Argos selling used items

Road_Hog

An interesting thread this.

I purchase a number of items regularly from Argos and one product I see more and more items being sold that have already been sold, returned and had a "checked by Darren" returns sticker on it, is mobile phones.

Now quite frankly, if I'm paying full price for a new item, I don't want a phone that has gone to somebody's home been opened up, had a play with and returned. This isn't, as Argos staff have said previously in the thread, brand new unopened in their original packaging. It is with opened goods taken out of their packaging and then stuffed back in the box, often not in the way it was originally packed.

This is quite wrong and is not a one off occurence, I've had two in the last week alone. It should either be returned to the manufacturer or sold as graded stock. What makes it worse, is that Argos staff don't know what comes in the box. Mobile phones are quite technical and it is all very well have the phone pointed out to me, plus the battery and the sim card but what I look for straight away is what the previous thieving git has removed, such as the headphones, USB lead or memory card.

Now I don't expect staff to be Au Fait with this type of product but all the more reason that Argos shouldn't be stuffing these products back in to stock.

The reason that this is happening more frequently is two fold. Firstly people are generally more dishonest. Previously people would have frowned upon the idea of buying an item purely to remove a part that they needed to replace on a broken item they owned and then returning the item for a refund, which is probably why the lady earlier in the thread got a vacuum cleaner with a part missing.

I don't read many of the posts in the Argos thread but if TheFlyingGerbils' post is true then it is quite disgraceful,

"while this thread is admittedly not a particularly appealing read I can't help but feel it may be linked to the fact that the rest of the threads in here have most people being recommended to lie to the customer services worker about the state of an item to get a refund."

Secondly, it is down to a tightening on margins within the retail industry (amongst other businesses) and where as previously Argos could probably return most of their goods that are refunded, their buyers have probably screwed their suppliers on price and in turn their suppliers have made cost savings on their returns policy and only accept manufacturing defects for product return.

jojo1978_3

cog32 wrote: »

.....I too once bought a philips cordless phone from Argos. It had messages on the answerphone from the person that had bought it. Interesting conversation LOL.
One thing I noticed on the box was that it had a "opened for inspection" label on it. I suppose that's how Argos get around the fact that the seal has been broken.

We bought a dvd player, got it home switched it on to find a barbie fairytopia dvd inside.
Also bought steam hair straighteners about 4 or 5 years ago that had been used, they had condensation in the water holder.

Johntea

Bought a iPod AV kit in the sale yesterday from a store in Wakefield, got on the train and noticed there looked to be a patch where a seal could have been.

Got home, opened the box up and bits were missing (Including the actual AV cable which kinda defeats the point of the purchase!!!) and all the other bits were in a used condition (It is soooo easy to tell since it is glossy Apple white plastic which scratches like).

Needless to say I'll be down to the store near work tomorrow getting my money back. That way they shouldn't be able to accuse me of opening it and returning minus half the kit!

Jenny_Wren_3

mobile phones are exempt from the 30 day money back guantee and so could not have been brought, taken home and returned with anything missing. If they have been opened then it would have been instore as a customer view.

deanos

Jenny_Wren wrote: »

mobile phones are exempt from the 30 day money back guantee and so could not have been brought, taken home and returned with anything missing. If they have been opened then it would have been instore as a customer view.

Could have been bought online and returned to store which you are entitled to a refund if required.

Road_Hog

Jenny_Wren wrote: »

mobile phones are exempt from the 30 day money back guantee and so could not have been brought, taken home and returned with anything missing. If they have been opened then it would have been instore as a customer view.

That may be the idea, but the reality is somewhat different. I've never had anything missing from a sealed box only the ones with the returns sticker on them.

jonny1rfc

Road_Hog wrote: »

That may be the idea, but the reality is somewhat different. I've never had anything missing from a sealed box only the ones with the returns sticker on them.

I work for Argos. I am truely behind your opinions on this board. However, mobile phones are a difficult subject to sell.

Why?
We have the phones sent in from the Warehouses. Several hundred people work in these including alot of TEMPS!!! I will list you some example of what has arrived in-store.

PS2's with a red brick in it instead of the console.
Crayon's instead on mobile phones.
Empty box's

The reason given to us for opening the boxes by management?

Not only to check the conents, but have it done in front of THE CUSTOMER, so they leave satisfied. Every collection counter is recorded by CCTV and this in a way stops people coming back saying there was no phone in the box. If they were not checked then Argos would have to refund EVERY CUSTOMER who said this.

It is essentially a fraud prevention matter.


To your point about Argos staff not knowing the contents of the box, well your 100% correct again. Over 12,000 products, we do try our best. However, we do have a store support number to phone for quieres like this one if required.

Another grey area: many phones are for presents at Xmas, people don't know if its suitable. But the returns policy states it must be unused. Therefore, a return would be granted on some evidence supporting that the customer is genuine and that the phone is in a saleable condition for the next customer.

Hope this helps explain more in detail.

wherediditallgo

If the box looks like it's been opened, I always now ask the staff to exchange it for an unopened one. I've twice before taken items that appear opened - the first time I did so, some of the listed contents were missing. As I'd had to get a cab home with the item, I rang Argos for the missing parts, & was told I'd have to contact the manufacturer. I reminded Argos that the product was their respomsibility & insisted on speaking to the manager - by the time I'd finished with him, he'd agreed to come round in his car after work to collect it & brought a new complete item with him.

The second time I took the item only because it was the last one they had & I couldn't face traipsing around other branches for another one when I already knew the item was in short supply. However, I did use my phone to take photos of the box in the store under the screen showing what orders are ready for collection as proof that I'd received them box that way. Luckily for them it was fine.

darich

wherediditallgo wrote: »

I rang Argos for the missing parts, & was told I'd have to contact the manufacturer. I reminded Argos that the product was their respomsibility & insisted on speaking to the manager - by the time I'd finished with him, he'd agreed to come round in his car after work to collect it & brought a new complete item with him.

i bought a chest of drawers (flat pack) and when building it discovered that there were no plastic runners for the drawers included. i contacted the manufacturer as per the instruction leaflet, who instead of sending me the entire pack of runners, sent me one individual.
i went back to Argos who said to contact the manufacturer again. i refused. They sent me another complete chest of drawers, which i refused delivery of (after the delivery man had carried it up 4 flights of stairs).
i then sent them an email stating that under sale of goods act, my contract was with them and not the manufacturer and that i wanted them to come and uplift the chest of drawers i had partially built. Within a day i had a phone call apologising and a couple of days later received the full pack of runners i required.

Road_Hog

darich wrote: »

They sent me another complete chest of drawers, which i refused delivery of (after the delivery man had carried it up 4 flights of stairs).

Do you have an ebay user ID? If so, could I have it please as I'd like to add you to my blocked bidder list.