Argos - horrific customer service

ifstar

Ridiculously lengthy post - grabbed from my review of them.

Ordered a TV at start if the month with delivery advertised as being from 24hrs. Got an email next morning saying delivery would be a week later so got onto live chat to cancel. Was assured this would be done within 5 days.

A few day later get a text from my bank advising I would go overdraw. I log in and Argos have charged me twice - 2x 1199. Since then I've been in contact with customer support over 10 times on live chat and been told numerous stories such as "it's not possible we've charged twice" - tell that to my bank statement, that the money would automatically be refunded in 5 days, 7 days then that there was a delay and it would be an additional 5 days.

The TV was cancelled 16 hours after ordering, so never left the warehouse. I've now been waiting 16 days for a refund and their extra 5 days delay is up tomorrow. I have zero confidence that the money will be in my account tomorrow.

 I've spoken to live chat 10 times in last 3 weeks, I've eventually managed to speak to someone on twitter and they said that our systems show you were refunded on the 3rd Nov. The bank provided the second transaction time for second amount Argos took from me and it was the exact same time that the person on live chat processed the refund. Have provided screenshots from my bank account showing Argos taking the same amount twice however customer service could only say that the refund has been processed and they can't help. I provided the ARN transaction numbers but was told Argos can't do anything with these. Somehow Argos have managed to debit rather than credit me and aren't taking responsibility. They wouldn't let me speak to anyone in finance department and admitted customer service don't get access to see any further details than the system saying "refund processed".
Now going through process of trying to get a charge back through my bank.

Still £2400 out of pocket 3 weeks later,  Argos completely washed their hands and no sincere apology for this. Won't ever be using them again. 

LadyDee

Contact your bank and ask them to do a chargeback.  Presumably you have proof of your order and its cancellation, and the fact Argos claim it has refunded you?

ifstar

Yeah that's where I'm at just now.  Just waiting on it going through but even that has been hit with a delay.

Have all the live chat transcripts in my dealings with them so fully documented. Have the order email,  have the bank transaction references and times (the second charge went through at exactly the same time to the minute that the person on live chat said they were processing my refund) but only think I'm missing is £2398 from my bank account!

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

That is why I always buy high value purchases on my credit card. On that, it does not affect my payment as these pending transactions wipe themselves out after a few days, and no pending transaction is included on my monthly statement.

Just an aside, I paid into my ISA today and one payment failed. It is showing at my bank, but not as pending in my ISA. This has happened before, but I have sufficient funds to cover this until it is removed.

John_

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth said:

That is why I always buy high value purchases on my credit card. On that, it does not affect my payment as these pending transactions wipe themselves out after a few days, and no pending transaction is included on my monthly statement.

Just an aside, I paid into my ISA today and one payment failed. It is showing at my bank, but not as pending in my ISA. This has happened before, but I have sufficient funds to cover this until it is removed.

They aren’t pending payments. Please, read people’s posts before trying to tell them how clever you are.

Mickey666

Doesn’t matter.  Using a CC is still the best way to buy such things because any issues such as the ones the OP describes do not affect bank accounts for a few weeks, during which there is ample time to deal with them.  Even if the dispute runs into the next CC billing period the card company can put a freeze on the transaction, effectively taking it off the CC account until it is resolved.  This has happened to me for a foreign transaction that took a couple of months to resolve, yet the CC company simply took the disputed amounts off-line while the dispute was resolved.  MeanwhileI could continue using the card as normal, including paying off the balance each month by Direct debit (except the disputed transaction, obviously).
In my experience, using a CC for actual credit is probably the least valuable feature of the things.

mobileron

Look at the positives, u can now go to Richersounds for the free 6 year warranty,which Argos dont do.

ifstar

Finally got both charge backs through for this.  First one went through quickly but kept chasing the bank for the second one to get it moving.
The reason I didn't use the CC for this was because it had automatically been blocked and was wanting me to confirm transaction but couldn't get through to do that.  I had the money in my bank account so tried with that and it worked. Should have taken it as a sign!  
Argos online are terrible, never using again. Even more so when numerous other posts on here about similar incidents. 

scot22_2

Thanks Blackbeard for posting helpful info.  Can't understand reason for criticism.

AlexMac

I'm coming late to this thread, but re. the OP's beef with Argos, I have had fantastic customer service expereince with them over the years, especially as regards their generous returns policy which I've only rarely had to use, but which hitherto has worked well...

...until recently, that is, when they seem to have been overwhelmed by volume of business, in that they no longer offer a Customer Service email contact, keep you waiting half an hour or more if you try phoning in, take days to respond to Facebook Messenger (and Social Media seems a bizarre way to correspond on grown up topics?) and really tricky "chat" with initial replies by a Bot rather than a human...

I had the serious problem of a 6-month old washing machine self-combusting due to an electrical fault which I now know to be common with some Whirlpool / Hotpoint models (memo to self- don't buy Hotpoint).  Scared the sheet out of the grand daughter who I'd bought it for (sheet and towels and other washload contents all spoiled by smoke from smouldering electrics)- but luckily didn't burn the house down!

Eventually got a refund after half an hour queing on the phone, then another half hour or so being batted between teams on their helpline.  I then decided that I needed a repalcement but didn't see why I should pay another delivery and installation fee.- Thought about it and rather than spending another few hours on the dog n bone, I emailed their CEO (from the wonderful ceomail website) ...

... and got an immediate reply, at 8.30 the next day in the form of a phonecall from a charming lass in the head honcho's Customer Service Hit Squad... a new washer (NOT a Hotpoint!  A Bush - a British make with no recorded history of ignition) at a good price, deliverd free.

Not something I'd do all the time- complaining to the CEO, but worth going nuclear on this occasion; and ARGO came up trumps!

ifstar

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth said:

That is why I always buy high value purchases on my credit card. On that, it does not affect my payment as these pending transactions wipe themselves out after a few days, and no pending transaction is included on my monthly statement.

Just an aside, I paid into my ISA today and one payment failed. It is showing at my bank, but not as pending in my ISA. This has happened before, but I have sufficient funds to cover this until it is removed.

Wasn't pending payments,  the money actually left my account for 5 and 8 weeks and only came back because I went through the charge back process. 

I had sufficient funds to cover the 2400 being out my account however not everyone would be as fortunate,  hence why I posted as a warning to others.

I had initially tried to buy on credit card but for security the initial payment was blocked and I had to call up to remove this.  Called and was on hold for a bit so just hung up and used debit card,  which went through fine.

The fault entirely was Argos and charging again instead of refunding then their terrible customer service. They strung me along saying there were delays with refund then their refusal to accept they had charged twice.