Vent: Argos Washing Machine Delivery

kelr101

Apologies for the long post but I really just need to vent about Argos!

Please note that I have not asked for any compensation from Argos, nor intend to, but I do want to vent about their poor customer service / poor products and communication and hope that this post makes others aware of the service received.

This is my email to their customer support team today (following a series of very frustrating events!)

Despite normally receiving good service from Argos and it's home delivery, I wish to make a formal complaint regarding the recent service I have received when ordering a large home appliance.

On 10th December I placed an order for a BEKO Washing Machine which was delivered and installed on the 14th December. I then spent two days attempting to actually get the machine to work as it continually failed to drain and I had to continually use the manual drain at the bottom of the machine in order to proceed.

I called Argos on 16th December to complain and requested an engineer to come and check the machine. I was told to wait 48 hours for a call.

48 hours later and I had received no response so then spent 30 minutes being passed (and called separately) between the Argos help desk and the local engineers who claimed they had not received a request from Argos to service the machine. Eventually this was resolved and an engineer was booked for the 23rd December.

The engineer arrived promptly, investigated the machine and then told me it had a faulty PCB panel (Control Board) and therefore the machine would not drain. He also expressed concerns the model was a refurbishment as the front panel had a dent and the lid of the machine had a broken catch at the back. I therefore contacted Argos again and asked for an exchange with a NEW machine.

Again I had to wait 48 hours for someone to contact me which happened on 27th December (understandably slightly later due to the seasonal period) and was told the earliest a machine could be delivered was 3rd January.

So...3rd January arrives and the washing machine is due to be delivered between 2:00pm and 6:00pm.

At 5:38pm I received a call from the delivery service (Express Logistics) who left a message stating who they were and to call them. No other details.

I returned the call within 1 minute (was getting into my car to go home at that point) and left a message stating that if they were having difficulty to phone my partner (gave his number) and explained he had been in the property all day.

After leaving the message, I noticed I had a voicemail from Express Logistics helpdesk asking me to call them and rearrange delivery as there was no one at the property.

This is absurd. My partner was at the property - watched the delivery van drive up and remain in the lorry for 10 minutes until I returned home and spoke with them direct.

They advised that they had phoned me and because I didnt answer they had cancelled the order - despite me phoning back within 1 minute - but that they had a delivery locally (350 yards away) and would contact there company to see if they could re-deliver after that. They said nothing about no one being in the property and admitted they hadnt tried. They were only parked there because they had difficulty with their SatNav.

I immediately phoned Express Logistics help desk and explained the situation and asked for the delivery to be made that day. The support person (Kathy Wakerley) phoned the delivery drivers whilst I was on hold) and they told her that they had checked the property and no one was in - Not true as per my comment above my partner had watched the drivers for 10 minutes after they arrived and neither left the lorry. They therefore refused to deliver and said the earliest they could re-deliver was no Monday 7th January.

I then phoned Argos to complain about the service and the issues this whole delivery had caused and asked for a complaint to be made to the delivery company as they had clearly told mis-truths to their help desk resulting in more delays for me.

Argos do not appear to be doing anything to help me progress this order and to ensure I received a NEW working machine so I have asked them to cancel.

Now, I have to wait ANOTHER 48 hours for someone to call me to arrange collection of the old machine - so therefore having to take yet another day of work for a delivery that should have been resolved 4 weeks ago with the first installment on the 16th December.

The service levels I have received have clearly been very poor, especially the mis-communication between the initial engineer and Argos, the poor service received from the delivery company for the exchange and replacement, and the fact that I appear to have received initially a refurbished machine instead of a NEW one as ordered.

I would appreciate it if this complaint could be reviewed accordingly as I am very upset at the distress and complete inconvenience this has caused me, and I am fed up of being given the run-around and continually having to wait 48 hours each time for something to happen.

It has now been 3 weeks since the initial delivery and I have been without a washing machine since then having to rely on family to help out.

Please advise ASAP

P.S went to Curry's last night and reserved a lovely new Hotpoint for collection tomorrow