was a customer returning it and whomever accepted the return completely failed to check the goods.

System

In Argos defence I'm guessing 9/10 times it is the customer who has done this. Obviously in your case it wasn't you and you are righty annoyed. However I wouldn't take it personally as they have no idea what sort of person you are.

Phone customer services and explain the situation. I am sure they will refund

arcon5

As a side note, this is one of the biggest disadvantages of offering generous returns policies. I've read time and time again how people have bought goods which they claim look used (obviously returns) from Argos, maybe it's time they changed their policies, had more stringent inspections of returns and/or possibly shorten the current 28 days they offer.

halibut2209

" How dare Argos accuse me of this!"

To be fair, you're accusing one of their staff of underhand dealings as well

vax2002

Kodak will be able to trace which IP the printer was connect to if they "registered it" online

shaun_from_Africa

I can't see Kodak wanting to get involved in this as the problem is nothing to do with them, and getting them to try to trace the IP address may well involve a court order and lots of money.
Once the IP has been located, there is then the difficulity (and time) involved in getting the ISP to release the details of who that IP address was allocated to at the time the printer was registered.

I could understand it hapening for a very expensive item but not for a £60 printer.

ladylouise62

We had a a -pre-used' situation too. It wasn't in a bad condition, but the cartridges had been put into the machine and the accompanying disc was both in a terrible condition and for the wrong machine. They didn't quibble and we got a new machine, £15 in vouchers and some cartridges so in the end we did well.. but I would probably rather just have received what I though I bought. I will probably avoid Argos in future as I want the purchase of an item to be the end of the affair, not the start.