Argos-Faulty Cross Trainer

flynnmichael

I bought a Reebok Cross Trainer from Argos in August 2013. It was quite an expensive one costing around £600 so I expected some quality. Nevertheless after a month or so it developed a very loud squeak so I contact the support offered with the manufacturers instructions. They duly came and seemed to repair the problem but about 3 months later the squeak returned. I left it for a while hoping it would go away but it didn't so I called them and they came again to try and cure the problem. This time they replaced some parts and it seemed again that the problem was fixed. about 5 or 6 months later the loud squeak was back! Again, I persevered for a while but it wouldn't go away and again the engineer came out to visit. By this time we had got to know each other and he suggested the machine was obviously not repairable and the problem must be in the manufacturing so he would report it as such and recommend a refund or replacement. he told me Argos would be in touch about arranging things with me.

About a month went buy and I had heard nothing and so I contacted Reebok support who told me they would alert Argos to the issue. Eventually Argos contacted me to organise an exact replacement. I told them I had no faith in the product and that I would rather have a credit to buy something else and probably give up the Cross Trainer idea altogether. They told me that because the goods were more than 12 months old I could only have the same item replaced and there was no other option. I pleaded that I had lost faith but would be happy to but something else and as it had been faulty within a couple of months of purchase and has had 3 engineer visits surely this 12 month rule can't apply. It would appear this doesn't matter and it's the same item or nothing. Surely this can't be true can it?

bris

Yes they can do this, this can be done very early on in the purchase never mind after 12months.


Once goods are "accepted" this is normally a short time after purchase then the seller gets to choose the remedy to any problems. This is repair, replace or refund, but the important bit is they get to choose the remedy not you, this is why they are legally allowed to do this.

daytona0

Ah yes, I'm afraid that they are correct here. The seller has technically probably gone above and beyond here, because they haven't required you to prove that it was an inherent fault (which you have to do after 6 months, if they refuse to deal with it).

Sales of goods act basically, and you have accepted the goods long ago. This means that for an inherently faulty item the retailer will need to refund (partially to take into account usage), repair or replace AND they get to pick which one to do because you have accepted it. Also, the warranty has likely run out but you are more than welcome to see if the manufacturer will have another crack at repairing it, or replacing it, under the warranty....

So yep, repair has been attempted and another one might be considered unreasonable, so they have offered you a replacement now(and a good deal if you get a brand new one, but they could maybe get away with giving you one with similar value which is now diminished). I would imagine that if the replacement were to fail then they might consider a partial refund.

frugal_mike

I think the OP said they had lost faith in the product, not Argos. They don't want the same product again, but would accept a different product from Argos.

Doesn't change the fact Argos can't be forced into a remedy that is disproportionately expensive though.

DD265

They don't have to give you something else, but perhaps they'd be willing to give you store credit to the value which you can put towards something else?

Worth asking the question.

pinkshoes

Which model was it? I have a Reebok cross trainer that has a heavy fly wheel (so also decent quality), and mine works brilliantly 4 years on with moderate use.

Chances are you just had a faulty one, so why not accept a replacement?

unholyangel

As an aside, not really sure I'd count a squeak as faulty unless either it was a faulty part causing the squeak or the model was advertised as silent/whisper quiet.

Several in my local gym squeak occasionally - and those machines were £1200+ each. It was perhaps a little off putting if my music was paused but it didnt affect the actual functioning of the machine.

flynnmichael

pinkshoes wrote: »

Which model was it? I have a Reebok cross trainer that has a heavy fly wheel (so also decent quality), and mine works brilliantly 4 years on with moderate use.

Chances are you just had a faulty one, so why not accept a replacement?

Hi, Thanks for your reply. It was a ZR10 and seems solid apart from the annoying squeak!