ARGOS sneaky pricing practice

red74

Sorry, this may seem triffling but this really really annoyed me.

Went into Argos today looking for something that ended up being out of stock. However on chance I spied a lamp at 9.79 which I really liked and as I'm £2 in credit on my argos card I decided to make a rash purchase. When I keyed the code into the stock checker it said the item had a new code and to press 'enter' for said code. I did as instructed, it gave me the code, said there was 3 in stock but said the price was 9999.99. Assuming this was just a techie error I went along to the till.

Then I was informed by an increadibly apologetic assistant that because the item was going to be in the new catalogue (out next Saturday), at a different price, the code had been changed and despite them being in stock - there was no way they could sell me one.:mad:

I can only assume that by next weekend the lamp will be more expensive. This all seems rather underhand to me, and I can feel my days as an Argos shopper coming to an abrupt end (only problem being that I can't find anywhere else that sells the original item I was after - and I still want my £2 back!).

Sorry, rant over, I just needed to let off steam.

imho

have you looked to see if you can order it online and pick it up ?

ncrossland

Could you go back next weekend?

red74

Hmm, just checked online and it says it's out of stock for ordering but I could reserve it for store pickup dependent on stock availability, but whether or not they'd let me buy it when I got there I'm not sure!

ncrossland - I could go back next week but I begrudge having to pay more for it next week than if they would have just sold me the one they had in stock this week!

Think I may just take this as fate telling me I shouldn't waste £8 on a lamp I don't really need.

Pound

What's the cat number for both lamps?

red74

Only one lamp, the current code is 0021584 (I know, decidedly retro but I wanted it for photography) but I don't know what the new code is, I left the order card in the hand of the assistant when I left in disgust!

dmreig

Red,

This information might be a little out of date (maybe a current Argos employee can let us know if it's changed) but I think I know what might have happened.

Every catalogue change over, there's a large list of items that become 'substitute' items for new catalogue items. If you've ever gotten a box from Argos with marker scrawled over an old number and a new number written on (or new labels printed over old) that's usually why. Stockroom staff have a deadline to make these physical changes to the stock and change them on the system. Normally, the items just 'disappear' overnight and nobody notices. Then they start being sold again when the new catalogue launches under different numbers (and different prices).

I'd guess what's happened here is that your store hasn't completed this in time. If this is true (and remember it's just a hunch from an ex-Argos employee), it doesn't reflect well on management.

I'd go into the store, ask to speak to a manager, be very nice and explain what happened. You should get somewhere, but if not, asking who the store's area manager is might not be such a bad idea...

red74

Thanks for this D. I have to pass another store on the way into work so I might pop in there and see what their system says. The assistant I was dealt with by seemed very well versed with the explanation, I got the impression it had happened quite a bit.

It's been a while since I worked in retail but it sounds like Argos could do with doing themsevles a favour, keep the codes the same and just centrally update the price overnight the night before the new catalogue comes out, although maybe the length of the codes means they can't do this.

firespire

I would try an order it over the website to pick up before going into store. That way they might make more of an effort to get you the product you want as you have put in an advanced request and made the journey rather than them thinking you are just passing and you could easily come back next week.

red74

Very sneaky firespire - I like it :T